Rent vs buy

[TheMan419]

I need to plant some 6 inch round wood posts. Some now and some in the spring. No I cannot do them all at the same time.

Renting a powered auger cost is around $70 for the day. Cost of buying is around $350 when you get all in with the bit needed etc. assuming harbor freight purchase.

Where does one draw the line of rent Vs buy? I am approaching half the cost in just two rentals.

Pretty sure I would NOT sell the tool after my projects are done. I tend to hold on to things.

 

[3Ts]

If you buy, where are you going to store it? I use the criteria that if I'm around 75% of the cost of rental, I'll buy it - because:
- I'll have it for other projects I don't know about
- I'll be more likely to use it for small short duration tasks I'd do by hand instead of renting
- I'll avoid the trip to pick it up and return it. (about 1 hr each way for me)
- It'll be better maintained than the rental unit (in my experience)
- Less hassle than renting.

 

[RPW]

I prefer to buy because of the hassle to drive 30 miles to get to the nearest rental place. I rent only if it's a one of project.

 

[atsah]

I like doing things with no time constraints, other than renting a dozer or excavator or maybe a skid steer I buy it..

 

[CobyRupert]

When you pay $70 to rent (on their schedule, convenience , under the clock, etc..) you get your holes and that $70 is gone.

When you pay $350 you get your holes dug, it's not like that $350 is gone, you still have that $350, it's just in the form of an auger (instead of ink on a bank statement, or 0's an 1's on the bank's computer).

Or said another way, even if you resell it for $300 you've still saved $20. Or if you use it for two days and sell it for $300, saved $90, etc...

 

[Big Barn]

It would depend on the quality of your $350 HF auger.

 

[Shaneard]

I'd keep an eye on craigslist for a used one and save some money.

 

[bigtiller]

I might rent a hydraulic and self propelled one like this. If one wasn't available, I'd buy the $350 one you're talking about.

 

[ustmd]

For the type of project the OP is talking about (on again/off again), I would buy simply for the convenience.

That being said, after my last project with fence posts, I will never use a 1 man or 2 man hand held power auger again. They are just too dangerous for my comfort level.

 

[Diggin It]

That being said, after my last project with fence posts, I will never use a 1 man or 2 man hand held power auger again. They are just too dangerous for my comfort level.

Finally, we get there. I don't understand how people use these at all without breaking wrists, ribs, hips, backs, collarbones and so on.

 

[Hilbilly]

Are you talking about renting a 3PTH auger or hand held? Is your purchase consideration hand held or 3PTH?

I have tried using a hand held and will never go that route again!

For $350 I would buy a 3PTH auger (not a hand held though). You can then drill holes whenever you have a little time, save the trips back and forth to town and have it for future jobs. Maybe even drill some holes for neighbors and charge them a few $ per hole. It might pay for itself.

 

[ning]

I realize you're talking about hand-arm-abs-back-and-shoulder(-and-maybe-face)-held augers, but I had a few holes to dig, along with an expected ~100 over the next few years... so I bought a 3ph auger for my tractor.

It's kinda heavy to setup by myself (I need to rig up one of those hangers like I've seen here!) but even if I only need to dig one hole, I can slap it and get the hole dug in next to no time, way easier than digging by hand in the hard pan clay we get here in the summer - I'd never rent for one or two holes, and having my own auger lets me get my jobs done when I want to do them.

 

[MossRoad]

Harbor Freight's is $214. I think I've seen it for less than that in an ad that I have at home. I'll check later this evening.

With that said... your soil is pretty soft, isn't it? I've got a hand operated post hole digger I use pretty often. I've seen them at Ace Hardware on the south side for less than $50. Burried a lot of pets with it, too. Goes through our sand and muck in a hurry.

Pay a kid $25 to dig your holes. :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

You could talk him/her into $10 a hole, or 6 for $50.....

 

[bigtiller]

I wouldn't rent or buy a handheld power auger like this below. It's tractor powered pto or hydraulic only.

 

[bunyip]

I prefer to buy as I know I will most likely use it again and it always seems that friends turn up unexpectedly on project days which is a waste of rental money, I bought an auger and later we found that we needed a lot of posts put in so it was a win for me, this is a PTO auger and a contractor would have cost us a lot more.
Storage is not an issue and it sits in the corner of a carport, they are pretty much weatherproof although I have a cover over the gearbox.
Like others depends on what you want to rent and a skid steer or something similar would be a rental, my own ceiling is $1k.

 

[kenmac]

I need to plant some 6 inch round wood posts. Some now and some in the spring. No I cannot do them all at the same time.

Renting a powered auger cost is around $70 for the day. Cost of buying is around $350 when you get all in with the bit needed etc. assuming harbor freight purchase.

Where does one draw the line of rent Vs buy? I am approaching half the cost in just two rentals.

Pretty sure I would NOT sell the tool after my projects are done. I tend to hold on to things.

you aren't the only one that struggles with purchase vs rent.

I needed a good drill to be able to install several T in rock.
I rented one for $125.00 per day. So, I rented it for a day.
While using the drill it began to rain and rained the rest of the day. I was only able to drill two holes for $125.00.

I decided this wasn't going to happen again. So I bought the drill.
Now I can use it when I want and don't have to drive .45 min each way to pick up and return.


https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-...Hammer-Drill-with-Hard-Case-HR5212C/205650381

 

[oosik]

I helped a friend with his hand held - two man - auger. What a joke. The auger would hang up on something and around the maypole we would go.

COULD NOT figure out why we were having so much problems with this auger. Well - idiot child( the owner) didn't like the position of the throttle - so he rotated it around the handle to the upstream side. When the thing would hang up on something - around and around - thing going full bore - idiot child hanging on for dear life - because the throttle is on the upstream side - his gripping the handle meant the throttle was being held wide open.

You know - all in all - that was not a real fun day.

 

[atsah]

I helped a friend with his hand held - two man - auger. What a joke. The auger would hang up on something and around the maypole we would go.

LOL I watched a couple of guys give it a whirl not long ago, No good..

 

[Diggin It]

LOL I watched it give a couple of guys a whirl not long ago, No good..

Fixed your post.

:laughing: