Firewood kiln finance
Fund a drying kiln so you can sell logs to the Ready to Burn standard, from a container system to a dehumidification chamber.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance a firewood kiln?
Yes, with one distinction that matters. A self-contained kiln — a container unit or a packaged dehumidification system with its own plant — is fundable as machinery, because it can be moved and resold. A kiln built into a building, where the chamber is part of the structure, is much harder to fund, since a funder cannot repossess a room. Used kilns are fundable where the heat source and controls come with them. The point most producers miss is that the fundable asset is the plant, not the concrete, the insulation or the groundworks that surround it.
Used kit: Yes — used container and packaged kilns are fundable where the heat plant and control system are included and identifiable.
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What would a firewood kiln cost per month?
Asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what the buttons show, with the equivalent APR beside it. Your exact rate depends on the asset, the term, the deposit and the lender.
Prime is an established, profitable business with clean credit. Specialist covers newer businesses and credit that needs explaining — the asset itself carries part of the risk, which is why finance is often available where an unsecured loan is not.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 5.15% flat rate (equivalent to 9.9% APR representative), you would repay around £628 a month; total amount repayable approximately £30,150, of which £5,150 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.
Rates shown are indicative flat rates with the equivalent APR alongside — the two are not the same number. Indicative only and does not constitute a quote or an offer of finance. Subject to status and lender approval.
How lenders treat it
Funders split kilns into the machinery and the building, and only the machinery side is really fundable. A packaged container kiln or a skid-mounted dehumidification unit has a serial number, a manufacturer and a resale market among producers, so it behaves like normal plant. A chamber constructed on site out of blockwork and insulation is a capital building project, and asset finance is the wrong product for it. Where a boiler provides the heat, ownership of the boiler and any renewable heat arrangement need to be clear. Funders will also want to know that the drying capacity matches your sales, because a kiln is a fixed cost that only pays for itself if it runs full. Declines happen where the request is really a construction cost dressed up as equipment.
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 |
|---|---|
| Logosol Sauno | Small kiln kit for hobby drying |
| Nyle L53 | Dehumidification kiln for small batches |
| Nyle L200M | Dehumidification kiln for firewood and timber |
| Wood-Mizer KD250 | Compact kiln for seasoned firewood |
| Wood-Mizer KD500 | Larger kiln for commercial log drying |
| Wood-Mizer kiln control systems | Controllers and sensors for drying schedules |
| Muhlbock timber drying kilns | High-capacity kilns for timber and logs |
| Incomac drying kilns | Chambers for hardwood and firewood drying |
| Nyle L1200 kilns | Large dehumidification plant for producers |
| Heizomat kiln heat supply | Biomass boiler heat for drying chambers |
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Who buys one
Firewood producers responding to the Ready to Burn requirements, who can no longer sell wet wood in small volumes and need consistent moisture content. The trigger is usually a retail outlet or merchant insisting on certified dry logs. Sawmills dry timber for the same commercial reason, wanting to sell seasoned and dimensioned stock rather than green boards at a lower margin.
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We publish the deals we arrange, with no client named and no rate quoted. See what we have funded in arb and forestry.
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.
Firewood kiln finance questions
Can I finance a kiln I am building myself on site?
Generally not through asset finance. A chamber constructed from blockwork, insulation and doors is a building, and a funder cannot recover a building. What can be funded is the plant that goes into it — the heat source, fans and control system — provided those are bought as identifiable equipment on a supplier invoice.
Is a container kiln easier to fund than a fixed one?
Yes, considerably. A container unit can be lifted onto a lorry and sold to another producer, which is exactly what a funder needs to see. It has a serial number and a manufacturer behind it. Fixed chambers built into a barn are far harder to place because there is nothing recoverable.
Does Ready to Burn certification affect the application?
Not directly, but it explains the purchase, and funders like a clear commercial reason. Being able to say that a merchant or retail customer requires certified dry logs, and that you cannot supply them without a kiln, is a stronger case than a general wish to improve product quality.
Can the biomass boiler be funded with the kiln?
Often yes, if it is supplied as part of the same installation and invoiced together. A boiler is identifiable plant with a resale market. If it is an existing boiler you already own, it stays outside the new agreement, though it can sometimes be refinanced separately to contribute to the cost.
How do funders judge whether a kiln will pay for itself?
They look at your current firewood volumes and where the logs are sold. A kiln is a fixed monthly cost that only makes sense if it runs close to full through the season. Showing existing sales and a customer who wants certified dry product answers the question before it is asked.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
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See everything we fund in arb and forestry finance →
Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Get your quote
Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call 0333 772 4864 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.