Rent or buy

[Jnasystems]

The thread about renting a tiller got me thinking. How much do you feel you need to use an implement like a tiller before it warrants a purchase? I looked into the cost of a rental and they are around $100 per day, so if I just used it once per year a king kutter tiller would be paid off in 15 years or so. But just using it once more it would just be 7.5 years. If I owned one, I probably would till at the end of the year too, but are there other times a tiller comes in handy? Like grading, or??

 

[Hammy]

And the convenience of having it when you need it.

 

[Soundguy]

if I'm going to use an implement 1 time only.. I'll rent or borrow.

if I can forsee continued use, even on a limited basis.. I'd rather buy. Plus.. if you own something.. you may use it more often due to convienience as the other poster mentioned, vs only when needed if you are renting it.

You also have the possibility of buying a gently loved used one for a big discount.. this is especially nice for those in-between times when new is too much to justify NOT renting, but you will need it often enough that renting will be a PITA.

soundguy

 

[crazyal]

I like to own. No need to plan in advance when to do a job. No sitting on a sunny Sunday saying today would have been a good day to do ......... but you can't. That being said owning everything is usually not something most people can do.

So you have to make a choice on what to buy first. I usually try to buy the things I know I'll want and can't do without. I would love a logging winch but I can do what I need with chains so I'll wait. When I do buy one I'm sure I'll regret waiting so long but I'm not going to be out money because I'm not going to rent one.

If you can afford to buy and you plan on owning your tractor for decades and it's an attachment you know you'll use (even once a year) why waste money renting, other than to try it out before buying. After all each $100 is $100 less you'll have when you buy it in the future.

 

[tractchores]

For me the hassle factor and costs VS use weighs heavily. If I rent an implement its usually a pain to go and get it, rush through the job and return it, but it costs less. I've discovered that renting for expensive and infrequently used equipment (stump grinder, harley rake, excavator, etc) works good, but if its something where the job tends to pop up regularly and it isn't crazy expensive I'll buy. Wood chippers are a good example, I used to rent and that meant I'd kill myself trying to chip everything a few times per year and that I'd have to pile up stuff and move it around the property so that it'd be ready for renting the chipper. Now that I own one I just chip as I go and most jobs are 30 minutes or less and I don't pile up or move around brush anymore and I'm much happier for it! I would add up hassle + rental cost VS purchase cost + ongoing maintenance and make the decision that way.

 

[TripleR]

Just depends. I had a lot of family members who talked about putting gardens in and I needed to reseed my yard, so I bought a Land Pride tiller for our BX. Not one person has put in a garden and I have only used it a few times. I would have been much better off to rent.

My mom is 90 years old and I thought I would make her life a little easier, she won't let me in her yard to till her garden, she prefers to use a shovel.

 

[gkh7890]

If you can afford to buy, then buy it. A tiller is a very flexible tool! Of course, great to till a garden with but here are some other uses:

it is a great counter-weight.
ground prep for lawns
ground prep for driveway excavation/installation work
helps break up packed dirt
make your own "top soil" if you have a lot of land - I did this to fill in low areas around the house


We have a KKII 72", gear drive. I highly recommend gear drive units.

Good luck!!!:thumbsup:

 

[Baby Grand]

If you can afford to buy, then buy it. A tiller is a very flexible tool! Of course, great to till a garden with but here are some other uses:

it is a great counter-weight.
ground prep for lawns
ground prep for driveway excavation/installation work
helps break up packed dirt
make your own "top soil" if you have a lot of land - I did this to fill in low areas around the house


We have a KKII 72", gear drive. I highly recommend gear drive units.

Good luck!!!:thumbsup:

Very true - I have used mine as ballast and to break up soil so it's easy to move with the FEL.

The best argument that I can make for owning is that tilling for turning under weeds prior to planting (which is our tiller's main job) requires good timing and weather. When the soil is ready and you know it's not going to downpour for at least a few days, that's when you want the tiller ready to go. If you rent, that will be the day you can't find a rental tiller for love of money.

 

[crazyangel]

I think there is some middle ground that hasn't been covered here yet. You can rent, you can buy, or (the middle ground) you can borrow from a buddy with a tractor.

Now, before going any further, I will say this is not appealing to everyone because some people do not like to risk damage to their equipment when it's in another guys hands. Yet, if you have friends that you trust, and who respect their equipment like you respect yours, it can work brilliantly.

I have access to a library of implements that I need only occasionally (post hole auger, tiller, chipper, etc.) because I am willing to trade time with my attachments. We all have an understanding that any damage is the responsibility of the guy that broke it, and we're reasonable enough to recognize the difference between normal wear and abuse. It saves me the rental fee, and relieves the pressure of having to race through my work to get the equipment back to the shop on time. Plus, I usually get to have a beer with my buddy when we make the transfer.:drink:

Win - win situation!:thumbsup:

 

[JoelT]

And there's the low till and no till methods I keep hearing more of. What do they do? Will a bottom plow followed by a bunch of passes with plow tipped cultivator do enough? Would a hiller even work after just that?