WHO THIS IS FOR

Excavator Finance Built for Australian Operators

Excavators owner-operators, subcontractors and small-fleet operators across Australia are knocked back by banks, stalled in single-lender queues, and locked into single products by dealer finance. Whether you run civil contractor work on tier-one infrastructure, mining and resource site supply, pipeline trenching and conduit work, demolition site spoil and grading, residential builder site prep, road and rail subcontracts, hire-out excavators on day-rate contracts, or owner-operator civil work.

Your application goes to specialist civil and earthmoving lenders who assess site contracts, asset value and trading history directly, in one structured submission with no multi-lender credit hits.

  • Upgrading ageing plant or attachments Replace before maintenance costs outpace what a newer machine would be worth. Trade-in and replacement structured in one application.
  • Winning a new site or head contract Quote the work confident your pre-approval is locked in and the plant will be on site for day one.
  • Buying used, dealer or private sale Auction, dealer and private deals other lenders walk away from. We settle direct to the seller and handle the paperwork end to end.
  • Refinancing existing plant loans Lower monthly repayments, restructure balloons before they're due, or consolidate multiple plant loans into one repayment.

HOW THE PROCESS WORKS

How Excavator Finance Works in Australia

A simple, secure online application, with honest advice from a Australia specialist you can trust.
No pressure. No hit to your credit score.

01
Group (3)

Complete the Form in 60 Seconds

Tell us about your business and the excavator you are financing through our secure online form.

02
Group (4)

Speak With a Excavator Finance Specialist

An Australia-based excavator finance specialist reviews your situation and walks you through the documents needed for the lender match.

03
Frame (9)

Get Pre-Approved Over the Phone

You'll have a clear pre-approval often within 1 business day, with rate, term and repayment structure tailored to how your business income actually flows.

04
Group (5)

Settle the Loan
and Take Delivery

Your specialist sources the strongest matched offer and coordinates settlement with the dealer, private seller or auction house.

Get My Pre-Approval
60 second form. No impact on your credit score.

EQUIPMENT WE HELP FINANCE

Excavator Brands and Classes We Help Finance

Compact mini excavators through to mining-class heavies. New, used, dealer and private-sale across every major brand on the Australian market.

Brands We Help Finance

  • Caterpillar
  • Komatsu
  • Hitachi
  • Volvo CE
  • Hyundai
  • JCB
  • Kobelco
  • Sumitomo
  • Doosan / Develon
  • Kubota
  • Bobcat
  • Case
  • Sany
  • Liebherr
  • Yanmar
  • + specialist OEMs

Excavator Classes We Help Finance

  • Mini Excavators (1 to 6 tonne)

    Compact urban and tight-access work. Landscaping, pool digs, residential trenching, council parks.

  • Mid-Size Excavators (7 to 15 tonne)

    Residential builds, council jobs, landscape contracting, water and gas trenching, KDR site clearance.

  • Standard Excavators (16 to 30 tonne)

    Civil contracts, road and site works, subdivision earthworks, council framework jobs.

  • Large Excavators (30 to 80 tonne)

    Bulk earthworks, mining sites, quarry contracts, large-scale civil and infrastructure.

  • Long-Reach & High-Reach

    Demolition, dredging, deep dig and processor mounts for asbestos and steel take-down.

  • Wheeled & Specialist

    Urban council work, road maintenance, zero-tail swing and amphibious or marine excavators.

RECENT SETTLEMENTS

Real Results for Australian Excavator Operators

Excavator finance settled across 80+ Australian lenders, from owner-operators to mid-size fleets. ACL 389328.

"Site mobilisation Monday and we hadn't even decided on the excavator yet. Locked it in Thursday, finance Friday. Cody had us settled with the dealer's nominated lender by close of business and the machine was on a low-loader Saturday morning."

Shane, Site Foreman
Civil contractor

"Tier-one civil head-contractor contract underwrote five excavators in one order. Equifund put us with a lender that took the contract as the asset case rather than asking for property security across the whole fleet."

Wayne, Project Manager
Tier-one civil

"Mining sub-contract paid in arrears on day-rate. Standard repayment templates didn't line up with the work cycle. They matched us with a lender that structured repayments around the contract's drawdown schedule."

Dale, Owner-Operator
Mining contractor

"Ran a dealer demo on site for two weeks. By the end of the second week we wanted to keep it. Dealer needed it off the books before month-end. John found a lender that approved on our active job book and the demo became ours."

