# Can I finance tools and equipment, not just vehicles? > Yes — tradies can finance tools, plant, generators, scaffolding, trailers and van fit-outs across an NZ lender panel, not just the ute. Here's how. Source: https://tradiefinance.co.nz/help/can-i-finance-tools-and-equipment Published: 2026-05-13T08:00:00.000Z Category: equipment-and-plant Tags: faq, equipment-and-plant Image: https://tradiefinance.co.nz/images/resources/generated/tradie/faq/can-i-finance-tools-and-equipment-primary.jpg Image alt: Plant and specialist trade equipment representing Can I finance tools and equipment, not just vehicles? --- Short version: yes. The ute gets all the attention, but the lenders on our panel are just as happy to fund the gear that actually makes you money. If it's a business asset with a working life, it can usually be financed. ## What actually counts as financeable Far more than people think. As brokers, we regularly place finance for: - **Power tools and specialist kit** — laser levels, welders, compressors, core drills, a full set of cordless gear. - **Plant and machinery** — mini-diggers, skid steers, compactors, concrete saws, hire-grade equipment. - **Generators and site power** — handy for sparkies and anyone working off-grid or pre-connection. - **Scaffolding, trailers and fit-outs** — including the shelving, racking and drawers that turn a bare van into a mobile workshop. Not sure whether your bit of kit qualifies? That's exactly the kind of thing we sort in a five-minute chat. See [what tradies can use finance for](/help/what-can-tradies-use-finance-for) for the full picture. ## The card-vs-finance point Here's where a lot of tradies quietly lose money. A new $12,000 generator goes on the business credit card "just for now", and now you're paying card interest — often well north of 20% — on a tool you'll use for years. Equipment finance flips that. The gear is the security, so the rate is typically far lower than a card or an unsecured overdraft, and the repayments are fixed and predictable. Cash stays in the business for materials, wages and the next job — instead of being swallowed by one big purchase. If you're about to put four figures of business kit on a card or drain the float, stop and price the finance first. Lower rate, fixed term, GST back, cash kept in the business — it usually wins. ## Match the term to the gear's life The key move is lining up how long you pay against how long the kit earns. Don't take a five-year term on a battery tool that'll be cooked in two — and don't crush your cashflow with an 18-month term on a digger that'll work for a decade. | Type of gear | Rough working life | Sensible term | |---|---|---| | Cordless / hand tools | 2–3 years | 1–2 years | | Generators, compressors, welders | 5–7 years | 3–4 years | | Plant, machinery, trailers | 8–12 years | 4–5 years | Most of this is done as a [chattel mortgage](/glossary/chattel-mortgage) or [hire purchase](/glossary/hire-purchase), with a [security interest](/glossary/security-interest-ppsr) registered on the PPSR (the public register that records who has a claim over the asset). If you're GST-registered, the GST on the asset is claimable in your next return — usually 3/23 of the GST-inclusive price — even though the loan is paid off over years. [Depreciation](/glossary/depreciation) is a separate matter from the finance, so confirm both the GST timing and how the asset depreciates with your accountant or IRD. ## A quick worked example Say a plumber buys a $23,000 (GST-inclusive) trailer-mounted jetter and generator. These figures are illustrative only, but they show the shape of the decision: - **On the card:** north-of-20% interest, no fixed end date, and the float takes a $23,000 hit on day one. - **On equipment finance:** a lower secured rate, fixed repayments over around four years, roughly $3,000 of GST (3/23 of $23,000) claimed back in the next return, and the cash stays working in the business. Actual rates and fees depend on your business, the lender and the asset, so we won't quote a number here — comparing the panel for your situation is exactly what we do. For the deeper detail, the [plant and equipment finance guide](/guides/plant-and-equipment-finance-guide) walks through structure and deposits, the article on [financing tools and equipment](/blog/financing-tools-and-equipment) covers the day-to-day decisions, and [how much deposit for equipment finance](/help/how-much-deposit-for-equipment-finance) answers the upfront-cash question. ## Talk it through Every bit of kit and every business is different, so the right structure and term are never one-size-fits-all. Have a quick, no-pressure chat with one of our brokers — we'll line up the term to the gear's working life and put your application where it fits best across the panel. [Book a call](/book-a-call) or head to [help](/help) whenever you're ready.