DPR's Garden Tool Share Program assists resident gardeners during the growing season (March - November) who may require assistance with temporarily attaining garden tools for one-time use or special events by allowing residents to borrow garden and construction tools for up to one week.  The tool share has a variety of garden tools to borrow such as rototillers, hand tools, power tools, broad forks and even a cider press!

The Garden Tool Share program is managed in partnership with the local non profit Green Neighbors DC.  For instructions on how to register with the program, to view the tool inventory, and to reserve a tool, please go to this page.

For any questions or interests in volunteering with the toolshare please email the DPR Community Garden Specialist [email protected].

 

*** Have tools that you never use?  Help your local community by donating your extra tools to the garden toolshare.  Contact [email protected] for more details.***

 

Tool Participant Requirements

All participants must:

• Be 18 years old or older;
• Have a valid DC DMV issued driver license or ID card;
• Have a valid credit card;
• Be a current DC resident, and be able to verify residency;
• Assume all risk in using DPR tools; and
• Agree to pay for any and all damage or loss of tools, as well as any cleaning or late fees.

Tool Exchange Times

Once participants have registered tools may be picked up or dropped off at the following times

• Tuesdays - 10-11 am
• Thursdays - 4-5 pm
• Saturdays - 2-3 pm
• Sundays  - 10 – 11 am

These times are subject to change.  Please confirm your pickup/drop off time before attending.  Tool share is only open (March - November) and closes for the winter.

Pick up location will be emailed after registration. Pickups and drop-offs must be arranged prior with the DPR Community Garden Specialist and all drop-offs must be made in person.  Any tools not physically handed to the DPR Community Garden Specialist to be returned may result in a missing tool fee.  All initial assessments of the tool must be made during the drop off.  Exceptions to drop off times may be made for extreme weather conditions or other major events which would prevent reasonable travel through the District.

Tool Check Out Lengths

Participants may check a tool out for a maximum of one week at a time.  The tool must be returned at the end of the check out time.  Failure to return the tool(s) on time will result in a $1 (one) dollar a day late fee.  Charges will continue to accrue until the tool is returned or reaches its approximate value.

Automatic renewals are not available for any tools.  Participants may check out a tool for another concurrent week, but only if there are no other participants that have registered to use that tool.

Tool Check Out Limits

• Only one power tool may be checked out at a time, unless prior approval has been obtained from the DPR Community Garden Specialist.
• Only 5 hand tools may be checked out at a time, unless prior approval has been obtained from the DPR Community Garden Specialist.

Penalties & Fees

Registration in the program will require the registrant to agree to pay for damage or loss of tools, waive liability, and assume the risk of use.  Any damage of use beyond normal wear and tear (which will be assessed by the DPR community Garden Specialist) and replacement fees if tools are late or lost or unreturned shall be charged to the program participant for payment within 10 days.

Penalty fees are as follows:

• Late fee: $ 1 (one) dollar a day late fee until the tool is returned or the item reaches its estimated value.
• Cleaning fee: All tools must be cleaned before drop off.  Failure to clean a tool will result in a $5 cleaning fee.
• Damage fee: If a tool is damaged beyond normal wear and tear (based on an assessment of the tool upon return), participants will be charged an estimated fee to repair or replace a tool.
• Lost/Never returned fee: If tools are lost or not returned, a replacement fee will be incurred at the estimated price of the tool.
• Failure to pay fees within ten days will result in immediate removal of the program and possible civil fines pursuant to D.C. Official Code 10-137.01 (e). 

Liability

• All participants must sign a waiver of liability form before borrowing any tool.
• Only the borrower registered on ASAP may use the checked out tool. 
• All participants must participate in a short and specific tool safety lesson taught by the DPR Community Garden Specialist before checking out any tool.

