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Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

• 0x53 1y ago
  Love the idea and hope you are successful. I really think there is a lot of value to be unlocked in sharing/renting tools. In my area we have a tool library which is handy. Some ideas: - I would focus a lot of effort on making it incredibly easy and intuitive to list things. This is one of the primary barriers to me when using these types of apps. - maybe future idea would be to list things from Home Depot or other stores to expand the number of rentals that are available.
  • supermdguy 1y ago
    How does your tool library work? Who organizes it? Sounds really interesting.
    • GouacheApp 1y ago
      Great question! Patio isn't a traditional tool library—it’s a peer-to-peer platform where anyone can list and rent tools directly from people nearby, similar way to Airbnb. So instead of being run by an organization, it’s the community itself that powers it. We're just making it easy, safe, and fast to share tools locally.
      • downboots 1y ago
        I wonder which is more efficient: to manage tools or manage the need. Rather than putting up a yard sign for "I have a hammer, guys", one that says "hey guys, I need a hammer"
        • GouacheApp 1y ago
          Great point — and thanks for sharing it. We’re actually exploring ways to let people post requests, not just listings, so it's easy to say “I need a hammer” and connect with someone nearby. It’s all about making those timely, local connections simple.
          • downboots 1y ago
            Yes fellow human
            • GouacheApp 1y ago
              These are really good ideas, thanks so much for sharing!
    • tren 1y ago
      We have one near my place that I'm a member of, it's run by volunteers. They have stuff outside of tools too (camping/cooking gear). You can view the stuff their inventory before you join: https://toolsnthingslibraryperthwa.myturn.com/library/ https://toolsnthingslibraryperthwa.myturn.com/library/ The main downside for me is returning the items in the window they're open.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Thanks a lot for the feedback—really appreciate it! Totally agree that ease of listing is key. We're actively working on making the process super simple with AI-powered automation, and also improving how people search and discover listings. Love the idea of integrating store rentals too—that's on our radar!
• pruetj 1y ago
  I like the idea. The rental section has a lot of potential imo. It makes me wonder if there’s room for the personal property rental business in tools like there is for housing and cars. I do a lot of DIY and tend to acquire a lot of the tools I use if I think they are generic enough or I’ll repeat a similar job in the future but there’s also jobs I do where I’ll happily borrow from a friend. For example, I just built a small privacy fence that needed 5 posts cemented in. For that, I wanted to use a post hole digger. It’s very unlikely I’ll build another fence any time soon and a post hole digger takes up enough space that I don’t want to buy one and keep one. It’s also like $50. If I didn’t know a friend who just built a new fence and had one but had an option of renting one from a guy down the street for $10, that’s what I’d do. And I’d be so happy I didn’t just spent $50 and then have to either store a tool that’s never used again or try to sell it. I think DIY is growing, it’s a great way to save money and it’s only becoming easier with YouTube to help you through most any job. Good luck with the site!
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Really appreciate you sharing that example—it perfectly captures the kind of use case we’re building Patio for. DIY is awesome, but yeah, not every tool needs to be owned, stored, or bought new. Renting something like a post hole digger from a neighbor for a few bucks just makes sense. That’s exactly the gap we’re trying to fill—making borrowing as easy as buying, and helping people save space, money, and waste. Thanks again for the encouragement!
    • deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
  • angry_moose 1y ago
    Tool libraries are starting to take off. Ours is $35/quarter and gives you free access to their full library: https://mtl.myturn.com/library/inventory/browse https://mtl.myturn.com/library/inventory/browse
    • GouacheApp 1y ago
• jvanderbot 1y ago
  I would like to subscribe to a newsletter that includes all subjects. That apparently isn't possible?
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    This is a great feedback. Right now, you can select between 2 and 10 categories but we will add this possibility as soon as possible!
