Bars run out of ice on exactly the nights they can least afford to, and most of them are renting a machine that will never be theirs.
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Yes, and it is worth doing rather than renting. Commercial ice machines are funded as equipment on hire purchase, so the machine becomes yours at the end, or on a lease if you prefer to refresh. Used machines from dealers are fundable where the water system has been descaled and serviced. The thing operators overlook is that supplier rental never stops. A rental agreement rolls on indefinitely and you own nothing at the end of it, whereas an agreement with a defined end leaves you with a working asset and no further payments.
Used kit: Yes. Refurbished ice machines are commonly funded, typically where a dealer has stripped, descaled and re-gassed the unit and offers a warranty, because scale damage is the main risk with a used machine.
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Business asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what this shows — with the equivalent APR underneath, because the two are not the same number. A quick guide only; your actual rate depends on the asset, term, deposit and lender.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 6.0% flat rate (equivalent to 11.5% APR representative), you would repay around £646 a month; total amount repayable approximately £31,000, of which £6,000 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 may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval. CW Asset Finance is an Appointed Representative of Rural Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 630701).
Ice machines are good assets by catering standards. Hoshizaki, Scotsman and Manitowoc are internationally recognised, machines are serial numbered, and there is a live trade in refurbished units, so a funder can see a realistic recovery route. Hospitality still carries its sector risk loading, so the decision follows the business: trading history, accounts, bank conduct, and whether the venue is a first site. Late-night and nightclub operators are sometimes looked at more cautiously than restaurants. Water treatment is the practical caveat — a filter and softener supplied with the machine sits on the invoice, but plumbing, drainage and any waste pump installation is labour and usually falls outside the agreement.
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Hoshizaki IM-65NE | Compact cube ice machine for bars |
| Hoshizaki IM-130NE | Mid-size cube ice machine |
| Hoshizaki FM-80KE | Flake ice machine for fish displays |
| Scotsman MXG 327 | Gourmet cube ice machine |
| Scotsman EC Series | Modular cube ice machines |
| Manitowoc Indigo NXT | Modular cuber with self-diagnostics |
| Ice-O-Matic ICEU Series | Self-contained cube ice machines |
| Brema ice makers | Italian-built cube ice machines |
| Maidaid ice machines | Cube and flake machines for bars |
| Polar ice machines | Entry-level countertop ice makers |
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Cocktail bars and late-night venues where ice quality is part of the drink, hotels needing machines on multiple floors, restaurants with a busy bar, and event caterers who are tired of buying bagged ice at a premium. The trigger is usually a summer when the existing machine could not keep up, or the discovery of how much bagged ice has cost across a season once someone finally totals the invoices.
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Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
Usually, because rental has no end. You pay every month for as long as you keep the machine and you never own it, whereas hire purchase has a final payment after which the asset is yours and the outgoing stops. Rental does bundle servicing, so the fair comparison is finance plus a service contract against the rental figure.
Yes, and multiple machines on one schedule is the cleanest way to do it. A larger combined facility is easier for a funder to place than several small ones, the documentation is done once, and you get a single payment. The schedule simply lists each machine, its serial number and where it is installed.
The filtration system normally does, because it comes with the machine on the same invoice and is part of the equipment. Plumbing in the supply, running the waste and fitting a pump are labour on your building, and most funders exclude that. It is rarely a large sum, so it is usually simplest to pay it directly.
Specify by daily production against your busiest day, not your average, and allow for storage bin capacity separately, because a machine that produces enough but cannot hold it still runs out at eight in the evening. From a funding perspective a larger machine is no harder to place, and buying short is a false economy you will repeat in two years.
It is possible but expect to be underwritten personally. Without filed accounts the funder is backing the director, so a guarantee, previous trade experience and a signed lease all help. Some new operators fund the ice machine within a broader opening equipment package, which gives the funder a wider asset list to consider.
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Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
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