Sawmill finance
Portable band sawmills and timber processing plant, usually the point at which a fencing or arb business stops buying finished timber and starts milling its own.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance a sawmill?
Yes, though a sawmill is the asset most often declined for the wrong reason. It is neither agricultural machinery nor construction plant, so a lender whose panel is built around tractors or diggers has nowhere to file it and says no to the category rather than to the deal. Funders that do understand timber processing will write five years on a Wood-Mizer or similar band mill, frequently with no deposit, because the machines hold value and there is an export market for them.
Used kit: Yes, with a valuation on older machines
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
What would a sawmill 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 will 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
A sawmill is the asset most often declined for the wrong reason. It is not agricultural machinery and it is not plant, so a lender whose panel is built around tractors or diggers has nowhere to put it. Those that do fund timber processing will write five years and frequently no deposit, because a Wood-Mizer or similar holds value and there is an export market. The harder question is usually the business rather than the machine: milling is a diversification, and a lender is being asked to back work the applicant has not done before.
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 F2 | Chainsaw mill for on-site conversion |
| Logosol B1001 | Compact band sawmill for small workshops |
| Norwood LumberMate LM29 | Portable band mill for hobby milling |
| Norwood HD36 | Heavy duty portable band sawmill |
| Wood-Mizer LT15 | Entry-level manual band sawmill |
| Wood-Mizer LT20 | Hydraulic assisted portable sawmill |
| Wood-Mizer LT40 | Mobile mill for contract sawing |
| Wood-Mizer LT70 | High-output mill for production sawing |
| Wood-Mizer LX150 | Stationary mill for yard-based milling |
| Lucas Mill 8-30 | Swing blade mill for large logs |
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Who buys one
Fencing contractors, arborists and estates moving from buying sawn timber to milling it themselves. It is rarely a first purchase — normally it follows a van, a chipper and a few years of trading, and it changes what the business sells rather than just how it works.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
We funded this
£72,000
Wood-Mizer LT70 for a North Yorkshire fencing contractor, the fifth asset we funded for them over three years.
Read the case study →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.
Sawmill finance questions
Why do lenders decline sawmills?
Usually because the asset does not fit their category list rather than because the deal is bad. A sawmill is neither agricultural machinery nor construction plant, so a lender built around those two has no appetite for it. Placing it with a funder that understands timber processing is most of the job.
Can I get a sawmill with no deposit?
Frequently yes. Machines with a strong resale market and an established buyer often go through on a nil-deposit hire purchase over five years.
Can a business new to milling get funded?
It is harder, because the lender is backing a change in what the business does rather than more of the same. A clean payment record on earlier assets makes a substantial difference — it is what turned a diversification purchase into a straightforward one in the case study below.
What term is normal on a sawmill?
Five years is typical, which is longer than most arb kit and reflects how long these machines work for and how well they hold value.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
Also in arb and forestry finance
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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.