Loan A saw,never!!

[bandmiller2]

Hard earned lesson never loan a chainsaw you'll get bit everytime.If the guy is a friend I'll go along with the saw and help him.Anyone that knows saws has his own,thems that don't will tear one up in an hour.Frank C.

[ladylake]

Did you just learn that lesson, how bad was your saw tore up.   Steve

[Rocky_J]

25 years of running saws with various tree companies has taught me that most people have no clue how to run a chainsaw. You'd think people that did tree work for a living might be better than the average Joe as far as saw skills but for the most part it simply isn't true. And anybody with decent saw skills wouldn't ask to borrow a saw anyway.

[miking]

Loaning is never a good idea, but if one of my helpers wants to saw I'll let them use my saws with supervision. They have to learn somehow and they might as well learn my way if they want to work for me. Then if they develop some skills, I'll say 'That's fine, now you need to go get your own saw'.

[chainsawr]

That is what 'loaner' saws are for.  I've never had anybody damage one that wasn't honestly sorry about the mistake.  It is good to help people in a pinch who need it.

[stonebroke]

Think about the liability if somebody kills themselves with your saw.

Stonebroke

[JohnG28]

Im not too big on loaning out any of my tools, saws included.  I have no problem helping someone out when they need it though, just would rather be present than send my hard earned money off with someone.

[Jeff]

I loaned my saw just once to a neighbor as he said he had to make one quick cut and that was it.  I should have went with it.  Turned out the quick cut was to cut part of his old deck apart. Nails included.

[RSteiner]

There are three things I will not loan out, my tractor, my chainsaws, and my wife.  A friend asked if my wife could help her with some stuff and I said okay.  She came back tired and grumpy.

When ever any one asked to borrow something along that nature I tell them okay but I come with the deal and will help you with the project. 

Randy

[Bibbyman]

I've had people actually ask if they could borrow our sawmill!   

I told them if they were willing to put down a $50,000 deposit. 

[boobap]

My dad learned the hard way to never load out saws...even to his own son...me! it was only a little homlite 150, but they still don't fair well when a bobcat runs it over... that being said, i love my saws and want any excuse to use them, so if a friend asks to borrow it, the answer is usually yes, but i am the one operating it! 

[bandmiller2]

Ladylake Steve,I figured it out so many years ago I forget the particulars,mostly bent bar and severly rocked out chain.By all means if you loan give them your gas mix can  with B&C oil too.Frank C.

[zzrcanuck]

My first post here!!
On the topic of loaning saws, that's what my MS290 is for!

[JohnG28]

Zzr, welcome to the forum, I think youll like it here.

[zzrcanuck]

I've been lurking around here for quite a while,finally signed up!!
It's a great forum,already like it 

[shinnlinger]

Bibby,

I noticed a guy who rented out his LT 40 in the paper a while back.  Said he would come and set it up for you and leave you with some bands.  I thought that was pretty crazy and noticed he isn't advertising that service any longer....

As far as loaning a saw, if the person has never used a saw before and you simply lend them yours you are no friend.  The risk of them hurting themselves concerns me alot more than them hurting my saw.

ON the other hand I would probably lend one of mine to some one I knew had experience with saws, but funny I have never been asked by experienced sawyers....

Dave

[Rocky_J]

The catch-22 is that if they have enough saw experience to not tear up your saw, then the would own their own saw. The fact that they don't have a saw is strong proof that they probably don't have much saw experience.

The other consideration is that I make my living with my saws. A common and wise rule of thumb among tradesmen is to never loan or pawn your tools. So it simply is not a consideration.

