Ride on roller finance
Tandem rollers are compaction plant that works hard in short bursts, and their long service life is exactly what makes them easy to fund.
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Yes. Ride-on rollers are funded as hard assets on hire purchase, and because a well-maintained roller can work for well over a decade the funder’s security is unusually durable. New and used both fund, with Bomag, CAT, JCB and Wacker Neuson all carrying strong names in the used market. The practical catch is transport and weight: a one to three tonne tandem roller has to be moved between jobs, and if you have not got a suitable trailer and towing vehicle the machine sits in the yard. Funders will not treat a trailer shortfall as their problem.
Who finances this
Surfacing and tarmac contractors, kerbing and footway gangs, groundworks firms doing their own sub-base compaction, and hire yards where rollers are among the highest-utilisation items on the rate card. The trigger for a contractor is usually a surfacing contract or a run of driveway and car park work where hiring a roller weekly has become a standing cost. Councils and estate maintenance teams buy them too.
How lenders see it
Compaction plant is well liked because it lasts. Rollers have few complex systems, values decline slowly, and there is a constant stream of buyers among small surfacing firms, so a funder recovering one has a straightforward disposal. This is small-ticket territory for the smaller drum sizes, which means streamlined underwriting and a quick answer for a clean limited company. Hire fleets do well here because roller utilisation is easy to evidence and rollers earn consistently. The weak applications are the familiar ones: a business with no surfacing or groundworks income buying compaction kit speculatively, and applicants with recent arrears on other plant. Drum condition and any evidence of a seized vibratory system are what an inspector checks, and a roller with a failed exciter is worth very little.
Buying used
Yes. Used rollers fund readily, and machines over ten years old are still placeable where the drums and vibration system are sound.
Also in plant and construction equipment finance
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Stage payments and retention
Flowzo funds the gap created by stage payments, long terms and retention, the cash flow problem the plant itself does not solve.
Buying plant at auction? We can give you an indicative decision before you bid, and we list every UK machinery auctioneer and livestock mart.
Machines we have funded
| Bomag BW100AD | Tandem ride on roller |
|---|---|
| Bomag BW120AD-5 | Tandem vibratory roller for site work |
| Bomag BW138AD | Larger tandem roller for road work |
| CAT CB2.7 | Compact tandem roller for driveways |
| Wacker Neuson RD27 | Ride on tandem roller |
| JCB CT160 | Compact tandem roller for footpaths |
| Hamm HD 12 VV | Twin drum vibratory roller |
| Hamm HD 14i | Twin drum roller for asphalt |
| Dynapac CC1200 | Tandem roller for asphalt surfacing |
| Ammann ARX 26 | Compact tandem roller for patching work |
What a ride on roller actually costs to buy
Prices for a ride on roller advertised by UK suppliers run from £4,595 to £18,995 (checked 28 October 2026).
Two thresholds set the price, not hours: machines under ~1.5t tow on a plant trailer behind a 3.5t pickup, heavier ones need a beavertail or HGV; and pre-2015 engines fail London's NRMM Stage IIIB rule, capping resale.
| Machine | Asking price | Seen at |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 JCB Vibromax VMT160-80 1.8t twin drum ride-on roller, 800mm drums | £4,595 | bazplantsales.co.uk |
| 2016 Caterpillar CB14B 1000mm diesel twin drum roller, 1,209 hours | £5,495 | bazplantsales.co.uk |
| 2016 Atlas Copco Dynapac CC800 1.6t twin drum roller, 1,263 hours, Biggleswade | £6,400 | mascus.co.uk |
| 2018 Bomag BW80AD-5 800mm twin drum roller, 1,693 hours | £8,795 | bazplantsales.co.uk |
| 2015 Hamm HD 12 VV twin drum roller, 273 hours, Northampton | £10,750 | mascus.co.uk |
| 2015 Bomag BW 135 AD-5 twin drum roller, 2,466 hours, Northampton | £13,250 | mascus.co.uk |
| 2024 JCB CT 260-120 twin drum roller, 403 hours, Northampton | £15,750 | mascus.co.uk |
| 2024 Dynapac CC1400-VI 1400mm 5.2t diesel twin drum roller, 293 hours | £18,995 | bazplantsales.co.uk |
Prices checked 28 October 2026 on bazplantsales.co.uk, mascus.co.uk. These are asking prices observed on dealer and marketplace listings, shown as examples. They are not a quote or an offer of finance, and they move with the market. Check the current advert before budgeting.
How finance works on a ride on roller
The prices above are what a seller is asking. What a funder will actually do with the purchase is a separate question, and it is the one that decides whether the deal happens.
| Question | Typical answer |
|---|---|
| Term available | 12 to 72 months. Most agreements sit between 24 and 60 months; anything shorter or longer needs a funder check before you rely on it. |
| Age of the asset | There is no single cut-off. It depends on the asset class, and condition, hours and resale value are underwritten rather than the year alone. Tell us the age and we will say before you commit. |
| Buying from a private seller | Often possible, but case by case. It needs a funder who will write it, an inspection and proof of ownership, so say whether the seller is a dealer or a private seller when you enquire. |
| Deposit | Frequently nil where the credit profile is standard. Where it is not, typically 10–20%, nearer 20% if a default is recent. |
| VAT on the purchase | Both approaches exist, depending on the funder. The agreement is commonly written on the ex-VAT price with the VAT paid upfront and reclaimed, though some funders will include the VAT in the agreement. |
General guidance from our own funder panel as at 31 October 2026, not a quote and not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status and to the funder's own criteria.
Can I fund a roller and a plant trailer together?
Usually yes, although the trailer may need to sit on its own agreement because it is road-going and plated rather than site plant. Some funders will put both on one document, others insist on splitting them. Tell us at the outset that a trailer is part of the purchase and we will place it accordingly.
How long does a ride-on roller last?
Properly maintained, well over a decade of working life is normal, which is part of why funders are comfortable. The vibration system and drum bearings are the components that determine whether an older machine is worth buying. Hours matter less on a roller than on an excavator because the duty cycle is lighter.
Is a pedestrian roller worth financing separately?
On its own, rarely, the value is usually too low for a standalone agreement to make sense. Combined with a ride-on roller, a plate compactor and a breaker on one invoice it fits comfortably into a single package. That is the practical way to fund a compaction set for a new surfacing gang.
Does a roller need to be insured on a plant policy?
Yes. A plant all risks policy covering the machine at site, in transit and in the yard is what funders expect, with their interest noted. Rollers are frequently stolen from unsecured sites overnight, so check the policy actually covers theft from an open site rather than only from a locked compound.
Can I get finance for a roller as a new surfacing business?
It is possible with support. A new company with a director who has worked in surfacing, a contribution and a personal guarantee can be placed, particularly on a used machine. A company with no relevant background and no accounts is difficult. Start with a realistic used machine rather than a new one.
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Illustrative only, not a quote, a flat rate is not an APR, so the APR on a given agreement will be higher. VAT and fees excluded.
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