How much does a skidder cost in the UK?
Four real listings, and an honest warning: on the marketplace’s own UK page, just one of the first 727 skidders was actually in the UK.
There are two different machines called a skidder. An unused rubber-tracked mini skidder runs roughly £4,173 to £6,741. A used full-size skidder with a winch is a different proposition: the one UK-located example we found is a 1991 Timberjack 450B at £22,000.
Our confidence here is low, deliberately stated. Four listings is a thin sample, three of the four are in Ireland rather than the UK, and that scarcity is itself the finding.
Every skidder listing we could find
Four listings retrieved on 28 October 2026. This is not a sample of a larger market — it is close to the whole of what was advertised. Location is stated on every row, because three of the four are not in the UK.
| Machine as listed | Asking price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Delano T360, 2026, unused, rubber-tracked mini skidder, Ireland | £4,173 +VAT | mascus.co.uk |
| WTS 360, 2025, unused, rubber-tracked mini skidder, Ireland | £5,893 +VAT | mascus.co.uk |
| Machpro MPS360, 2025, unused, rubber tracks, hydrostatic transmission, integrated seat, Ireland | £6,741 inc VAT | mascus.co.uk |
| Timberjack 450B, 1991, 500 hours, 4WD, enclosed ROPS, Cummins 5.9 engine, Clark 3-speed transmission rebuilt <500hrs, Esco/Gearmatic winch | £22,000 VAT not stated | machinerytrader.co.uk |
Sources named per row: mascus.co.uk and machinerytrader.co.uk, retrieved 28 October 2026. Asking prices, not sold prices. Note the three different VAT bases across only four listings, which is why a headline figure for this asset is not comparable between sellers.
There is almost no UK skidder market, and that is the useful answer
On the marketplace’s own listing page for skidders in the United Kingdom, only 1 of the first 727 results was actually located in the UK — the 1991 Timberjack 450B in North Yorkshire in our table, at £22,000 on 500 hours with a rebuilt Clark transmission. Everything else shown was in the United States, Canada or mainland Europe.
That matters more than any price range we could publish. If you are buying a full-size skidder in the UK you are most likely importing one, buying at auction, or waiting for a rare domestic machine — and the cost of getting it here is part of the purchase.
The second half of the finding is that “skidder” is being used for two unrelated machines. The three sub-£7,000 listings are unused rubber-tracked mini skidders, compact machines for small-scale extraction. The £22,000 Timberjack is a four-wheel-drive articulated machine with an enclosed ROPS and a winch. Averaging those into one range would produce a number that describes neither.
Because four is what exists, and saying so is more useful than padding it out. A wide band built from two different machine classes and one UK datapoint would look authoritative and mislead you. If you want a figure for a specific machine, send us the listing and we will tell you what it would cost to fund — that is a more honest answer than a made-up average.
The costs that are not in the asking price
- Getting it to the UK. On the evidence above, the realistic routes are import or Ireland. Shipping, duty where it applies and inland transport are a real part of the cost, and we are not going to guess at them — get a quote before you commit to a machine abroad.
- The winch. On a full-size skidder it is the working end of the machine. Our one UK listing specifies an Esco/Gearmatic winch; a tired winch on an otherwise sound machine is a significant repair.
- Transmission history. The UK machine’s advert leads with a Clark 3-speed transmission rebuilt within the last 500 hours, which tells you what buyers of 30-year-old skidders worry about. On any machine of that age, ask what has been rebuilt and when.
- Tyres and chains. Forestry tyres are expensive and wear fast on stony ground, and chains are often needed for traction and protection. Neither is usually in the advert.
- VAT, three different ways. Across just four listings we found +VAT, inclusive of VAT, and no statement at all. Establish the basis before comparing two prices, because at 20% it is the difference between a £5,893 machine and a £7,072 one.
What would it cost a month?
Put the price of the machine you are actually looking at in, ex VAT where you can establish it. 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 £22,000 over 48 months at a 5.15% flat rate (equivalent to 9.9% APR representative), you would repay around £553 a month; total amount repayable approximately £26,532, of which £4,532 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 skidder cost in the UK?
There is no reliable single answer, and the reason is worth knowing. From the four listings we could find in October 2026, unused rubber-tracked mini skidders run £4,173 to £6,741, and the only UK-located full-size machine was a 1991 Timberjack 450B at £22,000 on 500 hours. Those are two different machine classes rather than two ends of one range. Our confidence is low and we would rather say so than publish a wide band that describes nothing: on the marketplace’s own UK page, just 1 of the first 727 skidder results was actually in the UK.
Why is there so little UK skidder stock?
Because UK and Irish forestry largely uses harvesters and forwarders for mechanised extraction, and winch skidders are more common in North America and parts of mainland Europe. The practical effect for a UK buyer is that the domestic used market is tiny: we found one UK-located machine against three in Ireland, and the marketplace’s own UK listing page returned only one genuinely UK result in its first 727. If you need one, plan on importing, buying at auction, or buying from Ireland, and treat transport as part of the budget rather than an afterthought.
What is the difference between a mini skidder and a full-size one?
Enough that they should not be compared on price. The three sub-£7,000 machines in our table are unused rubber-tracked mini skidders with hydrostatic transmission — compact units for small-scale extraction, thinning and work where ground pressure matters. The £22,000 Timberjack 450B is a four-wheel-drive articulated machine with an enclosed ROPS, a 5.9 litre engine and a winch, built to drag full-length timber. If you are costing a job, decide which machine the job actually needs first, because the answer changes the budget by a factor of three or more.
Can you finance a machine bought from Ireland or imported?
Often yes, and it is a common conversation on specialist forestry kit precisely because the UK market is so thin. What lenders want to understand is the asset, the seller and the paperwork — an invoice, a clear title and a machine they can identify and value. Age is assessed by asset class rather than by a single cut-off, and a 30-year-old machine with a documented rebuild is a different case from one with no history. Private sales are looked at case by case. Send us the listing and we will tell you honestly whether it is fundable before you commit.
Where to next
- Skidder finance — terms, deposits and the lender panel for forestry machinery.
- Timber harvester finance — the mechanised route most UK forestry actually takes.
- Tree surgery and forestry 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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