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    I just update the logic and you will now be able to select all subjects if you prefer this way :)
• mrlatinos 1y ago
  Based on the title, I assumed there would be some association between rental and DIY tutorials. Perhaps showing the necessary tools to accomplish the task with rental links? The tutorials become something like an all-in-one kit. I also think you could commoditize the tutorials themselves, rather than just sourcing from YouTube. Great idea with a lot of potential!
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Thanks so much for the thoughtful feedback! You're absolutely right — connecting rentals directly to DIY tutorials is exactly the vision. We want to turn every tutorial into a “DIY kit,” where you can learn how to do something and rent the exact tools needed nearby. We’re also going a step further with our quiz section — think of it as Duolingo for home improvement. Instead of just watching tutorials, you learn step-by-step through interactive quizzes across topics like plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and more. It’s early days, but the goal is to make learning and doing as seamless as possible. https://patio.so/quiz https://patio.so/quiz
    • mrlatinos 1y ago
      Very cool. The rental part is less exciting to me, simply because I live in a more rural area. When it comes to P2P sharing, it's better to just have relationships with your neighbors and share/barter directly. That isn't to say I wouldn't use the rental feature. Just that the tutorial / diy "recipes" feature seems to have a more near-term usefulness to me, as it doesn't require proximal adoption. I wish you luck!
      • GouacheApp 1y ago
        Thanks so much — really appreciate the thoughtful perspective! Totally agree that in rural areas, direct relationships with neighbors are often the go-to. One thing we hope Patio can help with even in those settings is simply making it easier to know who has what — sometimes your neighbor might have the exact tool you need, but you'd never know to ask. By listing tools, even if it's just to lend or rent for free, it helps avoid unnecessary purchases for tools you’ll only use once or twice. And like you said, the tutorials and DIY “recipes” are useful anywhere — that’s a big part of our mission too. Thanks again for the kind words and support!
• angry_moose 1y ago
  I feel like you need to make sure the rental side is the first thing people see. My initial reaction at being dumped on the "Explore" section was "this is just a spammy pinterest style link aggregator thing".
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Totally fair point — and really appreciate the honest feedback. Our goal is to build a platform where people can learn, educate, rent, and share tools within a community that loves DIY. The “Explore” section is part of our effort to surface great tutorials and ideas, but we hear you — the rental experience should be front and center. We’re working on making that more clear from the start. Thanks again for the insight — it really helps us improve.
    • ThePinion 1y ago
      Just to piggyback off this I had a similar thought. I read your post about the tool rental, got to the page and immediately saw random articles which unfortunately this AI age has got me to distrust that things are human written/curated when just presented with no context. Seeing the rental and more community features would be best, then when you like the concept/community it makes sense to get invested in the posted articles because you've seen the site is active with people. Love the idea, I really hope it all takes off!
      • GouacheApp 1y ago
        Really appreciate that — and totally agree. We’re working on bringing the rental and community features to the forefront so it’s clear from the start what Patio is about. In a world flooded with AI content, we get that leading with articles can feel impersonal without context. The goal is to build trust through people and tools first — then let the content support that experience. Thanks for the kind words and thoughtful feedback!
        • floundy 1y ago
• nothercastle 1y ago
  How does this work and how do you deal with theft fraud and damage.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Great questions — and ones we hear often. Patio is a community-driven platform that helps people rent and share tools locally while also discovering DIY tutorials and resources. We focus on trust with verified profiles, user reviews, and local connections. We're also working on adding insurance options to better protect tool owners and renters, along with features like ID verification and deposits to reduce risk. If you’re interested or have ideas, feel free to reach out at julien@patio.so — would love to chat!
