I wonder if such a thing exists? I'd happily lend my (ok, fairly limited) knowledge and/or tools to a chap nearby who was working on his car/bike but he won't know that unless he knows me personally.
There would probably have to be a way to make money from the site but I reckon it would be quite easy for someone who knows internets to set up...
I've considered using Freecycle along these lines but our moderator is a short-arsed nazi who won't allow 'can I borrow a...' posts.
Thoughts?
Si
Lending tools isn't a good idea when the OP who is not familiar with using speciality tools or even ordinary tools for that matter, breaks or damages them.
Its very sad when any tool has been returned damaged, then you regret lending.
Simple examples: cracked hammer handle, bent heavy steel bar (overloaded), bent pin in a torque wrench, modified screwdriver used for another purpose than intended - snapped, Clean workshop manuals come back with oil and grease marks through them.
You are the one that wears the cost not the borrower. No one looks after hire equipment, borrowed, I'm afraid, comes into this category as well.
All true, unfortunately, now I think about it. Some would probably try to sue you if a fault was mis-diagnosed too!
Oh well :o)
Si
I wouldn't want to lend tools either. But I have occasionally pondered on a sort of self-help network for classic car drivers, so that anyone stranded close by could give a call and see if help's at hand. But then most folk have breakdown cover these days anyway. And there's the risk of people trying to take advantage. Also, if a money making website is involved, you need to be very careful to ensure that everyone realises it's all completely voluntary so they can't get stroppy if nobody wants to help them.
A lot of this does go on in the specialist forums for each make, especially but not exclusively for classics. That doesn't lessen the usefulness of many of the people in here. But I've met and made good friends with some folks in forums.
One particular small & friendly forum had a member asking for a hydrolastic pump. When he got no response from anyone near him, I couriered mine to him, though I'd not met him at the time. Some months later my daughter went to university, coincidentally near this same person, and as fate would have it, he was chairman of the local car club, one of which my daughter owned. I was repaid many times over for my original favour!
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