Finance question
Wet hire vs buy vs finance for machinery?
It depends on how often you use the machine and whether you want to own it. Wet hire suits short or one-off jobs where you need the gear and an operator for a few days. Buying outright ties up cash you may need elsewhere. Financing lets you own the machine and build a fleet while spreading the cost, secured by the asset, with approvals often in 24 to 48 hours.
Get your free rate quote
Tell us a few details and we will come back with your indicative rate. No obligation.
Thanks, we are on it
Your enquiry is in. Our team will be in touch shortly with your indicative rate and next steps.
The short answer
Match the method to how the machine earns
Wet hire makes sense when the work is short, seasonal or unpredictable. You get the machine and an operator for the days you need them, with no long commitment. The trade-off is that the rate per day is high, you never build equity, and the gear may not be available the moment a job lands.
Buying outright with cash removes ongoing payments, but it drains working capital. Money that could cover wages, materials or the next contract is now locked inside one machine. For a growing operation that cash cushion is usually worth more than owning the asset debt-free from day one.
Financing sits between the two. You own the machine, it secures its own loan, and the cost is spread over its working life. That keeps cash free while you build an owned fleet. Deals reach up to $500,000, often with low-doc or no-doc approval across 40+ lenders, secured by the machine itself.
Do you qualify?
When financing beats hire or buying.
Steady utilisation
If the machine works most weeks, owning it usually beats hiring it.
Cash to protect
Finance keeps working capital free instead of sinking it into one asset.
A fleet to build
Each financed machine becomes an owned asset on your books.
An active ABN
Sole traders and companies both qualify.
Why financing usually wins for regular work
You own the asset
Unlike wet hire, every payment builds toward outright ownership.
Cash stays free
Spreading the cost leaves capital for wages, jobs and growth.
The machine secures it
Security in the plant keeps the deal simple and often low-doc.
A real example
A civil contractor hires an excavator at a daily rate for a run of jobs and the hire bill mounts fast. Financing a used unit instead, secured on the machine, gives a monthly payment below the ongoing hire cost, and the machine is theirs at the end. Illustrative only.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
When is wet hire still the better call?
For one-off or short jobs where you need the machine and an operator for a few days, hire avoids a long commitment.
Can I finance a used machine, not just new?
Yes, used plant is commonly financed within age limits, priced on its type and condition.
How fast can machinery finance be approved?
Often within 24 to 48 hours on low-doc or no-doc deals, subject to lender assessment.
Does financing tie up my cash like buying does?
No. The cost is spread over the machine's working life, so your working capital stays free.