Lock in your equipment financing before FABTECH 2026
FABTECH 2026 runs October 21 to 23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. If you’re going to look at a laser, a press brake or a welding cell, here’s how to get approved before you go, what the machines cost and what the payments look like. Our team will be there, too.
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When and where is FABTECH 2026?
FABTECH 2026 runs Wednesday, October 21, through Friday, October 23, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, 3150 Paradise Road. Expo hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. It’s the show’s first time in Las Vegas in a decade.
The official site lists show-floor registration as free through October 16 and $50 after that or onsite. The conference starts a day early, on Tuesday, October 20, with 180+ sessions in 12 tracks.
The organizers bill it as North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event, with more than 1,400 exhibitors, 31,000+ attendees and over 700,000 square feet of exhibits. Its event partners are FMA, AWS, SME, PMA and the Industrial Finishing & Coating Association (formerly CCAI). The exhibitor list and floor plan are on fabtechexpo.com.
Five West will have people at FABTECH this year. If you’d like to meet while you’re in Las Vegas, email support@fivewestfinancial.com and we’ll set up a time.
What’s on the show floor at FABTECH 2026?
Three halls of cutting, forming, welding and finishing equipment. The official floor plan puts forming and fabricating, tube and pipe, and job shops in the North Hall, more forming and fabricating in the Central Hall, and welding, automation, finishing, and stamping and press automation in the South Hall. There’s also a pavilion for AI in manufacturing.
The organizers list 40+ technology categories, from lasers, press brakes and waterjet to robotics, welding machines and powder coating. Most of it can be financed.
Why get approved for equipment financing before FABTECH?
So you walk the floor knowing your approved amount and a payment that works.
- You shop with a real number. You’ll know the payment before you compare a laser in one hall with a laser in another.
- You can act on a show machine. If an exhibitor offers to sell you the one from its booth, the paperwork’s already started.
- Several booths, one deal. Quotes from different sellers can usually be bundled into a single transaction, so the brake and the laser share one payment.
- The fourth quarter is short. The show ends October 23, about ten weeks before December 31, and build-to-order machines can take weeks to months to ship.
We finance across brands, new and used.
What fabrication equipment can you finance, and what does it cost in 2026?
Almost any machine a shop would buy at FABTECH, new or used, from about $15,000 well into seven figures. The full program is on our manufacturing equipment financing page. Here’s what each class costs:
| Equipment | New | Used (asking price) |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber laser, 5x10 | $100,000 to $195,900 (3 to 6 kW) | $20,000 to $57,500 (2018 to 2021) |
| Press brake | $19,999 to $129,000 (33 to 250 tons) | About $15,000 to $100,000 and up |
| Panel bender | $251,860 to $583,660 (4 to 10 feet) | $71,100 to $449,950 (recent listings) |
| Robotic or cobot welding | $92,700 to $130,800 (cobot packages) | $12,500 (robot only) to $99,000 (full cell) |
| CNC plasma table | $10,995 for a light-duty 4x8; $43,920 paid for a Torchmate 4400 | $12,500 to $260,000 (5x10 to 8x25) |
| Waterjet | $18,999 (light-duty); $189,937 to $299,335 paid for industrial systems | $20,000 to $65,000 (2004 to 2023) |
| Tube laser | $84,584 to $995,000 (entry to 20 kW) | $150,000 to $239,127 (2014 to 2024) |
| Tube bender | $14,237 to $20,199 (programmable) | $19,000 to $249,500 (2017 to 2021) |
| Deburring and finishing | $94,300 (powder coating oven) and $613,500 (deburring system), both paid | $14,500 to $69,500 (2007 to 2024) |
| Welders and fume extractors | $4,853 to $11,901 each | Usually bundled with other equipment |
New: listed prices from builders, retailers and U.S. sellers, checked October 2026. “Paid” means what a federal agency paid under a contract award on USAspending.gov, which can include delivery, installation, tooling or training. Used: listed asking prices, mostly on Surplus Record, not appraisals or offers; “recent listings” are no longer for sale.
A single welder typically comes in under our usual minimum of about $15,000, so put a few on one contract or add them to a bigger machine. For brake sizes, tooling and what to check on a used one, see what a press brake costs.
What’s the monthly payment on a fiber laser, press brake or welding cell?
