8 Tools You Should Rent, Not Buy!

Post-Hole Digger

Instead of buying a manual, clamshell post-hole digger for $25 or more, rent a 1-man power auger the next time you’re putting in a fence or building a deck.

Our augers are the new 4-cycle engine technology.  No need to mix the oil & gas.  Comes with a choice of 4” or 6” bit and an extension if needed.  4 hour rentals & 24 hour rentals are available.  Just don’t forget to have your utilities marked before using the auger.

Tiller

Most people just need a tiller once or twice a year to turn up the soil for a vegetable garden or flowerbed.  No need wasting $1000 to $5000 for something to sit in your shed or garage all year.

We have small walk behind, 5 hp tillers for small gardens.  2 hour minimum rentals are available, as well as 4 hour and 24 hours. 

We also have a larger self-propelled, hydraulic rear tiller for those large tilling jobs.  4 hour and 24 hour rentals are available. 

Drain Snake

Handheld snakes or units that attach to a power drill are not terribly expensive to purchase, but have limitations on the length to reach a clog.  Typically, these units are only 25’ in length and are only effective on interior clogs. 

When renting, you can upgrade to a larger electric unit that is not only longer (50’ to 75’), but the cable is thicker to tackle the clogs in 2” – 4” drain lines.  2 hour, 4 hour and 24 hour rentals are available ranging in price from $25 - $45.

Diamond Saw Blades

You can buy a diamond blade to cut concrete, but prices start at over $100 to as much as $400. 

The advantages of a diamond blade versus an abrasive blade are 1.  Full depth cut throughout your cut.  Abrasive blades wear down and may require frequent changing depending on the amount of cutting needed.  Using a diamond saves time and is more efficient.  2.  Water can be used with a diamond blade to minimize the dust.  Water cannot be used with an abrasive blade.  It will come apart.  3.  No question, cutting with a diamond blade is faster and easier.

Rental rates start at $32/day on a 14” blade only.

Tile Saws

You can now buy a tile saw for as little as $50, but the cheap saws have limited capabilities. They're designed for ceramic and porcelain tiles, so they're not a good choice for cutting marble, pavers, brick or thick tiles. The small deck and adjustable arm also have trouble accommodating large 16” – 18” tiles.    

Taylor Rental rents commercial tile saws that retail for about $1500. The high-quality saws handle virtually any tile without chipping the edges, come with a stand, and typically rent for about $50 - $75 per day. The sliding deck lets you set the tile in place, then push the deck and tile through the blade as one unit rather than pushing just the tile. This gives you more control for precision cuts.

Rotary Hammer / Electric Chipping Hammer

When you have to bore a 5” hole in your wall or foundation for a dryer vent or knocking old mortar out for tuckpointing, you need more power than your ordinary drill can provide.  This is where a rotary hammer is needed.  With both rotary and hammer action, it makes the job a snap.

Also, with the same rotary / chipping style hammer, only larger, you can break up ceramic tile.  Add a specially designed floor scraper bit and you can remove the thinset from the concrete floor.  It will save hours upon hours of backbreaking work trying to manually chip up the thinset to prepare the concrete for new flooring.

4 hour rentals on the hammer start at about $35, with the specialty floor scraper bit being extra.

Airless Paint Sprayer

The beauty of paint sprayers is they quickly apply an even coat of paint or stain without leaving behind ugly brush or roller-overlap marks.  Commercial Airless Latex Paint Sprayers take a little practice to use properly, but once you have the technique down, you can get a professional-looking finish.  All you've got is a gun in your hands and 50 feet of  hose. 

When purchasing your paint, ask the paint professional what spray tip is recommended for the application.  Clean up is a must when renting paint sprayers.  Flush with clean water and the rental company will flush with a cleaning and lubricating solution. 

We rent our $1500 siphon style airless sprayers for $66 per day plus the cost of a spray tip.

Hardwood Floor Sanders

Professional Hardwood Floor Sanders have been a rental center fixture for many, many years.   With retail prices approaching $3000 - $5000 on the drum sanders or 12x24 square buff sanders, you can see why DIYers rent these machines.

Rental centers also carry the specialized sandpaper, in various grits, for each of the floor sanders.  The rental center will buy back any unused sandpaper, saving money on having to buy full packs.

4 hour and 24 hour rentals are available on both machines.  

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