Where should you hire tools and plant equipment in the UK?

UK tool and plant hire is split between a handful of national chains with branch networks, builders merchants that added tool hire counters, and newer peer-to-peer apps that let you rent gear directly from owners. The market has also been consolidating: HSS Hire sold its physical depots to Speedy Hire in November 2025 and now runs as a digital marketplace, and Brandon Hire Station closed around 60 branches in late 2025 to focus on larger contract clients. This comparison sets out how each option works, what it costs, and who it actually serves today.

Last reviewed 13 September 2026

Declare an interest: GetBrent is one of the options below. Every other platform is described from its own published pages or dated independent sources, and each one is linked so you can check it.

GetBrent

This is us

Marketplace of local UK hire companies, compared in one search

Who it is for: Anyone hiring tools, plant or equipment in the UK
How to join: Search free, no account needed; enquire or request a booking direct from the listing
Pricing: Free for customers, no booking fee - each company sets its own prices
Verification: Businesses carry a Companies House Verified badge once confirmed
Reviews: Yes - reviews come from real enquirers and are checked before they appear

Why GetBrent

+Over 400 independent UK tool and plant hire companies in one search, not one chain
+Book direct with the company: no middleman, no booking fee
+Instant indicative prices and live availability where a company takes bookings online

Source

HSS Hire (HSS ProService Marketplace)

Former UK tool and plant hire chain, now trading as an online hire and buy marketplace

Who it is for: DIY and individual customers via hss.com, plus trade and business accounts via HSS ProService
How to join: Book online at hss.com (browse, add to basket, choose delivery or click and collect within about 1 hour) or call the customer team; trade customers can apply for a HSS ProService credit account
Pricing: Not published - you have to contact them
Verification: Cash customers typically need 2 forms of ID (such as a bank or credit card plus a driving licence) and a refundable deposit around 2 weeks hire charge; credit accounts are subject to identity and credit checks
Reviews: Reviews.io 1.2 out of 5 from 111 reviews, dated 2026; Trustpilot page for hss.com could not be accessed at time of writing

Strengths

+Nationwide same-day delivery and roughly 1-hour click and collect advertised on hss.com
+Combined hire-or-buy catalogue of over 1,000 products
+Now backed by Speedy Hire's depot and delivery network after the November 2025 deal

Limitations

-Sold its traditional hire business to private equity firm Endless in late 2025 and now operates the HSS ProService marketplace, with Speedy as an investor and supplier, per trade press
-Recent corporate restructuring (leadership changes, job transfers) makes service consistency harder to judge going into 2026

Source

Speedy Hire

National tool, equipment and plant hire chain

Who it is for: DIY and individual customers (Speedy DIY) and trade or business accounts
How to join: Book via the Speedy app or speedyservices.com/diy, or through in-store hire counters at B&Q, Screwfix and Trade Point; open a cash or credit account online or at any depot
Pricing: Not published - you have to contact them (the DIY site shows agreed prices only once an account is set up)
Verification: Credit accounts require proof of identity and/or a credit check; cash (non-trade) accounts require a deposit, usually a minimum 2-week hire charge, plus suitable photo ID
Reviews: Trustpilot 3.1 out of 5 from 2,188 reviews, September 2026

Strengths

+Over 200 fixed sites across the UK and Ireland, plus counters inside B&Q, Screwfix and Trade Point stores
+Advertises a 4-hour delivery and collection promise on many items
+Absorbed much of HSS Hire's former depot network and hire assets in the November 2025 deal, extending its reach

Limitations

-No prices shown on the public site without logging in or building a basket
-Trustpilot rating is only Average, with a wide spread of experiences

Source

Brandon Hire Station

National tool hire chain, part of Vp plc

Who it is for: Trade and business accounts, plus walk-in cash customers at remaining branches
How to join: Find a local branch and open a trade account online, or hire as a cash customer in branch; a trade account enquiry form is on the Brandon Hire Station site
Pricing: Not published - you have to contact them
Verification: Trade accounts are subject to an application and credit process; cash customers should expect to show ID and pay a deposit at the branch (exact amount set locally)
Reviews: Trustpilot 4.3 out of 5 from 11,778 reviews, September 2026

Strengths

+One of the highest Trustpilot scores of the major UK hire chains
+Trade accounts include 30-day credit and access to branches nationwide
+Specialist tool hire range alongside general plant

Limitations

-In late 2025 Vp plc closed around 60 Brandon Hire Station branches and cut about 400 jobs, shifting focus toward larger national and framework clients rather than small local trade or DIY customers
-Local branch availability has shrunk since the 2025 restructuring, so walk-in convenience varies a lot by area
-Detailed public pricing is not published online

Source

Sunbelt Rentals UK

Large equipment and plant hire company, part of the Ashtead / Sunbelt Rentals Holdings group

Who it is for: Primarily trade, construction, industrial and events customers with account arrangements
How to join: Contact a hire desk or account manager by phone (0330 433 1766) or via the depot finder on sunbeltrentals.co.uk; equipment can be collected or delivered
Pricing: Not published - you have to contact them
Verification: Not disclosed publicly; commercial customers typically set up an account with agreed credit terms through a hire desk or account manager
Reviews: Trustpilot 2.2 out of 5 from 60 reviews, September 2026 (a small sample relative to the size of the business)

