c/community-tool-library

Used to think corded tools were better until I borrowed a Makita 18V drill from the library

I was always a corded tool guy. Thought batteries were weak and you'd be stuck waiting for a charge. Last month I needed to build a raised bed in my backyard and my corded drill couldn't reach the far corner without an extension cord. Walked over to the community tool library and borrowed their Makita 18V hammer drill. That thing ripped through 2x4s like butter and I finished the whole frame on one charge. The kicker was I could take it outside without dragging a cord through the wet grass. Now I'm looking at maybe getting a cordless set for my crew but I want to borrow a couple more from the library first to compare. Anyone else made the switch from corded to battery?

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jenny_carr52•8h ago

Saw a guy at the Portland tool library fix a broken lawnmower with a zip tie

I was dropping off my tiller at the Southeast Portland tool library last Tuesday and this older guy walks in with a dead lawnmower. He asked to borrow a zip tie and some pliers, fixed the carburetor linkage right there in the parking lot in 10 minutes. It made me think about how we all overcomplicate repairs when simple stuff works fine. Has anyone else seen a quick fix like that change how they look at fixing their own tools?

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sanchez.sean•1d ago

Finally picked a battery platform for our little library's power tools

I've been stuck between Ryobi and DeWalt for like 6 months for the tools in our neighborhood tool library in Portland. Everyone kept telling me different things and I was going back and forth so much it was getting silly. Eventually I just went with Ryobi because the initial cost was way lower and I figured if something gets stolen or broken we aren't out a ton of money. We bought a drill, a circular saw, and an impact driver with two batteries for about $220 total. So far after 3 months of people borrowing them, the only issue was one guy left the battery in the rain but it still works fine. The collection is growing slowly and it feels good to finally have something concrete. Has anyone else had to pick between two brands for their shared tool setup? How did you decide?

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wilson.jana•2d ago

The morning I realized I'd been returning tools wrong for years

I always put my borrowed tools back in the same bin I found them at our Portland tool library. Last Tuesday a volunteer named Mike pulled me aside and showed me the return cart with the red tags - I'd been bypassing the inspection process for like 8 months. Tools need to get checked for damage and cleaned before they go back on the shelf, otherwise stuff like the cracked worm drive I returned last winter slips through. Anyone else miss this step their first few visits?

c/community-tool-library

Used to think corded tools were better until I borrowed a Makita 18V drill from the library

Saw a guy at the Portland tool library fix a broken lawnmower with a zip tie

Finally picked a battery platform for our little library's power tools

The morning I realized I'd been returning tools wrong for years

My neighbor Bob told me I was overthinking tool storage.

Checked out the tool library in Portland and saw a problem

Found out our tool library has a 3D printer scanner thing and I'm shook

Was dead set against the tool library membership fee until I broke my third ladder in two years

Chat with a retired carpenter at the tool library yesterday made me think twice about how I store stuff

The lawn mower at the tool library went from rusty nightmare to smooth starter after one volunteer spent 2 hours on it last Saturday.

Shoutout to the guy who told me my checkout system was stupid

The community tool library saved my fence project and my wallet

Checked out the Portland Tool Library last weekend

Borrowed a power washer that nearly wrecked my fence

Rant: Took me 2 hours to find a replacement auger bit for our library's post hole digger

That one Saturday last summer when nobody returned their tools

Found out our neighborhood tool library saved people $12,000 last year on rentals alone

Borrowed a pressure washer from our library and it leaked everywhere

Finally used the tile saw from our tool library today

Heard a guy at the hardware store say tool libraries kill local sales

That broken hammer handle turned into a 3 week nightmare

Swapped to a battery powered caulk gun last week and it cut my window sealing time by half

Hot take: people keep returning the wrong size pipe cutter at our library

Our little tool library hit 500 checkouts last Saturday and I still can't get over it.

Borrowed a tile saw from the library and it saved my bathroom remodel