Buying vs Renting

[Flienlow]

I would like to reach out to the group for some perspective here.

Gernerally speaking, I don't need a Track hoe.
But I need one right now as using my BX for what I need to do is just too slow and cumbersome. I am having to dig, and then move my pile and so on where a hoe could just spin and bale. I also need to dig a 4'ditch that is 300' long and clean out another 200' of ditch. Also, In the future a year or less, I need to build 7+ 4X30-40' retaining walls. Plain and simple, a Track hoe is the tool for the job.

I would love to just cash one out. But that aint happening for me
The wife sees the $571 a month + 4k down on a 40k KX-71 and is giving me nothing but stink eye.

"Well, buy used." - False enconomy. A 1500hr + machine here is going for around 30. 10k more and I get to take the wrapper off the seat, and get the very best hours out of it.

"Rent one"- This may need to be my path. But the hassel and cost of import and export, the fact that I need to race against time, (do this but leave that) and scramble to get everything in place before hand is not the way I like to do anything. Not to mention that if I have the machine 2 days, I could use it for an entire month for the payment.

 

[TripleR]

We can rent a decent excavator for a bit over $500 a week, so we rent. We've had one on our property for months at a time along with a tracked skid steer, thought we might buy one and quickly ran out of work for them.

Everyone's situation is a bit different, but buying one just doesn't make sense financially.

 

[Flienlow]

We can rent a decent excavator for a bit over $500 a week, so we rent. We've had one on our property for months at a time along with a tracked skid steer, thought we might buy one and quickly ran out of work for them.

Everyone's situation is a bit different, but buying one just doesn't make sense financially.

For $500 a week, this would not be a conversation. A U25 at the rental yard is 1100/per week and $150 to move it in/out.

 

[TripleR]

For $500 a week, this would not be a conversation. A U25 at the rental yard is 1100/per week and $150 to move it in/out.

Yeah, my son did that a few months ago as he is building his own house. He has to do it two more times, so he shopped around and found a bargain price. Still at $1100 a week, he would be money ahead as he only needs it two more times.

We are lining up other jobs for when we have it, so it works great for us. We've priced new and used and the cost is a bear either way you go to get a reliable one.

Years ago we bought a used backhoe, repaired it and because of all the building going on, three new houses and storm cleanup, it paid for itself, but it's been setting in a shed for years.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Have you priced having an experienced operator come in and knock out that trench? Seems like they might do it in a day or so versus a week of rental plus your time.

 

[8upbowhunter]

I just had some dozer and trackhoe work done on my property. They were $100/hr each while running. The trackhoe cleaned the edges around my entire pond (75 yds long by 35 yds wide) which had brush, small trees and lots of debris all around it, dug up several large stumps near the pond, enlarged the pond making it 25 yds longer and deeper. He dug across 4 of my roads and installed culverts for drainage, dug across 2 of my neighbors roads and installed culverts for my drainage and dug a drainage ditch 150 yds for more drainage. Total time on the trackhoe was 17 hrs. I don't remember the size of the machine but the boom has a 20ft reach. It may be worth looking around and hire someone like I did for a lot less than buying a machine and doing it yourself.


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[bearskinner]

When I built my cabin and shop in Alaska, I hired a local guy to do the work. A rental yard wanted $400. Per day, I didn't ask about weekly rates. I ended up with an experienced operator, using a huge piece of equipment ( track hoe) that could triple the work I could do with the smaller unit, once I figured it all out! $90. Per hour, he took out 47 HUGE trees, stumps and all, put in 2 culverts, and made a 80' long x 100' x80' circle driveway area. That took 5 hours! Spent 6 hours the next day making pads for both buildings, spreading 50 loads of dumped gravel.
Money well spent! Don't get me wrong I would love my own trac hoe, but you need to wisely spend your time and money. I'm daily driving my new truck for what a hoe would cost, and I get more use out of the truck

 

[Flienlow]

Have you priced having an experienced operator come in and knock out that trench? Seems like they might do it in a day or so versus a week of rental plus your time.

Yeah, he is a good guy, but $1000/day for a 120. And that is to just dig the ditches, he wanted to double to to put the pipe in the ground.

 

[bearskinner]

Yeah, he is a good guy, but $1000/day for a 120. And that is to just dig the ditches, he wanted to double to to put the pipe in the ground.

He might be a great guy, but I would still shop it around. A big piece of equipment sitting makes no $$.

 

[Daren Todd]

I was having a hard time understanding why there was such a high rental rate per week on such a small machine Until I Googled your location. Then it made sense.

Different regions of the country have different rate scales. East coast, and West coast are usually higher because of tax base, higher cost of living, higher property values, ect......

That being said, there are ways to get a better rate. Daily rate is the highest. Weekly rates are in the middle, and monthly rates are the best. Rule of thumb, if you need a piece of equipment for two days, chances are good it's not gonna be much more to rent the equipment for a week. And monthly rates are usually 3 times the weekly rate. Basically, you rent the equipment for 3 weeks, the 4th week is free.

Shop around!!!! Call all the Major rental companies in your area and compare prices. Pitting one against the other encourages competition.

And stay away from the rental places inside a big box store. They have a set price, with a "take it, or leave it" approach. The only exception is if they are the only place that has that equipment, tool, ect...or you have to get it now. Although, you can't beat the free rental on the blower if you buy X amount of blown in insulation I've taken advantage of that rental deal

Another trick on small items that don't have an hour meter. Rent from a company that isn't open on the weekends for a Saturday rental. You pick up Friday after 1 pm, and return Monday before 9am. You get the use of the equipment for Sunday as well. But only pay for Saturday. This is handy if you need a wood splitter for a couple days