Arboriculture and forestry equipment finance for chippers, grinders and extraction kit

Tree work and forestry are different buying decisions

An arboricultural business doing domestic and commercial tree surgery is usually choosing between chipper sizes, towed or tracked chassis, stump grinders that fit through a garden gate and perhaps an access platform. Its kit moves between many small sites each week.

A forestry contractor may be looking at forwarders, harvesters, timber cranes, winches or firewood processors that stay on a single site for longer. These are higher-value, more specialised machines, and lender appetite for them, especially used, varies considerably case by case.

• Towed and tracked wood chippers
• Stump grinders, compact and larger
• Tracked carriers and access platforms
• Forestry winches, forwarders and timber cranes
• Firewood processors and splitters
• Support vehicles and trailers

Site access shapes the right machine

A large-capacity chipper is no use if it cannot get past a side passage, and a heavy machine on soft woodland ground can lose days. Think about the narrowest access you routinely face, ground conditions through winter and whether tracked or towed units suit your work. Buying the wrong size can tie you to repayments on a machine you have to hire around.

Training, maintenance and safety are not part of the finance

Chippers, grinders and forestry machinery carry serious operating risks. The Health and Safety Executive publishes guidance on tree work in Great Britain; Northern Ireland has its own regulator. Training requirements depend on the task and equipment, so check what applies to your team rather than assuming every tool or operator needs the same thing. Small hand tools are often bought outright rather than financed.

Servicing, blades, teeth, guards and insurance are generally separate from a finance agreement unless it clearly says otherwise. Downtime on a chipper during a busy period costs work, so know how you will maintain the machine and source parts.

Permissions for felling are separate

In England, felling trees may need a felling licence from the Forestry Commission, and other permissions, such as tree preservation orders or conservation area rules, may also apply. There are exceptions. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements. A lender approving a forestry machine does not mean any particular job is permitted, and expected felling contracts are not guaranteed work.