Round Rock opens ‘Tool Depot’ for residents to borrow tools

Cora Neas
·1 min read

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Round Rock residents can now borrow tools, such as lawn mowers, chainsaws and ladders, from the city’s new “Tool Depot.”

The Tool Depot builds from the city’s mobile Tool Lending Center, a trailer that organizations can reserve for large projects. Instead, the depot lets individuals rent specific tools for a 48-hour period.

Other available tools include:

  • Fence staining kits

  • Hedge trimmers

  • Leaf blowers

  • Polesaws

  • Power washers

  • Seed/feed spreaders

  • Tillers

  • Weed trimmers

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Joseph Brehm, City of Round Rock’s director of community and neighborhood services, said that the Tool Depot holds more than 100 tools.

“Thus far, the lawn mowers, weed eaters and pressure washers had been the most popular. In fact, all of our pressure washers have been checked out in the first four days we’ve been operating it,” Brehm said.

In order to access the tools, residents must submit a picture of their Texas driver’s license before they can request a tool through the city’s permit portal. Once that request is approved, an app on the resident’s smartphone will allow them to unlock a Bluetooth lock on the tool.

“I’m willing to bet that nobody in Texas, or even the United States, has this system set up where it’s completely available 24/7,” Brehm said. “It’s been hugely popular, we’ve seen a lot of positive comments on social media about it.”

The city warns that if the tools are returned “intentionally damaged” or not returned, then it may suspend the user from future borrowing or seek legal action.

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