A brush cutter rents for €15 to €25 a day, a pressure washer for €20 to €35, a tiller for €40 to €60. Peer to peer you pay 30 to 40% less. Buying them costs €150 to €1,200 apiece, and in a normal garden they work ten days a year. Garden tool rental searches in Italy start in March, peak between April and May and pick up again in September for the autumn clean-up.
The big DIY chains have turned rental into a nationwide service with clear price lists. The advantage of peer-to-peer rental is different: the tool is two streets away, the neighbour knows how to start it, and it is still available on Saturday afternoon.
Prices
| Tool | DIY chain | Peer to peer | New |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol brush cutter | €20–30/day | €10–15/day | €150–350 |
| Battery brush cutter | €15–25/day | €10–15/day | €200–400 |
| Pressure washer, 150 bar | €20–35/day | €12–20/day | €150–400 |
| Tiller | €40–60/day | €25–40/day | €500–1,200 |
| Hedge trimmer | €15–25/day | €8–15/day | €100–300 |
| Lawn scarifier | €30–50/day | €20–30/day | €200–500 |
| Garden shredder | €50–80/day | €30–50/day | €300–900 |
| Leaf blower | €15–20/day | €8–12/day | €100–250 |
Chains take a deposit, usually €100 to €300 held on your card, and hand over the tool with the tank empty or nearly so. You supply the fuel. Peer to peer, the owner sets the deposit and the fuel is agreed: the most common rule is to return it as it came.
What breaks a rented tool
The first is the wrong fuel. A petrol brush cutter runs on two-stroke mix, petrol plus 2% oil (1:50), and straight petrol seizes it in twenty minutes. A four-stroke tiller runs on straight petrol, and mix fouls it. Always ask which, and buy ready-made mix in a can: it costs €4 a litre and removes all doubt.
The second is the brush cutter line. It is a consumable, it snaps every time it touches a wall, and it needs reloading. The renter brings their own spool, €6 to €8, or pays for what they used.
The third is a pressure washer run without water. The pump burns out in a minute if the tap is closed. Open the water first, then switch on.
What you need besides the tool
With the brush cutter: goggles, ear defenders, gloves and long trousers. Line at 10,000 rpm throws stones, and stones reach shins and eyes. With the pressure washer: closed shoes and an outdoor extension lead, because 150 bar on a bare foot cuts skin. With the tiller: boots and half an hour’s practice on soft ground, because it pulls forward and drags you the first time.
Then the hours. Almost all Italian municipal regulations ban noisy tools during rest hours, typically 1 to 3 pm and after 8 pm, and early Sunday morning. The neighbour complaining about a brush cutter at 2 pm is right.
When to book
April and May weekends are the busiest, and in the chains the tiller is gone by Friday. Peer to peer, availability is wider, but the first two Saturdays of April should be booked the week before. From June on, and in September, you find everything.
One tip worth the money: a tiller is used when the soil is damp but not wet, two or three days after rain. Book it by the forecast, not the calendar.
If the tools are already in your garage
A €250 brush cutter used eight times a year, listed at €12 a day for twenty days between April and June, makes €240 in a season. A pressure washer at €15 for fifteen days makes €225. These are tools the neighbour wants for an afternoon and does not want to buy, and distance is everything: “near me” searches for garden tools are among the fastest growing.
In the listing: make and model, petrol or battery, fuel type, what is included (spool, charged battery, lance, hose). Hand it over full and ask for it back full, or empty and empty. A sheet with the rules above, tucked in the bag, avoids 90% of problems. Our guide on how much you can earn renting out your stuff has figures by category. On Sharepact every renter is ID-verified and every rental is insured.
FAQ
Petrol or battery?
Battery for a garden under 500 square metres: quiet, starts with a button, no mix. Petrol for tall grass, brambles and half-day jobs, because the battery lasts 40 minutes.
Do I need a licence?
No, garden tools for private use need nothing. Chainsaws in a professional setting do.
How much fuel does a brush cutter use?
About half a litre of mix an hour. One litre covers an afternoon’s work, and a five-litre can of ready-made mix lasts the whole season.
What if it breaks during use?
Chains guarantee the rental: they replace it. Peer to peer, the deposit covers misuse, normal wear does not count. On Sharepact insurance is included, as explained in our guide on renting out safely.