Travis, Site Manager
Civil contractor

"First time on a council framework contract, three years of guaranteed work. Wanted to add a second excavator to handle the workload. Jason structured the chattel mortgage with a term that matched the framework's first renewal."

Hayden, Director
Civil works

"Site mobilisation Monday and we hadn't even decided on the excavator yet. Locked it in Thursday, finance Friday. Cody had us settled with the dealer's nominated lender by close of business and the machine was on a low-loader Saturday morning."

Shane, Site Foreman
Civil contractor

"Tier-one civil head-contractor contract underwrote five excavators in one order. Equifund put us with a lender that took the contract as the asset case rather than asking for property security across the whole fleet."

Wayne, Project Manager
Tier-one civil

"Mining sub-contract paid in arrears on day-rate. Standard repayment templates didn't line up with the work cycle. They matched us with a lender that structured repayments around the contract's drawdown schedule."

Dale, Owner-Operator
Mining contractor

"Ran a dealer demo on site for two weeks. By the end of the second week we wanted to keep it. Dealer needed it off the books before month-end. John found a lender that approved on our active job book and the demo became ours."

Travis, Site Manager
Civil contractor

"First time on a council framework contract, three years of guaranteed work. Wanted to add a second excavator to handle the workload. Jason structured the chattel mortgage with a term that matched the framework's first renewal."

Hayden, Director
Civil works

"Bought an ex-fleet excavator at a major-company sell-down auction. They run a tight book, so it was clean, low hours, well maintained. Equifund had us pre-approved before we walked into the auction yard."

Marty, Owner-Operator
Earthmoving contractor

"Two new civil sites coming on at the same time, needed plant on both. Tom matched us with a lender that approved both excavators as a single application against the active contract book."

Brett, Operations Manager
Civil contractor

"Regional civil work, smaller jobs but steady year-round. The local bank wanted full financials going back three years. Equifund found a lender that scored on our active job sheet and contract pipeline."

Adam, Owner
Regional earthmoving

"Stepped up from sub-contracting to head-contractor on a small civil project. New excavator and a tipper truck on the same finance package. Jake structured a chattel mortgage with the right balloon to align with the project's progress payments."

Lachy, Owner-Operator
Civil contractor

"Established job book carrying three older excavators. Wanted to replace the oldest with a new tier-4 machine to bring fuel and downtime costs down. They matched us with a lender that took the active contract book as the case for the upgrade."

Anna, Plant Manager
Civil contractor

"Bought an ex-fleet excavator at a major-company sell-down auction. They run a tight book, so it was clean, low hours, well maintained. Equifund had us pre-approved before we walked into the auction yard."

Marty, Owner-Operator
Earthmoving contractor

"Two new civil sites coming on at the same time, needed plant on both. Tom matched us with a lender that approved both excavators as a single application against the active contract book."

Brett, Operations Manager
Civil contractor

"Regional civil work, smaller jobs but steady year-round. The local bank wanted full financials going back three years. Equifund found a lender that scored on our active job sheet and contract pipeline."

Adam, Owner
Regional earthmoving

"Stepped up from sub-contracting to head-contractor on a small civil project. New excavator and a tipper truck on the same finance package. Jake structured a chattel mortgage with the right balloon to align with the project's progress payments."

Lachy, Owner-Operator
Civil contractor

"Established job book carrying three older excavators. Wanted to replace the oldest with a new tier-4 machine to bring fuel and downtime costs down. They matched us with a lender that took the active contract book as the case for the upgrade."

Anna, Plant Manager
Civil contractor
SPECIALIST VS BANK

Specialist vs Major Bank Excavator Finance

Side-by-side on the criteria that decide whether an Australian excavator finance deal settles or stalls.

Criterion Equifund Specialist Major Bank
Income type Reads project payments, progress claims and BAS PAYG salary preferred, contract income often discounted
Lender access Panel of 80+ Australian lenders matched to your file One bank, one credit template
Pre-approval speed Typically inside 24 hours 5 to 10 business days on average
Documentation Low-doc options available for established operators Full financials usually required
Deposit $0 deposit available for prime applications Deposit typically required
Industry expertise Australia-based asset and equipment finance specialists Generic commercial credit team
FAQ

Common Excavator Finance Questions

Straight answers to the questions Australian businesses and operators ask most.

