Can you finance a seed drill?

Yes, seed drills 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 £25,000 to £180,000, 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.

Seed Drill Finance: Rates, Options & Eligibility

Typical Cost

£25k – £180k

Approval Speed

24–48 hours

Seasonal payment profiles available

Rates From

4.5% APR

What would a seed drill cost per month?

Seed Drill price (ex VAT) £65,000

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 seed drill 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: Arable farms wanting to own the drill 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, spreads a large capital item across several cropping years

Operating Lease

Rate: From 5.2% APR
Term: 24–60 months
Deposit: None required
Ownership: Return at end
Best for: Farms wanting to keep pace with the latest precision metering and GPS technology

Representative example

On a purchase price of £65,000: a 10% deposit of £6,500, then 48 monthly payments of £1,371 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £72,308, 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
Kuhn Venta 3020	£28,000 – £42,000	Mounted Pneumatic Drill
Kverneland u-drill 3000	£55,000 – £80,000	Disc Combination Drill
Amazone Cirrus 6003-2	£70,000 – £100,000	Compact Disc Combination Drill
Vaderstad Rapid A 600S	£110,000 – £180,000	Wide Trailed Combination Drill

Tax benefits

Seed drills qualify for Annual Investment Allowance (AIA), letting you deduct the full cost from taxable profits in year one, up to £1,000,000. HP gives access to capital allowances; lease payments are fully deductible from farming profits.

Market context

Seed drills sit among the highest-value single items on an arable farm's machinery list, so buyers range from an individual farming partnership drilling its own ground to a contractor drilling for a large number of clients across a tight autumn or spring window. Drilling date has a direct effect on yield, which means many farms prioritise reliability and precision metering over price alone, and machines are often part-exchanged as GPS, section control, and variable-rate technology moves on rather than through mechanical wear. Established brands with strong UK dealer networks tend to hold their value well on the used market, particularly combination drills with disc or tine options.

Bad credit?

Some specialist lenders consider businesses with imperfect credit histories. You may need a larger deposit or personal guarantee, but options may be available. Fundably may use a soft credit check for matching, which does not affect your credit score. A hard check may happen if you choose to proceed with a lender.

Frequently asked questions

Can I finance a used seed drill?

Yes, used seed drills can be financed, and established brands with strong UK dealer networks tend to hold their value well on the used market, particularly combination drills with disc or tine options. Lenders will want to see the age of the drill and the condition of its metering system, discs or tines and any GPS or section control technology fitted, since machines are often part-exchanged as this technology moves on rather than through mechanical wear. A drill bought through an established dealer with service records is generally easier to finance than a private sale.

Can I finance a drill, cultivator and roller as one package?

Yes. Many farms buy a seed drill alongside a cultivator or roller as one combined establishment package, and lenders will generally finance these together on a single agreement provided the supplier's quote sets out each item clearly. Financing them as one facility rather than separate agreements is usually simpler to arrange and keeps the repayment term consistent across the whole package, which suits farms replacing their establishment equipment together at the same point in the machinery replacement cycle.

Are seasonal payment plans available given drilling only happens twice a year?

Yes. Because drilling is concentrated into a narrow autumn or spring window, many lenders will structure repayments around the farming calendar rather than spreading them evenly across the year, for example weighting payments towards harvest or key income months instead of equal monthly instalments. This suits both an individual farming partnership and a contractor drilling for many clients across a tight window, since income for both is similarly concentrated. It is worth raising seasonal structuring with your broker at the application stage rather than after the agreement is set up.

Is dealer finance worth comparing against an independent lender for a new drill?

It is generally worth comparing both, since a manufacturer or dealer finance scheme can offer a strong headline rate on new equipment, particularly during a promotional period, but the terms are usually fixed to that specific make and model with less flexibility on structure. An independent lender compared through a broker may offer a more flexible term, deposit or seasonal repayment structure, and keeps your options open if you later want to part-exchange for a different brand. Comparing both before committing is the only way to know which genuinely suits your farm.

What deposit do I need for seed drill finance?

Hire purchase typically asks for a deposit of around 10 to 20% of the drill's cost, with the balance spread over the agreed term and ownership passing to you at the end. A finance lease or operating lease usually needs no deposit, since the lender's security is the drill itself, which some farms prefer to keep cash free ahead of a drilling season. The deposit level also depends on whether the drill is new or used and your farm's trading history.

What happens if I want to upgrade or part-exchange the drill before the agreement ends?

The drill remains the lender's security until the agreement is settled, so it cannot be part-exchanged without first clearing the outstanding balance, which is usually done from the part-exchange value at the point of the transaction. This is a common situation given how often drills are upgraded as GPS, section control and variable-rate technology moves on, and most lenders will provide a settlement figure on request and roll any shortfall into a new agreement for the replacement drill.

Ready to finance your seed drill?

Explore business funding options through Fundably.

Check Eligibility →

For UK limited companies with at least 3 months’ trading and monthly revenue.

Seed Drill Finance