Yellow Iron
Yellow iron financing
Wheel loaders, skid steers and compact track loaders, backhoes, motor graders, compactors and rollers, articulated haulers and telehandlers — new or used, from a dealer, an auction or a private seller, with attachments financed on the same deal. Every credit profile considered, no blanket model-year rule.
- Loaders, skid steers & backhoes
- Graders, rollers, haulers & telehandlers
- Attachments financed with the machine
- New or used, any year
Updated September 15, 2026
Can I finance a used wheel loader or skid steer?
Yes — Avanti Equipment Finance finances yellow iron of every kind, new or used: wheel loaders, skid steers and compact track loaders, backhoes, motor graders, compactors and rollers, articulated haulers and telehandlers, bought from a dealer, an auction or a private seller, with attachments financed on the same deal. There is no blanket model-year cutoff on iron — hours, condition and the amount financed set the term. Every credit profile is considered on amounts from $20K to $500K+ with terms up to 72 months; skid steers, track loaders and most backhoes fit app-only programs with no tax returns, and most applicants get a decision in as little as 24 hours.
10+
Years of experience
24-hr
Approval decisions
49
States served
72-mo
Terms available
Why finance with Avanti
Yellow iron is the trade's own name for the machines that build everything: the loader at the pile, the skid steer that's on every site, the backhoe that digs and loads and backfills in one unit, the roller and the grader that finish the road. Most of it is bought used, much of it at auction, and a well-kept machine with real hours in it is exactly the kind of purchase that should be financed on its merits. We finance yellow iron of every kind, new or used, from a dealer, an auction or a private seller, with the buckets, forks, breakers and attachments on the same deal as the machine. There is no blanket model-year rule on iron here: hours, condition, service history and the amount financed set the term, so a ten-year-old loader with a documented life is financed as the collateral it is. Skid steers, compact track loaders and most backhoes fit the app-only program with no tax returns; larger loaders, graders and haulers over $300K get structured properly with a financial package. Strong credit and a few years in business can mean $0 down; challenged credit usually means a down payment, and you'll know the number before you put a deposit on anything. Decisions come back in as little as 24 hours, and we coordinate direct payment to the seller.
At a glance
- Amounts
- $20K – $500K+
- Terms
- Up to 72 months
- Credit
- A-paper to challenged
- Equipment
- New & used, any year
Which machines we finance
Any earthmoving, loading or finishing machine built for the jobsite, financed as one unit with its attachments. Excavators, bulldozers and cranes have their own pages; everything else lives here:
- Wheel loaders, from compact to production-size, and integrated tool carriers
- Skid steers and compact track loaders (CTLs), with buckets, forks, grapples, augers, brush cutters and breakers
- Backhoe loaders, two- and four-wheel-drive, with extendahoe and thumb
- Motor graders, including grade-control-equipped units
- Compactors and rollers — smooth-drum, padfoot, pneumatic and trench compactors
- Articulated dump trucks (ADTs) and off-road haulers
- Telehandlers and rough-terrain forklifts
- Crawler loaders, scrapers, trenchers and wheeled excavator-loaders
- New from a dealer, and used from a dealer, an auction or a private seller
Hours and condition set the term, not the model year
Iron isn't a truck. There is no blanket model-year cutoff on a loader, a backhoe or a roller here: a 2014 wheel loader with 6,000 careful hours and a fresh set of tires is better collateral than a 2020 with 9,000 hard ones, and it's financed that way. What sets the term is the remaining working life — hours, condition, service history — and the amount financed against the machine's value.
A lower-hour machine can carry the full 72 months; a high-hour unit is matched to a shorter term so the payment stays ahead of the wear. A dealer or third-party inspection report strengthens the file more than any single number on the listing.
Skid steers and compact track loaders: the first machine
For a landscaper, a concrete or fence contractor, a snow-removal outfit or a new site-work company, the skid steer or CTL is usually the first machine and the one that does everything. The tickets are smaller, the resale market is deep, and most fit the app-only program with no tax returns.
Newer businesses are welcome; plan on a down payment as a startup, and a compact machine keeps that number reasonable. Attachments bought with the machine — the auger, the grapple, the mulcher — are financed with it as one deal, and so is a trailer bought at the same time.
