{
  "slug": "imaging-equipment-lease-vs-buy",
  "title": "Dental/Veterinary Imaging Equipment Lease vs Buy Calculator",
  "heading": "Imaging Equipment Lease vs Buy Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/imaging-equipment-lease-vs-buy",
  "summary": "Compare total cost of leasing versus purchasing digital X-ray or CBCT gear.",
  "description": "Digital radiography, CBCT, and dental cone-beam units carry price tags from $15,000 into six figures, and the lease-versus-buy decision changes with interest rates, tax treatment, and how long you'll keep the equipment before replacing it. This calculator compares the total cash outlay of a lease over its term against a cash or financed purchase net of the equipment's estimated resale value at the end of the same period, so you can see which path costs less in real dollars rather than just comparing the monthly payment.",
  "formula": "Buy net cost = purchase price + finance interest − resale value at horizon; Lease net cost = monthly lease payment × months − any buyout avoided.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=imaging-equipment-lease-vs-buy",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "price",
      "label": "Equipment purchase price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 45000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "downPayment",
      "label": "Down payment if buying",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 5000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "loanRate",
      "label": "Purchase loan interest rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 8,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 25
    },
    {
      "id": "loanYears",
      "label": "Loan term",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 5,
      "unit": "years",
      "min": 1,
      "max": 10
    },
    {
      "id": "leasePayment",
      "label": "Monthly lease payment",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 950,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "leaseMonths",
      "label": "Lease term",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 60,
      "unit": "months",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "resalePct",
      "label": "Estimated resale value at horizon (% of price)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 20,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 90
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "difference",
      "label": "Buying saves vs. leasing (negative = leasing cheaper)",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "buyNetCost",
      "label": "Net cost to buy (after resale)",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "leaseTotal",
      "label": "Total lease payments",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "loanPayment",
      "label": "Monthly loan payment if financed",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Equipment purchase price: 45000 $",
      "Down payment if buying: 5000 $",
      "Purchase loan interest rate: 8 %",
      "Loan term: 5 years",
      "Monthly lease payment: 950 $",
      "Lease term: 60 months",
      "Estimated resale value at horizon (% of price): 20 %"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Buying saves vs. leasing (negative = leasing cheaper): $12,337",
      "Net cost to buy (after resale): $44,663",
      "Total lease payments: $57,000",
      "Monthly loan payment if financed: $811.06"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter equipment purchase price ($).",
      "Enter down payment if buying ($).",
      "Enter purchase loan interest rate (%).",
      "Enter loan term (years).",
      "Enter monthly lease payment ($).",
      "Enter lease term (months).",
      "Enter estimated resale value at horizon (% of price) (%).",
      "Read your buying saves vs. leasing (negative = leasing cheaper) on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "price": 27000,
        "downPayment": 3000,
        "loanRate": 4.8,
        "loanYears": 3,
        "leasePayment": 570,
        "leaseMonths": 36,
        "resalePct": 10
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "price": 45000,
        "downPayment": 5000,
        "loanRate": 8,
        "loanYears": 5,
        "leasePayment": 950,
        "leaseMonths": 60,
        "resalePct": 20
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "price": 72000,
        "downPayment": 8000,
        "loanRate": 12.8,
        "loanYears": 8,
        "leasePayment": 1520,
        "leaseMonths": 96,
        "resalePct": 30
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "When does leasing make more sense than buying?",
      "a": "Leasing wins when technology turns over fast, like early-generation CBCT units, or when preserving a line of credit for other priorities matters more than owning the asset outright. It also avoids the resale hassle and keeps monthly cost predictable without a large upfront cash outlay."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does this include the Section 179 tax deduction for purchases?",
      "a": "No — this is a pre-tax cash comparison. Section 179 can let you expense a large share of equipment cost in the year purchased, which meaningfully improves the buy case for profitable practices. Run the numbers past your accountant since deduction limits and phase-outs change yearly."
    },
    {
      "q": "What resale percentage should I assume?",
      "a": "Digital radiography sensors and generators typically retain 15-30% of value after five years; CBCT units hold value a bit better if the software stays current. Equipment nearing obsolescence or tied to a discontinued software platform can be worth close to zero on resale."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/dental-office-break-even",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/dental-chair-production",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/practice-overhead-ratio"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Dental/Veterinary Imaging Equipment Lease vs Buy Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/imaging-equipment-lease-vs-buy)"
}