Sale-Leaseback for Scissor Lifts Financing

Own scissor lifts free and clear? A sale-leaseback converts that equity into working capital while you keep using the equipment. We fund from $50k.

Eight 26-foot slab electrics sitting on your yard, owned free and clear, represent real capital. That capital is not doing anything for you as iron on the lot. A sale-leaseback converts it: we buy the units from you at an agreed value, then lease them back immediately, so the decks keep working on the same job sites while cash moves from our account to yours. You get working capital today; you continue to control the equipment under a lease agreement. The total outflow is a fixed monthly lease payment, which is typically lower than a loan payment on the same balance because you are not financing toward ownership.

We structure scissor lift sale-leasebacks from $50,000 and handle both single-unit and fleet transactions. Operators with equipment paid down or fully owned are the primary profile, but we also work with buyers who have partial equity and want to pull that value out while refinancing the remaining balance simultaneously.

How a Scissor Lift Sale-Leaseback Works

The transaction has two parts that execute simultaneously. First, we purchase the equipment from you. The purchase price is based on current fair market value, which we determine by appraising the units against current market data for the specific make, model, year, and hours. Second, we execute a lease agreement under which you immediately rent the equipment back from us at a fixed monthly payment over an agreed term, typically 24 to 60 months. The resulting lease may be structured as an FMV lease with end-of-term options or a dollar buyout lease if you intend to reacquire title at term end.

From an operational standpoint, nothing changes. The decks stay where they are, the crew keeps using them, and the jobs keep running. The change is on the balance sheet: the equipment moves off your fixed assets and the lease obligation appears in its place, while the cash from the sale appears as a cash inflow. For many operators, the balance-sheet treatment is a secondary consideration to the immediate liquidity question, but it is worth discussing with your accountant regardless.

At the end of the lease term, you typically have three options: return the units, renew the lease, or purchase them at fair market value. The specific end-of-term options depend on how the lease is structured; we will spell those out clearly before you sign.

When a Sale-Leaseback Fits the Situation

The sale-leaseback is the right tool in a specific set of circumstances. You need working capital and you have equipment equity. You cannot or do not want to take on new debt. You want to continue using the equipment without interruption. Each of those conditions points toward a leaseback rather than a loan or a refinance.

Common triggers: a project that requires a cash deposit or bonding you do not currently have liquid. A supplier requiring prepayment for a large material order. A business acquisition where the purchase price exceeds available cash. A slow period that has drawn down the operating account and the next contract is starting in six weeks. In each of these situations, owned equipment is the asset that can generate cash quickly without requiring you to sell the units and replace them with rentals.

Equipment rental companies do sale-leasebacks as a deliberate capital management strategy, not just a crisis response. Owning equipment free and clear ties up capital that could be deployed in new inventory. A rolling leaseback program keeps the fleet current while keeping cash available for growth.

For general contractors with a large fleet of self-propelled scissor lifts, a leaseback can fund a bid bond, mobilize for a new project, or cover a cash-flow gap between draws on a long-term job without disrupting the equipment fleet that is keeping those jobs moving.

What Equipment Qualifies

The best leaseback candidates are late-model, well-maintained units from recognized manufacturers with strong secondary-market demand. Electric slab scissors from JLG, Genie, and Skyjack in the 19-foot to 40-foot height range with documented service histories are ideal collateral. These units hold value, have a broad buyer market, and carry predictable residual values that make leaseback structures clean to underwrite. A fleet of warehouse-duty slab scissors with under 1,500 hours each is the kind of collateral that produces favorable advance amounts and clean deal execution.

Rough-terrain and RT scissor lifts are also leaseable, though the residual market is more regional and value can vary more by geography and condition. Units above 10 years old or with significant hours may qualify for a shorter-term leaseback at a lower advance rate rather than a standard 48-60 month structure.

Title must be clear or, if there is an existing lien, the leaseback proceeds must be sufficient to pay off the current lender at closing. We handle partial-equity situations by simultaneously paying off the existing note and remitting the remaining net proceeds to you. For operators who completed an equipment loan and now own the units free and clear, the leaseback converts that accumulated equity directly into capital without any payoff deduction.

Units owned free-and-clear or with partial equity both eligible
Major manufacturer brands preferred: JLG, Genie, Skyjack, MEC, Snorkel, Haulotte
Equipment must be in working condition with no major undisclosed damage
Clean title or sufficient equity to pay off existing lien required at closing

Find Out What Your Fleet Is Worth

Give us the unit list (make, model, year, approximate hours) and we will come back with a leaseback quote, including the advance amount and the monthly payment. Most completed files close after seller documents are ready from inquiry. We fund from $50,000 and there is no cost to get a quote.

Questions operators ask

Clear answers before the lift moves.

Open a question for the practical details on equipment, documents, timing, and structure.

Can I do a sale-leaseback if I already have a loan on the scissor lifts?

Yes, provided there is enough equity in the units to cover the payoff. We simultaneously pay off your existing lender and remit the net proceeds to you. If the units are deeply underwater, the math may not work, but partial-equity situations are handled regularly.

How is the purchase price determined in a sale-leaseback?

We appraise the units based on current secondary market values for the specific make, model, year, and hours. We do not use book value or arbitrary percentages. The goal is to advance the maximum defensible amount given the equipment's actual market worth.

What happens to the equipment at the end of the leaseback term?

End-of-term options depend on how the lease is structured. Most of our leaseback arrangements include options to renew, return, or purchase. We walk through these options in detail before you sign so you know exactly what your choices are at term end.

Does a sale-leaseback affect how my crew uses the equipment day-to-day?

No operational changes result from a leaseback. The equipment stays on your sites, in your control, operated by your crew under your safety program. The only change is that a financing company holds title during the lease term.

Is the sale-leaseback income taxable?

The proceeds from the sale portion of a leaseback may be taxable as gain on the sale of equipment, depending on your depreciation history and cost basis. The lease payments are typically deductible. This is a conversation for your accountant before you close the transaction.

Sale-Leaseback for Scissor Lifts

How a Scissor Lift Sale-Leaseback Works

When a Sale-Leaseback Fits the Situation

What Equipment Qualifies

Find Out What Your Fleet Is Worth

Clear answers before the lift moves.

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