Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Lower total cost option
Own
Rental total cost
$7,500
Ownership total cost
$6,879
Difference over horizon
$621
Breakeven uses/year
9.2
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How to use this
- 1Enter rental cost per use/day ($).
- 2Enter expected uses per year.
- 3Enter equipment purchase price ($).
- 4Enter annual maintenance/storage ($).
- 5Enter years to project.
- 6Read your lower total cost option on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Renting equipment avoids upfront capital cost and maintenance responsibility but adds up fast with frequent use, while owning requires a large purchase plus upkeep but has no per-use fee. This tool compares total rental cost against ownership cost — purchase price, financing, maintenance, and resale value — at your expected usage level to find the breakeven number of uses or days per year.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Rental cost per use/day: 150 $
- Expected uses per year: 10
- Equipment purchase price: 8000 $
- Annual maintenance/storage: 300 $
- Years to project: 5
Results
- Lower total cost option: Own
- Rental total cost: $7,500
- Ownership total cost: $6,879
- Difference over horizon: $621
- Breakeven uses/year: 9.2
What each field means
Inputs
- Rental cost per use/day ($)
- The rental cost per use/day used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 150 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Expected uses per year
- The expected uses per year used in the calculation. Starts at 10 so you have a working example on load.
- Equipment purchase price ($)
- The equipment purchase price used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 8000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Annual maintenance/storage ($)
- The annual maintenance/storage used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 300 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Years to project
- The years to project used in the calculation. Starts at 5 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–20.
Results
- Lower total cost option
- Returned as a plain value and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Rental total cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Ownership total cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Difference over horizon
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Breakeven uses/year
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Does renting ever make sense even above the breakeven point?
Yes, if storage space is limited or the equipment model changes frequently — renting lets you always use current-generation equipment without resale hassle.
What resale rate should I assume?
Heavy equipment typically retains 70-85% value after one year and depreciates further from there; check auction comps for your specific equipment type for accuracy.
Does this include delivery fees for rentals?
Add per-rental delivery/pickup fees to the rental rate if your rental company charges them separately — they can meaningfully shift the breakeven point.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Own vs Rent Equipment Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/own-vs-rent-equipment-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/own-vs-rent-equipment-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Own vs Rent Equipment Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Own vs Rent Equipment Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/own-vs-rent-equipment-cost) (2026).