Should you buy or hire a claw machine?

When a brand or agency sees how well a claw machine works at an event, the question comes up on its own: wouldn’t it pay to buy one? Sometimes it does. But in most cases we see, hiring is simpler and cheaper. Here is what to consider before deciding whether to buy or hire a claw machine, without prices or small print.

The key question: how often will you use it?

Everything depends on this. A claw machine working every day in your own venue is a different business from one that comes out for three or four events a year. In the first case, buying can make sense. In the second, the machine will spend most of its life in storage.

Before browsing catalogues, do a simple count: how many events you have a year, how many machines you need at each and whether events overlap.

What the purchase price does not include

A claw machine is not something you put in a cupboard. Ours is 188 cm tall and weighs 130 kg. If you buy one, you also buy:

• Storage. A dry, covered space with access to wheel it out.
• Transport. A van with enough headroom and at least two people to load and unload it at every event.
• Set-up and dismantling. Someone who knows how to start it, check the claw and clear a jam.
• Maintenance. Checking motors, cables, the claw and the electronics, and someone to call if something fails mid-event.
• Branding. Every campaign needs a different wrap. It has to be designed, printed, applied and removed.
• Prizes. Balls, plush toys and the time to fill and restock them.

And if you plan to run it with coins in a venue open to the public, check the local regulations on amusement machines first.

The advantages of hiring

• You only pay for the days you use it. By the day, week or month, depending on the event or campaign.
• Logistics included. We deliver it, set it up, leave it running and collect it.
• Several machines when you need them. One month you might need one and the next twelve. We have more than 20 units of each model, and orders of 2 to 12 machines are common.
• Branding for each event. A full wrap or PVC panels with each campaign’s artwork, without having to remove the previous wrap yourself.
• Different models. You can switch between the classic claw machine, the LED prize claw machine or the giant gumball machine depending on the event.
• No repair bills. If something goes wrong, we help by phone or video call and, if needed, a technician comes out.
• Difficulty set for events. Our classic claw machines leave on the easiest setting so guests win.

When buying makes sense

Buying a claw machine can pay off if:

• you have your own venue where it will run daily, such as a bar, games room or shop;
• you have space, transport and someone to handle maintenance;
• you will always use the same look, without changing the branding;
• you will never need several machines at once.

In that case, look for a supplier with local technical support and spare parts. We do not sell machines: we only hire them out.

When hiring is better

Hiring is the best option for almost every event and marketing use:

• Trade shows and conferences, which are concentrated in a few weeks a year.
• In-store campaigns lasting a week or a month, such as an opening, a sale or a launch.
• Corporate events and Christmas parties, once a year.
• Weddings and private parties, which are a single day.
• Activations with many machines at once, such as one per shop or one per floor in a shopping centre.

Five questions to ask before deciding

1. How many days a year will it be running? If only a few, the rest of the year is cost without use.
2. Where will you store it? It needs a dry, covered space with access to wheel it in and out.
3. Who will transport and set it up? Think about the van, the people and each venue’s build-up times.
4. What happens if it fails mid-event? Without a technician on call, a breakdown can leave your stand without its main attraction.
5. Will you need several at once, or with different branding? If so, hiring gives you flexibility that buying does not.

If you are still unsure after these questions, try it out: hire for your next events and see how often you really need one over a year.

A quick comparison

• Occasional use: hire.
• Daily use in your own venue: buying may pay off.
• Several machines at once: hire.
• A different look for each event: hire.
• No storage or van: hire.
• In-house technical team: buying is viable.

How to work out the cost of hiring

The cost of hiring a claw machine depends on the model, the number of machines, the days, the city and the branding. We explain it in detail in how much does it cost to hire a claw machine? If you tell us your event calendar, we will prepare a quote for the whole year so you can compare it with the cost of owning one.

Frequently asked questions

Do you sell claw machines?

No. We only hire them out, with delivery, set-up and collection included.

Can I hire a machine for several months?

Yes. We hire by the day, week or month. For long periods we quote a price for the whole period.

Can I hire several machines for different cities at the same time?

Yes. With more than 20 units of each model, we can have machines in Barcelona, Madrid and other cities on the same day.