For an established business at an assumed 9% with nothing down, these examples run from about $842 to $9,391 a month:
| Example | Price | Term | Monthly payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIG welder, MIG welder and fume extractor | $26,486 | 36 months | About $842 |
| Used waterjet, 2023 | $37,900 | 36 months | About $1,205 |
| New 4x4 Torchmate 4400 plasma table (price paid) | $43,920 | 48 months | About $1,093 |
| Used 3 kW 5x10 fiber laser, 2021 | $57,500 | 48 months | About $1,431 |
| New 112-ton press brake with a $13,934 tooling order | $112,196 | 60 or 84 months | About $2,329 or $1,805 |
| Cobot welding package | $130,800 | 60 months | About $2,715 |
| New 6 kW 5x10 fiber laser | $195,900 | 60 or 84 months | About $4,067 or $3,152 |
| New 10-foot automatic panel bender | $583,660 | 84 months | About $9,391 |
Example payments for established businesses at an assumed 9%, nothing down, payments in arrears. They don’t apply to startups or businesses under two years. Terms past 60 months are for equipment finance agreements, and the panel bender is over $500,000, so it needs a full financial package. Illustrative, not an offer.
The term matters too. Stretching that 6 kW laser from 60 to 84 months cuts the payment by about $915 a month and adds about $20,760 to the total. I’d keep a laser on a shorter term than a brake, because lasers lose value by technology generation while brakes stay in service for decades.
How do you get pre-approved for equipment financing before a trade show?
Apply now, then send the final quote after the show:
- Apply with a current quote. Send your business and owner details with the best quote you have, even a budget quote. A soft credit inquiry starts it, so your score doesn’t move.
- Hear back. First responses typically come within 1 to 2 business hours, with same-day options on qualified files and approvals in as little as 30 minutes on clean application-only files.
- Know which file you need. Up to $500,000, qualifying deals can be decided without tax returns or financial statements. Above that, expect a full financial package: bank statements, tax returns and, on the biggest deals, financial statements. Start gathering it now.
- Send us quotes from the show. We’ll price each one, so you’re comparing payments as well as prices.
- Send the final quote and sign. If the machine, price or seller changed, the approval gets updated. Documents are signed electronically.
- Get funded. On standard deals, funding follows 24 to 48 hours after signing, and the seller is paid directly once the equipment is delivered and accepted. If the seller needs a deposit to start building, deposit funding can be released once documents are signed.
Can freight, rigging, installation and tooling go into the financing?
Yes, on qualifying deals. Freight, rigging, installation, tooling and training can go on the same payment as the machine. On a robotic welding cell, integration, programming and commissioning can be included too. The robot is often only about a quarter of the project. Our post on financing a robot cell walks through the math.
Ask each exhibitor for a quote that lists the machine and each of those costs on separate lines. Anything left off usually gets paid in cash later. If an integrator bills in milestones while a line or cell is built, progress and pre-funding can cover those payments on qualifying deals.
Can you finance a demo, used or overseas-made machine?
Yes to all three, with a few checks.
- Demo and show machines. A machine bought out of a booth is financed like any other new or used purchase. Get the serial number, hours and warranty on the quote.
- Used machines. Dealer, auction and private-party machines all work. Expect 10% to 15% down from a dealer and 15% to 25% from a private seller, with a rate roughly one to three points above the same machine new. The term can’t run past the machine’s remaining useful life.
- Machines built overseas. What matters is who sells it to you. U.S. funders pay a U.S. seller for a machine that’s already in the U.S. and delivered to you, so buy from the maker’s U.S. company or a U.S. dealer that invoices from U.S. inventory. A machine shipped straight from an overseas factory generally can’t be funded that way. U.S. service and parts support also make a machine easier to finance and resell.
Will a machine you buy at FABTECH count for Section 179 in 2026?
Only if it’s placed in service by December 31, 2026, meaning delivered, installed and ready to run. The IRS counts property as placed in service when it’s ready and available for a specific use. In its own example, a machine delivered one year but not installed and running until the next counts in the later year.
Financing doesn’t shrink the deduction. On an equipment finance agreement or a $1 buyout lease, the machine can usually be deducted like a cash purchase. The 2026 Section 179 limit is $2,560,000, phasing out once purchases pass $4,090,000, and bonus depreciation is 100% for qualifying property acquired after January 19, 2025. On a fair market value lease, you deduct the payments as rent instead.
