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ToolPool.Garden vs making your own
Lots of groups start lending with a spreadsheet, a Google Form and a group chat, and that can work fine. ToolPool.Garden does the same job with the tracking built in. Here's how they compare, so you can pick the one that fits your group.
The short version
If one person is happy to keep the sheet updated after every lend, your own setup is free and works. ToolPool.Garden is better for a group of people who all want to pitch in.
Side by side
| Question | ToolPool.Garden | Your own setup |
|---|---|---|
| Where the stuff lives | Wherever it already is, like your garage or your hall closet. | Wherever it already is. The sheet only says where if somebody types it in. |
| Keeping the list current | Each person keeps their own listings up to date. | Somebody has to update the sheet every time something goes out or comes back. |
| Asking to borrow | You ask from the listing, and the owner decides whether to lend. | People ask in the group chat, or fill out the form. |
| Talking it over | The borrower and the owner work it out in the chat, just the two of them. | It usually happens in the group chat, so everybody sees it. |
| Who knows what you own | Your name stays off the listing until you decide to reveal yourself. | Everybody who can open the sheet sees who owns what. |
| What you pay | Your first month is free, and so is any month your pool is up to 20 members and 250 listings. After that it's a flat $4.99 a month for the whole pool. | Free, if your group already uses the spreadsheet, form and chat apps. |
When your own setup fits
If your group is small and one person doesn't mind keeping the sheet updated, a spreadsheet and a group chat work fine. It's free, and everybody already knows how to use it.
When ToolPool.Garden fits better
ToolPool.Garden is better for a group of people who all want to pitch in. Everybody keeps their own listings current, so it doesn't all fall on one person when they get busy.
The drill stays in your garage until somebody asks for it. You see who's asking, and the two of you work out pickup in the chat without the whole group watching.
People can also list supplies, offer a skill they'd teach, or post a request for something nobody's listed yet.
Questions people ask
Is ToolPool.Garden a good alternative to a spreadsheet?
Yep, once keeping the sheet current turns into one person's job. In a pool, everybody updates their own stuff.
Is a spreadsheet and group chat really free?
Yep, if your group already uses those apps. The cost is mostly the time somebody spends keeping it updated.
Can I move my spreadsheet into ToolPool.Garden?
Yep. Each member adds their own stuff to the pool, so nobody has to type in the whole list.
Is ToolPool.Garden free?
Yes! It's free for your first month and any month your pool stays at 20 members and 250 listings or fewer. After that it's $4.99 a month for the whole pool.