DO-IT-YOURSELF : Rental Tools: As Good as New

By JOHN MORELL

Jan. 11, 1992 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

It’s everyone’s nightmare. Your kitchen drain won’t empty no matter how many times you force the plunger or how many gallons of drain cleaner you pour into it.

Your choices are simple: You can call in a plumber who will bring his electric snake to punch through the clog while you write a check for around $100, or you can rent the same snake that he uses for $40 and do it yourself.

Tool and equipment rental yards may be one of the best-kept secrets in the home maintenance industry. For a fraction of the cost of buying, you can rent everything from a simple shovel to a sophisticated $15,000 air compressor to complete virtually any home improvement project.

“We get people who walk in intending to rent just one thing and they leave with a truck full of equipment,” says Mike Mohring of AAA Rentals and Sales in Orange. “They’re amazed at what they can use, and what they thought they only could buy.”

Managers of local rental yards say business is up, which could be a reflection that homeowners are looking for more ways to cut costs when working around the house. They’ve also noticed a change in their customer base. “We used to deal exclusively with male customers but now we have a number of women coming in to rent tools and equipment,” says Craig Steffes of Yorba Linda Equipment Rentals.

For many people, renting makes more sense than buying. “We have some regular customers who come in once a week, get a mower and an edger, then bring it back a few hours later after doing their lawn,” Steffes says. “They don’t want the hassle of maintaining and storing the equipment, so we make it easy for them.”

Most rental yards stock top-quality equipment, due to the heavy use, and keep it in good condition. “It’s unfortunate, but renters are sometimes pretty hard on the things they use,” says Mike Rangel of Kenfield & Son Equipment Rental in Westminster.

“As soon as a piece of equipment comes in, it’s checked out carefully to see if there’s a problem with it,” Mohring says. “We have three full-time maintenance people who spend all day working on the equipment, making sure it’s in great shape before it’s rented out again.”

Tony Monsori of Irvine, who has rented countless saws, routers, floor polishers and cement mixers in his effort to keep up his home and two other rental properties, says it’s “renter beware” when looking to borrow a tool. “Don’t sign the contract until you check out the equipment you’re going to use. Make sure you know exactly how to operate it and that it runs fine. Have the clerk note on your contract that there are scratches or dents in it, otherwise, they may hold you accountable when you bring it back.”

Some yards give the renter a “test drive” before they leave the driveway. “We’ll show the customer how to use the equipment, and if there’s an engine or motor involved, we’ll get it started for them so they can get an idea of how to get it going and how it should run,” Steffes says.

Monsori says that the prospective renter should call around to different yards for prices, since they can often vary. “I’ve found that one yard might have a tool available at a ridiculously low price, but everything else they have is higher. Make sure you read the rental contract carefully too, and don’t leave cash or (a blank) check; use a credit card so you have some leverage if there’s a dispute.”

Here’s a compilation of some of what’s available at Orange County rental yards along with average rates:

* Arc welding kit--$220 per day

* Backhoe--$165 per day

* Carpet installation knee kicker--$12 per day

* Carpet installation power extensions--$24 per day

* Cement mixer--electric, one-third sack capacity, $22 per day

* Chain saw--electric, $28 per day; gas, $35 per day

* Circular saw--$9.50 per day, plus $3.50 sharpening charge

* Compressor--small, $33 per day, plus $7.50 for the hoses

* Concrete saw--$50 per day

* Drill--half-inch, $6.25 per day, plus 90 cents to $1.75 per bit

* Edger--gas, $27 per day