The age old question… do you buy or do you rent? In this case we are considering the benefits of buying versus renting a snow blower. Clearly, this will not be a dilemma if you live in a warmer climate and have little or no snow. But how about for those of you who live in a colder climate, especially one that gets a lot of snow, this is a very valid question to consider.
Of course there are those years where you won’t get much snow, so owning this piece of equipment may not seem as critical at those times. But other years you may get so much snow that in order to keep up with it (and not get buried) you need to either shovel or use the snow blower every few hours! So here are a few things for you to consider while making your decision of to buy or not to buy!
1. What is the typical winter like for you? Do you generally get dustings? Or perhaps you get just a few inches of snow? If so, it might make the most sense to invest in a sturdy shovel. However, if you find that you are spending a number of hours each winter doing backbreaking shoveling, the investment in a snow blower might be more practical (not to even speak about the time you will end up saving over the duration of the winter)!
2. Do you have the space in your garage, storage sheds or porch to store your snow blower? This may seem like a silly thing to think about since they don’t take up THAT much room. But what else do you have stored in these storage places? If you have bicycles, lawn mowers, shelving units with tools or perhaps even a refrigerator or freezer it may be that one extra piece of equipment is less practical you may have otherwise thought before. Also, you will want to make sure you have a place to store it that will be protected from the elements. As with any electric piece of equipment your snow blower will need to not get exposed to excessive heat or cold or this can have negative consequences to its working longevity.
3. Do you have the discipline to have it serviced each year? Or will you toss it in a corner as many people do during the off-season and forget about it until the next snowfall. Though they aren’t complicated devices, they should be winterized prior to the season. They should then be serviced and prepared to store during the warmer months so you don’t have gasoline or oil just sitting in the equipment.
4. It may be that you are a gadget person, and that is all great, too. These can be incredibly useful and efficient pieces of equipment that will save you time and muscle pains from too much shoveling. However, there is another great opportunity you can consider if you choose to get a snow blower… If you have a teenager who wishes to make a few extra bucks during the winter, the snow blower can help them start a small winter business in clearing neighbors driveways and sidewalks as they might mow lawns during the summer. This might actually help pay off your new device and make it even more worth the money. This can especially pay off if you live in an area that traditionally gets a lot of snowfall over the winter, even more so if there are a lot of elderly in the community.
So weigh your options to decide if it is worth the money spent for the effort you exhaust during your winter snow falls! Ultimately, you may find that after a few rentals you could have paid off the device, but if you don’t have the time or space to adequately care for it the payoff of ownership may not be worth it.
Written by Lindsey Rentals. Lindsey Rentals offers the best service and equipment rental in Columbia, MO has to offer!