• StrandedKitty 1y ago
  Please add more contrast to the black nav panel at the bottom. It took me like a minute to spot it because it was lost in the visual mess that the article previews create. At first I thought all this website does is article and video aggregation because all I saw was a list of categories and an endless feed.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Thanks a ton for the feedback — that's super helpful. You're absolutely right about the nav getting lost — we’re working on improving the contrast and layout so it’s clear from the start that Patio is more than just content aggregation. In addition to tutorials and articles, Patio includes a marketplace where people can rent tools and share or sell surplus building materials. There’s also a quiz section designed like Duolingo, where users can learn DIY skills interactively — from electrical and plumbing to woodworking and more. Were you on mobile or desktop when you noticed the issue? That’ll really help us improve the experience. Thanks again for the great insight!
    • StrandedKitty 1y ago
      I was on desktop. The mobile version uses a slightly different layout and doesn't suffer from this issue.
      • GouacheApp 1y ago
        Thank you, it's really appreciated, we will update the desktop version shortly!
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    We’ve updated the desktop navigation bar to be more prominent and easier to use. Thanks for your feedbacks!
• heyhuy 1y ago
  This is very neat and really underserved market. Imagine all the DIY YouTube videos for build your X for under X dollars only to see the teacher use $5000 work worth of power tools to make a shelf. But how do you counter fraud and theft as this scales? Or is the earnest placed onto the host of the tool to protect their property.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Thank you — really appreciate that, and you nailed one of the biggest problems we’re trying to solve. Those “budget” DIY videos often skip over the fact that the creator is using thousands of dollars' worth of tools most people don’t have — we want to close that gap and make DIY more accessible for everyone. As for fraud and theft, that’s a key challenge as we grow. Right now, we focus on building trust through verified profiles, user reviews, and local connections. But we’re also actively working on adding insurance options, deposits, and ID verification to better protect tool owners. We believe people should feel safe sharing their tools — and we’re designing the platform so that responsibility doesn’t fall solely on the host. More to come on that soon!
• satvikpendem 1y ago
  I wonder what patio11 thinks about this. I kid, I kid, looks good though, how many users do you have already? I assume you need quite a network effect to be able to borrow tools for example.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Haha — we’d love to hear what patio11 thinks too! You’re totally right: the rental side definitely benefits from network effects, which is why we’re building more than just a rental marketplace. Alongside that, we’ve launched DIY interactive duolingo style quizzes, project ideas, and launching material surplus and tools marketplace — so there’s real value for users even before there’s a large local inventory. As for users, we’re still early but growing steadily — especially in communities wanting to connect around shared DIY interests. Appreciate the encouragement!
• deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
• tomcam 1y ago
  What happens when an expensive piece of equipment is damaged and the guilty party refuses to acknowledge it?
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Great question — this is one of the biggest challenges in peer-to-peer rentals, and something we take seriously. Right now, we’re working on adding features like optional insurance, deposits, and ID verification to help protect both owners and renters. The goal is to make sure there’s a clear, fair process in place when things go wrong — especially with high-value tools. Ultimately, we want to build a platform where trust is backed by real safeguards, not just good intentions. If you’ve got ideas or want to chat more about this, feel free to reach out at julien@patio.so — always open to feedback!
    • tomcam 1y ago
      I abandoned exactly the business model you are pursuing because I couldn’t figure out a solution. I also abandoned the equivalents of eBay and PayPal decades ago for similar reasons, and in fact neither company has produced acceptable solutions IMHO.
• ttecho 1y ago
  This is an awesome idea and I hope it gets bigger. I know some public libraries allow for tool rentals but they do lack in quality and types of tooling.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Thanks so much — really appreciate the support! Totally agree with you. Public libraries and tool libraries are doing great work, but they often have limited inventory or older tools, and can’t always meet the variety of needs people have for DIY projects. That’s exactly what we’re aiming to complement with Patio — by tapping into the tools already sitting in people’s garages, we can expand access, improve variety and quality, and make it easier for folks to find what they need without having to buy new. Thanks again for the encouragement — it means a lot!
