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Forestry Harvester Finance

Spread the cost of a forestry harvester from £40,000 to £250,000+ with flexible finance options. HP, lease, or refinance, compare rates from 40+ lenders.

Can you finance a forestry harvester?

Yes, forestry 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 £40,000 to £250,000, and most deals are written over 24–60 months with a deposit of around 20–25%. Decisions typically take 5–10 working days. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.

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Typical Cost

£40k – £250k

Approval Speed

5–10 working days

Larger machines require full underwriting

Rates From

5.8% APR

What would a forestry harvester cost per month?

£150,000
10%
60 months
9%
£0

Your estimate

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

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

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Finance options

Hire Purchase (HP)

Rate
From 6.2% APR
Term
24–60 months
Deposit
20–25%
Ownership
Yours at the end
Best for
Established contractors with long-term extraction contracts

Finance Lease

Rate
From 5.8% APR
Term
24–60 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return or buy (balloon payment)
Best for
Tax-efficient, claim 100% of payments against profit

Operating Lease

Rate
From 7.0% APR
Term
36–48 months
Deposit
None required
Ownership
Return at end
Best for
Contractors who prefer predictable costs given how much residual value depends on logged hours

Representative example

On a purchase price of £150,000: a 10% deposit of £15,000, then 48 monthly payments of £3,164 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £166,872, 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
Used harvester, high hours or older model £40,000 – £80,000 Used, high hours
Harvester head refurbishment or replacement £40,000 – £90,000 Harvester head refurbishment
Used mid-size harvester £80,000 – £150,000 Used mid-size harvester
Used harvester, low hours (under 10,000 hours) £150,000 – £250,000 Used, low hours

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Tax benefits

Forestry harvesters are plant and machinery and qualify for the Annual Investment Allowance up to £1,000,000 in the year of purchase, whether bought new or used. HP agreements allow capital allowances to be claimed in the normal way, and finance lease payments remain fully deductible against the contracting business's profits.

Market context

Forestry harvesters are bought by contractors felling, delimbing and measuring timber under contract to landowners, estates and forestry management companies, usually as the single biggest capital item a contracting business owns. As with a forwarder, a harvester's value tracks its logged hours, on the base carrier's engine and crane and, just as importantly, on the harvester head that does the actual felling and processing, far more closely than its age, so two machines of the same year can carry very different valuations depending on how much timber has gone through the head. Because that hours-based value is harder for a lender to pin down than standard equipment, underwriting a harvester purchase leans heavily on the length and security of the contractor's extraction contract with the landowner or estate, since a dependable multi-year contract is often what really gives a lender confidence in repayment, more than the machine's uncertain future resale value alone. Replacement is driven by hours accumulated on the harvester head and carrier rather than calendar age, and there is a well-established international trade in used harvesters through specialist forestry dealers, which is how many contractors size up their fleet without committing to new machine prices.

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.

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Frequently asked questions

What matters most to a lender when valuing a used harvester, age or hours?
Hours, by a significant margin. The harvester head, which fells, delimbs and measures the timber, and the base carrier's engine and crane wear according to work done rather than years passed. A newer-looking machine that has worked hard can be worth less than an older one used more lightly, so lenders base valuations on logged hours and service history rather than the registration year.
How much does my extraction contract affect the finance I'm offered?
Significantly. Because a harvester's future resale value is harder to predict than more standard machinery, lenders look closely at the length and security of your contract with the landowner or estate you work for. A well-established, longer-term contract gives the lender more confidence you can service the agreement over its term and can improve both the rate and the deposit you are offered.
What deposit is typical for harvester finance?
Expect 20–25% on hire purchase, higher than for a forwarder, reflecting the harvester head's high value and how quickly its condition, and therefore its resale value, depends on usage. A stronger extraction contract or additional security can help bring this down.
Can I finance just a harvester head replacement rather than a whole new machine?
Yes. Because the harvester head takes the most intensive wear, it is common to finance a head replacement or refurbishment on the existing carrier rather than replacing the whole machine, which is usually a smaller and more affordable agreement than a full unit purchase.
Is there an active used market for forestry harvesters?
Yes, a well-established one, with specialist forestry dealers trading machines internationally, including into and out of the UK. Buying a used harvester with verified hours and service history is a standard route into harvesting capacity, and most lenders are comfortable financing used machines on that basis.

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