Road planer finance
Planing is the first operation on almost every resurfacing job, and owning the machine is what lets a surfacing contractor control its own programme.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance a road planer?
Yes. Cold planers are funded as specialist hard plant on hire purchase or lease, new or used, with Wirtgen, CAT and Bomag machines all recognised by funders who write highways equipment. The item that surprises buyers is the cutting drum. Picks and holders are consumed at a rate most first-time owners badly underestimate, the drum itself is a major cost to replace, and a funder valuing a used planer prices in the drum condition. If you are buying second hand, have the drum and toolholders inspected and documented before you agree the price.
Used kit: Yes. Used planers fund up to around eight years where drum, conveyor and track condition are evidenced; older machines need a contribution.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
What would a road planer cost per month?
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).
How lenders treat it
Planers belong with funders who understand highways plant. The machines hold value reasonably well because the surfacing sector is continuous and publicly funded work keeps demand steady, and Wirtgen in particular has a strong international following. Against that, the buyer pool is narrow, transport is specialist and disposal takes time, so expect a considered structure rather than a quick score. Drum and conveyor condition drive the used valuation. Funders will ask what work sits behind the purchase, because a planer without a resurfacing programme is an idle asset; a named council framework or a tier one subcontract transforms the application. Smaller planer attachments mounted on skid steers or excavators are a different and much easier conversation, treated as attachment funding alongside the carrier machine.
Makes and models we fund
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 |
|---|---|
| Wirtgen W 50 | Small cold milling machine |
| Wirtgen W 100 Fi | Compact cold milling machine |
| Wirtgen W 120 Fi | Mid size road planer |
| Wirtgen W 35 Ri | Small footpath milling machine |
| CAT PM310 | Cold planer for road repair |
| CAT PM620 | Half lane cold planer |
| Bomag BM 1000/35 | Mid size cold milling machine |
| Bomag BM 500/15 | Compact cold planer for patch repairs |
| Simex PL 45 | Excavator mounted planer attachment |
| Dynapac PL350 | Compact milling machine for patch repairs |
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Who buys one
Surfacing and highways maintenance contractors, car park and estate resurfacing firms, and utilities contractors doing large-scale reinstatement. The trigger is usually a local authority term contract or a framework award where planing was previously subcontracted, plus the frustration of waiting on a subcontractor’s programme. Plant hire companies serving the surfacing sector also buy them, often with an operator attached.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
We publish the deals we arrange, with no client named and no rate quoted. See what we have funded in plant and construction.
How it is treated for tax
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.
Road planer finance questions
Does the cutting drum affect the finance?
It affects the valuation rather than the approval. A drum due replacement represents a large forthcoming cost and any competent funder values the machine net of it. On a used purchase, an inspection report covering drum and toolholder condition supports a stronger advance and protects you from buying a machine that needs immediate spend.
Can I finance a planer attachment rather than a full machine?
Yes, and it is much simpler. Planing heads for skid steers and excavators are funded as attachments, ideally on the same invoice as the carrier machine. Bought alone they still fund, though a funder prefers to see the carrier as well because an attachment on its own is harder to identify and recover.
Do I need a highways contract to get approved?
Not formally, but it makes a real difference. A planer only earns when there is resurfacing to do, so evidence of a term contract, framework position or regular subcontract work shows the funder where the repayments come from. Without it, expect closer scrutiny of the accounts and a larger contribution.
Are planers hard to move between jobs?
Larger machines need a proper low loader and a route plan, and that transport cost is part of the operating economics. Compact planers are far more mobile, which is one reason they are popular with utilities contractors. Funders do not fund the transport, so factor it in before committing to a machine size.
Can I part exchange a planer against a newer one?
Yes. Part exchange into a new machine is common and the allowance acts as your contribution. Where the outgoing machine is still on finance we obtain a settlement figure and clear it as part of the transaction. Drum condition on the outgoing machine will affect the allowance offered.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
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Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
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Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call 07581 364281 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.