The calendar is the hard part. A build-to-order laser that needs a power drop, rigging and commissioning can use up most of the ten weeks after the show. A machine from dealer stock, the booth or the used market has a better chance of running by year-end. I’d get each exhibitor’s ship and install dates in writing before you sign. Our Section 179 year-end playbook has a week-by-week plan, and your CPA should confirm how it applies to you.
Can a new fab shop get equipment financing before FABTECH?
Yes, with a stronger file than an established shop needs. A business under a year old is underwritten as a startup, and the programs we place those deals with typically look for:
- Personal credit of 700 or better.
- Experience in the trade, such as years running a brake, a laser or a welding line for another shop.
- Working capital left after the purchase for steel, payroll and slow months.
- A down payment.
Between one and two years in business, there are fewer programs, but deals stay workable. A new shop’s pricing comes from its own file, so the payment examples above don’t apply. Our guide to startup equipment financing covers what programs look for.
Frequently asked questions
When is FABTECH 2026?
FABTECH 2026 runs October 21 to 23, 2026, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, 3150 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. Expo hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. Conference sessions start a day earlier, on Tuesday, October 20.
How much does it cost to attend FABTECH 2026?
The official site lists show-floor registration as free through October 16, 2026, and $50 after that or onsite. Most conference sessions carry a separate fee. FABTECH is a trade event, and no one under 16 is admitted.
Can you get pre-approved for equipment financing before a trade show?
Yes. Apply with the best quote you have before the show. At Five West it starts with a soft credit inquiry, most applications get a first response within 1 to 2 business hours, and qualifying deals up to $500,000 can be decided on the application alone. At the show, send the quotes you collect to be priced. After the show, send the final quote. If the machine, price or seller changed, the approval is updated before you sign.
Can you finance a fiber laser?
Yes. New and used fiber lasers can be financed, from dealers, auctions and private sellers, with freight, rigging and installation included on qualifying deals. New 5x10 machines in the 3 to 6 kW range list for about $100,000 to $195,900. For an established business at an assumed 9% with nothing down, a $195,900 laser runs about $4,067 a month over 60 months.
Can you finance a welding machine?
Yes. A single welder usually costs less than the usual $15,000 minimum, so it’s financed together with other items or a bigger machine. A TIG welder, a MIG welder and a fume extractor at about $26,486 together run about $842 a month over 36 months for an established business at an assumed 9%. Robotic and cobot welding cells are financed too, and on qualifying deals the integration and programming can go into the same payment.
Can you finance a CNC plasma table?
Yes, new or used. A federal buyer paid $43,920 for a new Torchmate 4400, a 4x4 table, which comes to about $1,093 a month over 48 months for an established business at an assumed 9% with nothing down. A light-duty 4x8 table with a cutter lists for about $11,000, so it usually goes on one contract with other equipment to reach the $15,000 minimum. On the used side, a 2018 5x10 table was listed at $12,500.
Does equipment bought at FABTECH qualify for Section 179?
Usually, if it’s placed in service by December 31, 2026, meaning delivered, installed and ready to use. For 2026 the limit is $2,560,000, phasing out above $4,090,000 of purchases, and bonus depreciation is 100% for qualifying property acquired after January 19, 2025. Equipment on an equipment finance agreement or a $1 buyout lease can usually be deducted like a cash purchase. Confirm with your tax advisor.
Can you finance machines from more than one exhibitor on one agreement?
In most cases, yes. Quotes from different sellers can usually be bundled into a single transaction, so a brake, a laser and welding equipment from three exhibitors can share one payment. Send each exhibitor’s quote to be priced. If a machine, price or seller changes after approval, the approval is updated before you sign.
Get approved before you go.
Price the machine in the Quote Builder with no credit pull, then send one short application with your quote. A dedicated funding professional manages the deal from application to funding, and the quotes you collect in Las Vegas can go straight to them.
This article is general information about financing fabrication equipment bought at or around FABTECH 2026, not tax, legal, or accounting advice or a commitment to finance. Show details come from FABTECH’s organizers and can change. Prices shown are listed prices, listed asking prices and federal contract awards, not appraisals or offers. Payments are illustrative examples at an assumed rate. Tax and accounting treatment depends on your contract and your business; confirm with your CPA. All financing is subject to credit approval and underwriting.