Renting vs. Buying

The price tag for high-performance surface prep equipment can be pretty steep. Expect to pay about $2,000 to $4,000 for a single-head floor grinder to over $6,000 for a four-head machine. A walk-behind shotblaster with a 13-inch blast path can set you back more than $20,000 while a ride-on scarifier with a 12-inch cutting swath can top $30,000. And these prices don't account for attachments, accessories or separate dust-control equipment.

If you do a lot of surface prep work, you can often justify the cost of purchasing your own equipment. But if you expect to use the machinery only about four or five times a year, you may be better off renting the equipment or subcontracting the work. For example, you can rent a 10-inch walk-behind floor grinder from All in Concrete or Surface Preparation Superstore—distributors of concrete surface preparation equipment—for about $235 - $450 a day. Many of these companies ship anywhere in the United States or have local outlets. Compare this to shelling out $4,000 or more to buy the machine new. You'll also save on maintenance expenses and depreciation costs.

If you do decide to buy, get the most from your investment by purchasing a machine that can perform multiple functions. It's also good to start out small, because regardless of the size of the slab, you'll always need a machine that can work in corners, next to walls and other tight spots.

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