Service
Forklift finance, for the machine your floor runs on.
Warehouses, workshops, yards and cool rooms all stop when the forklift does. We finance new and used forklifts and the batteries, chargers and attachments that make them work, with approvals sized and paced to the purchase.
- Founded by two former bankers
- Commercial and business finance specialists
- Perth based, working Australia wide
- MFAA member
Small machine, outsized downtime
Rockwall Finance arranges forklift finance for businesses across Perth, WA and Australia wide. Counterbalance forklifts in LPG, diesel and electric, reach trucks and order pickers for racking aisles, walkie stackers and pallet movers, rough terrain forklifts for yards and sites, and telehandlers where the work needs reach. We are a finance broker, so the machine is matched to a lender actively writing that class, rather than whatever product one bank has on the shelf.
Forklifts sit at a useful point in equipment lending: the amounts are modest, the security is strong, and lenders compete for the business. That makes the process faster and the documentation lighter than most equipment finance, often without full financials for established operators. The decisions that matter are practical ones: electric or combustion, new or used, buy or keep renting, and whether the battery, charger and attachments go into the facility. We work through those with you before the application.
What we finance
- Counterbalance forklifts: LPG, diesel and electric, new and used
- Reach trucks, order pickers, walkie stackers and pallet movers
- Rough terrain forklifts and telehandlers
- Batteries, chargers and charging infrastructure for electric fleets
- Attachments: rotators, clamps, jibs, slippers and side shifts
- Dealer, auction and private sale purchases
The rent versus own question
Plenty of businesses rent forklifts for years past the point where ownership would have been cheaper. Rental earns its keep for seasonal peaks, short projects and machines that work a few hours a week. Once the machine is on every shift, a financed purchase usually wins: the repayments are fixed and finite, the machine is yours at the end, and the all in cost over five years is typically well under the rental equivalent. The fair comparison includes servicing, which rental bundles in and ownership does not, so we run the numbers both ways rather than pretending one answer fits everyone.
Electric machines and the battery question
Electric forklifts shift the cost picture: the machine costs more upfront, the battery and charger are a real part of that cost, and the running costs are lower from day one. The finance should reflect it. Batteries, chargers and charging infrastructure can generally be funded with the machine, which avoids a five figure cash hit when a battery is part of the deal. On used electric machines, battery condition matters more than the hour meter, and we will tell you when a cheap machine with a tired battery is not the bargain it looks like.
Fast approvals, structured properly
Most forklift deals are funded under a chattel mortgage, with the machine securing its own loan and GST registered businesses generally claiming the GST at the next BAS. Straightforward deals for established entities can move quickly, often approved within a day or two. If the forklift is part of a bigger purchase, a warehouse fit out, racking, a truck with a tail lift, we fund the package as one picture across our equipment and asset finance work. And if your operation adds machines regularly, a master asset finance facility gives you an approved limit to draw against, so the next machine is a phone call rather than a new application.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to buy, finance or rent a forklift?
It depends on the hours the machine will work. Casual or seasonal use often suits rental, because you pay only when you need it. Once a forklift is working daily, ownership through finance is usually cheaper over the machine's life than long term rental, and the repayments are fixed rather than rising with the rental market. Financing also keeps your cash in the business instead of sinking it into a depreciating asset. The crossover point depends on your usage, the machine and the rental rates you are being quoted, and we are happy to run that comparison with you honestly.
Can I finance a used forklift?
Yes. Used forklifts from dealers are straightforward, and auction and private sale machines are financeable with ownership and encumbrance checks. Lenders pay attention to hours and battery condition more than age alone, because a low hour machine can be decades old and still have years of work in it. As with most equipment, the machine's age at the end of the term shapes the lender field and the term length, so an older unit simply wants a shorter loan.
Can batteries, chargers and attachments be included in the loan?
Generally, yes. For electric forklifts the battery and charger are a significant part of the real cost, and they can usually be financed with the machine, which matters because a replacement battery can run to a five figure sum. Attachments like rotators, clamps, jibs and slippers can be bundled in the same way, and so can delivery and commissioning costs with many lenders. Funding the working package as one keeps a single repayment against a machine that is actually ready to work.
Can a new business get forklift finance?
Usually, yes. Forklifts are modest ticket, strong security assets, which makes them one of the friendlier equipment classes for newer ABNs. Established businesses with clean credit can often access streamlined approvals without full financials. Newer entities may need a deposit, a director guarantee or simple supporting documents like BAS. Because the amounts are smaller than trucks or earthmoving plant, the approval process is generally faster too, often within a day or two for straightforward deals.
Get started
Want to talk it through?
Book a meeting or make an enquiry. We'll tell you whether it's fundable, how we'd structure it, and which lender we'd take it to. No obligation.