Used Tractor Inspection Checklist: What to Check Before You Buy

A tractor can look tidy and still hide an expensive problem. Work through this list in daylight, with the tractor cold, and take your time. If the machine is too far away, ask the seller for photos and videos of each point, or book a local mechanic to inspect it for you.

Paperwork and history

• Serial number plate matches the listing and any paperwork.
• Hours on the meter make sense for the age and wear. A new-looking meter on a worn tractor is a warning sign.
• Service records, and when oils and filters were last changed.
• A PPSR search shows no finance owing.

Engine

• Starts easily from cold, without long cranking.
• Little smoke once warm. Blue smoke suggests oil burning; persistent white smoke can mean coolant getting in.
• No knocking, and no excessive blow-by from the breather.
• Oil on the dipstick is not milky, and coolant has no oil in it.
• No fresh oil or coolant leaks under the tractor after it has run.

Transmission and clutch

• Every gear and range selects cleanly, forward and reverse.
• Clutch does not slip under load or drag when disengaged.
• Powershift or CVT transmissions change smoothly without flare or clunks.
• Four-wheel drive and diff lock engage and release.

Hydraulics, PTO and linkage

• Three-point linkage lifts a load and holds it without creeping down.
• Remote outlets all work, and hoses are not cracked or weeping.
• PTO engages smoothly and runs at each speed.
• Check pins and bushes on the linkage and drawbar for wear.

Front end and loader

• Little play in the steering and front axle.
• Loader frame and mounts have no cracks or fresh welds.
• Loader rams hold position with a load.

Tyres and brakes

• Tread depth and sidewall cracking. A full set of tractor tyres is a big cost.
• Brakes pull up evenly, and the park brake holds on a slope.

Cab and electrics

• Air conditioning blows cold.
• Lights, gauges, warning lamps and any GPS or display screens work.
• No stored fault codes on modern tractors, if you can check.
• Rollover protection is present and undamaged.

Test drive

Drive it on the road and under load if you can. Listen for whines from the transmission and final drives, and watch the temperature gauge.

Found one you like? Browse tractors for sale and ask the seller your questions from the listing.