The equipment is approximately $400-$1000, and root canal is anywhere from $600-$1600. Maybe they got a bad price and decided it would be cheaper to do it themselves?
Assuming you want to got to, say, Mexico city, it costs a little over $800. The root canal in Mexico cost $250-$500, making the total cost $1050-$1300. Unless they are already in Mexico, I don't think this is any better of an option.