I’m finishing my basement and I’m going to need two expensive tools soon. A jack hammer and a concrete saw. Either one of these will cost hundreds of dollars to buy and I’ll probably use only a few times in my life.
It just doesn’t make sense to buy it! So what if I rent one?
Many DIY big box stores have tool rental programs for situations just like the one I’m in. They have just about any tool you could possibly need for any job. Carpet blowers, core drills, dehumidifiers, generators, hammer drills, trenchers, stump grinders, the list goes on. Why buy the tool for one use if I can just rent it?
I always check local tool rental prices at Home Depot here. First I find the tool I want to rent, then I click the check availability button. I plug in my zip code and then I can see rental pricing for the stores in my area. I can also see rental pricing for 4 hours, per day, per week, and for 4 weeks.
Sure, I can rent one from Home Depot for a few hours and work quickly. But this Redditor has a great idea.
If you rent a tool from Home Depot after 6pm (mine closes at 9pm) you can rent it for the 4 hour price versus the 24hr price as long as you get it back to them by 9am the next day.
u/sompter on Reddit
Rent it after 6PM and take it back when they open to get the 4 hour price! What a great idea. I save a little bit of money and I can keep it for a longer period of time if I don’t mind working in the evening and over night.
If I wanted to rent a Makita 14″ Electric Concrete Saw it’s $59 per day. But if I rent it after 6PM with the 4 hour option, it’s $41. Saves a bit of money and I can take my time instead of racing to get the job done and take it back within the 4 hours.
The greatest benefit is not the money you save, but the extra time you get. I always try to plan my work but I never know what problems I’ll encounter. I may end up needing the jack hammer for more than the 4 hours. It works out better in the end!
I don’t mind working late evenings until I get the job done. So this is a win win situation!