down any defects on the rental agreement form or you may lose your damage deposit later. Machines that endure lots of abuse should be checked with extra care. If one machine is in better shape than another, you can reserve “the good one” ahead of time by talking up the friendliest clerk. Get the clerk’s name for future use, and be generous with your thanks if all goes well. Sometimes you can arrange to take a tool home the night before at no extra charge.
Ask for tips on tool use; the instructions (make sure they are supplied) may not tell all. Floor sanders, for instance, rarely come with hints for preventing the dreaded and expensive WHAP-flup-flup-flup of sandpaper ripped on an exposed nailhead.
