How Much Can You Borrow for a Feller Buncher?

Key highlights

• Capacity reflects turnover, credit, deposit and machine resale value
• High-value forestry gear draws closer lender scrutiny
• A deposit or trade-in can lift your effective borrowing power
• Indicative rates from around 6.55% p.a., subject to assessment
• One soft-checked application compares 80+ lenders at once

What determines your feller buncher borrowing limit?

Borrowing capacity for a feller buncher rests on the interplay between your business and the asset. Lenders assess annual turnover, existing commitments, credit history, time in business and deposit, then measure that against the machine's value as security. Because these units are expensive, the borrow is large and the assessment is thorough. For established operators with steady forestry income and clean credit, capacity can comfortably cover a substantial machine. Newer or smaller businesses may face a tighter ceiling until they build a track record. The clearer and stronger your financial picture, the more confidently a lender can extend capacity, always subject to their criteria and the specific unit's resale strength.

How much does cash flow influence the figure?

On a high-value asset, repayment capacity is decisive. Lenders need to see that your income covers a sizeable new repayment alongside existing debts, machinery costs and wages. Full financials, recent BAS or bank statements are often requested for larger borrows, because they demonstrate the money genuinely moving through your business. Forestry income can be seasonal or contract-driven, and experienced lenders understand this, so evidence of secured work or a strong trading year helps your case. The healthier and more predictable your cash flow, the larger the facility a lender will consider. Thin or erratic cash flow, by contrast, tends to pull the ceiling down regardless of the machine's value.

Does deposit or equity change what you can borrow?

Yes. A deposit reduces the amount financed and lowers the lender's exposure, which can lift both your approval odds and your effective borrowing power on a large machine. Trading in an existing unit or offering equity in another unencumbered asset works similarly. Some established operators still secure no-deposit finance for eligible applicants, but on a feller buncher a contribution can meaningfully improve terms and stretch your reach toward the machine you actually want. It's worth modelling scenarios with and without a deposit, because on a borrow this size even a modest contribution can change the repayments and the capacity a lender is comfortable offering.

How does the machine's value affect capacity?

The buncher is the lender's security, so its resale characteristics directly shape your borrowing figure. A newer machine from a major brand with a healthy second-hand market gives a lender confidence to lend more over a longer term. An older or niche unit may be financed with a shorter term or a larger deposit, because its future value is harder to gauge. Hours, condition and specification all feed in. Choosing a machine with strong resale fundamentals doesn't only help when you eventually sell; it can improve the capacity and terms available to you today, since the lender is more comfortable with the security behind the loan.

Why does trading history matter so much here?

For a large forestry borrow, your track record carries real weight. Two or more years of consistent ABN activity, clean credit and evidence of handling equipment finance before all reassure a lender that you can manage the commitment. This can raise your ceiling and, for some, open lighter-doc pathways. Newer businesses aren't excluded, but lenders typically want a larger deposit, supporting documents or a director with genuine forestry experience behind the operation. The longer and cleaner your history, the more room a lender has to extend capacity, because your past performance is the best available guide to how you'll handle a machine of this scale.

How can a broker help you borrow more?

Lenders assess capacity differently, and appetite for high-value forestry equipment varies widely across the market. The same application can produce noticeably different figures depending on where it lands. A broker knows which lenders are generous on cash-flow assessment, which specialise in forestry and which move quickly, then matches your profile to the best fit. By comparing 80+ banks and non-bank lenders in one soft-checked application, Overdrive avoids repeated credit enquiries and presents you at your strongest. On a machine this size, reaching the right lender can be the difference between borrowing what you need and being capped short of the machine you want.

To understand your borrowing capacity for a feller buncher, speak with Overdrive Machinery Finance. One application is compared across 80+ banks and non-bank lenders using a soft credit check that won't mark your file, and for eligible applicants decisions often arrive within 24 to 48 hours. Contact Simon Kendrick for an obligation-free quote and clear, plain-English guidance on the borrowing capacity, structure and term that suit your forestry business.