Wheeled excavator finance
Wheeled excavators earn their keep on highways and utilities work, where tracking across finished surfaces is not an option and road travel between jobs is routine.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance a wheeled excavator?
Yes. Wheeled excavators are funded as hard assets in the same way as tracked machines, on hire purchase or lease, new or used. The difference is market depth rather than acceptability: the UK buys far fewer rubber ducks than tracked machines, so when a funder assesses residual value it is working from a thinner set of comparables and may take a slightly more conservative view. That rarely stops a deal. What does cause problems is road use — if the machine will travel on the public highway it needs to be registered, taxed and insured accordingly, and funders expect that to be sorted before delivery.
Used kit: Yes, and readily — but condition of tyres, axles and outriggers matters more than on a tracked machine, so expect closer inspection past around eight years.
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What would a wheeled excavator 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
Treat this as hard security with a narrower buyer pool. The major marques — CAT, Volvo, Hitachi, Komatsu and the JCB Hydradig — all resell perfectly well, but the domestic market is smaller than for tracked equivalents and a funder may assume a longer sale period on default. Practically, that shows up as slightly tighter structures rather than refusals. Utility specification matters: machines with two-piece booms, blade and outrigger combinations, and full road lighting are far easier to shift than an unusual build. Declines come from the same places as any plant deal — arrears, over-commitment, and applicants stepping into a machine class their contract base does not support. Established highways contractors with term work on the books get a good hearing from bank-owned lessors and independents alike.
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 |
|---|---|
| JCB Hydradig 110W | Compact wheeled excavator and tool carrier |
| JCB JS145W | 15 tonne wheeled excavator |
| CAT M315 | 15 tonne road going wheeled excavator |
| CAT M318 | 18 tonne road going excavator |
| Volvo EW160E | 16 tonne wheeled excavator |
| Hitachi ZX145W-6 | 15 tonne wheeled excavator with blade |
| Komatsu PW148-11 | 14 tonne wheeled excavator |
| Mecalac 714MWe | Compact wheeled excavator with offset boom |
| Liebherr A 914 Compact | Compact 15 tonne wheeled excavator |
| Develon DX140W-7 | 15 tonne wheeled excavator for utilities |
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Who buys one
Highways maintenance contractors, utilities and street works gangs, and urban civils firms who need to move between multiple small jobs in a day without a low loader. The buying trigger is usually a term contract with a local authority or a utility, where the work is spread across a district and transport costs on a tracked machine would eat the margin. Rail and airside contractors buy them for the same reason.
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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.
Wheeled excavator finance questions
Does a wheeled excavator need to be road registered?
If it travels on the public highway, yes. It must be registered with a V5C, taxed appropriately and insured for road use. Funders will expect to see the registration document in the company name and their interest noted on the insurance. Machines that only ever move by low loader do not need it.
Are wheeled excavators harder to finance than tracked?
Marginally, but only because the used market is smaller. The asset is still hard security and mainstream funders take them regularly. You may see a slightly more conservative structure on an older or unusually specified machine. A well-specified utility build from a major marque presents almost as easily as a tracked equivalent.
Can I include the grab and attachments?
Yes, where they are supplied on the same invoice and itemised. Selector grabs, tilting ditching buckets and hydraulic hitches are normally bundled without difficulty. Attachments bought separately later can usually be funded in their own right, though the case is stronger when the carrier machine sits with the same funder.
Can I fund a wheeled excavator for street works?
Yes. Utilities and street works contractors are well understood by plant funders, and term contracts with a water, gas or electricity network are a strong supporting document. Mention the contract when you apply, along with the expected duration, because it shows the repayment source rather than just the asset value.
What happens at the end of a hire purchase agreement?
On hire purchase, title passes to you once all payments and the option to purchase fee are made, and the machine is yours to keep, sell or part exchange. On a lease the arrangement differs and the machine is not automatically yours. We will set out which structure you are entering before you sign.
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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