Pros and cons of equipment loans

For many business owners, buying equipment is an important part of owning and running a business. But depending on the machinery you need, it can cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Equipment loans can help bridge the gap and are specifically designed to help businesses purchase equipment. It uses the equipment itself as collateral for the loan, making it less risky for the lender and lowering upfront costs. Equipment loans also tend to have lenient eligibility requirements than other loans because of the built-in collateral. Businesses may qualify with less-than-perfect credit or little time in business.

According to the Federal Reserve Banks’ 2023 Small Business Credit Survey, 13 percent of small business loan applications in 2023 were for auto or equipment loans, with 73 percent of those applications fully approved. While equipment loans can help companies purchase essential machinery or equipment, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of equipment loans before signing on the dotted line.

Compare the pros and cons of equipment loans

Pros

• Easily available
• Fast funding
• No need for additional collateral
• Offers flexible financing
• Build credit
• Provides tax incentives
• Ownership instead of renting

Cons

• Limited to financing equipment
• May require a down payment
• Loan could outlast life of equipment
• Maintenence costs extra

Pros of equipment loans

If you need to acquire equipment for your business, there are lots of pros to using an equipment loan.

Easily available

Equipment loans are a common type of loan that you can get from many banks or lenders. It tends to offer lenient eligibility requirements, making them easy to obtain, even if your business is a startup or you don’t have great credit. You can also get an equipment loan for different types of equipment regardless of the industry your business is in.

Fast funding

Many lenders offer relatively quick funding for equipment loans, especially if you go with an online lender. You may be able to receive funds in as little as 24 hours.

No need for additional collateral

With an equipment loan, your company does not need additional assets to secure the loan. The equipment you buy serves as collateral.

Offers flexible financing

Equipment financing saves you from having to tie up large sums of cash purchasing equipment. With a loan, you spread the cost over the life of the loan, which can be anywhere from three and 10 years. The longer the repayment term, the more interest you pay overall. But longer terms can make payments more affordable each month.

Build credit

Getting any kind of loan can help your company build credit, but an equipment loan is one of the easier ways to start building credit. They’re usually easy to qualify for, even if your company has no operating history. Just be sure to check that the lender reports your loan activity to the credit bureaus and check whether they report to personal or business credit bureaus.

Provides tax breaks

Section 179 of the IRS tax code allows you to write off the total cost of the equipment or machinery the year you bought it, even though you’re making payments and don’t yet own it in full. Depending on the equipment value, this can result in considerable tax savings. The total equipment value for 2024 is $3.05 million, and you can write off up to $1.22 million.

Ownership instead of renting

Leasing equipment is like renting, you pay to borrow it but then have to return it without getting any of the investment benefits. When you finance business equipment, you get to keep it, even after paying off the loan. This is especially beneficial for equipment that will last longer than your loan term, such as office or restaurant furniture and farm equipment.

Cons of equipment financing

Before getting an equipment loan, you have to consider the drawbacks before applying.

Limited to financing equipment

Equipment financing is limited in use. You can only use it to purchase, lease or repair equipment and only equipment that the lender agrees is adequate to serve as collateral. You’ll need other types of loans for other purposes.

May require down payments

Many equipment loans require a down payment of as much as 20 percent of the equipment’s cost. If you’re buying something expensive, you might need a lot of cash, or you may have to look into leasing if you can’t afford a sizable down payment.

Loan could outlast the life of equipment

There’s a chance, especially if you get a long-term loan, that the loan will outlast the equipment you purchase. For example, if you get a 15-year loan, but the equipment breaks after ten years, you’re stuck with five years of payments for something you can’t use anymore.

Even if it doesn’t break, it may still wear out, become less useful, or become obsolete. Before signing for equipment financing, make sure the equipment will outlast your loan term.

Maintenence costs extra

Just like financing a vehicle, you’re still responsible for maintenance costs and repairs if the equipment breaks down while you’re making payments on the loan. Though some maintenance is routine and expected, making it easier to factor into your monthly expenses, the equipment may break down at any time, increasing the overall cost of owning it.

How to determine if an equipment loan is right for you?

An equipment loan makes sense for your business if you can’t afford to buy it outright and are looking for low overall loan costs. Because the loan is backed by the equipment, you need to be willing to use the equipment as collateral.

If you don’t want to use the equipment as collateral, you may be better off with other business loans, like an unsecured term loan. For very small equipment purchases, a business line of credit might be a more cost-effective option. But if you don’t have great credit, such as a 500 personal credit score, you might look into alternative financing, like a merchant cash advance.

Should you finance equipment?

Whether you finance your equipment purchase depends on how much capital your business has and how much extra you’re able to pay for equipment purchases.

Many businesses use an equipment loan to help them keep capital and cash flow within their business, paying off the equipment in small increments. But if you have plenty of capital, you could save money on interest by buying the equipment outright.

Bottom line

Equipment financing is flexible and widely available, even for startups and businesses needing bad credit financing. Shop around to compare equipment loans from a few sources to ensure you get the best rate and lowest fees. You can also compare equipment loans with other top loans on the market to make sure you’re choosing the best option.

Frequently asked questions about equipment financing

• What credit score do you need for equipment financing?

  One of the benefits of equipment financing is that it’s easier to qualify for than other loans. Each lender will set its own minimum credit score requirements, but a minimum personal credit score of 575 or 600 isn’t unusual. Keep in mind that a credit score is just one factor lenders consider. They’ll also examine your revenue, operating history, down payment, and other factors.

• What equipment can be financed?

  You can finance almost any equipment for a business, from heavy equipment to storage tools to IT systems. Examples include cranes, excavators, trucks, servers, software, computers, food packaging tools, industrial coolers and box makers.

• How hard is it to get an equipment loan?

  Equipment loans typically are not hard to get. You can qualify for one with moderate credit and a sufficient down payment, even if you’re running a startup.