Forage Harvester Finance

Spread the cost of forage harvesters from £60,000 to £450,000+ with flexible finance options. HP, lease, or refinance, compare rates from 40+ lenders.

Can you finance a forage harvester?

Yes, forage harvesters are financed as a standard asset purchase, usually on hire purchase or a lease, with the machine itself acting as the security. UK prices typically run £60,000 to £450,000, and most deals are written over 12–72 months with a deposit of around 10–20%. Decisions typically take 24–48 hours. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.

Typical Cost

£60k – £450k

Approval Speed

24–48 hours

Seasonal payment profiles available

Rates From

4.5% APR

What would a forage harvester cost per month?

Forage Harvester price (ex VAT) £190,000

Deposit 10%

Agreement term 60 months

Annual interest rate 9%

Balloon payment £0

Your estimate

Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.

Pre-filled with a typical forage harvester price. Indicative only, not a quote.

Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate: From 4.9% APR
Term: 12–72 months
Deposit: 10–20%
Ownership: Yours at the end
Best for: Contractors and larger dairy/beef units wanting to own the machine outright

Finance Lease

Rate: From 4.5% APR
Term: 12–60 months
Deposit: None required
Ownership: Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for: Tax-efficient, claim payments against profit, keep capital for silage-making costs

Operating Lease

Rate: From 5.2% APR
Term: 24–48 months
Deposit: None required
Ownership: Return at end
Best for: Contractors who upgrade every 2–3 seasons for reliability during silage windows

Representative example

On a purchase price of £190,000: a 10% deposit of £19,000, then 48 monthly payments of £4,008 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £211,384, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.

What buyers actually specify

Guide prices for sizing a finance agreement, not quotes. Manufacturers in this market mostly price on application, so where a current UK list price could not be confirmed the row describes a specification class rather than naming a model. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.

Machine or specification	Guide price	Type
PTO-Driven Trailed Forager	£60,000 – £110,000	Trailed Forage Harvester
300–400HP Self-Propelled Forager	£180,000 – £280,000	Self-Propelled Forage Harvester
500–600HP Self-Propelled Forager	£320,000 – £450,000	High-Output Self-Propelled Forager

Tax benefits

Forage harvesters qualify for Annual Investment Allowance (AIA), letting you deduct the full cost from taxable profits in year one, up to £1,000,000. HP agreements give access to capital allowances; finance lease payments are fully deductible from farming or contracting profits.

Market context

Self-propelled foragers are typically bought by silage contractors and large-scale dairy and beef units running an intensive multi-cut grass or maize silage system, where the machine's output during a narrow harvest window matters more than list price. Many operations run high annual hours across a short season, so replacement cycles tend to follow engine hours and warranty cover rather than a fixed number of years, and trading in before major component wear protects residual value. The UK used market for foragers from the established manufacturers is active, supported by strong export demand into European and Irish contracting markets, which helps values hold up better than for less specialised kit.

Bad credit?

Several of our 200+ lenders specialise in businesses with imperfect credit histories. You may need a larger deposit or personal guarantee, but options exist. Checking your options here does not affect your credit score, because we do not run a credit search to match you. A lender will run their own checks only if you decide to apply.

Frequently asked questions

Can I finance a used forage harvester?

Yes. Most lenders will finance used self-propelled foragers up to around 8–10 years old, subject to hours and an independent inspection. Because these machines run intensively during a short silage season, lenders pay close attention to logged engine hours rather than age alone, so a well-documented service history helps secure both approval and a better rate.

Can repayments be linked to the silage or harvest season rather than spread monthly?

Yes. Because forage harvesting income is seasonal, many agricultural lenders will structure hire purchase or lease repayments annually or in instalments timed around silage sales or milk cheque cycles, rather than forcing a flat monthly profile that doesn't match when cash actually arrives on the farm or in the contracting business.

Should I use the manufacturer's dealer finance scheme or an independent lender?

Worth comparing both. Dealer-backed schemes from the main forage harvester manufacturers are sometimes subsidised at the point of sale and can undercut standard rates on new machines, but independent finance is often more flexible on term length, seasonal structuring, and part-exchange of existing kit, so getting a quote from both before committing is sensible.

Does it matter if my contracting business is a partnership rather than a limited company?

No, but it changes how a lender assesses the application. Sole traders and farming partnerships are assessed on the partners' personal financial standing and the business accounts together, rather than on a single company balance sheet, so having up-to-date accounts and a clear picture of harvest income timing speeds up approval.