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Replies
Not a bad idea at all. I had an accident with my strimmer last month and borrowed a friend's, it saved me having to buy or hire a replacement whilst Stihl failed to deliver a small part over a bank holiday, that turned in to a fortnight!
I guess the problem is that you never lend tools to anyone, outside of real friends, as it only leads to the inevitable fall-out when something breaks. How do you allow for the mower that blows an engine when it's borrowed, and the owner claims it's run like new for 20 years?
I can see the idea working but would be difficult in practise unless both sides already trusted eacg other.
Just yesterday my PBTS died a death - starter coil broke and as I pulled it apart the metal cowl turned out have gone brittle and fractured causing the starter pawls to be out of allignment.... Cost of parts will be nigh on £80, yet I had no idea it would happen to a 2 y old mower........... Lent out I would probabbly feel that it had been abused.
This a great idea in principle but I fear it would cause a lot of falling out between pool members. The only way I would see it working would be if:
1): They pool machines were not of high value to the donor member and they were not fussed if it broke down whilst another member was using it
2): Members agreed to repair said broken machine at their own cost, which again I could see causing issues between pool members.
3): Or members could agree to pay-in a mutually agreed fee to a holding account that would be used for repairs..... but then you are getting into having a committee of members deciding what repairs get done, again I could see issues in that too.
4): Another issue would be, and I mean this with the greatest of respect, would members trust each other enough to lend out spare machines ?. This goes back to all of the above and as only a few members actually have met and know each other from rare LJN meet ups it would be a "thorny hedge to prune".
Perhaps an exchange system whereby user can sell old machines between each other - Means the person in need gets a mchine cheaply and quickly, while the seller gets some money for a machine they are not using?
This is probably a stupid question but what's a PBTS?
David Cox said:
An Etesia pro mower, 46 I think.
Geoff Norfolk said:
Nice idea in a perfect world... but really wouldn't work in practice, the only way I can see it working is in a full scale way with subscriptions paid and tools insured and serviced etc and hire shops already do all that ?
I for one cringe at the way some tools are used ! it's the thing of nightmares..!
It would have to be all or nothing...it works in the car world, folk get replacement cars whilst the insurance is sorted ? but would that work for garden machinery ??????
Unfortunately I can't see it ;-(
Mark
PBTS - Pro46 PBTS - Briggs engine, self proppelled model