Skid Steer Financing
Skid steers and compact track loaders, new or used, financed together with the attachments, trailer or second machine that make the package.
Skid steers and compact track loaders, new or used, financed together with the attachments, trailer or second machine that make the package.
Updated October 2026
Skid steer financing is a loan or lease on a skid steer or compact track loader, usually 6–22% APR over 2–5 years with 0–20% down. A new machine costs roughly $40K–$120K, so a single new unit clears Bay Street’s $25K minimum on its own. Many used skid steers sell for less than that, which is why most deals are packages: the machine plus a mulcher, grapple, auger or trencher and the trailer to haul it, all on one invoice and one payment.
| Typical amount | $40K–$250K: one machine with attachments, up to a small compact fleet |
|---|---|
| Rates | 6–22% APR |
| Terms | 24–60 months |
| Down payment | 0–20%; newer businesses usually put 10–20% down |
| Credit | 600+ typical |
| Minimum | $25K per deal; pair a used machine with attachments or a trailer to reach it |
| Attachments | Financed with the machine when on the same invoice |
| Speed | 1–3 business days for a clean file |
| Equipment | New | Used |
|---|---|---|
| Small-frame skid steer (under 1,750 lb rated capacity) | $40K–$60K | $15K–$35K |
| Medium and large-frame skid steer (1,750–3,500 lb) | $60K–$95K | $25K–$60K |
| Compact track loader | $65K–$120K | $30K–$85K |
| High-flow forestry mulcher attachment | $15K–$50K | $8K–$30K |
| Equipment trailer (14–20 ft) | $8K–$20K | $4K–$12K |
Typical 2026 pricing. High-flow hydraulics, an enclosed cab with heat and air conditioning, and a two-speed drive add to the machine price. Rubber tracks on a track loader cost a few thousand dollars a pair to replace.
Illustrative level monthly payments on the amount financed. Rates depend on credit, time in business, the equipment and the lender.
| Example | Financed | APR · term | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New track loader with high-flow mulcher | $110K | 10% · 48 mo | $2,790/mo |
| Used skid steer, bucket, forks and trailer | $45K | 14% · 36 mo | $1,540/mo |
| Two-machine landscaping package | $170K | 9.5% · 60 mo | $3,570/mo |
A skid steer is a carrier for tools. The machine itself does little until a bucket, forks, a grapple, an auger or a mulcher goes on the front, and those attachments are often what let a business charge for the work. Buyers tend to price the whole set up at once, and financing works best the same way: the machine, the attachments and the trailer on one invoice, with one payment.
Packaging also solves the minimum. Bay Street finances from $25,000 per deal. A new machine clears that on its own. A used skid steer at $18K does not, but the same machine with a grapple, a pallet fork and a 16-foot trailer usually does. If the trailer comes from a different dealer, send both invoices with the application; most lenders will pay each seller directly.
Wheeled skid steers cost less to buy, run faster on hard surfaces, and are cheaper to keep in tires. Compact track loaders cost more and wear tracks, but spread the machine’s weight over a larger footprint, so they work on soft ground, mud and slopes where a wheeled machine would sink or spin. Landscapers, site-prep crews and land clearers tend to run tracks; paving, demolition, warehouse and snow work often runs wheels.
Lenders treat both as strong collateral with deep resale markets. The terms are similar; the choice is about the ground you work on.
Each attachment is a line of work. The ones that most often justify the financing:
All of them can go on the same financing as the machine when they are on the same invoice.
Used skid steers are everywhere, and condition varies widely. Many lenders get cautious past about 3,000–4,000 hours unless service records are strong. What to check:
On a private sale the lender runs a lien search and pays the seller. At an auction, get pre-approved first.
A skid steer is the machine most small outdoor-services businesses buy first: landscapers, fence installers, excavation and drainage crews, property maintenance and snow contractors. Businesses under two years old can qualify, usually with 10–20% down and solid personal credit. A signed contract, a list of recurring customers or a winter snow contract makes the approval easier.
For the operating side, see working capital for landscaping. For a larger loader, see wheel loader financing, and for digging, excavator financing, which covers mini and compact excavators.
Dealer rent-to-own programs let you start with a rental and apply part of the rent to a purchase. They are useful when you are not sure the work will last, but the rent that goes toward ownership is usually less than a loan payment would build. If you know you will use the machine most of the year, financing the purchase from the start costs less.
A financed skid steer and its attachments qualify for Section 179 like a cash purchase, up to $2,560,000 for tax years beginning in 2026, when placed in service by December 31. Confirm with your CPA.
What each structure costs on a new compact track loader with a high-flow mulcher: $110,000 over 48 months at 10% in every row, so only the structure differs. The leases assume no down payment, though many lessors collect the first payment, or the first and last, at signing.
| Structure | Upfront | Monthly | At the end | Total if you keep it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loan, 10% down | $11,000 | $2,510 | You own it | $131,520 |
| $1 buyout lease | $0 | $2,790 | Buy it for $1 | $133,920 |
| Fair-market-value lease | $0 | $2,230 | Return it, or buy at market value (assumed $33,000) | $139,940 |
For taxes, a $1 buyout lease is usually treated like a purchase, so Section 179 applies as it does to a loan. A fair-market-value lease is usually true leases: you deduct the payments and the lessor takes the depreciation. Confirm with your CPA. For the general comparison, see leasing vs financing in the equipment financing guide.
Lease-to-own through a lender is the $1 buyout row: a fixed payment from the first month and the machine is yours at the end, with no rental premium. An FMV lease on a compact loader comes with an annual hour allowance; a lease priced for light use will charge for a machine that runs every day, so match the allowance to your season.
Fuel, a second crew, a trailer upgrade or a slow month in early spring are better funded with working capital than stretched onto an equipment payment. For a multi-machine package with a mini excavator or loader, see heavy equipment financing, or apply once at equipment financing and we will compare offers across 100+ funding partners.
Yes. Used skid steers and track loaders finance routinely. Lenders look at hours, pin and bushing wear, hydraulics and how old the machine will be at the end of the term.
Bay Street’s minimum is $25,000 per deal. A new skid steer clears it on its own. A lower-priced used machine can reach it when attachments, a trailer or a second machine are on the same deal.
Yes. Buckets, forks, grapples, mulchers, augers, trenchers and the trailer to haul them can be financed with the machine when they are invoiced together. If they come from different sellers, send every invoice with the application.
Financed over 48 months at 10% APR, $110,000 is about $2,790 a month. A $45,000 used skid steer package over 36 months at 14% APR is about $1,540 a month.
Both finance on similar terms because both have deep resale markets. A track loader costs more, so the payment is higher, but lenders do not treat one as riskier than the other.
Often, yes, with 10 to 20 percent down and solid personal credit. Recurring customers or a signed contract, including a winter snow contract, make the approval easier.
Yes. A $1 buyout lease from a lender is lease-to-own with a fixed payment from the first month. On a new compact track loader with a high-flow mulcher at $110,000 over 48 months at 10%, a $1 buyout lease runs about $2,790 a month, and a fair-market-value lease about $2,230 if the lessor assumes a $33,000 residual. Dealer rent-to-own programs start as rentals and credit only part of each payment toward the purchase, so they usually cost more to own.
One application goes to 100+ funding partners, with no impact on your credit score. Send a quote or invoice and we will come back with real numbers.
