Heavy equipment can make a job more comfortable, but adding a piece to your garage can be an expensive proposition. When you need a piece of equipment, the question becomes whether you should Rent it or spend the money to purchase it. Let’s take a look at some of these scenarios to help you make the best decision for your home and your wallet.

You Need to Cut Tile for a Remodeling Project

DIY remodeling projects can be a great way to raise the value of your home, especially if you’re replacing porcelain or ceramic Tile with marble or granite. You can pick up a tile cutter for as little as $50 at your local hardware store, but these are usually only powerful enough for small projects and thin tiles. If you’re replacing broken tiles or redoing a backsplash with ceramic, this might be more than enough for you, but for larger projects or thicker tiles, it won’t be sufficient.

In this case, spending the money to rent an industrial tile cutter can save you a lot of time, money and hassle. Purchasing one of these tile cutters can set you back more than $1,200 but can be rented for as little as $50 a day. If you’re not planning on laying tile professionally, renting is the most cost-effective option.

You Need to Get Into a Tree to Trim Branches

It’s the one thing every homeowner dreads — having branches or even whole trees fall on their house during a storm. Trimming branches, especially on tall trees, can be difficult if you’re not a monkey or a professional arborist. Boom lifts can help you get the elevation you need to safely trim back those branches and keep them from falling on your home.

This is one piece of equipment you’ll want to rent instead of buy. A professional boom lift can cost you anywhere from $5,000 to $80,000. Renting a boom lift is expensive — usually running around $4,500 a day — but if you only need a lift once every 10 years or so to trim back the trees around your home, there’s no reason to spend thousands of dollars to buy one.

You Need to Repaint the House

Painting the house can be a huge chore, especially if you have a large home or one that has a lot of facades to decorate. Paint guns can make the job a little easier, but the cheap ones you can get at the hardware store aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. They require you to load paint into the handheld gun, which can get heavy fast if you’re painting the entire house.

Renting a professional paint gun will usually only set you back $50 a day, but they work more efficiently and pipe the paint up from a reservoir that rests on the ground. You won’t have to haul around a gallon or more of paint in your hand while you’re trying to lay down an even coating. Most of us only need to repaint the house every few years, so it’s more cost-effective to rent instead of buy.

You’ve Got a Clogged Drain

Clogged drains are a nightmare even in the best scenario. Not only do they make it impossible to use your sink, toilet or shower, but they can also cause a backup that spills out onto your floor, causing water damage. While you can pick up a hand-crank drain augur for $20 or less at the hardware store, that isn’t going to be enough for big clogs or roots that might be blocking your sewer line.

Renting a drain augur is probably your best bet in these cases. A powered augur can cut through even the thickest roots or clogs. You won’t need to hire a plumber to fix these problems, which will save you a lot of money in the long run.

You’re Laying Down Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors can look beautiful, but laying them down with hand tools can take weeks and too many hammered fingers to count. This is one DIY job you will want to have power tools available for, from a pneumatic hammer to nail down the flooring to a power sander to make sure the finish is smooth and polished.

These tools are expensive, but a well-installed hardwood floor can last for years or even decades, so there’s no reason to purchase wood-working tools when you can rent them.

There are a literal ton of DIY projects that you can do easily with the proper tools. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to get a professional look. Renting tools can give you that result without emptying your wallet.

Scott Huntington is a writer from central Pennsylvania. He enjoys working on his home and garden with his wife and 2 kids. Follow him on Twitter @SMHuntington