Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
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
$811.06
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How to use this
- 1Enter equipment purchase price ($).
- 2Enter down payment if buying ($).
- 3Enter purchase loan interest rate (%).
- 4Enter loan term (years).
- 5Enter monthly lease payment ($).
- 6Enter lease term (months).
- 7Enter estimated resale value at horizon (% of price) (%).
- 8Read your buying saves vs. leasing (negative = leasing cheaper) on the right — it updates as you type.
- 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
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.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
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 %
Results
- 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: $811.06
What each field means
Inputs
- Equipment purchase price ($)
- The equipment purchase price used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 45000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Down payment if buying ($)
- The down payment if buying used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 5000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Purchase loan interest rate (%)
- The purchase loan interest rate used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 8 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–25 %.
- Loan term (years)
- The loan term used in the calculation, measured in years. Starts at 5 years so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–10 years.
- Monthly lease payment ($)
- The monthly lease payment used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 950 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Lease term (months)
- The lease term used in the calculation, measured in months. Starts at 60 months so you have a working example on load.
- Estimated resale value at horizon (% of price) (%)
- The estimated resale value at horizon (% of price) used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 20 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–90 %.
Results
- Buying saves vs. leasing (negative = leasing cheaper)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Net cost to buy (after resale)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total lease payments
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Monthly loan payment if financed
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
When does leasing make more sense than buying?
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.
Does this include the Section 179 tax deduction for purchases?
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.
What resale percentage should I assume?
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.
Accuracy and 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.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Dental/Veterinary Imaging Equipment Lease vs Buy Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/imaging-equipment-lease-vs-buy
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/imaging-equipment-lease-vs-buy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dental/Veterinary Imaging Equipment Lease vs Buy Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Dental/Veterinary Imaging Equipment Lease vs Buy Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/imaging-equipment-lease-vs-buy) (2026).