When to rent equipment/when to buy

[Scanner]

For the men (and women) who handle yard maintenance, house maintenance, do you have a hard and fast rule?

The reason I ask is I was looking through some coupons from BJ's. I have been needing to powerwash my house. . .I see $50 off a $350 gas powered powerwasher. Looks like a good one that could really blast off the mildew/mold on the north side of my siding.

But then I think. . .where am I going to put it? Another thing for my garage. And since I only need it maybe 1x every 2 years (except possibly washing a car from a distance, but even then I'd probably just use a hose), it's probably better to rent.

Now. . .a lawnmower you use every week. . .along with a weed wacker and blower. . .but what are some things that I could "rent."

I'll start the list:

1. Extension ladder. It just sits there in my garage and becomes a shelf. The last time I used it was 2 springs ago. My gutters need cleaned now though.

2. Powerwasher. As per above

3. Post hole digger. Occasionally need it.

4. Wheelbarrow. Once/year to mulch the garden.

5. Chainsaw. I borrowed my father's electric one (ha, ha) to cut down a small pine.

[poundwise]

6. Brush or wood chipper

7. Paint sprayer

8. Reciprocating saw

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

9. Floor sander

10. Hedge trimmer (will be trying to rent one this week)

11. Lawn aerator

[maat55]

Rent:

Power washer. (Consider using mixure of bleach for the mold)
Post hole digger.

Buy:

Wheelbarrow
ladder

[disneysteve]

I'd put the ladder and hedge trimmer on the BUY list. If you have gutters (don't we all), you need a ladder. At least twice a year, spring and fall, I have to get up and clean them. I also use the ladder occasionally when pruning a tree that is close to the house.

As for the trimmer, hedges are always growing. They need to be trimmed 2-3 times per season (probably more but I'm lazy and that's as often as I get to them). Trimmers are cheap, anyway. I can't imagine renting one would make sense.

I've never rented any equipment so I've got nothing to add to that list.

[creditcardfree]

12. Power Tiller (for your garden)

13. Scaffolding

14. Tent (for outdoor parties)

I'd really like to own one of those rental places...they seem like a gold mine!

[FrugalFish]

Funny, DH and I debate buying a power washer from time to time. The reason I don't want to buy one is that DH will power wash everything he can find on a regular basis. He's already obsessive about lawn care

A couple of rental things in addition to the list:

movers dollies- even if you're not in the process of moving.

Ditch witch

Sewer snake is also a good rental, though DH and I bought one to have on hand when our mainline backed up last year. Seems like those things always back up at the worst possible time. Growing up, I lived in a house where we often had to survive the weekend without a bathroom when the mainline clogged. There's a great deal of psychology involved with my insistence on owning one.

ETA- concrete mixer.

[SnoopyCool]

I say inventory your friends' stuff and go from there.

[Scanner]

I'd really like to own one of those rental places...they seem like a gold mine!

My first real job was "Staff Flunkie" at a rental center (deliveries, maintenance). I got $3.50/hour.

It's not as much as a gold mine as you would imagine. Generally, to make a profit you have to rent for about half the cost. So, let's say a shovel costs $20. . .you have to rent for $10. . .because by the time the third to fifth person brings it back, they'll be dried concrete all over it and you end up fighting with the customer that it wasn't returned in the same condition it was rented out in.

And of course, even if they bring it back. . .which is another problem. . .loss.

Chainsaws were particularly problematic. People beat them all to hell because they figured, "Hell. . .it ain't mine."

Now. . .where he made the money was party equipment (chairs, tables, tents). Those things generally lasted a long time with little need for replacement or maintenance. The only problematic part was setting up the tent, which required labor but you could tack on a charge for that.

[AmbitiousSaver]

We've been lucky in the neighborhood we live in... everyone lets each other borrow stuff. I think they do it to help keep up the appearances of the neighborhood.

For example, these birds have been trying to nest in our porch entryway... but our porch is 2 stories so we needed an extension ladder. DH went over to the neighbors... asked him... he didn't have one, but they walked over together to the neighbor who did. Borrowed it, and returned it.

That same day DH is BSing with the neighbor and the neighbor says "If you ever want to borrow our pressure washer you can" since his side of the fencing in our back yard is faded which you notice considerably since we just put in a new fence... or to borrow his truck so we can put mulch in our landscaping.

SO the most frugal thing we've done is to just make friends with the neighbors

We did buy some tools... like a dolly and a table saw which has come in handy more than once when DH replaced all the flooring in our old house and when we moved.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I bought a mover dollie long ago when I started moving a lot. After 12 moves in less than 3 years it turned out for the best.

I share a powerwasher with our neighbors. And we borrow other tools.

Borrow/rent tile saw. After you lay tile once you never want to again.

[stressedmama]

Ditto on the borrowing larger items from neighbors, friends, and families. We borrow a pressure washer, tiller, various tools and lend our tools to others as needed.

[Scanner]

Well. . .I hadn't thought about eternally bumming off my neighbors as an alternative but I'll think about it.

[PrincessPerky]

I say inventory your friends' stuff and go from there.

Ditto that...we borrow off our BIL quite frequently, if you live near lots of family you have lots of folk you can borrow off of.

Another idea if you do rent is to rent something you and another friend needs (don't charge em if you have been bumming their other equipment for a long time) then you both use it for the price of one rental time.

Just make sure you are better about returning stuff than I am (I habitually ask..am I forgetting to return anything?)

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Borrow things? I've been getting burnt on loaning out my tools lately. They come back, but damaged. Who knew I would have to tell one friend not to leave my saws out side in the rain till she returned them? Who knew I would have to tell one not to lower the mower blade so much that it hits their maple roots? Who knew that I would have to tell one not to twist and wiggle the blades sideways on my loppers in order to cut a bigger branch than they are meant to cut? Who knew the same person would use my small pruners to cut poultry wire, leaving the blades all pocked on the edges? I think I have taken it for granted that people understand a few simple things about preserving tools, but I've been wrong.