• iamtheworstdev 1y ago
  this implies to me that people in Palo Alto don't realize there are places to rent tools from already.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Totally fair take — and you're right, tool rental isn’t new. We’re fans of tool libraries and rental shops, and we’re not trying to replace them. But many of the tool libraries we’ve spoken to are using outdated software that doesn’t really meet their needs — limited inventory visibility, clunky systems, and not much support for growing their community. That’s part of what we’re building with Patio: something more modern and community-friendly. We’re bootstrapped and based in Montreal, so all of this is really grounded in real-world DIY needs we’ve seen firsthand.
• bryanrasmussen 1y ago
  I thought about making something like this some years back, my ideas were as follows: target neighborhoods, you should be able to walk to get tool. Have one house designated tool center, somebody signs up in neighborhood to be tool distributor gets some percentage money fees of everyone that joins - there are all sorts of issues in this of course, am just giving high level overview of thoughts I put in it. This would mean that company would also distribute tools to target neighborhoods. Thus disrupting the traditional tool selling / hardware industry. There are other business possibilities later on down the line opened up by this model that I won't go into here. Part of this was based on things I noticed about home ownership in Europe, that is to say people who live in houses instead of apartments and their needs. Thus relatively affluent people and communities.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Thanks a lot for sharing all of this! That’s a really thoughtful approach — and very aligned with how we’ve been thinking about it too. The neighborhood-level model is especially compelling — tools within walking distance, built-in trust, and someone local acting as a tool steward or mini-hub. We’ve been exploring similar ideas, including ways to support individuals or organizations that want to take on that role. Disrupting the traditional tool ownership model while creating new local economies is exactly the kind of long-term potential we see here. Would love to hear more about your original thinking — feel free to reach out at julien@patio.so!
    • nswizzle31 1y ago
      A local hub to go get tools is the only way this works, in my opinion. Your current offering is obviously compelling from the renter’s perspective. I am renovating a cottage and would love to go pick up a chainsaw, brush cutter, etc for half the price of Home Depot (they have everything and great service). But I just don’t see it from the tool owner’s perspective. My suburban aunt has two chainsaws sitting in the garage that she doesn’t use anymore. An extra $150 a month isn’t enough to deal with the hassle of coordinating meetings, dealing with damage, etc. And she definitely wouldn’t be giving a free tank of gas, PPE, etc like Home Depot does. She would gladly drop it off at a local spot, make passive income, maybe go grab it herself once a year when she needs it. Ps - great website design. Looks beautiful on mobile and works really well. What are you using on the frontend?
• siavosh 1y ago
  I had a similar idea when I was living in a tiny apartment and trying to do woodworking on my kitchen table. I would have loved to pay someone nearby to use a planar or jointer once in a while. My biggest mental block for a site like this was the litigious culture we have where someone injured themselves and sues the tool owner or vice versa etc.
  • VWWHFSfQ 1y ago
    > the litigious culture we have If somebody damages your expensive tool, or you are injured by their faulty tool, and they refuse to compensate you, what do you think should happen?
    • GouacheApp 1y ago
      Totally valid concern — and one we take seriously. In a world where things can go wrong and legal issues can arise, it’s important to have safeguards. We're currently working on adding optional insurance, ID verification, and deposits to reduce the risk on both sides. The goal is to make sure there’s a clear process if something gets damaged or if someone gets hurt — without immediately resorting to legal action. Ultimately, we want to support a trusted community, but we also know that trust needs real protections behind it, especially in a culture where liability matters.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Totally get that — and it’s a big reason why platforms like this haven’t taken off sooner. We’ve heard the same concern from a lot of people, and we’re working on solutions like optional insurance, ID verification, and clear guidelines to help reduce that risk for everyone involved. The goal is to make borrowing tools feel as natural and safe as borrowing a cup of sugar from a neighbor — but with real protections in place when it matters. And yes — your example is exactly the kind of use case we’re building for. Tools like planers and jointers are expensive, bulky, and rarely used often enough to justify owning.
