Excavator Finance
Finance for excavators, earthmoving equipment, and yellow goods. New and used. Low doc options for ABN holders and owner operators. 40+ lenders, approvals in 24 to 48 hours.
Specialist earthmoving finance broker
Excavator finance for owner operators and civil contractors
Excavators and earthmoving equipment are among the most financed assets in Australia — but they are also one of the most mishandled by lenders who do not understand the sector. Asset age, hours, configuration, and whether the machine is wheeled or tracked all affect how a lender assesses the deal. Getting in front of the wrong lender first wastes time and leaves a credit enquiry on your file.
Thrift Capital is a specialist equipment finance broker with access to 40 plus lenders including banks, non-banks, and specialist yellow goods financiers. We work exclusively with self employed Australians — owner operators, civil contractors, sole traders, and SME directors — and we match your excavator deal to the right lender before we submit anything.
Whether you need finance for a brand new Komatsu, a used Hitachi bought at auction, a mini excavator for a landscaping business, or a full earthmoving fleet expansion, we have the lender relationships to make it happen.
Yellow goods and earthmoving equipment
Excavators and earthmoving equipment we finance
Thrift Capital arranges excavator finance and earthmoving equipment loans across the full range of yellow goods — new and used, from mini excavators through to large civil plant.
Excavators
Tracked and wheeled excavators from 1.5 tonne to 50 tonne plus. New dealer stock and used machines from auction or private sale.
- Mini excavators (1.5t to 8t)
- Mid-range excavators (8t to 20t)
- Large excavators (20t plus)
- Wheeled and tracked configurations
- New and used, dealer and auction
Bulldozers and dozers
Track-type tractors, crawler dozers, and angle dozers for bulk earthmoving, site preparation, and land clearing operations.
- Crawler dozers
- Angle dozers
- Small and large blade configurations
- New and used
Loaders and skid steers
Wheel loaders, skid steer loaders, and compact track loaders for construction, landscaping, agriculture, and civil works.
- Wheel loaders
- Skid steer loaders
- Compact track loaders
- Telehandlers
Graders and compactors
Motor graders, rollers, compactors, and road making equipment for civil contractors, councils, and road construction businesses.
- Motor graders
- Smooth drum rollers
- Padfoot compactors
- Plate compactors
Attachments and accessories
Hydraulic hammers, rock breakers, grabs, tilting buckets, and other attachments financed alongside or separately from the base machine.
- Hydraulic hammers and rock breakers
- Grabs and grapples
- Tilting and ditching buckets
- Quick hitches
Mini excavators and compact plant
Sub 8-tonne excavators, dingo loaders, and compact plant for landscapers, garden contractors, and small civil operators.
- 1.5t to 8t mini excavators
- Dingo and compact loaders
- Walk-behind equipment
- New ABN considered
Finance structures for earthmoving equipment
Excavator loans and finance structures explained
There are several ways to finance an excavator or earthmoving equipment purchase. The right structure depends on your tax position, cashflow, and whether you want to own the asset outright at the end of the term.
Most popular
Chattel mortgage
You own the excavator from settlement. Fixed monthly repayments, GST claimed upfront on the purchase price, and depreciation benefits. The most common excavator loan structure for owner operators and civil contractors.
Keep options open
Finance lease
The lender owns the machine during the term. Lower monthly payments, option to purchase, upgrade, or return at the end. Useful when preserving cashflow or planning to upgrade to a newer machine in three to five years.
Reduce monthly cost
Balloon payment
A lump sum deferred to the end of the loan term, reducing monthly repayments during the loan period. Common for higher-value excavators and civil plant where cashflow management is a priority.
Flexible drawdown
Equipment line of credit
A revolving facility for businesses regularly purchasing and upgrading plant. Draw down as needed for new equipment purchases without applying for a new loan each time. Available to established businesses with strong trading history.
For ABN holders and owner operators
Low doc excavator finance for self employed operators
Most excavator and earthmoving finance in Australia is written on a low doc basis. Lenders in the yellow goods space understand that civil contractors and owner operators often have complex income structures, seasonal cashflow, and tax returns that do not reflect actual earnings.
Typical low doc requirements
- Active ABN (12 months plus preferred)
- 6 to 12 months business bank statements
- ABN certificate and personal ID
- Asset details — make, model, year, hours
- Clean or explainable credit file
What you typically do not need
- Two years of tax returns
- Full financial statements
- Accountant declarations
- BAS statements in most cases
- Long established trading history
Specialist category lending
Yellow goods finance — what makes it different
Yellow goods is the industry term for construction and earthmoving equipment — excavators, dozers, loaders, graders, and related plant. Lenders assess yellow goods finance differently to vehicles or general business equipment, and not all lenders on a broker's panel are equipped to handle it well.
Key factors lenders assess for yellow goods finance include the machine's hours rather than just its age, whether the configuration is standard or specialised, the resale market for that specific asset, the operator's project pipeline and contracts, and the geographic location where the machine will be working.
Thrift Capital has lender relationships specifically in the yellow goods and civil equipment space. We know which lenders are actively writing excavator deals, which ones are comfortable with high-hour machines, and which ones will consider used plant bought at auction. That knowledge is the difference between a smooth approval and three declined applications.
Why use a specialist broker
Why Thrift Capital for excavator finance?
Yellow goods finance is a specialist category. Going to a bank that primarily writes car loans will result in conservative valuations, slow assessments, and often a decline. Specialist lenders understand the earthmoving sector — but getting in front of the right one requires a broker who knows the market.
Yellow goods specialists on panel
We have lenders who specifically understand excavator and earthmoving finance — not just general equipment lenders who treat a 20-tonne excavator like a forklift or a delivery van.
Right lender, first time
Excavator applications declined by the wrong lender hurt your credit file and can make subsequent applications harder. We assess the deal before we touch your credit file.
New, used, and auction purchases
We arrange finance for new dealer stock, used machines bought privately, and equipment purchased at auction — including Ritchie Bros, Grays, and Purple Wagons.
Fast approvals
Most earthmoving equipment finance is approved within 24 to 48 hours. When an auction lot closes or a dealer deal needs to move, we can turn applications around quickly.
The process
How excavator finance works
Tell us about the machine and your situation
Make, model, year, hours, price, and whether it is new, used, or at auction. Plus your ABN, trading history, and what documentation you have available.
We identify the right lender
Based on the asset specifics, your trading history, and documentation, we select the lender most likely to approve you at the best available rate — before submitting anything.
Application submitted and assessed
We package your application correctly and submit. Most earthmoving equipment decisions come back within 24 hours. Auction purchases can be pre-approved before the sale.
Approved and settled
We manage settlement through to the machine being paid for and in your hands. Our service is free — lenders pay our commission. No upfront fees at any stage.
Ready to finance your next excavator?
No obligation. No upfront fees. No impact on your credit file until you are ready to proceed.
Common questions