Quarryfield Capital Group, a small-business funding broker in Hillsboro, Oregon, arranges equipment financing and leasing through lending partners for dental chairs, kitchen lines, compact loaders, service vans and other business assets, new or used. In most deals the asset itself is the collateral. Partners review the quote, the asset and cash flow, decide on credit and set rates and terms.
| Pays for | Machines, chairs, ovens, tools, work vehicles |
|---|---|
| Collateral | Usually the equipment itself |
| Structures | Equipment loan, lease, or finance agreement |
| Used assets | Financeable when age and hours check out |
| Partners examine | Vendor quote, the asset, deposits |
| Who decides | The lending partner |
Three structures, three ownership rules
| Equipment loan | Lease | Equipment finance agreement (EFA) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title while payments run | Your company holds title; the lender holds a lien | The lessor | Your business, with the funder secured |
| At the end | Lien lifted once the final payment clears | Return it, renew, or buy at the lease's stated price | You keep the asset |
| Down payment | Often required | First and final payment up front is common | Varies |
| Suits | Machines you will run for a decade | Assets replaced on a cycle | Owners who want a loan-like deal with simpler papers |
The labels vary between partners, so read what the contract actually says about title, end-of-term options and what happens if the asset is damaged or lost.
FMV lease versus the $1 purchase option
A fair market value lease lets you buy the equipment at the end for whatever it is worth then, or hand it back. Payments tend to be lower because the lessor expects the asset to keep some value. A $1 buyout lease is close to a purchase: payments are higher, and at the end the equipment is yours for a token amount.
The choice usually turns on how long you will keep the asset. Imaging equipment or point-of-sale hardware that gets replaced every few years may suit a fair market value lease. A compact excavator or a refrigerated cold room you plan to run for a decade usually suits a buyout lease or a loan.
Second-hand machines and job-site vans
Used equipment can be financed, but partners look harder at age, hours, condition and whether the seller is a dealer or a private party. Expect shorter terms on older assets and requests for photos, serial numbers or an inspection report.
Work vehicles are a frequent request from contractors: a service van, a pickup with a utility body, a dump trailer. Partners treat these like other equipment, financed against the vehicle itself. We do not arrange trucking or freight-hauling funding; vehicles here means the vans and pickups a trade business uses to reach job sites.
Equipment needs across Washington County, OR
The county's confirmed partner sectors each run on specific equipment. Washington County, OR had 1,826 construction employer establishments in 2023, 1,346 food service and drinking places, and 345 offices of dentists (County Business Patterns 2023). That covers compact loaders and trailers, kitchen lines and refrigeration, and operatory chairs and imaging units.
Our post on financing a dental practice in Washington County, Oregon compares equipment financing with a term loan and a credit line for a practice. The sector pages cover contractors and restaurants, and the Washington County picture is on our Hillsboro, OR page.
Freight, install and setup on the invoice
A quote for a dental imaging unit or a commercial dish machine often comes with delivery, installation, electrical work and operator training listed separately. Some partners will fold those soft costs into the financed amount; others cover only the hardware and expect the business to pay the rest. Ask the vendor for an itemized quote so the partner can see exactly what is being financed.
Insurance is the other line owners forget. Most equipment agreements require the asset to be insured, with the funder named on the policy, from the day it is delivered.
Financing the machine itself versus a general loan
When the purchase is a single identifiable asset, equipment financing often makes more sense than a general term loan: the asset secures the deal, other business assets stay free, and the term can be matched to the asset's useful life. A term loan fits better when the money covers a mix of equipment, build-out and opening costs that cannot all serve as collateral.
What partners usually review
- The vendor quote or invoice, with make, model and price.
- For used assets: age, hours, condition and seller type.
- Business bank statements and, for larger deals, tax returns.
- Time in operation and entity status.
The four steps explain how we prepare an equipment request, and all six options are compared in one place. Tax treatment of a lease or loan is a question for your accountant.
By Quarryfield Capital Group · Updated