What types of excavators can I finance in Australia?

We finance new, used, demonstrator, dealer and private-sale excavators across all major makes including Caterpillar, Komatsu, Hitachi, Volvo CE, Hyundai, JCB, Kobelco and Sumitomo. Your specialist matches the finance to your work and the lender to your file.

How long does excavator finance take to settle?

Pre-approval is typically inside 24 hours once you submit the form. Settlement timing then depends on the lender and asset details, with many Australian deals settling within a week of pre-approval.

Do I need to own property to qualify?

No. Many of our lenders score the deal on contract income and asset value rather than requiring property security. Non-property owners regularly settle excavator finance through Equifund.

Do I need a deposit?

Not always. $0 deposit is available for prime applications, especially for established operators with active contracts and project work. Other deals may require a deposit depending on the asset, the lender and the loan term.

Can I finance a used excavator, private sale, or auction purchase?

Yes. We finance dealer purchases, private sales, auctions and end-of-lease buyouts. The excavator just needs to meet the lender's age and condition requirements.

Can I refinance an existing excavator loan?

Yes. Many Australian operators refinance to access a better rate, restructure repayments around their income cycle, release equity from the asset, or consolidate multiple excavator loans into one facility.

Which lenders does Equifund work with?

We have a panel of 80+ Australian lenders spanning major banks, specialist asset financiers and non-bank lenders that specifically understand contract income and transport assets. Your specialist matches your file to the right lender for the deal.

Can I finance multiple excavators in one application?

Yes. We regularly settle multi-excavator deals for Australian fleets, often splitting the package across more than one lender to fit each asset's spec and your overall structure.

Do you finance trailers and equipment as well as excavators?

Yes. Excavators, attachments, trailers and related equipment are all on the panel. Equipment security can be structured independently of excavator finance if that better suits the deal.

What's the difference between a chattel mortgage and a finance lease?

A chattel mortgage gives you immediate ownership of the excavator while the lender holds it as security. You claim GST upfront and depreciate the excavator for tax. It is the most common structure for established Australian owner-operators. A finance lease keeps the excavator on the lender's books with set monthly payments and an optional residual paid at the end of the term. Useful for fleet operators managing repayments against vehicle turnover. Your Australia-based excavator finance specialist will recommend the structure that suits your business and tax position. Read the full chattel mortgage vs finance lease comparison.

What is contract income recognition?

Contract income recognition is how a specialist lender reads income from project payments, progress claims and BAS rather than treating only PAYG salary as income. Bank credit templates often miss this. Specialist lenders read contract income accurately, which is why established Australian operators frequently get approved on deals that mainstream banks decline.

What is low-doc excavator finance?

Low-doc excavator finance is approval on a reduced documentation set, usually a Director declaration plus business activity statements or recent bank statements, rather than full financials. It is faster to process and common for established small-fleet operators in Australia who would rather not produce two years of full tax returns for a single asset purchase.

What is pre-approval in excavator finance?

Pre-approval is a conditional finance approval issued before you commit to a excavator. It sets the maximum loan amount, indicative rate, term and repayment structure so you can negotiate with dealers, private sellers or auction houses on solid ground. Equifund pre-approvals are typically issued within 24 hours of form submission.

What is an Australian Credit Licence (ACL)?

An Australian Credit Licence (ACL) is a licence issued by ASIC permitting a business to engage in credit activities under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act. Equifund holds Australian Credit Licence 389328. Working with an ACL holder is a baseline regulatory protection for the borrower and a baseline trust signal for any Australian finance provider.

Can you finance new and used excavators for civil and construction work?

Yes. New, demo and used excavators from 1-tonne mini to 80-tonne large excavators for civil, construction, mining and demolition work are routinely financed through specialist lenders on our panel. Lenders understand head-contractor progress-claim payment terms and tier-one subcontract structures.

Can you finance excavators on contract income rather than property security?

Yes. Lenders on our panel score excavators on contract income, route history and active civil contract income, not just property security. BAS, bank statements and the contract paperwork carry the application.

Equifund finance specialist on call
excavator finance specialists

Apply for Your Excavator Finance

Three quick steps. A excavator finance specialist gets back to you the same business day.

Pre-approval in 24 hours
80+ lender panel
Equifund
Business Details
Equifund
Contact Information
Equifund
Asset Information