Rental tool enlightenment: do-it-yourself turns pro

Whole Earth Review, Summer, 1988 by J. Baldwin, Richard Nilsen

FOR MONTHS, I thought the four-and-one-half acres of spify new construction near my high way exit was going to be a Holiday Inn. Turned out to be a Big 4 Rents, "The Taj Majal of Rental Emporiums," as assistant manager Alan Aschow proudly put it during a tour of the facility. No small-time operation this.

There are 55 employees, most of them mechanics who assure that the remarkable array of tools and machines is maintained in good condition right down to the paint. Not a trace of worn-out, sleazy equipment to be seen. The only hint of old-time-small-time renting can be found in the menu of available items: floor sanders, generator sets, and tools for working on vehicles, plumbing and concrete are there as always. What's new is the wide variety in the assortment of professional contractors' equipage offered to ordinary civilians like you and me. Don't be intimidated. All the stuff comes with complete instructions (by an instructor, if necessary) and safety hints. Larger machines are delivered to your job as part of the service. Once past your psychological role change to "equipment operator" and with a little practice (most machines are easy to learn) your potential is enormously enhanced. just walking around the lot will give you ideas; even the battle-scarred veterans of Whole Earth had to ask what some of the things were for.