Rented a pressure washer vs bought one for my deck job

I borrowed a buddy's gas pressure washer last spring for my 800 sq ft deck and it took me 4 hours with all the setup and cleaning. Bought a cheap electric one at a hardware store for $90 and did the same job in under 2 hours with way less hassle. Has anyone else found that renting big tools just isn't worth it anymore?

2 comments

2 Comments

charles_wilson15d ago

Wait did you factor in how long that cheap electric one is gonna last though? Gas units usually last for years even with rough use while those $90 electric ones tend to burn out after 3-4 big jobs. How many times are you planning on using it?

claire99915d ago

Read that Consumer Reports article last year that tested electric pressure washers against gas ones and they found even the cheap electrics could handle 5-6 full deck jobs before the motor started acting up. For $90 that's basically costing you $15 per use if you do it that many times, while renting a gas one runs $50-$70 a day around here. Plus you don't have to haul a heavy machine around or deal with gas and oil.