What "other" equipment do you rent the most?

[Dougster]

As a 40 HP-class compact utility tractor owner with an FEL, BH w/thumb, rock/root grapple, box blade, rake, dump trailer, jack hammer, chainsaws and a Chinese chipper on the way... I feel I am pretty much equipped to handle most small-scale site prep and light construction assistance tasks. I'm still shopping around for a decent tiller and a medium-duty bush-hog, but they are budgeted and options are readily available in the area should I need to put my hands on one or both in a big hurry.

That being said, I went out and quoted three homeowner jobs this weekend... two of which had aspects that were a step or two beyond the safe & practical capability of my owned equipment to handle. One would have required that I rent a track skidsteer (due to extreme slope and lifting requirement: ~4K-5K lbs) and the other would have required either a compact track excavator or skidsteer (or commercial hoe?) equipped with a hydraulic rock breaker. It really got me thinking again about the extent I would ever want to get into owned vs. rental equipment and where to draw the line... never really knowing what the next dozen jobs might require. You can never own everything... but renting (or subcontracting) too much can eat heavily into time and profits.

And so I ask the more experienced folks here on TBN: As a tractor owner, what other wheeled or tracked equipment do you find you need to rent most often?

Dougster

 

[AlanB]

The thing we "rent" the most is a dump truck. (actually we pay them to haul the gravel / dirt / whatever in) or maybe that would be considered subbing out?

When it goes beyond what is practical to carry in the dump trailer, that is the way we go.

Next one for me to buy is probably a concrete saw, thing that looks like a chainsaw with a diamond blade up front. I think we have about 6 or 7 days rental on one this year, and probably have another couple days rental to go. Wish I had went ahead and bought at the start, but that is that 20/20 hindsight kicking in.

SS with Harley rake is "rented" quite a bit as well, actually, and this may be a good point, we just sub, or hire that part out, but last time we got let down by the guy that does ours, Hanna was ready to buy our own or quit doing work that involved that.

Often, you will find you can sub out that work to someone with the equipment, for the same or less then you can rent the stuff for. If you are going to have to do it enough to get proficient in operating that equipment, then you will probably do it enough to warrent purchasing it. (hope that made sense)

And rememember, some jobs you are ahead just to walk from.

 

[sandman2234]

Most homeowners rent the stuff they don't have access to, myself included.
The 2.3 acres next door to me recently sold and the owner hired a friend/distance family member to clear the lot after the pines were cut and sold. They rented a small excavator to dig up the stumps and it was very slow going. Then they rented a bigger one and it was still taking some time, but it was happening. Then the rains came and made soup out of the whole place. Couldn't work for the rains, couldn't get anything done for the mud. Time was a wasting and the 30 days of rental came and went. The owner's credit card got charged with rental charges up to the amount he had agreed to pay for the entire job. At that point, he told them to come get the equipment and hired another guy to finish the job. That guy brought a D-7 cat dozer and made short work of the problem. (and took a couple stumps out for me also)
The moral of the story, be careful of rental equipment eating up your profits and possibly everything you bring in.
What used to be a very thickly wooded lot is now a dirt lot, with a few scraggly trees in two small areas of the property. I could never see my neighbors on the far side, but now have a full view of them and they of me.
David from jax

 

[Dougster]

And remember, some jobs you are ahead just to walk from.

I hear you there... but I can't afford to walk away from too many! Just had to pass this morning on a guy who wanted me to lift and drop a new 5,000 lb fiberglass pool into position because they couldn't get the crane into the guy's back yard.

I guess that's true that if you include materials deliveries, a dump truck will always be your number one wheeled rental! And in my case, I am hooked up with a tree guy with a crane truck and 14" chipper so that probably counts as well.

Interesting on the concrete saw. I bought a jack hammer similar to the "Bosch Brute" mainly for sideway removals. It won't even scar the large boulders I found folks wanted moved in a couple back yards.

Dougster

 

[Dougster]

Most homeowners rent the stuff they don't have access to, myself included. The 2.3 acres next door to me recently sold and the owner hired a friend/distance family member to clear the lot after the pines were cut and sold. They rented a small excavator to dig up the stumps and it was very slow going. Then they rented a bigger one and it was still taking some time, but it was happening. Then the rains came and made soup out of the whole place. Couldn't work for the rains, couldn't get anything done for the mud. Time was a wasting and the 30 days of rental came and went. The owner's credit card got charged with rental charges up to the amount he had agreed to pay for the entire job. At that point, he told them to come get the equipment and hired another guy to finish the job. That guy brought a D-7 cat dozer and made short work of the problem. (and took a couple stumps out for me also) The moral of the story, be careful of rental equipment eating up your profits and possibly everything you bring in. What used to be a very thickly wooded lot is now a dirt lot, with a few scraggly trees in two small areas of the property. I could never see my neighbors on the far side, but now have a full view of them and they of me.
David from jax

Your story is great! Mind if I tell it to a few potential clients?

