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Equipmentfinance.org.nz
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Equipment finance

Every machine class, costed before you commit.

One guide per class of equipment New Zealand businesses finance, covering indicative price bands, the structures available, how the GST and depreciation fall, and what a lender looks at. A calculator sits on every page.

Forklift finance

A forklift is among the most commonly financed pieces of plant in New Zealand, because it holds resale value, sits still in one yard, and is easy for a lender to identify and secure against.

Read on

Excavator and digger finance

Earthmoving plant is among the most heavily financed equipment in New Zealand, because the machines are expensive, the resale market is national, and the hour meter gives a lender something objective to price against.

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Tractor finance

A tractor holds its value better than most plant and works for decades, which is why lenders will run longer terms on it than on almost anything else a rural business finances.

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Truck finance

A truck is the most heavily regulated asset on this site, and the costs that decide whether one pays for itself sit almost entirely outside the finance agreement.

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Trailer finance

A trailer has no engine, no hour meter and very little to go wrong, which is why it holds value longer than almost anything else on a transport or contracting yard.

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CNC and machine tool finance

A machining centre is the most productive asset a small engineering business will ever buy and the hardest one for a lender to resell, and both of those facts show up in the terms offered.

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Printing and signage equipment finance

Print equipment is unusual in carrying a large recurring cost that has nothing to do with the finance, and businesses that budget only for the repayment are the ones that come unstuck.

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Commercial kitchen finance

A commercial kitchen is the only purchase on this site where a business is financing thirty machines at once, and where the length of the premises lease matters more than the age of any of them.

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Refrigeration and cool store finance

Refrigeration is the only equipment on this site where a failure destroys the stock inside it, which is why the replacement decision is usually driven by reliability rather than by age.

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Medical and dental equipment finance

Clinical equipment has the longest working life and the most national resale market of anything on this site, which is why lenders treat a practice fit-out more generously than its price suggests.

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IT and technology finance

Technology is the one class on this site where the asset is worth almost nothing by the end of the term, which changes both the structure that fits and the argument for financing it at all.

Read on

How to use these

Two questions narrow eleven machine guides to one.

The guides on this page overlap, because the underlying finance is the same product wearing different clothes. A forklift, a digger and a commercial oven are all financed as identified assets with the machine carrying the security. What changes between them is the price band, how deep the New Zealand resale market is, and how long a lender will run the term.

The first question is what the machine is worth to somebody else. A 2.5 tonne counterbalance forklift or a 20 tonne excavator has hundreds of plausible New Zealand buyers, which is why terms run to five years and deposits are often nil. A bespoke production line, a specialised medical scanner or a signwriting plotter configured for one workflow has very few, and lenders price and term that reality rather than the invoice.

The second question is how long the business genuinely intends to keep it. Equipment expected to be run into the ground is usually financed to ownership under a hire purchase. Equipment replaced on a cycle, which is normal for IT hardware and increasingly common for kitchen and refrigeration plant, more often sits under a lease where the residual is settled or the machine handed back.

Where the answers point at a machine no asset financier will write against, the funding has not disappeared. It moves to an unsecured business facility at unsecured pricing, which is the trade being made rather than a dead end.

What is on every page

The same eight questions, answered per machine.

Every guide in this tier answers the same set, so two machines can be compared without reading both end to end.

01

What it costs

Indicative New Zealand purchase bands by class and condition, illustrative only, with the factors that move them.

02

Which structure

Hire purchase, finance lease or operating lease, and what each does to ownership, payments and the balance sheet.

03

How long a term

The age and hour caps that decide the term available, which are usually about the machine at the end rather than today.

04

GST and depreciation

Where the tax falls under each structure, with the accountantโ€™s confirmation flagged at every claim.

05

What lenders assess

Trading history, the machine itself, and the documents commonly requested at each stage.

06

The security position

What is registered on the PPSR, and what that means on a private sale of a used machine.

07

Worked scenarios

Three illustrative New Zealand purchases with indicative figures produced by the calculator on the page.

08

When not to finance

The utilisation patterns and machine ages where rental or an outright purchase commonly costs less.

