Stump grinder finance
Fund a stump grinder on its own or alongside a chipper, whether you are buying new dealer stock, a used machine or a grinder from another arborist.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance a stump grinder?
Yes. A stump grinder is funded as a hard asset on hire purchase or lease, because it carries a serial number, has a dealer network behind it and holds a genuine second-hand market among tree surgeons and groundcare contractors. New dealer stock is straightforward, and used grinders are placed every week — condition and engine hours matter far more than the year of manufacture. The point that catches most people out is the purchase route. A large share of grinders change hands privately between arborists, and plenty of funders will not pay a private seller at all, so that needs settling before you shake hands.
Used kit: Yes — used grinders are funded routinely, and a well-kept machine of eight to ten years old is still placeable if the hours and cutter wheel condition stack up.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
What would a stump grinder 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 treat grinders as hard assets with shallow but reliable resale. The machine is recoverable, the make is recognisable and there are buyers, but the market is small, so a lender wants the borrower to look solid rather than relying on the metal. Trading history, home ownership and a clean recent conduct record carry most of the weight on a first facility. Private sales are the main sticking point: expect to provide a proper sale invoice, the serial number, evidence the seller owns the grinder outright with no outstanding finance, and in some cases a pre-purchase inspection. Declines cluster around unverifiable sellers, machines with no visible serial plate and applicants with active defaults.
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 |
|---|---|
| Vermeer SC30TX | Tracked walk-behind stump grinder |
| Rayco RG37 Trac | Compact tracked grinder for gardens |
| Predator 460 | Self-propelled grinder for contract work |
| Predator 560 | Larger self-propelled stump grinder |
| Carlton SP4012 | Towable stump grinder for tree crews |
| Carlton SP7015 | High-power grinder for big stumps |
| Rayco RG45 | Self-propelled grinder with cutter wheel |
| Rayco RG55 | Mid-size grinder for commercial use |
| Vermeer SC372 | Towable grinder for domestic stumps |
| Bandit HB20XP | Hydrostatic drive stump grinder |
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
Who buys one
Usually a two to six person tree surgery firm that has been subcontracting the grinding out, or hiring a machine in every time a job needs one. The trigger tends to be a run of domestic stump work, or a council or housing association contract that expects the stump gone rather than left proud. Fencing and groundcare contractors clearing old hedgelines buy them too, often after losing a tender to someone who already owned one.
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.
Stump grinder finance questions
Can I finance a stump grinder I am buying off another tree surgeon?
Often yes, but not with every funder. A private sale needs a written invoice with the seller details, the machine serial number and confirmation that no finance is outstanding against it. Some lenders will not fund private purchases at all under any circumstances, so it is worth checking the route is workable before you agree a deal with the seller.
Do I need to have been trading long to get a grinder funded?
No, though a short history narrows the panel. New-start tree surgery businesses are funded regularly, usually with a director or sole trader guarantee and a stronger look at your personal credit file and home ownership. Certification and any proof of booked work help, because they show the machine will earn rather than sit on the yard.
Is a stump grinder a hard asset or a soft asset?
Hard. It has a serial number, an identifiable manufacturer and a resale market among arborists and groundcare firms, so funders will take it as security in its own right. That is the main reason a grinder is easier to place than climbing kit or hand tools, which have effectively no recoverable value once used.
Can I fund a grinder and a chipper on the same agreement?
Usually yes. Buying both together from one dealer is the simplest version, as it sits on a single invoice and a single schedule. Two separate sellers can still be done, but it often works out as two agreements. Bundling helps if you are replacing a whole outfit at once rather than adding a single machine.
What happens if the grinder is stolen off a job or from the yard?
The agreement will require you to insure the machine for its full value and note the funder on the policy. Arb kit is a theft target, so insurers look closely at yard security and whether a tracker is fitted. If the machine goes and the claim fails, you still owe the balance, which is why the insurance condition is not a formality.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
Also in arb and forestry finance
- Wood chipper finance
- Sawmill finance
- Timber harvester finance
- Forwarder 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.