Berkeley Tool Lending Library
 

I can only imagine the main reason some of the guys here try to rib me about Berkeley stems from their jealousy at not having a tool lending library in their hometown. If this is socialism, I like socialism. It doesn't hurt that it's about 5 blocks from my house. They have a huge selection -- portable table saws -- big Bosch demo hammers -- a cement mixer -- ladders -- wheelbarrows -- all manner of shovels -- drills -- where to stop?

Here's a complete list, with the fine schedule. You get the small items for 7 days, and the big, in demand, items for 3 days. Overdue fines range from $1 to $15.

Another link.

Not a big building, oh 15' by 40' maybe, right next to one of the neighborhood branch libraries:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87...oollib1med.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87...oollib2med.jpg

Check this out: I happened to see the same bozo with his BMW "pickup" later at a lumber yard:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a87...wood2bgmed.jpg

That's 3/4 treated ply -- one piece'll about break your back, the stuff is so wet.

A hard core free marketeer might say this is unfair to free enterprise rental yards, and I imagine they do lose some business to it. I've checked out the demo hammer plenty of times and I would have had to either rent or buy one otherwise. I only need it once or twice a year so it's hard to justify the $500 or so.

Still, private tool rental yards seem to do a brisk business here. The guys at the tool library counter are mostly former contractors with 'stove out' backs so they can be a wealth of good advice.

All in all, viva B - Town!

What a great resource to have.

I asked my library if I could borrow a tool and they threw me out.

BMW looks to be in great shape, cmac. Love the color.

Oh, thanks. I have to give 90% of the credit to the original owner. I bought it at 214K for $3400 (?!?). It was a bit below blue book, it ran great, and the guy had an inch thick stack of service records from a top local garage. I added some of it up later, and he'd put more than $6,000 into it in the last 3 years.

If you saw it from a few more angles, you'd see it could use a paint job. :D

I thought tool borrowing is what friends are for:wacko:

Well, they are. None of my friends have that kind of tool collection, though. I don't even mind paying the $15 dollar fine if'n I have to keep the demo hammer longer to finish the job. It'd cost me way more than that to rent it.

I think the idea might be catching on. I did a web search and they have one up in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood in Seattle, one of my old stomping grounds.

Yeah, hey neighbor, can I borrow your cement mixer? :)