Nothing in a machine shop runs without air, and compressors are usually bought in a hurry when the old one finally gives up.
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Yes. Air compressors are funded as equipment, normally on hire purchase, and used machines from known makes are fundable. Two things catch buyers out. First, once a compressor is plumbed into a building it starts to look like a fixture rather than a machine, and some funders take a more cautious view as a result. Second, the pipework, electrical connection and any building alteration are installation costs that sit outside the advance. The compressor, dryer and receiver themselves are identifiable equipment and are what a funder is lending against.
Used kit: Yes — used compressors from known makes are fundable, with running hours and service history counting for more than the machine’s age.
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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).
Funders regard compressors as decent but unglamorous security. The main brands have an established used market and service network, and the machines are serial-numbered, so value can be established. The difficulty is fixture risk: once installed and pipework is connected, recovering a compressor from a leased building is awkward, and underwriters know it. That, plus modest ticket values, is why compressors are most often funded as part of a larger equipment purchase rather than alone. Variable speed machines with documented running hours and service records hold value best. Pipework, ring mains, electrical work and building alterations are excluded as site works. Because compressed air serves every kind of workshop, the demand is not tied to one cycle. Declines are usually about deal size, covenant, or a very old machine near the end of its service life.
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 |
|---|---|
| Atlas Copco GA 22 VSD+ | Variable speed screw compressor for workshops |
| Atlas Copco GA 11 | Fixed speed screw compressor for steady demand |
| Atlas Copco refrigerant dryers | Air dryers for clean dry compressed air |
| Ingersoll Rand R-Series | Rotary screw compressors for industrial use |
| Ingersoll Rand UP6 compressors | Compact screw units for smaller sites |
| Kaeser ASD 40 | Screw compressor with integrated controls |
| Kaeser SM 15 | Small screw compressor for light workshops |
| Boge C series | Compact screw compressors for general workshops |
| Boge S series | Larger screw compressors for factory air systems |
| Hydrovane rotary vane compressors | British built vane compressors for garages |
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Machine shops feeding through-spindle coolant, air blast and workholding, fabricators running plasma and air tools, and any workshop whose ageing piston compressor is now running constantly and costing a fortune in electricity. The trigger is often a failure, or an energy audit showing the existing machine is the largest single power draw in the building after the machine tools themselves. Leaking ring mains and a compressor that never unloads tend to be discovered at the same time.
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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.
Larger screw compressors usually can. Smaller units often fall below a funder’s minimum, in which case they are best included with other equipment you are buying. If your compressor has failed and you need it replaced this week, tell us, because some funders can turn a straightforward proposal around very quickly.
Normally not. Ring mains, drops, electrical connection and any building work are installation costs that become part of the premises, so they sit outside the advance. Where a supplier quotes delivery and commissioning within the machine price on a single invoice, that is generally accepted without difficulty.
It is the risk that equipment bolted down and plumbed into a building is treated as part of the property rather than as the funder’s asset. It can make recovery difficult, particularly from a leased unit. It does not stop compressors being funded; it means some funders are more conservative than they would be on a free-standing machine.
They tend to hold value better because buyers want the energy saving, and a funder benefits from that at resale. They also cost more, which helps clear minimum deal sizes. The assessment itself is unchanged: brand, hours, service history and condition determine what a funder will advance.
Yes, where they are on the same invoice. Dryers, filters and receivers are identifiable equipment with their own serial numbers and are routinely funded alongside the compressor. Buying the complete air package from one supplier on one invoice is much simpler than piecing it together from three.
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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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