Renting vs Buying attachments

[koesterz]

Looking for some input on what you guys do for implements that you don’t plan to use much or for long.

I need a tiller to regrade my back yard but I’m torn whether to rent one for $200 or buy a used one and when I’m done resell it. I’ve got my eye on a 60” king kutter for $900 that’s not beat up just has been sitting.

Was curious what y’all have done in similar situations.

 

[skeets]

How much do you need done is the question. If you do not plan on ever using it after, it may be easier and more cost effective to have some one that already has a tiller to come in and do it for you,, no muss no fuss,, just MHO

 

[The Evil Twin]

Skeets has an option there. You don't have to go rent/ buy one. Or sell the used one later.
I have bought plenty of used things as a one time use and then sold them for at or above what I bought them for. Shoot, if I sold whatever for $100 less then it's probably worth my time over renting/ farming it out.
That said, not having to deal with the Craig's List/ Facetube crazies is definitely worth some money.

 

[fried1765]

Looking for some input on what you guys do for implements that you don’t plan to use much or for long.

I need a tiller to regrade my back yard but I’m torn whether to rent one for $200 or buy a used one and when I’m done resell it. I’ve got my eye on a 60” king kutter for $900 that’s not beat up just has been sitting.

Was curious what y’all have done in similar situations.

We may have many different opinions, but......
I would buy it now, and if you can be done with it by Spring,...... sell it then!
It will go quickly, and if clean looking, (spray it with a can or two of WD-40) probably $1,000.

 

[mikester]

I'd rent or hire for one-off or small jobs requiring expensive or damage prone equipment.

I wouldn't mind a CTL with a forestry mulcher attachment but I want to get a job done, not maintain expensive, high wear tools prone to breakage. When the machine breaks down I call the rental company and a new machine arrives to replace the broken one.

You can probably buy a used low hour tiller for cheap and sell it for what you paid for it later.

 

[ctfjr]

A couple of years ago I needed to put in a new lawn. The best price I got was $17k. I invested in a new tiller. Box bladed it all first to bring up a bumper crop of rocks then tilled it. All in, including the cost of the tiller and drag harrow, about $5k. I sold the harrow and tiller a year later.
The advantage to me in buying was I worked at my own slow pace, when I wanted.

 

[Nicfin36]

$900 is a great price if in good shape.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

A 'tiller' doesn't really 'regrade' land. it does a GREAT job of chewing up the soil and 'kinda' leveling it. Works far better to drag 'chains' behind it. If your tractor has 'draft control', hauling a box blade after tilling will work very well,especially if you go N-S then E-W, several times.
'Regrading' is kinda vague. are you needing to level off 12" high 'mountains' and fill in 6" deep valleys ? The backyard, is it 20x40 ,'patio size' or 1/2 acre ?
I bought my 5 ' tiller 17 years ago and used it on dozens of neighbours veggie patches(1/3rd to 5 ac). It's more than paid for itself.
If (IF ) this is a one time use, hire a guy with proper equipment....done.

 

[Ackorange]

Looking for some input on what you guys do for implements that you don’t plan to use much or for long.

I need a tiller to regrade my back yard but I’m torn whether to rent one for $200 or buy a used one and when I’m done resell it. I’ve got my eye on a 60” king kutter for $900 that’s not beat up just has been sitting.

Was curious what y’all have done in similar situations.

its a good price. If you are going to need it only once rent to. But if you rent it twice buy it! Because 1/2 of its paided for and you now own it. Jut my thoughts.

 

[Bearcatrp]

Buy it. Use it. Offer your services to others to make a few bucks. Renting will be expensive if it takes more than a week if it’s a daily rental. As posted above, you can take your time to do the job right instead of being rushed and doing a sloppy job.

 

[Countrylife]

When I decide whether to buy/rent/hire an implement I look at:
1) How many days do I expect to need it.
2) How many gaps and how long are the gaps in its use?
3) Can I run it all day long, day after day, until the job is done?
4) What is the cost to purchase?
5) What is the cost to rent and is one even available to rent and what kind of condition is it in?
6) What is the cost to hire it done, does anyone actually do a good job and is he reliable? Will he do what he says he will do?
7) Can I store it somewhere?

In my case if I need it on my property for more than 2 or 3 weeks, it's cheaper to buy than rent. I typically will use an implement for a few days, then it will sit for a few months before I use it again, so I look at the total amount of time I will have it over a year or two. (I have plenty of storage space). I'm getting on up there in years so I can't run it all day long like I used to. I run it for a few hours and I'm done for the day and do it again the next day. Makes for a very expensive rental. As for hiring it done, I've found that it is very difficult to get someone else to do what you want even when you point out where and what you want done. They do what they think you want and you either pay more for "additional work" or you finish up what you hired them to do so you might as well bought the equipment and done it yourself.

