Yellow goods, plant and production machinery
Machinery finance for excavators, loaders, CNC plant and production lines.
Specialist lenders that understand hours, attachments and resale values. Your broker structures the term around the work the machine is winning.
What is a machinery finance?
Machinery finance is secured lending used to buy earthmoving plant, construction equipment and production machinery, with the machine itself as security over terms of one to seven years. Lenders assess the machine’s age, hours and resale demand as closely as they assess the business.
Heavy machinery holds value differently from vehicles. A well-maintained twenty-tonne excavator with 6,000 hours can be worth more than a five-year-old ute, which is why specialist financiers will fund machines a mainstream lender would refuse. They price on hours, brand, attachments and how deep the second-hand market is — a common-spec Komatsu or Caterpillar is easier to fund than a rare import with limited parts support.
Term structure matters as much as rate. A machine bought for a three-year civil contract should generally not be financed over seven years with a large balloon, because the revenue stops before the debt does. Conversely, financing a long-life machine over two years can create repayments the job cannot carry. Your broker sets the term against the work the machine is actually winning and the hours it will accumulate.
Private sales and auction purchases are well supported on our panel, with the usual conditions: PPSR clear, a proper inspection, and funds paid to the seller on settlement rather than in advance. Attachments — buckets, hammers, tilt hitches, GPS systems — can usually be included in the same facility if they are on the same invoice.
Machinery finance at a glance
| Amount | $20,000 – $3,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Term | 12–84 months |
| Rate type | Fixed |
| Indicative rates (Q3 2026) | 7.2% – 16.5% p.a. · see rate history |
| Security | Secured by the asset |
| Repayments | Monthly |
| Typical speed | 24–72 hours for low-doc, up to a week for full-doc or private sales |
| Best for | Civil, construction, mining services and manufacturing businesses buying productive plant |
| Consider something else if | Highly specialised one-off machines with no established resale market |
| Tax | Interest and depreciation on business-use machinery are generally deductible. Confirm with your accountant. |
Advantages
- Specialist lenders fund older machines mainstream banks decline
- Auction and private-sale purchases supported
- Attachments can be included in the same facility
Trade-offs
- High-hour machines attract shorter terms and higher rates
- Private sales require inspection and PPSR clearance before settlement
- Term mismatched to contract length creates repayment risk
How to apply for a machinery finance
- 01
Machine and job details
Make, model, year, hours, attachments and the contract or work the machine will service.
- 02
Structure to the work
Your broker sets term, deposit and balloon against the machine’s life and the revenue it will generate.
- 03
Inspection and settlement
PPSR search, inspection where required, then the financier pays the seller directly.
Documents lenders commonly ask for
- Invoice or auction contract with serial number
- Service history and hour meter reading for used machines
- Bank statements or financials depending on the amount
What people finance with a machinery finance
Lenders we compare for this
Metro Finance, Angle Finance, Flexicommercial, Pepper Money, TruCap and others on our panel. See the full panel.
Estimate your repayments
- Number of repayments
- 48
- Total interest (est.)
- $16,651
- Total repaid (est.)
- $91,651
This calculator provides an estimate only and does not account for fees, charges or the specific terms a lender may offer. It is not financial advice or an offer of finance.
Key terms
What is machinery finance?
Machinery finance is asset-backed business lending for plant and production equipment such as excavators, loaders, telehandlers, CNC machines and packaging lines. The machine secures the loan, usually under a chattel mortgage or finance lease.
Can you finance used machinery?
Yes. Most specialist lenders fund used plant, including auction and private-sale purchases. Machine hours, service history and a clear PPSR search matter more than age alone, though many lenders cap the asset’s age at the end of the term.
How do hours affect machinery finance?
Hours are the primary measure of a machine’s remaining life and resale value. High-hour machines attract shorter terms, larger deposits and higher rates because the security depreciates faster and sells for less.
Machinery finance FAQs
How long can I finance equipment for?
Terms usually run from 12 to 84 months. The ceiling is generally set by the expected working life of the asset: heavy earthmoving and trucks often stretch to five or seven years, while IT hardware and point-of-sale systems are commonly kept to two or three. Lenders also look at the age of the asset at the end of the term, so a ten-year-old machine will attract a shorter term than a new one. Longer terms lower repayments and raise total interest.