Borrowing Clippers?

[dwi]

Do you lend your clippers to other people on the yard when they ask? Two people have asked me tonight and I said no but now I feel evil. We borrow wheelbarrows and the odd whip etc, we all share and share alike but to me clippers are a bit different.

They cost me £200 and I'm very careful with them, D is always washed thoroughly before she is clipped, I oil the blades thoroughly, never over stress the engine. If I lend them out and they come back blunt/broken it's going to cause bad feeling. My other concern is that if I clip one then the whole yard, none of whom have their own clippers will all want doing.

 

[3Beasties]

I personally wouldn't lend the clippers out but would offer to clip the horses for them for a small fee of about £10/£15, this should be enough to cover the cost of re-sharpening them and give you a little 'pocket money' for your time.

 

[milliepops]

I don't lend mine out either, but I will clip other people's horses for the price of blade sharpening/elec.

ETA - I will only do well behaved horses - life's too short to get kicked and booted!

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

I do - they borrow them and give me between 5 & 10 quid depending on how much they have done. I have them serviced and blades ground every year and it goes towards the cost of that. No one has ever abused them or returned them in any way other than the way they picked them up - but then I am very scary and they wouldn't dare do anything but!!!

 

[ofcourseyoucan]

no i would never lend my clippers! if you clip even for a small fee make sure that you have commercial insurance, 3 c insurance and public liability insurance, and all your machines are PAT tested, and you use a breaker. all these reasons are a perfect excuse not to clip others for financial gain.

 

[dwi]

At the risk of sounding like a really horrible person money isn't the issue. I have a very well paid job, what I lack is time. I did think about offering to do it for a charge but I don't want to clip the 5-10 horses that would ask all winter.

 

[Guinness]

No I used to but kept getting them back dirty and with blunt blades

So now I dont lend them.

 

[milliepops]

Well surely there are other people that they can ask to clip their horses in that case? Just say no!

Don't feel mean - you probably wouldn't lend those people your saddle/car etc!

 

[Helga1980]

I'm fairly easy going when it comes to lending things but wouldn't lend something like clippers, but then I also wouldn't clip someone elses horse for them (in all honesty I pay someone else to clip for me as it's all to much hassle!)

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

I used to use my friend's clippers on a regular basis but I had my own blades for them. Maybe you could suggest the same? If someone has to pay up for their set of blades, or even just find out how much a set of blades cost, they may feel different about their request.

 

[clairencappelli]

Nope not ever! I do mobile clipping so i wouldnt lend then to anyone - not even friends as they only need to be over tensioned and thats the motor burnt out.

If they want a set of "yard" clippers tell them to club together and buy some.

 

[Coffee_Bean]

No I wouldn't lend them out. I would clip for someone for the cost of sharpening, but not lend them out.

 

[QUICKFIRE]

No dont do it and dont feel bad for saying no.
I learnt the hard way, lent just the battery pack out and they used their own clippers, and what ever was wrong with their clippers, completly buggerd my battery pack! cost me £ 120 for new battery, didn't even get a thank you, kiss my donkey nothing, you won't get any thanks.

 

[dozzie]

I have done but tbh it annoys me. I take the attitude now either buy your own or pay someone to clip. I dont lend clippers. Purely due to someone taking the mickey in the past.

 

[Pedantic]

Wont lend mine, anything else like barrow etc but not the clippers.

 

[Cobbysmum]

No they cost too much and some people are seasoned borrowers

 

[TheEngineer]

Over the years I have seen many "borrowed clippers" come in for repair, with accompanying tales of woe. Many a yard friendship has been ruined by the "borrowed them and they went bang" or "I dropped them when she kicked me, they will be fine scenario" The thing I usually tell people to say is that "if I lend my clippers to you and your horse gets a shock or injured I will be liable, so I would but, sadly NO" Same applies if you charge, the ramifications of having you clipper pat tested each year and showing a record, is not worth it. I sometimes get the feeling this is why some yards avoid having an employee who clips, because they are then liable for insurance, safety testing, protective equipment, circuit breakers etc etc under health and safety law. It's just not worth the hassle. I think as a previous poster suggested, the other yard inmates, are probably better off starting a kitty and buying a shared set, that they are then responsible for. This at least cuts the cost of buying and maintaining them IMHO of course...

 

[wipeout]

I'd be more likely to lend out my boyfriend to be honest!
My clippers are immaculate, I look after them - I even hoover out the box!. They cost me a fortune and I wouldn't lend them out. Ever.
I don't feel bad about it either!

 

[ester]

I do but only to a very good friend who is better at it than me and used to not like lending hers, she buys new blades for me.

They only cost me £50 second hand though but wouldn't let anyone else borrow as they would cost to replace.