Heavy equipment leasing

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Iulia Popescu
James has been absolutely fantastic throughout the entire funding process. He guided us with clear, straightforward advice and was always quick to respond to any questions we had. Thanks to his support, we were able to secure the funds we needed swiftly and without any unnecessary complications. His professionalism, efficiency, and deep understanding of the funding landscape made what could have been a stressful experience feel smooth and manageable. I would highly recommend Swoop—and especially James—to any business looking for reliable, expert support in securing finance.
Aug 5, 2025
Mr B
Simple- Helpful - Accurate
Aug 5, 2025
Jodie Marshall
At a time when I needed some extra funding for my business, I went to SWOOP. They were absolutely amazing. My business is a social enterprise, we so have a not for profit clause which often means mainstream lenders don't like to lend. But these guys found me a company willing to lend at an amazing rate and with amazing terms (better than any social investor I've come across). I gave them what I thought was an impossible task on the off chance, and they delivered! So impressed with their professionalism, friendliness and super quick turn around! Thank you SWOOP!
Aug 5, 2025
Neil Jones
Just when you need that additional business boost, Swoop have you covered. Fantastic turnaround from Adrian and team. They kept me fully informed from start to finish, and with a follow up to make sure everything went well and all is good. Fantastic, highly recommended.
Aug 4, 2025
susan allan
had an amazing experience with BEN nicest taxi driver ever . helped us with a stressful end to the night and couldn’t thank him enough staying with us until we were all safe . if anyone needs a taxi i would recommend ben with swoop .
Aug 3, 2025
Jack
Absolutely brilliant company to deal with. Farhan was extremely helpful, friendly and very efficient from start to finish and have helped us get funding with minimal interest rates which will help the company repay quicker and expand faster. Thanks so much Swoop
Jul 21, 2025
Canada Business Leasing
Love working with this group.
Jul 17, 2025
Lindsay
Cynthia made the process really easy, the customer service was great through out the whole process. Would definitly recommend talking with Swoop and Cynthia!
Jul 11, 2025
Jamal Ogungbola
Great experience from start to finish, helped us secure funding for a new dryer for an independent care home. Very grateful to Adrian and Nichola for their support throughout.
Jul 8, 2025
Darpan
Awesome Service! Very professional and quick processing .Thank you !
Jul 6, 2025

Page written by Chris Godfrey. Last reviewed on December 4, 2024. Next review due April 6, 2026.

Thousands of UK SMEs use heavy equipment to provide the services and products they sell, and these big machines can come in every shape and type. However, as different as they may be, you’ll find that many of them are paid for with a heavy equipment lease, the go-to choice of funding for XXL machinery. Forget about paying for heavy equipment with cash. Pay over time with a flexible, low or no deposit lease to protect your valuable working capital and grow your business faster.

What counts as heavy equipment?

Heavy equipment means selfpropelled, self-powered, or pull-type equipment and machinery, including engines, weighing 5000 pounds or more. These types of equipment are primarily for construction, industrial, maritime, mining and forestry use, and they include earth-scrapers, backhoes, front-loaders, steer-loaders, dump trucks, cranes, asphalt and concrete equipment, treaded tractors, and more.

Why lease heavy equipment?

Heavy equipment can make a big impact on an organisation’s performance, often moving mountains in a fraction of the time it would take with small machines. However, great as they are, these mechanical giants do not come cheap. A sticker price of more than £1million for some of the biggest machines is commonplace. Using valuable working capital to pay this kind of sum on equipment that depreciates does not make business sense – which is why most UK SMEs prefer to lease their heavy equipment, allowing them to pay over time and preserve their liquid cash for other productive activities. 

What’s the difference between financing or leasing heavy equipment?

Although financing and leasing both allow you to pay for your heavy equipment in fixed monthly instalments and protect working capital, there are significant differences between these types of funding:

Finance: This is a loan that allows you to pay for your heavy equipment over time and spread the cost across months or years. At the end of the loan, you own the equipment outright. However, heavy equipment finance typically comes with higher payments than leasing, may leave you stuck with obsolete machinery at the end of the loan, and is often less tax efficient than a lease. 

Lease: Similar to a loan, except you are not buying the heavy equipment, you are renting it over an extended period. At the end of the contract, the machinery will either go back to the lessor (equipment provider), or the lessee (you) may have the option to buy it for a pre-agreed sum, (sometimes as little as £1). Depending on the terms of the contract, the lessor may be responsible for maintenance of the equipment. Heavy equipment leases usually come with lower monthly payments than financing, but with the same support to cashflow. They can also be very quick to arrange, and do not appear on the company balance sheet. In most cases, the entire payments (not just the interest) can be written off as a fully tax-deductible expense.

The benefits of leasing heavy equipment

  • Take the strain off cashflow and protect valuable working capital.
  • Often offers lower monthly payments than finance loans.
  • Can be the most tax efficient.
  • Gives you the option to return or buy the heavy equipment at contract end.
  • Can sometimes be extended to match dips in cashflow.
  • Can be shaped to address seasonal businesses.
  • Can give you the heavy equipment you need very quickly.
  • 100% lease may be available – no deposit necessary.

Is leasing heavy equipment right for you?

Your financial plan will determine which method of heavy equipment funding is best for you. If you want to add the equipment to your balance sheet and own it outright as soon as the loan is paid off, a finance loan may be the way to go. However, if you want the lowest monthly payments, the biggest tax deduction, the option to buy or return the equipment when the contract ends, and you wish to avoid the potential liability of owning obsolete machinery, a flexible, heavy equipment lease may be best for you.

Get started with Swoop's business funding platform

Heavy equipment leasing is a specialist financial area with differing rules of application and requiring deep knowledge of many business sectors from the lender. UK SMEs seeking funding may find themselves forever searching and making applications to lender after lender without success. The delays this can create could cause them to lose revenue and leave their business vulnerable to competition. Instead, working with a broker, who can access heavy equipment leasing from a wide range of lenders is a better way to go. No more cold calls and endless demands for information, just tell us what you need and leave the rest to us. 

Go big – and give your business the heavy equipment it needs to grow even faster. Register with Swoop to find the best rates, the best terms and the best heavy equipment lease today.

Written by

Chris Godfrey

Chris is a freelance copywriter and content creator. He has been active in the marketing, advertising, and publishing industries for more than twenty-five years. Writing for Barclays Bank, Metro Bank, Wells Fargo, ABN Amro, Quidco, Legal and General, Inshur Zego, AIG, Met Life, State Farm, Direct Line, insurers and pension funds, his words have appeared online and in print to inform, entertain and explain the complex world of consumer and business finance and insurance.

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