Tools

(Tool List may have changed since posting.  Email DPR Garden specialist to ensure any tool is still available)

Power Tools (QTY)

• Dewalt 20 volt drill with lithium battery and charger (1)
• Dewalt 20 volt driver with lithium battery and charger (1)
• Dewalt 65-piece drill and screw bit set (2)
• Reciprocating saw(sawzall) plug in (1)
• Reciprocating saw(sawzall) cordless (1)
• Portable table saw (1)
• Vibratory plate compactor (1)
• Circular saw - plug in (1)
• Small miter (chop) saw (1)
• Large miter (chop) saw (1)
• 100' outdoor heavy duty extension cord (4)
• 5500 watt portable gas generator (1)
• 1800 watt portable low noise generator (1)
• 1200 watt solar generator  (1)
• Front tine rototiller (1)
• Rear tine rototiller (1)
• Power washer (1)
• Battery trimmer (weedwacker) (2)
• Gas trimmer (weedwacker) (1)
• Battery hedge trimmer (2)

Hand Tools (QTY)

• 24'' bolt cutter (8)
• 48'' bolt cutter (1)
• 137 piece mechanical tool set (2)
• Rubber mallet (4)
• Klein punchdown.screwdriver multi tool (1)
• Metal hand snips (4)
• hacksaw (3)
• All purpose hand saw (3)
• Dewalt staple gun (4)
• Mini clamps (2)
• 6'' clamps (2)
• Scissor (10)
• Needle nose scissor (2)
• 4' level (1)
• 1' level (3)

Garden Hand Tools (QTY)

• Wheel hoe with 3 different hoe attachments (1)
• Backpack sprayer (organic use only) (2)
• Nut gatherer (1)
• Meadow creatures broad forks (small and large) (2)
• Flat free wheelbarrows (4)
• Large 2 wheel wheelbarrows (2)
• Pitchforks (2)
• Standing tillers (5)
• Hole diggers (4)
• Stake drivers (2)
• Shovels (40)
• Small shovels (10)
• Brooms (2)
• Tillers (10)
• Scuffle hoe (2)
• Large rogue hoe (2)
• Hand rakes (10)
• Leaf rakes (5)

Tree Care (QTY)

• 14' pole pruner (4)
• Folder saw (3)
• Hand saw  (2)
• Hand bypass pruner (5)
• Leather belt holsters (5)
• Telescoping bypass loopers (3)

Safety (QTY)

• Ear muffs (5)
• Safety glasses (10)
• General purpose gloves (100 pair)
• Breathing masks (20)

Misc (QTY)

• Applepress (1)
• Small havahart cage(squirrels, rats, etc) (4)
• Large Havahart cage (possoms, groundhogs, etc) (1)
• Hand torch plus fuel (1)
• 30 x 50 tarp (2)
• Folding tables (10)
• Sun oven (solar baker) (1)
• Sol source parable solar cooker (1)
• Pop up canopy (1)
• 5 gallon compost tea brew kit (1)
• Rapidtest 4 way analyzer (1)
• Direct soil meter (1)
• Keyway soil tester (1)
• Hanna instruments portable pH/EC/IOS meter (1)
• Mushroom inoculating kit (1)
• Cast iron cooking set (1)
• Multi-ladder  22' (1)
• 4' step ladder (2)
• Conventional handtruck (1)
• Bokashi 5 gallon composting buckets (1)

Books (QTY)

• Teaming With Microbes (2)
• Seed to Seed(Seed saving guide) (2)
• Rodale Book on Composting (2)
• Root Cellaring (2)
• Carrots love Tomatoes (companion planting) (2)
• Worms Eat My Garbage (2)
• Natural Pest and Disease Control (2)
• Winter Harvest Hand Book (2)
• Art of Fermentation (2)
• Holistic Orchard (2)
• How to Grow More Vegetables (2)
• Square Foot Gardening (2)
• 4 Season Harvest (2)
• Four Season Farm Gardener Cookbook  (3)
• Preserving Food (2)
• Gaia's Garden (2)
• Market Gardener (3)
• New Organic Grower (2)
• Backyard Beekeeper (2)

 

For any questions please contact DPR Community Garden Specialists at [email protected] for further details.