Scissor lift finance
Scissor lifts are the backbone of the access hire industry, bought in fleets, hired constantly and funded against utilisation rather than optimism.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance a scissor lift?
Yes. Scissor lifts are funded as hard plant on hire purchase or lease, and the powered access sector has a well-established funding market behind it. New and used both fund, with Genie, JLG, Skyjack and Haulotte all carrying recognised names. The thing that catches buyers out is LOLER. A scissor lift is lifting equipment and needs a thorough examination at the statutory interval, and in powered access the paperwork trail is scrutinised more closely than in most sectors. A used machine arriving without a current report and a service history is a problem for the funder, the insurer and your own clients.
Used kit: Yes. Used scissor lifts fund readily to around eight or nine years where the examination and service records are complete.
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
What would a scissor lift 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
Powered access is a well-understood sector with funders who specialise in it. Scissor lifts hold value predictably, the major brands resell internationally, and the rental market is deep enough that a repossessed machine finds a buyer. Fleet purchases are the norm and are funded as blocks or facilities assessed on utilisation, average hire rate and the fleet age profile, rather than machine by machine. Electric slab scissors are the most liquid; large rough terrain diesel units are higher value with a narrower buyer pool. What funders examine closely is the maintenance and thorough examination record, because a machine with gaps in its certification is effectively unhireable and therefore hard to sell. Contractors buying a single unit get small-ticket treatment provided the trading history is sound.
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 |
|---|---|
| Genie GS-1932 | Narrow electric scissor lift |
| Genie GS-2632 | Electric slab scissor lift |
| Genie GS-4390RT | Rough terrain diesel scissor lift |
| Skyjack SJ3219 | Compact electric scissor lift |
| Skyjack SJ4732 | Larger electric scissor lift |
| Skyjack SJ6832 RT | Rough terrain scissor lift |
| JLG 1930ES | Narrow aisle electric scissor lift |
| JLG 3246ES | Mid height electric scissor lift |
| Snorkel S3219E | Compact electric scissor for indoor work |
| Haulotte Optimum 8 | Narrow electric scissor lift for indoors |
Get a quoteor call 07581 364281
Who buys one
Powered access hire companies building or replacing fleet, mechanical and electrical contractors on repeat fit-out work, cladding and glazing installers, and facilities maintenance firms. The trigger for a contractor is usually a long-running fit-out or maintenance contract where the weekly access hire bill has become a fixed cost, and for hire companies it is fleet age — main contractors increasingly refuse older machines on site.
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.
Scissor lift finance questions
Do I need a thorough examination certificate to get finance?
For a used machine, effectively yes. A scissor lift without a current LOLER examination cannot be hired out or used safely, so a funder will not treat it as a working asset. Insist on seeing the report and the service history before completing, and keep the certification current throughout the agreement.
Can an access hire company fund a mixed fleet order?
Yes. Mixed orders covering scissors, booms and low-level access are routinely funded as a single facility, with each unit itemised by serial number. Funders assess the rental book, utilisation and fleet age rather than each machine individually, and will often allow drawdowns as deliveries are made through the year.
Are electric scissors easier to fund than rough terrain ones?
Slightly, because they are lower value, more numerous and hire constantly for indoor fit-out work, which makes disposal quick. Rough terrain diesel machines are higher value with a narrower buyer pool. Both fund readily through access-experienced funders, but the electric slab machines are the most liquid asset in the category.
Can a fit-out contractor buy rather than hire?
Often it makes sense on a long contract. Funders will want to see the contract length and what happens to the machine afterwards, because a contractor with one project and no follow-on work is holding an asset it cannot use. Where fit-out work is continuous, ownership usually beats rolling hire.
What happens to the finance if the lift fails an inspection?
The agreement continues — the obligation to pay is not linked to the machine working. That is why maintenance matters commercially as well as legally. Budget for servicing and examination throughout the term, because a machine that cannot be certified stops earning while the repayments carry on.
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.