I rented the compressor from Performance Products last Fall. It cost $85 and about a $550 deposit. Not cheap, but probobly less than paying a mechanic. Don't trust those Autozone compressors with your life!

All in all, rebuilding your front end is definitely a DIY job. There's quite a bit of grunt work but it's not too technical. I just took my steering knuckes to a mechanic and he removed the old ball joints and pressed new ones in for $20 and about 15 minutes of work.

Go for it and good luck!