How to hire tools instead of buying them
Rentoodle team, updated 4 minute read
When hiring a tool beats buying one, what to check at collection, how to use borrowed kit safely, and how to return it clean so the lender books you again.
When hiring beats buying
The honest test is how many times you will use the tool. A cordless drill earns its shelf space because it comes out every few weeks. A floor sander, a tile cutter, an SDS breaker or a wallpaper steamer comes out once, for one room, and then occupies a cupboard for a decade.
Hiring tends to win when any of these are true:
- The job is a one off: sanding a floor, cutting tiles for one bathroom, lifting one patio.
- The tool is large or awkward to store, such as a scaffold tower, a cement mixer or a long ladder.
- You want a better tool than you would buy. A hired professional machine will out-work a cheap purchase.
- You are not sure the job is for you, and would rather find out before spending on a tool.
- The tool needs maintenance you do not want to do, such as sharpening or servicing.
Getting the right tool for the job
Read the listing for what is included rather than assuming. A sander without sheets, a mixer without a stand or a nail gun without the right gauge of nail is a wasted weekend. Abrasives and fixings are consumables, so plan to buy your own and buy more than you think you need.
Message the lender with the job, not just the tool. Someone who owns a machine usually knows its limits, and will tell you if you are about to hire something that will not cut what you want to cut. That conversation costs five minutes and saves a booking.
What to check on collection
Whether you are collecting locally or unpacking a tracked delivery, spend five minutes on the item before you start work. Do it in front of the lender if you are collecting, and take photographs if you are not.
- Power it on and let it run for a few seconds. Listen for anything that sounds wrong.
- Check the cable along its whole length for nicks, and check the plug and any RCD adaptor.
- Check guards, fences and blade covers are present and move as they should.
- Count the accessories against the listing: chucks, keys, hoses, lances, batteries, chargers, cases.
- Look at the blade, disc, belt or bit. Blunt consumables are the most common reason a hire disappoints.
- Photograph any existing scuffs or damage so there is no argument about them later.
Using borrowed tools safely
Borrowed kit deserves more caution than your own, not less, because you have not built up a feel for it. Ask the lender to show you the controls at handover, and do not skip the manual: most tools have one online in a minute of searching.
Wear the protection the tool demands. Eye protection for anything that throws material, hearing protection for anything loud enough that you raise your voice over it, gloves for handling but not near rotating parts, and a proper dust mask for cutting masonry or sanding old paint. Old paint in a UK house may contain lead, so sanding it wet and wearing respiratory protection matters.
Use an RCD on outdoor or damp work, keep extension leads fully unwound so they do not overheat, and switch off and unplug before you change a blade or clear a jam. If a tool starts behaving oddly, stop and message the lender rather than working around it.
Returning it clean
This is the part that decides whether the lender wants you back, and it takes less time than people expect. Brush or wipe the machine down, clear dust from vents and filters, coil the cable properly, and clean the case as well as the tool.
Empty and dry anything that holds water or slurry. Drain tanks, blow out lines, and do not post a wet pressure washer or a damp wet-and-dry vacuum. Wipe resin and sap off cutting edges. Put every accessory back in the case, including the ones you did not use.
Then get the timing right. On a collection hire, agree a return time by message rather than turning up. On a delivery hire, post it by tracked delivery in time to arrive with the lender by the end date, not on it, and send the lender the tracking number. Hirers are responsible for returning items and for damage they cause, so packing the tool properly for its journey back is in your own interest as much as the lender's.
Frequently asked questions
Are consumables like sanding sheets or blades included?
Only if the listing says so. Treat abrasives, discs, blades, nails and fixings as your own cost and buy spares, because running out mid job is the usual reason a weekend hire overruns.
How long should I book a tool for?
The default minimum hire is two days, and some lenders set longer. For a weekend job, booking Friday to Monday rather than Saturday to Sunday absorbs a late delivery or a job that takes longer than planned.
What happens if I damage a hired tool?
Tell the lender straight away with photographs. Hirers are responsible for damage they cause and for returning items, so an early, honest message is always better than a surprise at the other end.