Purchasing a generator is an investment, and you may be asking yourself whether it’s more cost-effective to rent or buy a generator for your business's power needs.

Here, we’ll weigh up the benefits of renting vs purchasing a generator and what’s right for your unique power requirements.

How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Generator?

Understandably, there is no set cost to hire a generator. So, you'll need to speak to an expert to discuss your power requirements further. With that said, factors that may influence the cost include:

• Duration of the hire
• Where the generator is operating
• Fuel type
• Size of the generator you require

As a general guide, prices can range anywhere from $90 a day for small, portable models to hundreds of dollars a day for heavy-duty commercial quality generators.

More powerful models will fall into a different price bracket, but we always recommend speaking with your supplier to ensure you receive the right generator for your business operations.

Rent Vs Purchase: What’s Right For You?

It all depends on the project and application.

If you're after a generator to secure power for a single day event or short-term project, it is often more cost-effective to rent a generator rather than purchase one. In other cases, buying a generator outright is the best option.

Here’s how to know what’s right for your business.

4 Benefits Of Renting A Generator

1. Lower Upfront Costs

Generators, particularly larger, commercial models are a significant investment. So, for businesses adhering to tight budgets, the lower upfront costs of renting a generator are generally more appealing.

Renting a generator means you can spread the cost over several months to better manage your businesses monthly budgets rather than having to fork out a large sum of money.

2. No Ongoing Maintenance

When you hire a generator, you’ll have peace of mind knowing it will arrive on site in good working condition and ready for use. All maintenance, servicing and repairs are taken care of by your generator supplier.

In the off chance that something does go wrong during your rental period, you'll receive a replacement and be back up and running in no time. No need to worry about replacing parts or costly repairs and downtime.

3. Ideal For Short Term Needs

In the case of festivals, events or short-term projects, buying a generator outright is simply not cost-effective. There’s no point paying a large upfront cost if the generator will just sit in storage once the event is over.

4. No Commitment Necessary

Renting gives you greater flexibility if you work across projects of various sizes and power requirements.

You'll be able to choose the right size generator for a specific project instead of trying to purchase a one-size-fits-all solution and running the risk of over or underloading your generator.

3 Benefits Of Purchasing A Generator

1. Long-Term Cost Savings

If you intend to use your generator frequently or over an extended period of time, it is more cost-effective to purchase a generator rather than pay monthly rental fees.

So, consider if owning a prime or backup generator meets a long-term business need. If it does, buying is by far your best, most-affordable option.

2. Less Downtime During Blackouts

If you live or work in an area prone to blackouts or natural disasters, purchasing a standby generator is a worthwhile investment.

It’ll always be on hand when the power goes out, so you won’t have to wait hours or days for a generator to be delivered to get back to work. Switch it on immediately and avoid any costly downtime.

3. Asset Ownership

When you rent a generator, you’re at the mercy of the rental company and their availability.

When you own the generator, you can use it as much as you want, whenever you want. And if there ever comes a time when you no longer need the generator, you can sell it and still enjoy a return on your investment.

Hiring vs Renting: Get The Right Advice Today

With affordable short and long term solutions available, Blue Diamond Machinery have generators ready to rent or purchase for your next event or jobsite power needs.

We are an exclusive national distributor of leading Japanese brand Denyo, as well as authorised distributors of Cummins, Perkins and Kubota generators. From portable generators to 1000kVA+ models, we have you covered.

With years of experience, you can rely on Blue Diamond Machinery to provide the right advice and a generator to meet your unique requirements. For more information on the best model to suit your power requirements, contact us today or speak to one of our expert team on 1300 998 647.