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Heavy Equipment

Hydraulic Excavator (mid-size) Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

A guided, do-it-yourself pre-purchase inspection checklist for used tracked hydraulic excavators above mini size, from Caterpillar, John Deere, Komatsu, Hitachi, Volvo, Kobelco, Develon and other makers. No mechanic needed: each check tells you what to look for and what counts as a fail, from ownership and hours to the boom and stick, swing system, hydraulics, engine, undercarriage and cab safety. For machines under about 10 metric tons, use our Mini Excavator checklist.

Buy this checklist

$39.00

90 days of access. Inspect and compare up to 12 items of this type.

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What you get

  • No mechanic needed. Most checks need only your eyes, a flashlight and a tire gauge; a few optional deeper checks go further if you have the tools or bring in a mechanic.
  • A guided checklist written for this kind of purchase: every question says what to look for and what counts as a fail. Ready to use the moment you pay.
  • Inspect on your phone: answers save as you go, with photos and notes on any question.
  • Send it to a mechanic, supervisor, colleague, or employee by text or email. They need no account.
  • A report that puts the problems first, with photos, times and location.
  • Inspect and compare up to 12 vehicles, machines or trailers of the same type with one purchase, side by side, before you decide.

Known problems, checked

Comes with a guide to the known problems and red flags to watch for.

How it works

  1. Choose a checklistPick the one that matches what you are buying, and pay by card. No account to set up first.
  2. Add what you are inspectingEnter the item, the asking price and where it is. Add as many as you are considering.
  3. Inspect it, or send itWork through the checklist on your phone, or send it to a mechanic, supervisor, colleague, or employee to do for you.
  4. Read the report and compareSee the problems first, with photos. Put your options side by side and decide.

What it covers 67 questions

  • Records and Identity9 questions
  • Structure and Workgroup11 questions
  • Undercarriage8 questions
  • Engine9 questions
  • Cab, Controls and Safety8 questions
  • Operating Test13 questions
  • Attachments and Coupler4 questions
  • Caterpillar Only2 questions
  • Komatsu Only2 questions
  • Final Review1 question

A sample of the questions

  • Serial number (PIN) plate
  • Cab and protective structure
  • Track shoes and bolts
  • Engine is truly cold
  • Hydraulic lockout lever
  • Safe test area
  • Quick coupler lock check
  • Cat serial prefix and generation

This is a sample. The full checklist is yours when you buy.

Before You Start

You don't need a mechanic or to be a mechanic to conduct this inspection. Most questions need only your eyes, a flashlight and a few low-cost tools, and each one tells you exactly what to do and what counts as a fail.

You do need the machine to be operated. If you are not an experienced operator, ask the seller or someone you trust to run it while you watch. Never stand within the swing area or under the boom.

At this size, three deeper checks are worth paying for on almost any purchase: an undercarriage measurement report, an oil analysis of every compartment, and a hydraulic pressure and flow test. They are marked "Deeper check" and are optional.

Allow about three hours, including at least 30 minutes of operating.

For tracked hydraulic excavators of about 12 to 40 metric tons (for example Cat 320 and 330, Komatsu PC200, PC210 and PC290, John Deere 210 and 350, Hitachi ZX210, Volvo EC220, Kobelco SK210, Case CX210, Develon DX225 and Hyundai HX220). For machines under about 10 metric tons, use the Mini Excavator checklist.

Before you go, ask the seller to:

  • Leave the engine cold. Some checks need a cold start.
  • Have the bill of sale or purchase receipt, keys, manuals, service records and any oil analysis reports ready.
  • Clean the undercarriage, so you can see the tracks, rollers, idlers and sprockets.
  • Park it in a clear, level area where it can travel, swing and dig, clear of buried pipes and cables.
  • Not change any fluids before your inspection (fresh oil hides wear).
  • Have a competent operator available.

Go in daylight. Never get under the machine, the raised boom or a raised track, and never loosen the track adjuster's grease valve.

Answer every question as indicated. Skip the sections for attachments or a make the machine does not have (answer Not applicable).

Questions marked "Deeper check" are optional extras that need special tools or a specialist. Skip any you can't do, or arrange them through a dealer or mechanic.

Write readings in the note, and add a photo of anything that fails.

Bring:

  • A flashlight
  • A tape measure and a stake or painter's tape, for the drift test
  • A watch or phone timer, for the swing speed
  • A basic multimeter, for the batteries and charging voltage
  • A clean rag, for the cylinder rods
  • The maker's spec sheet for this model (for the swing and travel speeds)
  • Gloves and paper towels
Tools for a Deeper Inspection (Optional)

You don't need any of these to use this checklist. For the questions marked "Deeper check", these are the specialists and tools needed:

  • A dealer or undercarriage specialist with a track gauge and the maker's wear charts, for a written undercarriage report
  • A hydraulic technician with flow meters, pressure gauges and the maker's test-and-adjust manual, for pump, relief and leakage tests
  • Oil sampling kits and a lab (Cat S·O·S, Komatsu KOWA or an independent lab), for the engine, hydraulics, swing drive and final drives
  • The maker's diagnostic software (for example Cat ET or Komatsu's service tool), for the fault and event history
  • A cooling system pressure tester with adapters for this engine
Sources and Standards
  • FieldDone pre-purchase inspection protocol for mid-size hydraulic excavators (October 2026)
  • Your machine's own operation and maintenance manual, service manual and test-and-adjust manual, matched to its serial number
  • The undercarriage maker's wear limits, through a dealer
  • Caterpillar and Cat publications
  • Komatsu
  • NIOSH, Preventing excavator quick coupler attachment struck-by fatalities and injuries (2024-102)