Renting out rotovator

I am considering renting out my small rotovator and mantis tiller to other plot holders on my site. Has anyone done this? If so what are your experiences.

try it on a lend basis with the borrower leaving it with a ful tank of fuel - then no cash changes hands
Grendel

I think it could be perceived to be a bit cheeky!

On my last site, my plot neighbours were quite friendly, one mowed the grass pathways for me as he knew I didn't have a way of doing it, and then he offered me to utilise his rotavate too. I used to share my tools that I left down there with a couple of other people who didn't have anywhere to store theirs either.

On my new site, I've already offered my next door neighbour who I know has a plot and is perhaps struggling for tie to borrow my rotavator.

Personally, I think it could get very problematic with hiring out your equipment as opposed to sking someone to pay for the fuel they use, or like the replacement chain above etc.

I repair machinery and when I see some of the stupid things that have been done to them I would never loan anything mechanical out. After lending, some problems may not surface until the next time they are used in earnest  which my be some time after their return so apportioning blame can be awkward.
I don't lend to family or friends but will offer go and use the machine for them for free.
smud6ie

I can see the sense in that Smud6ie, but doesn't that end up with you having a lot of extra work? Do you have difficult convo's when you don't have the time/don't want to do the job?

I repair machinery and when I see some of the stupid things that have been done to them I would never loan anything mechanical out. After lending, some problems may not surface until the next time they are used in earnest  which my be some time after their return so apportioning blame can be awkward.
I don't lend to family or friends but will offer go and use the machine for them for free.

I can certainly see the sense in that. Last year, at his pleading requests, I lent an allotment neighbour my Mantis. It was full of fuel so I asked him not to run it right out explaining how when a two stroke runs out of pre-mixed fuel it also runs out of oil.
He took it and straight away was throwing it about like a man possessed, full throttle, allowing the tiller to run away until it jumped 18 inches high before slamming back down to earth again and again. Needless to say I wandered over and explained how to work the machine properly (he initially had said he used one every year). I then had to leave the site for a pre-arranged meeting. Returning a short time later my machine was laying on its side in the dirt and the neighbour was using another borrowed Mantis.
The long and short of it was it wasn't returned so I had to fetch it. Completely muddied up, out of fuel and with a broken silencer (bespoke engineered because of local housing). There was only one loser, me. The old lad wouldn't even clean it when I pointed out its’ condition.