Tools, with the exception of things like Caterpillar’s big boy toys, are quite a bit cheaper than vehicles.
Yet it seems that we often go the same route with those small implements of destruction as we do with our hot rods, choosing to rent what we need rather than make the longer-term commitment to buy.
Should I Buy, or Should I Rent a Jack Hammer?
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Well, it’s not that easy or quick to answer because it depends on a few different variables, which we’ll ask below. Use this checklist to decided if it’s better for you to rent or buy. We will present you with five questions to consider which, hopefully, will give you the answer you are looking for.
- How long will you DEFINITELY need it for?
- How many times will you most likely use it?
- Is there a Place for tool rental near me?
- What’s the cost of renting vs. buying?
- Where will you keep it?
I. How Long Will You DEFINITELY Need a Lowe’s or Home Depot Tool Rental?
In our opinion, this question is even more important than the cost of the jackhammer. The reasoning is quite simple: even if the rental fee seems to be a bit high, if you only need it for a day then the cost might very well be more like jelly than peanut butter–easier to swallow. However, it goes without saying that there is indeed a well-defined and clear limit on how long a Home Depot tool rental lasts before additional charges begin to accrue.
This basically means that if you aren’t quite sure about how long you’ll be pounding away (perhaps it will take you several days), then it might just be better to nab yourself a new jackhammer or pick up some used tools for sale. Basically, before you go asking “Does Lowes rent tools?” You should know for sure how long you’ll most likely need them for and how much your budget is–as well as the other questions below.
II. How Many Times Will You Most Likely Use It?
This may seem like a logical question but sometimes using a tool isn’t as much like a sniper as you think–you know, ‘one shot, one kill?’ If there is a good possibility that you’ll use the jack hammer more than once then the price point might not be too big of a deal and you can just buy one. However, some tools just don’t lend themselves to being used as often as others so you might not need to avail yourself of jackhammer or auger rental as often as the table saw rental Lowes offers, for example.
I personally can’t imagine not buying a table saw, online or in the store, simply because I know the frequency I’ll be using it!
III. Is There a Place for Tool Rental Near Me?
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While it may be quite easy to find a variety of local tools, some others might be harder to find such as auger rentals, jack hammer rentals, and so on. As we mentioned before, it may be easier to find that table saw rental Lowes doesn’t yet offer, simply because this tool is needed more widely and more often. However, you need to ask the important questions such as ‘Does Lowes rent tools? Does Home Depot rent tools? What about Menards tool rental?
You’ll need to contact some local places by phone, most likely, in order to get the answers to this question. It’s possible that some of the larger companies rent them, but many actually don’t. The smaller local stores or mom n’ pop shops are probably a better bet but you’ll probably need to call’em–they often aren’t yet savvy with their website info…but then again, you never know!
IV. What’s the Cost of Renting vs. Buying?
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This is an important question but goes hand-in-hand with how long you’ll be actually needing the jack hammer for your initial project, as well as the chances of you using it again.
- If the project you have is light, will only take a few hours, and you won’t need the tool again, then it may make sense to buy a cheap but good jackhammer such as the XtremepowerUS (reviewed here), or pay a small rental fee–whichever is cheapest.
- If it’s looking like you’ll need the j-hammer for a few days and the rental period is for a day or less, then it may make more sense to buy one, assuming the task isn’t too large or tough.
- If you have a tough and perhaps extended project–and maybe even the prospect of needing the demolition hammer again–then you could just go ahead and invest in a nicer-quality breaker hammer such as the Makita AVT (read all about it on this page).
V. Where Will You Keep It?
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Not all of us have a spread like Bob Vila, so even if you plan to use this noise polluter again, do you actually have a spot to keep it safe, secure, and protected from the elements?
- While not all neighborhoods have a theft problem, even some of the “safer” areas contain victims of opportunistic thieves. It’s best to know that you can keep your prized ground-pounder safe from idle hands looking for the five-finger discount.
- Do you have a storage shed (as pictured to the right), utility room in your home, extra warehouse space at work, or an enclosed and climate-controlled patio? If not, then it may be too much of an inconvenience for your significant other to snuggle up with it for long, and it definitely won’t be good for such a device to endure the elements. If you’re still unclear about just how to take care of your tools, then check out how to do that here.
- Remember that a jackhammer isn’t a cordless impact wrench–it needs a lot more space, especially if it’s pneumatic version and not an electric jackhammer such as this (Note: If you’re unsure which type you need, you can figure it out by reading this article).
VI. Summary
Well, there’s your checklist! Do you have a clear idea yet about which you’ll likely do: rent or buy? Well, if you’re interested in purchasing one online, then you can visit Amazon’s Jackhammer results directly by clicking this link.
If you are looking to buy something locally in some of the large stores such as Lowe’s or Home Depot, then you can browse their sites below.
Lowe’s Hardware Store (Jackhammer Link)
The Home Depot (Jackhammer Link)
If you are looking to rent, then you can directly visit Home Depot’s demolition rental page directly here:
Rent Power Tools at The Home Depot
(Lowe’s has not tool rentals that we are aware of at this time).