How much does a side loader cost in the UK?
Nine real UK listings — and why two identical machines are £1,700 apart while half a metre of extra lift costs £200.
A used 5 tonne diesel sideloader — the common size in the UK market — runs roughly £8,650 to £11,950. Older or smaller machines start around £4,500, and a well-presented dealer machine reaches £22,950.
VAT treatment genuinely varies on this asset: three of these nine listings are explicitly +VAT and the rest state nothing.
UK side loader prices, cheapest first
Nine live UK listings retrieved on 28 October 2026, sorted by price. Capacity, lift height and whether the machine is refurbished are reproduced as the adverts stated them.
| Machine as listed | Asking price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Boss 546 4 ton side loading forklift truck loader | £4,500.00 VAT not stated | ebay.co.uk |
| 2004 Linde S40 Sideloader Forklift | £6,995 +VAT | ebay.co.uk |
| Linde Diesel Side Loader, 5 ton capacity @ 600mm load centre, refurbished | £8,650.00 VAT not stated | ebay.co.uk |
| Linde S50 used sideloader forklift (#2680), lift 4.0m, capacity 5 tonne | £8,750 +VAT | trucksdirectuk.co.uk |
| Linde S50 used sideloader forklift (#2291), lift 4.5m, capacity 5 tonne | £8,950 +VAT | trucksdirectuk.co.uk |
| 2003 Baumann DX50/12/50 geared 5T diesel sideloader, 5m lift, LOLER | £10,250.00 VAT not stated | ebay.co.uk |
| Lancer Boss LQ50 12/45 used sideloader forklift (#2805), lift 4.4m, capacity 5 tonne | £11,750 +VAT | trucksdirectuk.co.uk |
| 2003 Baumann DX50/12/50 geared 5T diesel sideloader, 5m lift, LOLER | £11,950.00 VAT not stated | ebay.co.uk |
| Linde S50, F3698, 5000kg diesel sideloader, 4950mm lift | £22,950.00 VAT not stated | westmercia.co.uk |
Sources named per row: ebay.co.uk, trucksdirectuk.co.uk and westmercia.co.uk, retrieved 28 October 2026. Asking prices, not sold prices. VAT basis is shown per row because three listings state +VAT and the others state nothing.
The seller prices it, not the spec
Two of these nine listings are, on paper, the same machine: a 2003 Baumann DX50/12/50 geared 5 tonne diesel sideloader, 5m lift, with LOLER paperwork, collection only, on the same marketplace.
| Item | Published price |
|---|---|
| Baumann DX50/12/50, 5t, 5m lift, LOLER — listing one | £10,250.00 |
| Baumann DX50/12/50, 5t, 5m lift, LOLER — listing two | £11,950.00 |
| Linde S50, 5t, 4.0m lift — dealer stock | £8,750 |
| Linde S50, 5t, 4.5m lift — dealer stock | £8,950 |
The two Baumanns are £1,700 apart, about 17%, with no stated difference in year, capacity, lift or hours. The two Linde S50s underneath them show what a genuine spec difference is worth: half a metre of extra lift height is £200.
So the gap between two nominally identical machines is more than eight times the price of a real difference in capability. On this asset class the advert tells you about the seller — their costs, their patience, whether the machine has been through a workshop — far more than it tells you about the machine.
The practical consequence is that shortlisting on price alone is close to meaningless here. Two machines at the same money can be in very different condition, and two in identical condition can be £1,700 apart.
Has it been refurbished, and by whom — one machine in our table is advertised as refurbished and that is worth real money. Does it have a current thorough examination report, not just “LOLER” in the advert text. What is the actual capacity at your load centre, because a 5 tonne rating is quoted at a specific one. And is it collection only, because these machines are long and awkward and moving one is not a van job.
The costs that are not in the asking price
- Thorough examination under LOLER. A sideloader is lifting equipment and needs periodic statutory inspection for as long as you own it. Several of these adverts mention LOLER paperwork, which tells you buyers ask about it. We found no reliable UK published price for the examination on this machine type, so we are not going to invent one — but it is a recurring cost, not a one-off.
