Hello Darrin,

One way I have found that works to get your tools back real fast is to ask
for a cash deposit, maybe of one third to one half of the value of the
tools. This may be a problem for the more expesive tools, so you may have
to negociate something different. I figure that if I lend someone a tool
for free, that same person can lend me some money in return. And should
the tool be returned damaged, you already have to money to get it fixed.
Just make sure you have the borrower sign for what he borrows and the
amount of deposit left, so the deposit is not considered to be the selling
price of the tool.

Too bad to have to resort to such methods, but the lender is not the
person who should suffer from his gracious deeds.

Andre