Heavy Equipment Inspection Form
The heavy equipment pre-purchase checklist, ready to fill in at the machine. Pick the type, work through each section, and download the report when you are done.
Heavy Equipment inspection form. A pre-purchase checklist written for machines: 65 to 74 points across 11 sections. Mark each item Pass, Attention or Fail, add notes and readings, then download the report.
At a glance
- Excavators, loaders, dozers
- Undercarriage, boom and stick pins, swing bearing, cylinder drift, hour meter.
- Downloads as a PDF report or a CSV
- Free, and nothing you type leaves your device
- Hour meter against ECM hours and the wear on pins, pedals and seat
- Undercarriage: chain, rollers, idlers, sprockets, track sag and final drives
- Boom and stick pins and bushings, the swing bearing and the center joint on an excavator
- Blade and ripper on a dozer; arms, bucket and quick attach on a loader
- Hydraulic oil, hose leaks, cylinder drift and cycle times
- Cab, ROPS and safety interlocks, and an operating test under load
Want it inspected by someone who does this every day? The heavy equipment inspection page explains what we check and how to book. Need a different form? Every one is on the inspection forms page.
Machine and Inspection Details
Fill in what you know. Anything left blank prints as a dash on the report.
Documents, PIN and Hours0 / 9
- Serial or PIN plate matches the bill of sale
- PIN not ground off, theft check
- Lien or UCC search
- Hour meter works
- Hour meter agrees with ECM hours and the wear
- Service records
- Emissions tier label
- Operator manual and load chart
- Telematics or fleet history
Readings
Engine0 / 12
- Cold start
- Blow-by at the breather
- Smoke under load
- Oil level and condition
- Coolant level and condition
- Leaks
- Air filter and intake, dust past the filter
- Radiator and oil cooler fins plugged
- Belts
- DPF and DEF on Tier 4 machines
- Fault codes
- Fuel water separator
Hydraulics and Cylinders0 / 11
- Hydraulic oil level and condition: milky, dark or burnt
- Hose and fitting leaks
- Hoses chafed or patched
- Pump whine or cavitation
- Cylinder rods: chrome pitted or scored
- Cylinder seal leaks
- Cylinder drift with the boom held up loaded
- Cycle times, slow means a worn pump
- Joysticks and pilot controls
- Auxiliary hydraulics for a hammer or thumb
- Hydraulic filter service
Readings
Undercarriage0 / 11
- Track chain pitch wear, bushings
- Track shoes and grouser height
- Bottom rollers: flat spots and leaks
- Carrier rollers
- Front idlers: wear, leaks, recoil spring
- Sprocket teeth hooked or pointed
- Track sag and adjuster holds grease
- Track frame cracks
- Rubber tracks: cuts, exposed cords, lug wear
- Final drive leaks and noise
- Track shoe bolts
Readings
An undercarriage can be half the repair cost of a tracked machine. Measure pitch and grouser height against the maker's wear chart if you have it.
Boom, Stick and Swing0 / 12
- Boom foot pins and bushings play
- Stick and bucket pins play
- Linkage: dogbone and H-link
- Cracks or weld repairs at the boom foot and stick nose
- Swing bearing play, rock test
- Swing motor and gearbox
- Swing brake holds on a slope
- Swing drift
- Center joint (swivel) leaks
- Counterweight
- Quick coupler locks
- Thumb or hammer piping
Readings
Blade, Ripper and Steering0 / 8
- Cutting edges and end bits
- C-frame and trunnions
- Tilt cylinders
- Push arms and ball sockets
- Ripper shanks, tips and pins
- Equalizer bar pins
- Steering clutches or hydrostatic steering
- Decelerator
Loader Arms and Bucket0 / 8
- Lift arm pins and bushings
- Bucket cutting edge, teeth and wear strips
- Bucket cracks
- Quick attach and locking pins
- Linkage, Z-bar or parallel
- Ride control and float
- Articulation joint pins (wheel loader)
- Backhoe boom, stick, swing and stabilizers, if fitted
Axles, Brakes and Steering0 / 6
- Axle and planetary hub leaks
- Differential lock
- Service brakes
- Parking brake holds on a grade
- Steering, no excessive play
- Drive chain case oil (skid steer)
Cab, ROPS and Safety0 / 10
- ROPS and FOPS: not modified, cut or welded
- Seat belt
- Seat and armrests
- Glass
- Heat and A/C
- Monitor, gauges and warnings
- Backup alarm
- Lights and horn
- Hydraulic lockout lever works
- Fire extinguisher
Operating Test0 / 9 passed
Tires and DOT DatesAge from the DOT code
The last four digits of the DOT code are the week and year the tire was made, so 2319 is week 23 of 2019. Rubber ages whatever the tread looks like.
| Position | DOT date | Age | Tread left | PSI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left front | – | |||
| Right front | – | |||
| Left rear | – | |||
| Right rear | – |
Additional Comments
Inspector Sign-Off
Machine professionally inspected and reported by
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