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Compact Equipment

Compact Track Loader Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

A guided, do-it-yourself pre-purchase inspection checklist for used compact track loaders from Bobcat, Caterpillar, John Deere, Kubota, Takeuchi, Case, New Holland 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 safety interlocks, lift arms, hydraulics, engine and a detailed undercarriage inspection of tracks, rollers, idlers and sprockets, plus a guided operating test. For wheeled machines, use our Skid Steer Loader checklist.

Buy this checklist

$29.00

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 89 questions

  • Records and Identity8 questions
  • Frame and Structure6 questions
  • Pins, Bushings and Cylinders5 questions
  • Hydraulic System8 questions
  • Drive System4 questions
  • Tracks and Undercarriage16 questions
  • Engine12 questions
  • Cab, Controls and Safety Interlocks9 questions
  • Attachment Plate and Bucket4 questions
  • Operating Test5 questions
  • Transport1 question
  • Bobcat Only4 questions
  • Kubota Only3 questions
  • Caterpillar Only3 questions
  • Final Review1 question

A sample of the questions

  • Serial number (PIN) plate
  • Cab or canopy (ROPS and FOPS)
  • Greasing
  • Hydraulic oil level and condition
  • Creep in neutral
  • Track records and matching
  • Engine oil level and condition
  • Seat bar and seat interlocks

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 yourself. 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 in front of or beside a moving loader, or under raised lift arms.

Allow about two hours, including at least 20 minutes of operating.

For compact track loaders with a seated operator: Bobcat, Caterpillar, John Deere, Kubota, Takeuchi, Case, New Holland, JCB, Gehl, Mustang and similar. For wheeled machines, use the Skid Steer Loader checklist. Not for stand-on mini track loaders or Cat Multi Terrain Loaders.

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, manual and service records ready.
  • Clean the machine, especially behind the rear door and inside the undercarriage, so you can see the tracks, rollers, idlers and sprockets.
  • Park it in a clear, level area with a pile of soil or gravel for the loading test.
  • Have a competent operator available.

Go in daylight. Never get under the machine or under raised lift arms unless they are held by the lift arm support device.

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

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

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 tread depth gauge or ruler, for the track lugs
  • A basic multimeter, for the battery and charging voltage
  • A clean rag, for the cylinder rods
  • A clean card or stiff paper, for the blow-by test
  • A watch or phone timer
  • 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", or if you bring in a mechanic, these are the tools needed, as well as those in Before You Start:

  • A hydraulic flow meter with couplers to fit this machine, and the service manual figures
  • Oil sampling kits and a lab (hydraulic, engine and final drive oil)
  • Blocking or jack stands rated for the machine's weight, for the track lift and tension check
  • A cooling system pressure tester with adapters for this machine
  • A scan tool or dealer service tool that reads this make
  • Wrenches for the final drive check plugs
Sources and Standards
  • FieldDone pre-purchase inspection protocol for compact track loaders (October 2026)
  • Your machine's own operator's manual and service schedule, matched to its serial number
  • NIOSH, Preventing injuries and deaths from skid-steer loaders (2011-128)
  • Bobcat loader service schedules
  • Bobcat machine inspection
  • Bobcat, 6 tips to extend the life of your undercarriage
  • Kubota SVL75-2 and SVL95-2s brochure
  • Caterpillar rubber track selection guide
  • Caterpillar service, parts and operation and maintenance manuals
  • Caterpillar compact loader maintenance