Generators, coffee machines and gear: equipment funding for mobile traders

Sometimes the truck is fine and it’s the gear that’s holding you back. The generator is so loud that organisers put you at the far end of the car park. The espresso machine can’t keep up with the Saturday rush. The fridge is working so hard it’s costing you stock. None of that needs a new truck — it needs an equipment upgrade, and a way to pay for it that doesn’t wipe out your buffer.

What equipment do mobile traders fund?

The usual suspects:

• Power: generators (inverter models are quieter), battery banks, inverters, solar panels, shore-power leads
• Coffee: espresso machines, grinders, water filtration, milk fridges
• Cooking: fryers, grills, pizza ovens, induction cooktops, bain-maries
• Cold storage: upright and under-bench fridges, freezers, portable cool rooms
• Service: point-of-sale systems, card terminals, menu screens, lighting
• Set-up: gazebos, flooring, barriers, signage for stalls and pop-ups

Why upgrade before you have to?

Good equipment earns its keep in ways that don’t always show up on the invoice:

Upgrade	How it can pay back
Quieter generator or batteries	Access to better sites and events with noise limits
Bigger coffee machine	Shorter queues, fewer walk-aways at peak
Extra fryer or grill	More serves per hour at festivals
Reliable fridges	Less spoiled stock, fewer food safety headaches
Faster POS and card terminals	Quicker service, cleaner records for your BAS

The best upgrades are the ones where you can point at lost sales. If you counted people walking away from your queue last summer, you already have the start of a business case.

How do lenders look at an equipment upgrade?

For an established trader, this is often a simple conversation. Your bank statements show what the business earns, and the upgrade has a clear purpose. Gear upgrades for a trading rig usually fit well inside the unsecured band of $5k to $500k, with the limit set by turnover. Larger projects — say, a full power system for a fleet — might suit property-secured options from $20,000 if you own property.

Bring a supplier quote, and be ready to explain what the upgrade changes. Lenders like upgrades that make the business earn more or lose less.

Thinking about a gear upgrade before next season? See if you qualify — a minute or two, and no credit check to find out.

What about fuel tax credits on generators?

Here’s one many traders miss. The ATO’s list of eligible fuel tax credit activities includes “electricity generation by commercial generator plant, stationary generator or a portable generator”. The ATO also says you must be registered for GST when you acquire the fuel and registered for fuel tax credits when you claim.

That’s different from the fuel in your vehicle. The ATO says you can’t claim fuel tax credits for fuel used in light vehicles on public roads. Heavy vehicles over 4.5 tonnes GVM have their own rules. Keep generator fuel receipts separate from vehicle fuel so the claim is easy to support, and ask your accountant how to calculate it.

Instant asset write-off and GST

The ATO’s instant asset write-off lets eligible small businesses with aggregated turnover under $10 million immediately deduct individual assets costing less than $20,000. The ATO says this threshold has been made permanent from 1 July 2026. Because many pieces of mobile equipment fall under $20,000, the write-off can be relevant to generators, machines and fridges — but the full cost of each asset must be under the limit. If you’re registered for GST, you can generally claim a GST credit on the purchase with a tax invoice. Our guide to buying a work van and the tax that comes with it explains the write-off in more detail.

Illustrative example: a coffee van owner keeps losing a Sunday farmers market spot because the organiser has banned petrol generators near food stalls. A battery and inverter system costs a fair chunk upfront, but it wins back the site. The owner funds it against the van’s steady turnover and claims the deduction in the year it’s installed, after checking with their accountant. (Illustrative only.)

When gear fails mid-season

A dead machine in December is a different problem from a planned upgrade. You need it replaced this week, not next month. Our page on funding when the rig’s off the road covers urgent repairs and replacements, and how to keep repayments sensible when you’re already under pressure.

New, refurbished or second-hand gear?

Commercial kitchen and coffee equipment holds its value reasonably well, so there’s an active second-hand market. Each option has a place:

• New — warranty, latest efficiency, predictable reliability. Usually the choice for the heart of the business, like the espresso machine or main power system.
• Refurbished — professionally serviced, sometimes with a short warranty. A good middle ground for fridges, fryers and grinders.
• Second-hand privately — cheapest upfront, but check it works under load, ask for service history and make sure nothing’s owing on it.

Whichever you choose, get a tax invoice. It’s needed for GST credits and depreciation, and it makes the purchase easier to fund.

Upgrade the gear, keep the buffer

The right equipment makes long days easier and good days better. Tell us what you want to buy, what it costs and how it’ll help the business. Sixty-odd seconds on the form, nothing touching your credit file, and one specialist on the other end who’ll ring you back — no relay race of lenders.

Please answer accurately. It’s the quickest way to the right option.

Check what’s possible for your equipment →