[donny hochstetler]

i'V  always said ,if you want to find out how many freinds you have, and who they , are buy a bucket truck,  anything from painting the barn, to getting stupid cats out of trees on the day before christmas ,  My motto for a small fee, i'll cut your tree , you want it you pay for it ,and no you can not use my bucket truck, chipper, saws ,ropes ,saddles  ect.  :)or grinders to much at stake

[Ed]

Loaning a saw out is a pretty general thing....
If it was someone that I felt would cut their fingers off with a dull handsaw...nope, ain't gonna happen.
Someone I know and trust, thats in a pinch or needs a bigger saw, no problem, as long as they don't ask for my 084..........

I'll add that any of my friends that do ask, want the saw oprerator also. 

Ed

[JohnG28]

Ill agree with that Ed, a few weeks ago a god friend had a large piece of Maple(I think) in his yard.  He didn't ask to borrow my saw, just asked if I'd mind coming over to cut it up and help split.  And I was happy to do so.

[SwampDonkey]

I don't loan anything with a motor in it and no wrenches. Shovel, wheel barrow, pick axe.....go for it. 

[Al_Smith]

As a general rule I don't loan my saws . The rare exception to that rule is with a tree trimmer bud of mine who on rare occasions might need my 48" bar and a saw to run it .

On the other hand I have at my disposal his bucket truck and skid loader any time I need it so it's a far trade . Actually I have the whole crew if need be .

[buzzegray]

SwampDonkey , great rule   - Don't lend it if it has a motor or engine.

[LeeB]

I loaned mine out to only on freind and it came back with a new chain and the old one sharpened. I know he will take care of it and if his hadn't birnt up on him he never would have dreamed  of using mine. He's a stihl man and I prefer Huskys. 

[SwampDonkey]

He's a stihl man and I prefer Huskys. 

Oh Yeah? 












Well........I got both. Going for season 4 and 7 on two Stihl brush saws. Chainsaw (Husky) don't hardly get used, but I did do some yard clean up this week.

[Bill]

Only loaned a saw out once quite a few years back - a cousin bent my ear till she and her hubby talked me into it.

Up till then I never loaned tools, less I went along with them.

Saw came back - with a new bar and chain. She said they burned up the old ones. Thankfully at least she knew well enough to replace what they broke.

Now even relatives have to follow the rule - I go with the tool  - no exceptions . . .

[Weekend_Sawyer]

 I had a stihl (think it is an 028) given to me last year. Needs work. My buddy loaned it out to his neighbor, the neighbor said the saw was crap and would only cut if he put it under the log and brought it up. Turns out he was using the chain brake handle as the handle so when he would bear down it would lock up. Looks like in the minimum it needs a new brake and clutch. It's in my pile of saws to work on no a rainy day. BTW Neighbor bought him a new saw.

I'm with the majority here, I'm not loaning out my saw, truck, tractor, trailer, MOTORCYCLE, ect...

Jon

[RSteiner]

Tell your wife and kids to follow the rule of not leanding out your stuff. 

This just happened two days ago to a man I work with.  There was a dead hemlock tree across the road from his house that came down and blocked the dirt road.  He lives 2 miles from the town highway department. 

A school bus, no kids on board, coming down the road couldn't get by.  A man who also lives up the road had to stop, he has a farm with tractors and trucks.  The wife and child of the man I work with was outside so the farmer asked her if he could borrow her husband's chainsaw.  She said I don't think he would like that.  The 7 year old son took the man into his father's barn to find a chain so he could pull it out of the way.  The first thing they found was a 120 foot lenght of 3 strand rope that he purchased special for a rope puller he uses to tip trees the right way.  One of those New England Rope Company ropes Baileys sells.

The farmer tied the rope to his truck and to the tree and took off.  The rope is now in three pieces and the tree was still in the road.  The school bus driver radioed the town highway department and they were there in minutes and moved the tree.

The man I work with is still a little hot over the whole matter.  The farmer didn't bother to remove the rope puller from the rope before he tried to move the tree either.  What makes matters worse in the bed of his pickup not 50 feet away was a 20 foot piece of 3/8 chain.

Now his wife and child know not to lean out dad's stuff too.

Randy