Used yellow-iron checklist
Each machine has its own expensive part. Before you agree on a price, check or have an inspector check:
- Wheel loader — articulation joint and center pins for play, transmission shifting under load, bucket pins and bushings, and the tires (a set of loader tires is real money)
- Skid steer / CTL — lift-arm pins, quick-attach plate and locks, hydraulic cylinders and hoses, and on a CTL the undercarriage: tracks, rollers, idlers and sprockets
- Backhoe — swing tower and stabilizer cylinders, extendahoe wear, loader arms, four-wheel-drive engagement
- Roller / compactor — drum surface and bearings, vibration system, scrapers and water system, articulation joint
- Motor grader — circle and moldboard wear, blade lift cylinders, tandem drive, any grade-control hardware
- ADT / hauler — articulation and oscillation joints, dump-body wear, suspension, tires
- Every machine — hour meter against telematics or service records, cold start, blow-by, and DEF and emissions history on Tier 4 units
What to send us about the machine
A listing or a dealer quote lets us review the actual machine instead of a price alone. Have these ready:
- Make, model, year, serial number and asking price
- Hours, and size class or operating weight
- Attachments included in the price
- Dealer, auction or private seller's name and contact information
- Any inspection report or service records
- The down payment you have available and your business start date
Documents depend on your application
You can start with a short application and the machine details. We will let you know what supporting documents your profile requires. If bank statements are requested, provide:
- Last 3 months of business bank statements — all pages, PDF downloads from online banking (no photos or partial pages)
How it works
1
Pick your equipment
Choose the truck or machine you need — from a dealer or a private seller, new or used.
2
Apply in minutes
A short application and the equipment details. We review your credit to pre-qualify, usually in just a few minutes.
3
Get a decision
Decisions come back in as little as 24 hours, with terms matched to your credit and time in business.
4
Get funded
Sign, and we coordinate funding — usually within a few days — so your equipment can get to work.
Yellow iron financing at a glance
The program, stated plainly: what qualifies, what it takes, and what to expect.
| Equipment financed | New, used and higher-hour wheel loaders, skid steers and track loaders, backhoes, graders, compactors, haulers and telehandlers, with their attachments. The term is set by hours, condition and the amount financed — no blanket model-year cutoff. |
|---|---|
| Where you can buy | Dealers, auctions and private sellers. A private-party purchase gets the same terms as a dealer deal — the title, any lien payoff and direct payment to the seller are handled for you. |
| Credit profiles | Every profile — A-paper to challenged credit, thin credit, past (discharged) bankruptcy, and startups under two years in business. |
| Amounts and terms | $20,000 to $500,000+ with terms up to 72 months. |
| Down payment | Strong credit and time in business can mean $0 down. Challenged credit (under 600) typically pairs with 30–40% down; there is no blanket model-year rule on iron — hours and condition set the term. Owned, titled equipment can be pledged to lower the cash at closing, and you'll know the number before you put a deposit on anything. |
| Paperwork | App-only programs with no tax returns on many deals under $300,000. Over $300,000, plan on a financial package — two years of tax returns, a balance sheet, a P&L and bank statements. Bank statements are asked for on smaller deals only when the credit profile calls for them. |
| Decision and funding | Decisions in as little as 24 hours from a short online application. Avanti coordinates funding through its lending partners, paid directly to the seller — usually within a few days — for businesses in 49 states, fully remote. |
Frequently asked questions
What is yellow iron?
The trade's name for heavy construction equipment — loaders, skid steers, backhoes, graders, rollers, haulers, excavators and dozers — from the yellow paint most of it wears. This page covers the loaders, skid steers, backhoes, graders, compactors, haulers and telehandlers; excavators, bulldozers and cranes have their own pages.
Is there an age or hours cutoff on used yellow iron?
No blanket model-year cutoff. Hours, condition, service history and the amount financed set the term. A lower-hour machine can carry the full 72 months; a high-hour unit is matched to a shorter term. An inspection report strengthens any used-machine file.
Can I finance a skid steer as a new business?
Yes. A skid steer or compact track loader is the most common first machine, and businesses under two years old are welcome. Plan on a down payment as a startup; a compact machine keeps that number reasonable, and most of these tickets fit the app-only program with no tax returns.
Can I include attachments in the financing?
Yes. Buckets, forks, grapples, augers, breakers, mulchers and quick couplers bought with the machine are financed as one deal with one payment. A trailer bought at the same time can be included too.
Can I buy yellow iron at auction or from a private seller?
Yes. Auction and private-party purchases get the same terms as a dealer purchase. We verify the machine and the seller, handle the title and any lien payoff, and coordinate direct payment to the seller.
How much down payment do I need?
Strong credit and a few years in business can mean $0 down. Challenged credit or a newer business typically means a down payment, often 20 to 40 percent, and owned equipment can be pledged to lower it. You'll know the exact number before you commit to a machine.
What paperwork does a yellow-iron deal need?
Under $300K, app-only programs are often available with no tax returns. Over $300K — a production loader, a grader or a hauler — expect a financial package: the last two years of tax returns, a balance sheet, a P&L and bank statements. Decisions come in as little as 24 hours either way.
Related financing
- Construction equipment financingExcavators, dozers, loaders and skid steers, new or used.
- Crane financingRough-terrain, all-terrain, crawler and carry-deck cranes — larger tickets structured properly.
- Dump truck financingSingle-axle through tri-axle dump trucks for contractors and haulers.
- Vocational truck financingBucket, boom, service and utility trucks — app-only on many deals.