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Heavy Equipment

Backhoe Loader Pre-Purchase Inspection

A guided, do-it-yourself pre-purchase inspection checklist for used backhoe loaders from Caterpillar, John Deere, CASE, JCB, Komatsu, New Holland and other makers, 2WD or 4WD, with or without an extendable dipper. No mechanic needed: each check tells you what to look for and what counts as a fail, from ownership and hours to the frame, kingpost, pins, hydraulics, transmission, brakes, steering and tires, plus a guided operating and driving test.

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$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 89 questions

  • Records and Identity8 questions
  • Frame and Structure8 questions
  • Pins, Bushings and Cylinders6 questions
  • Extendable Dipper2 questions
  • Hydraulic System9 questions
  • Transmission, Axles and Brakes9 questions
  • Wheels and Tires5 questions
  • Engine12 questions
  • Cab, Controls and Safety10 questions
  • Buckets and Attachments4 questions
  • Operating Test6 questions
  • Transport1 question
  • Caterpillar Only2 questions
  • John Deere Only2 questions
  • CASE Only2 questions
  • JCB Only2 questions
  • Final Review1 question

A sample of the questions

  • Serial number (PIN) plate
  • Cab or canopy (ROPS and FOPS)
  • Greasing
  • Extension wear pads
  • Hydraulic oil level and condition
  • Transmission fluid
  • Tire tread
  • Engine oil level and condition

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 complete most of 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 and driven. If you are not an experienced operator, ask the seller or someone you trust to run it while you watch. Never stand within the backhoe's swing area, in front of the loader, or under a raised bucket.

Allow about two and a half hours, including at least 20 minutes of operating and driving.

For wheeled backhoe loaders with a front loader and rear backhoe: Caterpillar, John Deere, CASE, JCB, Komatsu, New Holland, Kubota and similar, 2WD or 4WD, center-mount or sideshift.

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 the axles, swing frame and pins.
  • Park it in a clear, level area where it can drive, dig and swing, with a pile or bank to push into, and where any digging is clear of buried pipes and cables.
  • Have a competent operator available.

Go in daylight. Never get under the machine or under a raised loader unless the loader arms are held by their service support.

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 tests
  • A tire pressure gauge
  • 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
  • White paper towels and gloves
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 pressure gauge with adapters for this machine's test ports, and the service manual figures
  • Oil sampling kits and a lab (hydraulic, engine, transmission and axle oil)
  • A cooling system pressure tester with adapters for this machine
  • A scan tool or dealer service tool that reads this make
Sources and Standards
  • FieldDone pre-purchase inspection protocol for backhoe loaders (October 2026)
  • Your machine's own operator's manual and service schedule, matched to its serial number
  • Caterpillar backhoe loader safety and maintenance inspection
  • Caterpillar service, parts and operation and maintenance manuals
  • John Deere manuals and training
  • John Deere L-Series backhoe loader brochure
  • JCB publications
  • JCB 3CX and 4CX