SIMAQ School · Calculator
Rent or buy?
Buying pays when you'll use the machine many days a year for several years; renting pays for a one-off job or a few days. Quick math: divide the price by the daily rental; if you'll use the machine more days than that, buying wins — common with everyday machines like the SQ15 PRO plate or the SQREVG365LTS mixer.
They don't compete: they solve different situations. Run your numbers and decide without emotion.
Recommendation
Buying wins
Break-even: ~67 rental days equal the purchase price (≈ 1.1 years at your usage).
Estimate assumes ~30% resale and ~5%/yr maintenance of price. Reference values to guide the decision, not a quote.
FAQ
What people ask most
Should I rent or buy equipment?
Buy if you'll use the machine many days a year for several years; rent for a one-off job or a few days. This lesson's calculator compares both totals with your price, daily rate and days of use.
How do I work out the rent-vs-buy break-even?
Divide the machine's price by its daily rental cost: that's the number of days of use from which buying starts to win. The calculator also deducts ~30% resale and adds ~5% maintenance per year.
Do I compare the purchase price with one month's rent?
That's the classic mistake: compare totals over the whole period. Rent = days of use × daily cost; buy = price + maintenance − what you get back when you resell.
Which machines are worth owning?
The ones you use on almost every job — like the SQ15 PRO plate, the SQ60 PRO 2 rammer or a 1.5-bag mixer — usually pay for themselves fast. A big machine for a single project usually makes more sense rented.
Where do I rent or buy the equipment?
To rent, there's RentaCentro, Grupo ConstruMarket's rental brand. To buy SIMAQ, get a quote at ConstruMarket branches in El Salvador, Guatemala (CMARKET), Nicaragua and Panama.
Get a quote without leaving
Want to work it out with an advisor?
Topic: Light equipment: buy or rent
Keep learning
Ready for a quote?
Tell us about the job and we'll build the package. A rep replies during business hours.