Tiltrotator finance
A tiltrotator turns one excavator into several machines, and UK contractors have finally started buying them at the rate Scandinavia always did.
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Yes, and increasingly often. Tiltrotators from Engcon, Steelwrist and Rototilt are funded either bundled with a new excavator, which is much the simplest route, or as a standalone retro-fit to a machine you already own. The complication with retro-fitting is ownership: if the excavator is already on finance with another funder, you are asking a second funder to take security over a high-value item bolted to somebody else’s asset. It can be done, but it is far cleaner to fit the tiltrotator at the point of purchase or to refinance the machine and the attachment together.
Who finances this
Groundworks and utilities contractors chasing productivity on kerbing, drainage and grading work, and operators who have used one on a hired machine and refuse to go back. The trigger is usually a specific type of work, shaping batters, setting kerbs, trimming to level, where the time saved not repositioning the machine is immediately obvious. Hire companies fit them to attract better operators and higher rates.
How lenders see it
Tiltrotators are an unusual asset because they combine high value with heavy electronic and hydraulic content and a tight coupling to a specific carrier machine. On the plus side, the three main brands have a genuine used market, they are serial numbered, and demand in the UK is rising fast. On the minus side, the control system is machine-specific, a unit removed from its carrier needs reconfiguring, and a funder holding an attachment on a machine it does not own has weak practical security. That is why funders strongly prefer these bundled with the excavator on one invoice, where the whole package sits under one agreement. Retro-fits are easiest when handled as a refinance of the machine plus the new attachment, giving the funder title to both.
Buying used
Yes, though more cautiously than a machine, used tiltrotators up to around six or seven years fund best when sold with a compatible carrier.
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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
| Engcon EC209 | Tiltrotator for two to four tonne machines |
|---|---|
| Engcon EC214 | Tiltrotator for six to nine tonne machines |
| Engcon EC219 | Tiltrotator for larger midi excavators |
| Engcon EC226 | Tiltrotator for twenty tonne excavators |
| Steelwrist X04 | Compact tiltrotator for mini diggers |
| Steelwrist X18 | Tiltrotator for midi excavators |
| Steelwrist X26 | Tiltrotator for larger excavators |
| Rototilt R3 | Tiltrotator for compact excavators |
| Rototilt R5 | Tiltrotator for six to twelve tonne machines |
| Rototilt R8 | Tiltrotator for heavy excavators |
Can I retro-fit a tiltrotator to a machine already on finance?
It is possible but awkward, because a second funder would be securing an attachment on an asset owned by another. The cleaner route is to refinance the excavator and the tiltrotator together with one funder, so a single agreement covers the whole package. We will look at both options.
Is it cheaper to buy the tiltrotator with a new excavator?
From a funding point of view it is certainly simpler, because everything sits on one invoice under one agreement and the whole package is secured together. It also means the control system is installed and commissioned by the dealer from the outset, which removes the compatibility problems that retro-fits can throw up.
Do tiltrotators hold their value?
The established brands do reasonably well, helped by rising UK demand and a shortage of used units. The qualification is compatibility: a tiltrotator is worth most when sold with, or matched to, a suitable carrier. A unit sitting on a shelf without a machine is a harder sell than the price list suggests.
Can hire companies fund tiltrotators across a fleet?
Yes. Hire fleets fitting tiltrotators across several excavators usually fund them alongside the machines or as a block covering multiple units. The commercial argument is straightforward, better hire rates and easier operator recruitment, and funders who deal with hire companies understand it well.
Are the buckets and grading attachments included?
They can be, provided they appear on the same invoice. A tiltrotator package usually comes with a tilt-compatible grading bucket and often a grab, and funding them together makes sense because the attachment set is what makes the system useful. Itemise each piece rather than showing one lump sum.
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