The honest limit

What this site cannot tell you.

Every rate band on this site is indicative. Nobody publishing a website in New Zealand can tell a specific business what a lender will charge it, because the rate is a function of the trading history, the machine, the deposit, the term and the credit assessment, and only the lender sees all five. The bands here describe a market rather than an offer.

The calculator has the same limit and the same value. It will not tell you what you will be charged. It will tell you what a given amount at a given rate over a given term costs each week, which is the number that decides whether a purchase carries itself, and it does that before anyone has run a credit check.

This site is an education site and a calculator. It is not a lender, a broker or a registered financial adviser, and nothing on it is personalised financial advice.

FAQ

Equipment finance in New Zealand, the general questions

What counts as equipment finance in New Zealand?

Equipment finance is lending secured against an identified piece of business plant rather than against property or on an unsecured basis. It covers machinery, vehicles used as plant, kitchen and refrigeration equipment, workshop tooling, medical devices and technology hardware. The defining feature is that the machine itself carries the security and is registered on the Personal Property Securities Register.

Is equipment finance cheaper than an unsecured business loan?

Typically yes, for the same borrower. The lender holds an identifiable asset it can recover and resell if the payments stop, which lowers its exposure and is generally reflected in the indicative rate. The size of the gap depends on how liquid the resale market for that class of machine is, so a mainstream forklift usually prices better than a specialised piece of production plant.

How long does equipment finance usually run for?

Terms of 24 to 60 months cover most New Zealand equipment lending. The ceiling is usually set by the age the machine reaches at the end of the term rather than its age at purchase, which is why an older machine attracts a shorter term at the same price. Technology hardware commonly runs shorter, at 24 to 36 months, because it depreciates faster.

Can used equipment be financed?

Yes, and a large share of New Zealand equipment finance is written against used machines. Age caps apply, terms shorten as the machine ages, and deposits are more often sought. A PPSR search matters more on a used purchase than on a new one, because a registered security interest travels with the machine rather than with the seller.

Does the business own the equipment during the term?

It depends on the structure. Under a hire purchase the business holds the machine as its own asset from settlement and title formally transfers at the end. Under a finance lease or an operating lease the financier retains title for the term. That distinction drives where the depreciation claim sits and how the arrangement is treated in the accounts, which the accountant is the right person to confirm.

What documents are usually requested?

A quote or invoice naming the specific machine, twelve months of bank statements, the NZBN and GST registration details are the common core. Financial statements are typically added above larger amounts, and a PPSR search is standard on any used purchase. Businesses trading under a year are commonly asked for a deposit or a personal guarantee as well.

Is a deposit always required?

No. Nil-deposit facilities are commonly available on newer machines for businesses with a reasonable trading history. Deposits are more often sought on older machines, specialised classes, and newer businesses. Where a deposit is offered rather than required, it reduces the lenderโ€™s exposure and typically improves the indicative rate.

Can the finance cover delivery, installation and attachments?

Usually, where they form part of the same purchase. Freight to site, installation, attachments and ancillary items such as a battery and charger are commonly financed inside the same agreement. Recurring costs such as servicing, certification and training sit outside it and are normally budgeted separately.

What happens at the end of the term?

Under a hire purchase the final payment transfers title and the business owns the machine outright. Under a finance lease the residual is settled, refinanced, or the machine is returned. Under an operating lease the machine goes back. Businesses replacing on a cycle commonly roll the trade-in value of the old machine into the deposit on the next one.

Does this site arrange the finance?

No. This is an education site and a calculator, not a lender, a broker or a registered financial adviser. The calculator hands off to Prospa, a New Zealand business finance provider we have a commercial relationship with, and that relationship is disclosed on every page. No personal information is collected here.

Disclaimer

Indicative content only. Not personalised financial advice.

Financing a machine is a commitment that runs for years, and the repayments come out of the same operating cash flow as everything else. Modelling the weekly and monthly cost against the working-capital position before committing is what this site is built for. Borrowing at a level that stays comfortable through a quiet quarter, rather than only through a strong one, is widely regarded as the safer frame.

