It Begins..

[OtterGreen]

Yesterday I purchased a Ariens snowblower. The shop near me accepts 1 dollar, then calls you when it comes in around late oct early november at which time you pay the remaining balance. I picked up a compact 22 due to one side of my property being pretty tight and a few gates that I have. I was always a shovel type of guy, but after multiple back surgeries, last year snow accumulation, and this year looking to be about the same, I cant afford to miss my dive school by throwing out my back, which happens to fall between oct and feb. I was talking to my neighbor this morning and told him I had purchased it and will be here within a month or so. I went home to pick something up on my way to the boat and ill just say that the guy across the street I havent said more than hi to, walks up and starts talking to me about my newly aquired machinery. I began telling him the price and the deals they are running currently and he quickly changed the conversation to either "borrowing it" - yeah okay.. or having me do it for him.. just thought it was funny. Same thing happened in the storms with generators. Staying with a friend, as soon as he fired that thing up, people started walking over.. I hate spending money, but for the price I paid, its well worth it. No more back pain and if I miss more than 5 classes I get recycled. The old lady griped.. I call it an investment, not a waste. Besides, Ive yet to see her pick up a shovel..

[PorFin]

Originally Posted by OtterGreen

...and ill just say that the guy across the street I havent said more than hi to, walks up and starts talking to me about my newly aquired machinery. I began telling him the price and the deals they are running currently and he quickly changed the conversation to either "borrowing it" - yeah okay.. or having me do it for him.. just thought it was funny.

Yeah, funny how friendly people get when they're trying to pull a preemptive Tom Sawyer job.

Here's a suggestion -- instead of letting him borrow it, why not let him rent it? Or even hire you to do his driveway/walkway?

Got any teenagers in your neighborhood? Could be the basis of a great small business -- give the focus today, you might even be able to get federal grant money for it.

Originally Posted by OtterGreen

The old lady griped... Besides, Ive yet to see her pick up a shovel..

Given the comment above, I think I'd hide the shovel from her -- your head may not like how it's used should she lay her hands on it

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by OtterGreen

ill just say that the guy across the street I havent said more than hi to, walks up and starts talking to me about my newly aquired machinery. I began telling him the price and the deals they are running currently and he quickly changed the conversation to either "borrowing it" - yeah okay.. or having me do it for him..

There are mooches and freeloaders in nearly every neighbourhood. They are the same ones who never return anything they are lent until you have to go and get it back.

They will always be with us.

[OtterGreen]

If it were someone like my brother, father, uncle etc.. I would have no problem letting them use it. However, do i really trust something brand new, that costs a pretty penny to someone I dont know or trust? Like I said, the army gave me 4 spinal surgeries and I cannot afford to have to shovel snow. I would be neighborly and help out if and when I can, but I think letting it be used by people I dont know could get a little dodgy. If something were to happen lets say, hitting something ( this happened to my uncle after he ran over a wreath ) which the bailing wire wrapped itself around the auger and took 2 hours to untangle and cut, would they be able to pay to have it fixed? Also, if someone like a neighborhood kid ( not the brightest where I reside ) were to damage someones property, or worse yet, lose a hand because they tried to unjam it, I simply could not live with myself, ontop of being held accountable. The way my uncle puts it, ( retired ) he helps out all the people without kids and the elderly and I would be more than happy to do the same. But to give someone a machine with churning augers and an impeller that throws snow and ice 50 feet, that may not know how to properly operate it seems a tad dodgy. My friend with the generator in the last storm let neighbors one by one use it for a time span to keep their sump pumps running, well.. One of them decided they could also use their tv, and computer etc.. It blew a 3000 dollar generator because my friend used it to run his entire house minus the AC and it overloaded. After that, the guilty party refused to even make any monetary input, claiming he didnt do anything wrong. two minutes before it blew my friend was on his way over to confront him about using more than the pump, he denied it even though its obvious you could see a tv on. Then he pulled the " why were you looking in my house" routine. No good deed goes unpunished.