To Rent or Buy a Paint Sprayer? Here’s How To Decide

A paint sprayer is more efficient, more effective, and uses less paint than using brushes and rollers. While there are some elements involved that are not required when rolling, like masking, there are numerous benefits to the use of a sprayer.

If you are a professional painting and decorating team, there is no doubt that you should own a sprayer, because one can pay for itself in the first few weeks and then multiplies the profit you make from every job thereafter. If you’re a homeowner, the cost of a paint sprayer may be too high to justify investing in such a machine, but if you regularly repaint several rooms, then a cheap model could still pay for itself, in terms of the time saved and the job done. In either case, as well as the option of buying a sprayer, a second option exists: renting one.

It is possible to rent these machines from various outlets. Depending on the amount of time you rent the machine, it could work out at a fraction of the price of buying it and without the additional costs. So, when is it better to buy, and when would you be better served by renting this decorating machine?

Why Use A Sprayer?

A sprayer is more efficient than manual painting. You mask the room, spray the walls, remove the tape, and then touch up around the previously masked edges. If you use brushes or rollers, you will have to apply two or three coats, and estimates suggest that it takes approximately four times as long doing the job manually, compared to the time it takes to work with a sprayer. If you’re painting a single room, the cost means that buying the machine isn’t worth it. If you’re painting several rooms, offer painting as a professional service, or you frequently paint a number of your rooms with new colors, a sprayer will prove a worthwhile investment.

Renting A Paint Sprayer: The Pros

When compared to buying a paint sprayer, renting requires less up-front cost, as long as you are only renting for a few days.

Renting enables you to try different machines. If you are unsure of the sprayer, or even the type of sprayer, that will best serve your interests, renting a machine lets you determine whether it is right for you. You may need to rent from a few different stores to get different models.

Get Experience

If you need first-hand experience of the efficacy of using a sprayer, what better way than renting one? This enables you to use the sprayer for one job. You can work out how much quicker you complete the job, whether you use less paint and other resources, and whether it is easier on you and the rest of your team. You can even see whether it gives a better coating and better finish than rolling the paint on.

No Maintenance

Renting means that you aren’t responsible for the maintenance of the machine. If it breaks down, you won’t have to arrange or pay for a new machine, although you will have to return the broken one and wait for a new one. Similarly, when a new machine with the latest technology is bought by the rental company, you can use this without having to buy and upgrade an existing model.

Renting A Paint Sprayer: The Cons

If you rent for two weeks or you rent a machine every few weeks to complete work, renting will not prove financially viable and buying will prove the better economic decision. It will work out more expensive renting, in this way, than buying.

You Can’t Keep It!

Of course, the greatest drawback of renting a machine is that you will have to give it back. This means that you may have to go back to manually painting, and there aren’t too many people that can honestly say they love nothing more than five straight days of rolling paint on walls. Your love will wane even more once you’ve used a sprayer.

Hassle-free Storage

Paint sprayers aren’t that big, but if you are very restricted for space, renting enables you to use the sprayer once or twice and store it I the back of a van or in the room that is being decorated. Once the job is done, you hand it back, and you don’t need to store it in the house or garage.

When to Rent

It is best to rent a sprayer if your budget won’t allow the purchase of this kind of device, or if you are unsure of the benefits of using a sprayer over the manual operation of rolling and painting walls. If you are only painting a single room or have a one-off requirement to paint a handful of rooms, it may not be practical to rent either.

Buying A Paint Sprayer: The Pros

Buying a paint sprayer means that the equipment will always be yours. Whether you have to paint a single wall or take on a whole-home refurbishment job, if you own a paint sprayer, you can use it to complete the task at hand.

Efficiency

Owning a paint sprayer means that you can complete any job quickly. Rental models aren’t always available, and if somebody else has rented out a store’s only model, you are left without access to a machine sprayer. If you own one, this isn’t an issue because it will always be available for you to use.

Buying A Paint Sprayer: The Cons

The biggest drawback of buying a paint sprayer is the cost. Although sprayers don’t cost as much as some big-ticket items, they do still cost more than buying a couple of brushes and other equipment, and they cost multiples of renting a sprayer for one or two days. While it is true that a sprayer pays for itself over time, if you don’t have the money to outlay in the first place, you won’t be able to buy one.

You’re On the Hook for Maintenance

Paint sprayers, like any machine, require maintenance. And, even with routine and regular maintenance, they still break down and need replacing. If your machine breaks down, you need to replace it or you will be left without.

When to Buy

If you own a painting and decorating business, or offer these services professionally, you should give serious consideration to buying a paint sprayer. It will cost less than continuing to rent, ensures that you do a uniform and efficient job on all projects, and it is easier than performing the task manually.

You should also buy one of these machines if you regularly find yourself painting your own home or getting roped in to help family and friends with their painting. The cost isn’t that great when compared to buying half a dozen good quality brushes, rollers, and other manual painting equipment.

You might also be interested in: 10 Best Paint Sprayers – Reviews & Top Picks

Rent Or Buy a Paint Sprayer

Paint sprayers are convenient and offer a simpler and more effective method of painting and refurbishing, than attempting the job manually. They can be rented from various stores and outlets, or they can be purchased, and good quality airless sprayers do not cost as much as you might expect. If you have room and will require the use of a sprayer for more than three or four days, considering buying one to save money and offer you greater freedom. If you only need a sprayer for a day or two, or you remain unsure whether this type of machine really does offer the benefits you’ve heard about, rent one for a trial period.

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