- Transport. Most of this stock is collection only. A sideloader is long, heavy and not road legal, so it moves on a low loader. On a £8,650 machine bought at the other end of the country that is a real share of the purchase.
- Tyres. These machines run on solid or cushion tyres and carry their load sideways. Tyre condition is a four-figure consideration and is rarely in the advert.
- Lift height you actually need. The Linde comparison shows height is cheap to buy at purchase — £200 for half a metre — and impossible to add later. Buy the height for the racking you have.
- VAT, inconsistently stated. Three of these nine listings say +VAT explicitly. At 20% a £11,950 machine is nearly £2,400 more. On finance the funder normally advances the ex-VAT price with the VAT due up front.
What would it cost a month?
Put the ex-VAT price in, since that is what a funder normally advances. The calculator quotes a flat rate with the equivalent APR beside it.
Prime is an established, profitable business with clean credit. Specialist covers newer businesses and credit that needs explaining — the asset itself carries part of the risk, which is why finance is often available where an unsecured loan is not.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £11,950 over 48 months at a 5.15% flat rate (equivalent to 9.9% APR representative), you would repay around £300 a month; total amount repayable approximately £14,412, of which £2,462 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and will receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Rates shown are indicative flat rates with the equivalent APR alongside — the two are not the same number. Indicative only and does not constitute a quote or an offer of finance. Subject to status and lender approval.
Common questions
How much does a side loader cost in the UK?
From 9 live UK listings retrieved in October 2026, a used 5 tonne diesel sideloader runs roughly £8,650 to £11,950, which is where most of the market sits. Below that, a Boss 546 4 tonne machine is £4,500 and a 2004 Linde S40 is £6,995 +VAT. At the top, a Linde S50 from a dealer is £22,950. These are advertised asking prices rather than sold prices. Three of the nine listings state +VAT explicitly and the remainder say nothing about VAT at all.
Why are two identical sideloaders priced differently?
We found two 2003 Baumann DX50/12/50 machines advertised at the same time on the same marketplace — both 5 tonne, both 5m lift, both with LOLER paperwork, both collection only — at £10,250 and £11,950. That is £1,700, or about 17%, with no stated difference whatsoever. For comparison, two Linde S50s in the same table differ by half a metre of lift height and only £200. So the spread between two nominally identical machines is over eight times what a real capability difference costs. The honest conclusion is that the asking price reflects the seller and the machine’s unstated condition, so it has to be established by inspection rather than from the advert.
What capacity and lift height do I need?
Capacity on these machines is quoted at a specific load centre — one of our listings states 5 tonne at 600mm — so a bare tonnage figure is not enough to compare two machines. Get the rating at the load centre you actually work at. On lift height, the table shows it is cheap at the point of purchase and impossible to add afterwards: the two otherwise identical Linde S50s are £8,750 at 4.0m and £8,950 at 4.5m. Measure your top beam before you shortlist, and buy the height you need rather than the height that is cheapest.
Does a side loader need a LOLER inspection?
Yes. It is lifting equipment, so it falls under LOLER and needs periodic thorough examination by a competent person for as long as it is in service, alongside PUWER duties for the machine generally. Several of the adverts we looked at specifically mention LOLER paperwork, which tells you buyers do ask. We deliberately do not publish a price for the examination because we could not find a reliable UK published figure for this machine type, but treat it as a recurring cost and ask any seller for the current report rather than taking the advert’s word for it.
Where to next
- Side loader finance — terms, deposits and the lender panel for materials handling.
- How much does a forklift cost? — including the battery that can be worth more than the truck.
- Racking and warehouse finance — the main page.
CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and will receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. Prices on this page are third-party published asking and list prices, attributed to their sources and correct at the date of retrieval; they are indicative, are not sold prices, and are not a quote or an offer of finance. VAT basis is stated per row because the sources differ. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval. Tax and VAT treatment depends on your circumstances and is a matter for your accountant.
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