 

[D2Cat]

When I decide whether to buy/rent/hire an implement I look at:
1) How many days do I expect to need it.
2) How many gaps and how long are the gaps in its use?
3) Can I run it all day long, day after day, until the job is done?
4) What is the cost to purchase?
5) What is the cost to rent and is one even available to rent and what kind of condition is it in?
6) What is the cost to hire it done, does anyone actually do a good job and is he reliable? Will he do what he says he will do?
7) Can I store it somewhere?

In my case if I need it on my property for more than 2 or 3 weeks, it's cheaper to buy than rent. I typically will use an implement for a few days, then it will sit for a few months before I use it again, so I look at the total amount of time I will have it over a year or two. (I have plenty of storage space). I'm getting on up there in years so I can't run it all day long like I used to. I run it for a few hours and I'm done for the day and do it again the next day. Makes for a very expensive rental. As for hiring it done, I've found that it is very difficult to get someone else to do what you want even when you point out where and what you want done. They do what they think you want and you either pay more for "additional work" or you finish up what you hired them to do so you might as well bought the equipment and done it yourself.

I agree with you 100%. Based on some of the comments about renting philosophy, I'm surprised some of the folks own a tractor!!

 

[Runs With Scissors]

"Rent or buy" is almost as old as the "which oil is best" debate.

I have rented before but, for me personally renting is just such a pain in the a$$.

I loath "time constraints".....

I always feel rushed and it never fails......

Then the job starts going sideways....Then I feel more rushed.........

Then something else goes wrong.............Then I feel even more rushed.....

Then I cut myself on something.......Then I start screaming profanities as my blood pressure skyrockets to 274/214................

Then my mom calls, and says something like "Look at the bright side Honey, at least you still have your legs"............

Then the old lady starts giving me "advice" on what to do.....Then AHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGG




Hahaha..... seriously I'm a "buy it and keep it" kinda guy. If it takes 4 days instead of 4 hours...oh well, no biggie.

2 things I don't sell....Guns and tools. (too bad about that boating accident though)

 

[D2Cat]

I learned my lesson renting when I rented a drain auger. It was a nice 1/2" drill with the drain line in a nice contained dome. Just release some line in the drain, turn it on, extend some more line and repeat.

I had driven 25 miles to the location of the drain problem and when I got all set up and under the sink realized they had left the cutting tip off the line and there was nothing in the provided tool box to use. Got to pack it all back up and return it to get the proper tip. They said they'd start the time over. Ya, nice. I spend half a day getting the job done, and drive twice the mileage.

That was a few years ago and I have that same model of drain cleaner in my shop right now. No hurry about getting something done and back. It was a lesson on evaluating tool rental. I can easily purchase an implement used, keep for any amount of time, use it as much as I want and sell it for more than I paid. I would say 100% of the time, buying implements, especially used, will earn more money then a bank provides.

 

[fried1765]

"Rent or buy" is almost as old as the "which oil is best" debate.

I have rented before but, for me personally renting is just such a pain in the a$$.

I loath "time constraints".....

I always feel rushed and it never fails......

The the job starts going sideways....Then I feel more rushed.........

Then something else goes wrong.............Then I feel even more rushed.....

Then I cut myself on something.......Then I start screaming profanities as my blood pressure skyrockets to 274/214................

Then my mom calls, and says something like "Look at the bright side Honey, at least you still have your legs"............

Then the old lady starts giving me "advice" on what to do.....Then AHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGG




Hahaha..... seriously I'm a "buy it and keep it" kinda guy. If it takes 4 days instead of 4 hours...oh well, no biggie.

2 things I don't sell....Guns and tools. (too bad about that boating accident though)

I sold one gun.......in 1968......NEVER again!

 

[leveraddict]

I regraded my property with a box blade! With a tiller you only loosen a few inches of soil then you still have to move it to build up areas or fill low spots. OH and do you have lots of rocks in your yard? Tillers dont like big rocks! The BB cuts drags and redistributes the soil. Ive plucked big rocks from the yard by dropping one ripper under it and pop its out! I have dragged a 5 foot BB full with the FEL full of dirt to make things quicker! One side of my yard used to be over a foot higher! I really moved a lot of material. Original owners built the house and they never did the yard. The grade was pitched to the house in a few spots causing issues with heavy rains.....not any more! My BX has more than paid for itself since 2017!