• SamBam 1y ago
  Many years ago there was NeighborGoods, a site that facilitated free loans of tools from neighbors. (Possibly they had paid options, but I only remember the free part myself.) I loved it. I put all my own tools up on it for anyone to use. A few people borrowed my drill once it twice. I borrowed a ladder from someone. Some people even had their kayaks on there, as they lived near the river. I loved the free aspect because that just made sense. We're in a dense urban neighborhood, why do we really need an impact driver for ever single house, or a wheelbarrow, or an oscillating saw? If I know my neighbor wants one, I'm glad to lend it. The world needs less consumption and more sharing.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Absolutely — couldn’t agree more. In most neighborhoods, there’s really no need for everyone to own the same tools, especially for things you use once or twice a year. That mindset of sharing over consuming is exactly what we’re trying to support with Patio — whether it's lending for free, renting, or just making it easier to know who has what nearby. The more we can encourage that kind of local connection, the less we all need to buy — and the better it is for everyone.
    • J7jKW2AAsgXhWm 1y ago
      Tool lending library is the best I’ve found so far for tools. The best part is not having to store all the tools.
      • GouacheApp 1y ago
        Absolutely — not having to store all the tools is a huge plus. That’s a big part of what we’re aiming for with Patio too: easy access to tools without the hassle of ownership or storage.
    • jogjayr 1y ago
      I like tool libraries. I belong to one myself. But I also own some tools, like a car jack and and torque wrench, even though I use them exactly twice a year. If I relied on the tool library for those, they'd be checked out all month when I most needed them to put on or remove winter tires.
• dangus 1y ago
  For the news feed, it makes me think “Pinterest for home improvement,” which is pretty “meh” to me. Great, another ad feed. Why would I want to be here instead of a subreddit? For tool rental, the first thought in my mind is that you’re going to be competing with hardware store giants like Home Depot or your country’s equivalent: many places already exist that already rent tools and equipment and they aren’t hard to find on the Internet. There are also a lot of local community options like rental libraries.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Totally valid points — and ones we’ve been thinking about a lot. The feed isn’t meant to be just another Pinterest-style scroll — we’re curating high-quality DIY tutorials, guides, and projects to help people learn and take action. We also recently added an AI-powered search so you can quickly find relevant content by asking real questions, like “how do I replace a light switch?” instead of just browsing categories. That said, we know the feed needs to feel more purposeful, and we’re actively improving that. On tool rentals — you’re absolutely right that big stores and tool libraries exist. We’re not trying to replace them, but to fill in the gaps: making it easier to find tools nearby that might not be available otherwise, support neighbor-to-neighbor sharing, and help smaller or underserved communities. We’re also working with tool libraries to modernize their systems and increase their visibility. Really appreciate the honest feedback — it’s exactly what helps us get better.
• pants2 1y ago
  Thought it was spam until I saw the "rental" at the bottom. Why would you have a completely blank header (where everyone expects the navigation to be) and then throw the actual navigation at the bottom? No site does that.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Totally fair feedback — and you're right, the layout feels unexpected on desktop. We're designing mobile-first, since most of our early users are on phones, but we're actively working on making the desktop experience much clearer and more intuitive too. Really appreciate you pointing this out — it helps us improve!
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    We’ve updated the desktop top navigation bar. It should makes it much easier to navigate now :)
• bix6 1y ago
  Love the banner image ha! Flipped around a bit, looks great. One question I have is how will users know what a fair price is? On the legal issues. Maybe making loaners attest the tool is in good condition and the renters sign a waiver? Untrained people are terrifying with power tools, I would be hesitant to take on the liability of someone losing an arm for $50.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Glad you liked the banner — and appreciate you taking the time to explore it! Totally fair question on pricing. We’re working on adding pricing suggestions based on similar tools nearby, so users have a better sense of what’s fair without guessing. On the legal side — yep, we’re exploring tool condition checkboxes, waivers, and optional insurance to help protect both sides. Power tools come with real risks, and we want to make sure there's enough structure to keep things safe and clear for everyone involved.
