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

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall sentiment & value proposition

  • Many commenters find the idea appealing and underserved: sharing rarely used tools, saving space/money, and reducing waste.
  • Strong resonance with real use cases (e.g., post hole diggers, planers, pressure washers, fence-building, small apartments).
  • Some see clear environmental and community benefits: fewer duplicate purchases, more sharing between neighbors.

Tool libraries and existing options

  • Several cities already have non-profit or public tool libraries, often cheap or free, sometimes run by volunteers with good maintenance and classes.
  • Commenters emphasize these work well but are unevenly available and face sustainability challenges (space, staffing, insurance).
  • Patio is seen as potentially complementary: modern software, discovery layer, and support for existing libraries.
  • Skeptics note hardware stores already rent many tools conveniently, and thrift stores can be very cheap.

Safety, liability, fraud & wear

  • Major concern: damage, theft, and especially injury from power tools (angle grinders, saws, etc.).
  • Repeated questions about who pays for broken tools, consumables, and what happens when parties dispute damage.
  • Liability and litigation are seen as a core unsolved problem; at least one person abandoned a similar business for this reason.
  • Some argue rental inherently trends toward heavily worn tools; others say condition can be kept reasonable with maintenance.

Target users, use cases & pros

  • General agreement the model fits casual DIYers and occasional projects more than full-time tradespeople.
  • Debate on whether professionals would ever rely on such a platform; some say they must own or rent from established firms, others think pros do have many rarely used tools that could benefit from sharing.

Product design, UX & positioning

  • Multiple people were confused by landing on an “Explore/articles” feed and initially mistook the site for a generic content aggregator.
  • Strong feedback to surface rentals and community features first, improve desktop navigation, and increase contrast/visibility of key actions.
  • Some rural users value the learning content more than rentals, given low density and strong existing neighbor networks.

Learning content, tutorials & localization

  • Positive reaction to interactive “Duolingo for DIY” quizzes and the idea of “DIY recipes” that bundle tools + tutorials.
  • Suggestions to:
    • Tie tool rentals directly to project tutorials (“kits”).
    • Curate YouTube content by topic rather than random viewing.
    • Offer short, paid access to real experts for tricky jobs.
  • Need for localization noted: building codes, materials, and terminology vary significantly by country.

Community models & local hubs

  • Several propose neighborhood-level hubs or depots: one host storing multiple tools, earning a cut, reducing pickup coordination friction.
  • Others describe community-run models: members donate tools plus a small subscription in exchange for free or low-cost borrowing.
  • Interest in policy templates, waivers, pricing guidance, and software support for starting local libraries or sea-can style depots.

Business model, payments & network effects

  • Surprise (in a positive way) that the platform doesn’t currently mediate payments with large fees; some expect that may change.
  • Recognition that rentals need network effects; hence combining marketplace with content and learning is seen as a smart way to generate early value.
  • Ideas raised to charge membership fees, deposits, or offer insurance to cover misuse and make lending financially tolerable.

Trust, identity & perceived AI

  • Commenters request stronger user verification and fraud checks given real-life meetups and valuable tools.
  • A side thread criticizes the founder’s comment style as “LLM-like,” prompting discussion about AI-shaped writing patterns and trust in online communication.