The main reason I want to buy (vs renting a truck or uhaul) is primarily availability. When I'm doing a weekend project, on more than one occasion I could not rent a truck because everyone else had the same idea.

Over the past year, I've rented the Home Depot truck four times, totaling about $400 which includes fuel and late fees. The main difference between renting a Home Depot truck vs a uhaul is that you don't pay mileage. Renting the Uhaul once is about $200 with mileage and gas.

Uhuals can be reserved, but at that price point it's not worth it.

[–] XeroxCool@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago

If you're a new homeowner and either have a lot to fix or a lot of projects in mind, a pickup is great. Daily driving it is useful for when you have to grab materials after work. I opted for an older $2000 Ranger 4cyl 2wd earlier this year for that so I'm not killed by fuel economy. It gets 20mpg on my commute but I do also split that with a 50mpg motorcycle. It's also great for when you see random bulky things on the side of the road you want. I did start with a 4x8 trailer but it's not as convenient. I admit, part of that was because my wife s car was the only one with a functional hitch.

But I'm talking a Ranger. Like an F-050. 115hp. This little guy has hauled so much already. The only thing it can't technically do is tow a car and I don't have the capital left to buy a nonrunning project car. I've been eyeing the new Maverick in hybrid form. But maybe by time I have the cash for such a new vehicle I won't be doing reno projects anymore