Forwarder finance
Fund the machine that gets the timber out of the wood, with hire purchase and lease options on new, used and imported forwarders.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance a forwarder?
Yes. A forwarder is straightforward to fund as a hard asset, and funders often view it more kindly than a harvester because it is mechanically simpler, the hours sit mainly on a diesel engine and a crane rather than a processing head, and it can be resold to a wider pool of buyers including farming and estate businesses. New, used and ex-demonstrator machines all get placed. The common stumbling block is not the machine but the balance of the fleet: a contractor funding a forwarder while already carrying a harvester agreement is judged on total exposure, so the existing commitments get looked at as hard as the new one.
Used kit: Yes — used forwarders fund well, and a machine in its second decade is still fundable where hours, crane condition and service history are documented.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
What would a forwarder 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 class forwarders as heavy plant and look for the usual plant markers: recognised make, verifiable serial and chassis numbers, hours on the clock and a service record. Resale is decent because the buyer pool is broader than for harvesters, which shortens the funder view on risk. Where a case falls down is exposure. Many forestry contractors come asking for a forwarder while already servicing agreements on a harvester and a pickup, and the panel prices the total, not the machine. Private and dealer-part-exchange purchases are both common in this market, and private deals need the seller verified and any outstanding finance settled directly from the drawdown. Expect questions on whether the extraction work is contracted or spot.
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 |
|---|---|
| Malwa 560F | Compact forwarder for narrow racks |
| Vimek 610 | Small forwarder for early thinnings |
| Ponsse Wisent | Mid-size forwarder for varied ground |
| Ponsse Buffalo | Fourteen tonne class forwarder |
| Ponsse Elk | Agile forwarder for thinning work |
| John Deere 1210G | Mid-range forwarder with rotating cab |
| John Deere 1510G | Large forwarder for clear fell haulage |
| Komatsu 855 | Mid-size forwarder with strong crane |
| Komatsu 875 | High-capacity forwarder for long extraction |
| Logset 5F | Compact forwarder for contractors |
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
Who buys one
Cut-to-length contractors who have been paying someone else to extract, and hand-felling teams that have outgrown a tractor and timber trailer. The trigger is usually a site where the extraction distance or the ground conditions make a trailer outfit uneconomic. Smaller machines go to estate and farm woodland operations pulling their own thinnings, where the job is as much about protecting the standing crop as moving volume.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
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.
Forwarder finance questions
Is a forwarder easier to finance than a harvester?
Generally yes. There is less to go wrong mechanically, the resale pool is wider because farms and estates buy them as well as contractors, and the ticket is often lower. That combination makes funders more comfortable. It is why a number of contractors build their machine history on a forwarder first and approach a harvester with trading evidence behind them.
Can I fund a forwarder and a harvester at the same time?
It is possible but it is a bigger conversation. Funders assess the combined commitment against your income and your operating record, so two machines at once from a standing start is a stretch. Splitting the purchases across two funders sometimes works, though each will still see the other agreement once it is registered, so it needs to be disclosed openly.
Do I need a named forestry contract to be approved?
Not always, but it helps a great deal. Funders want comfort that the extraction work exists. A merchant agreement, a framework with a forest management company or a track record of repeat customers all do that job. Without any of it, the case leans much harder on trading accounts and personal covenant.
Can I convert an older forwarder I own into working capital?
Yes, through refinance, provided you hold clear title. The funder checks the original purchase invoice and serial number, confirms nothing is outstanding, then advances against a current valuation based on hours and condition. Contractors often do this ahead of a busy season to fund repairs, tyres or a second machine.
Will tyres, tracks and bogie bands be included in the finance?
Sometimes, if they are itemised on the dealer invoice as part of the machine supply. Bought separately as consumables they are usually treated as running costs rather than fundable assets, because they wear out inside the agreement term and hold no recoverable value. Ask for them to be specified on the supply invoice if you want them included.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
Also in arb and forestry finance
- Wood chipper finance
- Sawmill finance
- Stump grinder finance
- Timber harvester finance
- Timber trailer and crane finance
- Forestry winch finance
- Tree shear and processor head finance
- Post knocker and post driver finance
- Fencing trailer finance
- Chip truck and arb tipper finance
- Climbing and rigging equipment finance
- Arborist chainsaw finance
- Narrow access stump grinder finance
- Forestry mulcher finance
- Forestry mulching head finance
- Tracked chipper finance
- Timber crane finance
- Log splitter finance
- Timber grab finance
- Arb platform and MEWP finance
- Forestry tractor finance
- Skidder finance
- Sawmill edger finance
- Firewood kiln finance
- Forestry flail finance
- Cord wood saw finance
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.