Strengths

+Over 185 locations across the UK, part of a group with 9.98 billion pounds in 2025 group revenue
+19 specialist service lines including plant, powered access, lifting and climate control
+Dedicated account managers and hire desks for larger or ongoing projects

Limitations

-Geared toward trade and commercial accounts rather than one-off DIY hires
-Trustpilot sample size is small and skews negative, so it is a weak signal either way
-No published price list; quotes are only available on request

Source

GAP Hire Solutions

UK's largest independent (family-owned) tool and plant hire company

Who it is for: Trade and business accounts only - GAP states it offers trade accounts exclusively to UK-registered companies
How to join: Apply for a trade account through the contact form on gap-group.co.uk or at a local depot; equipment can be collected or delivered
Pricing: Not published - you have to contact them
Verification: No cash deposit is taken; all equipment is hired on agreed credit terms once a trade account is approved
Reviews: Trustpilot 2.3 out of 5 from 24 reviews, September 2026 (small sample; company has no recent history of asking for reviews per Trustpilot)

Strengths

+Around 175 to 200 depots across the UK plus the Channel Islands and Isle of Man
+Independent, family-owned since 1969 rather than part of a listed group
+Broad range spanning plant, tools, lifting, welfare units, pumps and environmental equipment

Limitations

-Not open to individual or DIY customers - GAP's own FAQ confirms trade accounts are for UK-registered companies only
-No deposit-based casual hire option for the public
-Trustpilot sample is small and mostly negative, though not statistically strong either way

Source

Jewson Tool Hire

Tool hire counters inside Jewson builders' merchant branches, part of STARK Group

Who it is for: Trade customers and DIY/individual customers
How to join: Browse tools online at jewson.co.uk/tool-hire, submit a basket enquiry, then wait for a branch confirmation call before collecting or receiving delivery; trade account customers can hire on account
Pricing: Not published - you have to contact them (site lists hire period structures - 24-hour, daily, weekend and weekly rates - but not cash amounts; a 4 pounds ex VAT delivery fuel surcharge applied from April 2026)
Verification: Non-account customers need a driving licence, credit card or debit card at collection and pay a refundable deposit; account holders are exempt from the deposit
Reviews: Trustpilot 2.9 out of 5 from 692 reviews, September 2026

Strengths

+Over 400 Jewson branches across the UK give wide geographic coverage
+Equipment is serviced to Hire Association Europe standards after each hire
+Optional Accidental Damage Protection available

Limitations

-You must wait for a branch phone confirmation before travelling to collect - stock is not guaranteed online
-No prices published online; you must contact the branch or account team
-Trustpilot rating is only Average and reflects the wider Jewson merchant business, not tool hire alone

Source

Hygglo (formerly Fat Llama)

Peer-to-peer rental marketplace for tools, equipment and other items

Who it is for: Individuals renting from other individuals or small businesses listing their own equipment
How to join: Create an account on the Hygglo app or hygglo.com, browse listings by category and location, and book directly with the owner (Fat Llama's app and site redirected to Hygglo after the November 2025 rebrand)
Pricing: Not published - you have to contact them (prices are set per listing by individual owners; Hygglo's combined lender and borrower fee moved from 25 percent plus 25 percent under Fat Llama to about 20 percent plus 10 percent under Hygglo, with cameras still at 25 percent borrower fee)
Verification: Renter identity and payment details verified through the app; Hygglo provides a standardised damage guarantee (up to 3,000 pounds for general items) rather than requiring a cash deposit from the renter in most cases
Reviews: Trustpilot 4.7 out of 5 from 325 reviews, September 2026

Strengths

+Access to specialist or unusual tools that chains may not stock, listed by owners near you
+Built-in guarantee/insurance cover included in the fee rather than a separate deposit
+One verified account now works across the UK plus Sweden, Norway, the US, Finland, Denmark and Canada

Limitations

-Availability depends entirely on what local owners have listed, so it is not guaranteed like a branch chain
-Combined fees (roughly 30 percent of the rental price) are added on top of the listed rate
-Much smaller review base than the national hire chains, so ratings can shift quickly

Source

What the table actually says

•HSS Hire no longer operates its own branch network directly: as of November 2025 its hire depots and assets were sold to Speedy Hire, and HSS now trades as the HSS ProService digital marketplace.
•GAP Hire Solutions only offers trade accounts to UK-registered companies, so individual DIY customers cannot open an account with GAP.
•Peer-to-peer options such as Hygglo (formerly Fat Llama) charge a combined lender and borrower fee (around 20 percent plus 10 percent as of the 2025 rebrand) instead of a branch deposit.

Every figure here was taken from the named company's own published pages on the review date shown, and is linked. Pricing and features change - check the source before making a decision. Company names are the trademarks of their owners, used here to identify the services they refer to. If you run one of these and something is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will correct it.