• tlavoie 1y ago
  I and a few others in our community would love to start a tool library, so would love to have a good set of initial policies, software, tutorials and such to start from. For example: - Cost to rent or borrow? - Consumables (people expected to supply their own?) - Liability? (Think angle grinders, power saws) - Education of intended borrowers? I'm willing to host a sea-can and act as librarian, but also unwilling to be sued because some ninny lopped off a thumb, or lost an eye to carelessness.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    That’s awesome — and exactly the kind of community we want to support. We’re working on tools to help launch local libraries: policy templates, waivers, safety guides, and yes, even subscription options (e.g. $X/month for unlimited borrowing) to keep things simple and sustainable. You’d be able to set rules around pricing, consumables, and tool access — and we’re adding features like liability waivers and hazard flags to help reduce your personal risk as a host. Would this solve most of the questions and concerns?
    • tlavoie 1y ago
      It might! I imagine we'd still want to run example forms past a lawyer, that sort of thing, but better than starting from scratch.
      • GouacheApp 1y ago
        Yes, there are still some things to figure out, and we're working hard to find solutions that make the whole experience easier and more enjoyable. Really appreciate your feedback, it helps a lot!
• smmeis 1y ago
  It needs localization for the learning content. The site is very US focused. DIY is usually quite country specific.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Totally agree — DIY varies a lot by country, from building codes to materials and even terminology. Localization is high on our list. We're working on ways to adapt learning content by region, so users see tutorials, terms, and standards that actually make sense for where they live. Thanks for pointing it out — it's a big part of where we're heading.
• Animats 1y ago
  After a while, tool rental services stabilize at tools near end of life but still marginally usable. Go rent something from a tool rental shop and see what you get.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    You're right, some tool rental service are not perfect! Maybe if they had a better platform and more users, they would be able to update their inventory more frequently. This is also what we aim to help solve.
    • Animats 1y ago
      It's inherent in the rental model that the inventory is worn out. Auto rental works because there's a secondary market in used cars. There's nothing comparable in tools.
      • GouacheApp 1y ago
        You're right, tools are a different game compared to cars or housing. That said, this means challenges that we're trying to solve. If it were easy, more people would already be doing it.
  • nothercastle 1y ago
    I rent tools all the time they work well but are typically mid tier and 1/5 -1/3 of the price of a new one. There is a lot of labor involved after a rental to clean up and maintain the tool in decent working order though.
    • GouacheApp 1y ago
      Also, it's not always only about the price. Sometimes, you simply don't have the space to store some of these tools too. For instance, a pressure washer can take up a lot of room and if you only need it for a 1-day cleanup, renting means you don’t have to find space or worry about storing it long-term.
• CraigJPerry 1y ago
  Since this is all designed for meatspace, real life community, and i'm supposed to meet up with people via this to exchange / loan things - it'd be handy to have some baseline checks in place - hey this user opted in to verifying as a real person, also, they have no suspicious (stolen credentials) activity in their account currently.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Super good point — we're working hard to add security features to make the platform as secure and easy to use. Stay tuned :)
• amelius 1y ago
  Instead of reading articles I prefer to learn DIY techniques from various youtube channels. However, my viewing is mostly random so if you could make a curated list of topics, with links to videos, I'd prefer that.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Thank you so much for your feedback! We're working hard on improving the UX and this is really helping us pinpoint areas that we should be improving.
• flufluflufluffy 1y ago
  Cool site — I’m eager to try it out! I’d recommend having — the rental aspects be — more prominent. That would — probably — help people not — think it’s just — an — aggregator — — .
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Thank you for your feedback — — :) We will definitely improve the desktop navigation discoverability since it's not the first time we heard this issue. I'll also use less "—" in my writing since it seems like people don't really like it much
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    We just update the top navigation bar on desktop. Now that it's more prominent, it should now be easier to navigate.