What this site is

A calculator and information tool. Not a lender, not a broker, not a registered financial adviser. Nothing here is personalised financial advice.

What the figures show

Modelled estimates based on the inputs shown. Not a quote. Not an offer of credit. Not a guarantee of approval, rate or fees.

What the lender decides

Final rates, fees, and approval are set by the lender after a CCCFA-appropriate assessment of the applicant's circumstances and credit decision.

Commercial disclosure

Equipmentfinance.org.nz earns a commission from Prospa when a visitor applies through this site and their application is approved. The commission is paid by Prospa, not by the borrower, and it does not influence the rate Prospa offers. Full disclosure on the partner page.

Tax, GST, and accountant framing

Tax-treatment statements (GST claim timing, interest deductibility, depreciation rates) are general in nature and subject to the accountant's confirmation on the specific business position. For material amounts, professional advice from a registered financial adviser or chartered accountant is widely regarded as the safer frame.

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Important information

About this site, the figures, and your protections.

Last reviewed 7 September 2026.

1. What this site is

Equipmentfinance.org.nz is a New Zealand education site and a free repayment calculator. It is not a lender, not a broker, and not a registered financial adviser. We do not arrange credit, hold client money, or provide regulated financial advice as defined under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 Part 6 or the Financial Services Legislation Amendment Act 2019. Nothing on this site is personalised financial advice.

2. The calculator and figures

All numbers shown by the calculator, in worked examples, and across the site are indicative only and modelled from the inputs entered. The figures are not a quote, not an offer of credit, and not a guarantee of the rate, fees, term, or approval available to any specific business. Final pricing, fees, and approval are set by the lender after the lender's own credit assessment.

3. General information, not advice

Content on this site is general information (class information). It does not take into account the financial situation, objectives, or needs of any particular business or person. Before making a borrowing decision, professional advice from a licensed Financial Advice Provider, a chartered accountant, or a solicitor is widely regarded as the safer frame, particularly where amounts are material or the borrowing involves a personal guarantee.

4. Commercial relationship with Prospa

When a calculator user clicks "see if you qualify", the application hands off to Prospa, our New Zealand SME finance partner. Equipmentfinance.org.nz earns a referral commission from Prospa when a referred application converts to a funded loan. The commission is paid by Prospa, not by the borrower, and does not change the rate, fees, or terms Prospa offers the business. We do not claim Prospa is the cheapest or best lender for every applicant. Full disclosure is on our partner page.

5. Tax, GST, and accountant framing

Tax-treatment statements (GST claim timing, interest deductibility, depreciation rates) on this site are general in nature and subject to confirmation by the accountant on the specific business position. For material amounts, professional tax advice from a chartered accountant is widely regarded as the safer frame. Inland Revenue is the primary source for any specific NZ tax-treatment question.

6. Privacy and personal information

Consistent with the Privacy Act 2020, we do not run lead-capture forms on this site. Calculator inputs stay in the browser and are not transmitted to a server we control. We use Google Analytics 4 for aggregate, non-personal traffic data only. When a visitor clicks through to Prospa they leave our site, and Prospa's privacy policy applies. The Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 (CCCFA) framework applies at the lender level where a sole trader's borrowing is wholly or predominantly for personal use, or where a personal guarantor is involved.

7. Fair dealing posture

This site operates under the fair-dealing requirements of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 Part 2 and the Fair Trading Act 1986. We avoid misleading or deceptive conduct, false representations, and unsubstantiated claims. Numeric or regulatory claims are hedged or sourced to a primary New Zealand authority such as Inland Revenue, MBIE, the Companies Office, WorkSafe, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Stats NZ, the Commerce Commission or the Financial Markets Authority.

8. Limitation of liability and governing law

To the maximum extent permitted by New Zealand law, Equipmentfinance.org.nz, its operators and its contributors are not liable for any loss or damage (direct, indirect, consequential, or otherwise) arising from use of the site or reliance on its content, indicative figures, or third-party information. These terms are governed by the laws of New Zealand. Any disputes are to be resolved in New Zealand courts.

Long form: terms, privacy, footer disclaimer.