I guess a D7 dozer definitely qualifies as a piece of equipment that in my case would have to be rented or subbed out. Fortunately, I know just the guy who'd take care of me... but the price would certainly not be cheap!!!

Dougster

 

[LoneCowboy]

You know, rental yards are strange things.
bushhogging is priced around here at less than it takes to rent one ($300 to $400 a day for renting a small tractor with a 5' mower, that's at most 10 acres in a day)
and yet sometimes, people look at me like it's too much money for me to do it.

I always think "call the rental yard and enjoy your entire day" and walk away

some jobs aren't worth having.
I don't need to work hard to not make money.

 

[Dougster]

You know, rental yards are strange things. Bushhogging is priced around here at less than it takes to rent one ($300 to $400 a day for renting a small tractor with a 5' mower, that's at most 10 acres in a day) and yet sometimes, people look at me like it's too much money for me to do it. I always think "call the rental yard and enjoy your entire day" and walk away. some jobs aren't worth having. I don't need to work hard to not make money.

Since Home Depot has entered the local equipment rental market, prices have plunged and homeowner options have increased. At this point, HD is my main competition and benchmark price setter for many types of work. I need to beat the rental places or I am toast.

Fortunately, they are not yet into tractors and 3-point implements around here. Those rental places that are still charge a fortune.

On the other hand, *real* construction equipment rental places can be your friend in cases like mine. I don't know what I'd do without them when one small aspect of a potential job goes beyond my own equipment's capabilities.

Dougster

 

[RalphVa]

Type of stuff I've rented or borrowed, use only rarely:

o Trailer to haul the Gravely and implements home.
o Big chain saws. Only own 14" ones.
o Pressure washer
o Big drill with concrete bit to do holes for swimming pool cover. My drill took 2 or 3 hours to do 8 holes. The big drill did the remaining 20-22 holes in about 20 minutes.
o Soil aerator (actually haven't rented it but thinking about it)
o Jack hammer

If I had some fence posts or bigger trees to plant, think I'd rent a PHD rather than buy it.

If I needed to plow or rototill, think I'd rent these. You do it once and generally don't do it again (if you do no till planting, take care of weeds, etc.). Used my Gravely rotary plow a couple times and it sat until I sold it. Have a soil ripper. Used it once to rip up the rows made with the Gravely plow. Put disc hillers on it and recreated the rows again, once. Not likely to do it again, possibly if and when we get a hurricane again. Makes A LOT of sense to rent these types of things rather than buying NEW anyway. My Gravely plow was an oldie, and the soil ripper was given to me.

Ralph

 

[Dougster]

Type of stuff I've rented or borrowed, use only rarely:

o Trailer to haul the Gravely and implements home.
o Big chain saws. Only own 14" ones.
o Pressure washer
o Big drill with concrete bit to do holes for swimming pool cover. My drill took 2 or 3 hours to do 8 holes. The big drill did the remaining 20-22 holes in about 20 minutes.
o Soil aerator (actually haven't rented it but thinking about it)
o Jack hammer

If I had some fence posts or bigger trees to plant, think I'd rent a PHD rather than buy it. If I needed to plow or rototill, think I'd rent these. You do it once and generally don't do it again (if you do no till planting, take care of weeds, etc.). Used my Gravely rotary plow a couple times and it sat until I sold it. Have a soil ripper. Used it once to rip up the rows made with the Gravely plow. Put disc hillers on it and recreated the rows again, once. Not likely to do it again, possibly if and when we get a hurricane again. Makes A LOT of sense to rent these types of things rather than buying NEW anyway. My Gravely plow was an oldie, and the soil ripper was given to me.
Ralph

I find it interesting how what you can rent varies a lot from place to place. I used to be able to rent a dump trailer... but only down in Rhode Island... never in Massachusetts. I'll probably have to buy a 3-point PHD... can't seem to rent those around here either. Lots of places will only rent implements if you rent their tractor or skidsteer... which I find a real pain in my backside.

Dougster

 

[sandman2234]

I considered renting a post hole digger to put in some posts. The cost of actually getting it to my property and using it was staggering. The only one I could locate was skid steer powered and required the rental of their skid steer, even if you already owned a skid steer. As it turned out, I could actually pay for a cheap one for what a days rental would cost. I used a back hoe to put the posts in.
David from jax