• mmphosis 1y ago
  Initially, I was impressed by the articles. I tapped on one then tapped the visit button then Firefox Nightly 141.0a1 (Build #2016093823) crashed. The web page is slow on this old tablet. I could bring out my new phone or the laptop but I think the web page should be just as fast even on old devices.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    We will take a look and try to figure out of what is happening there, thanks for your feedbacks, it's really appreciated.
• WalterBright 1y ago
  I regularly buy tools from the thrift store. I recently bought a belt sander for $15, a rake for $7, a multimeter for $15, a chainsaw for $10, all in good working order. (I only buy tools I have an immediate need for, otherwise I'd fill the house with tools.)
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Yes, thrift store rocks but it's also easy to stack up tools we only use occasionally, they add up fast. We're planning to offer the same kind of base tools for free rental through the platform.
• Zolomon 1y ago
  https://www.hygglo.se https://www.hygglo.se is common in Sweden.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    This is pretty cool, nice to know that this is commonly used in Sweden!
• keerthiko 1y ago
  I used to live in Berkeley, CA circa 2013. They had a tool library, which was part of the local public library system, and tools were free (!) to rent. I miss it everyday, as it was a godsend for broke new grads who still wanted to do some quick but heavyduty DIY. I now live in NYC, and my local Home Depot rents out power tools for $20-30/day. The typical tool would pay for itself in 2 days at these rates, but it's still worth it to me as these 2 days are often 2-3 years apart and I'd rather not store these tools in my cramped 1BR. What I would love is a community-run tool rental service where we can donate a tool + pay a nominal membership fee, and borrow tools for free. I am happy to donate a $120 circular saw/impact driver if I can rent 10x different tools once each for $5/mo for the next year. The closest thing I have now is my local hackerspace, which is great, but I often have to work on my projects at the space, which limits the kind of home DIY I can do.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    That's a really good idea. A community-run tool library with donations + a small monthly fee could be a game changer, especially in dense cities. It makes DIY more accessible without the cost or storage hassle. We'll certainly think about how this model could be implemented!!
    • fhackenberger 1y ago
      There's a successful one running purely on donations in Berlin: Resi https://www.resi-ressourcen.org/ https://www.resi-ressourcen.org/
      • GouacheApp 1y ago
        Awesome!! Thanks for sharing :)
    • mttch 1y ago
      There was one running in Frome, UK but unfortunately these community things are hard to keep going and it has now closed. The issues are cost of storage space, insurance, staffing etc. You can see the requirements they needed to keep it going here: https://sharefrome.org/save-SHARE-together/ https://sharefrome.org/save-SHARE-together/
• a-a--a--df- 1y ago
  [flagged]
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    I think you're on the wrong post...
    • cap11235 1y ago
      Nah, that's a spambot.
• captainregex 1y ago
  Anyone else just refreshed and happy to be reading about something not AI?
• simonebrunozzi 1y ago
  Oh, if you instead built Patio11, I would have loved to buy a copy just for me. :)
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Hahaha, I don't think this is on our priority list yet tho!
• trollbridge 1y ago
  Imagine my complete shock when I find out this platform isn’t mediating payments and trying to collect an AirBNB-style 15% fee. You have managed to make my cynical self smile, and also miss when I lived in Montreal.
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    Hahha, that made me smile too — thank you! We’re planning to add an option for online payments in the future, but we’ll always keep the choice to handle it yourself or just lend for free. And, I agree, Montreal is such a nice city!
• klntsky 1y ago
  Advertise this to hackerspaces
  • GouacheApp 1y ago
    This is a good idea, thanks!
• dima586 1y ago
  Is it just me or is OP answering every question with ChatGPT?
• Greta4Gaza 1y ago
  [flagged]
• jdawg777 1y ago
  Please consider also including the use of heavy machinery in the tool rental page. For example: an hour using a drill press, lathe, milling machine, band saw, wood planer, table saw etc. Think of a virtual workshop spread across the city.