What to Look for When Buying a Used Skid Steer: A Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

A used skid steer can be a great deal or a slow-motion money pit, and the difference usually comes down to what gets checked before the money changes hands. Here is the inspection that actually tells you what you are buying, not just what the seller says you are buying.

Hours vs. age, and what's normal wear for each

Hour meters tell a more honest story than a machine's age alone. A ten-year-old skid steer with 1,800 hours has led an easy life; a three-year-old machine with the same hours has been worked hard. As a rough benchmark, 500 to 800 hours a year is typical for a machine in regular commercial use, so compare the reading against the machine's age to get a sense of how it was actually used, not just how old it is.

A meter reading that seems unusually low for a machine's visible wear and tear is worth questioning. A worn seat, faded pedals, and scratched paint on a machine claiming low hours can be a sign the meter was replaced or does not reflect the machine's full history.

Lift arm pin and bushing inspection

Grab the lift arm at the bucket pivot and try to rock it up and down and side to side with the engine off. Excessive play means worn pins or bushings, one of the more common and more expensive wear items on a skid steer to replace. Do the same check at every pivot point on the loader arms and at the attachment mounting plate.

• Lift arm pivots: check for play at the frame connection and at the bucket pivot.
• Cylinder pins: look for visible wear grooves or scoring on exposed pin surfaces.
• Quick-attach pivot points: excess play here affects how securely attachments lock in.

Testing auxiliary hydraulics under real load, not idle

Auxiliary hydraulics that work fine at idle can reveal problems under an actual working load, weak flow, slow cycle times, or unusual noise from the pump. If possible, test the machine with an actual attachment engaged and working, not just cycling the bucket up and down empty. A seller reluctant to let a buyer run an attachment under load is a signal worth paying attention to.

Watch the hydraulic fluid itself while you are at it. Fluid that looks milky, has a burnt smell, or is noticeably low all point toward issues that a quick visual pass would otherwise miss.

Quick-attach plate condition

The quick-attach plate takes a beating over a machine's life, since every attachment swap puts stress on it. Check for a plate that is bent, cracked, or has elongated bolt holes, any of which can mean an attachment does not lock in as securely as it should, a safety issue as much as a mechanical one.

Undercarriage and tire or track wear

On a tracked machine, check track tension and look for cracking, chunking, or exposed steel cording in the rubber. On a wheeled machine, uneven tire wear can point toward alignment issues or a bent axle. Undercarriage repairs on either type run expensive, so this is worth a careful look rather than a quick glance.

Financing a used machine vs. buying new

A used machine's lower purchase price does not always mean a proportionally lower monthly payment once financing terms are factored in, since used equipment loans sometimes carry shorter terms or higher rates than new-equipment financing. Comparing the full financed cost, not just the sticker price, against a new machine's financing options gives a clearer picture of which one actually costs less over the life of the loan. See skid steer and attachment financing for how that comparison typically works out, and how much a skid steer actually costs for current new and used price ranges.

Where to look for the seller history

A private seller usually cannot provide the same paper trail as a dealer, but even a private sale can offer clues about how a machine was used and maintained. Ask directly how the machine was used, construction, landscaping, snow removal, agriculture, since the answer shapes what kind of wear to expect and where to look most carefully.

Service records, even informal ones, receipts for oil changes, filter replacements, or repairs, tell a more reliable story than a seller's verbal assurance that the machine was well cared for. A seller who cannot produce any record of maintenance over several years of ownership is not necessarily hiding something, but it does mean more of the burden shifts to the physical inspection.

A dealer selling used equipment typically inspects and services machines before resale, which can justify a higher price than an equivalent private-sale machine, provided the dealer stands behind the work with some form of warranty or return policy.

A practical walk-around before the test run

Before starting the machine, walk around it slowly and look for fluid leaks under the engine and hydraulic components, a telltale sign left overnight or during a short sit even if the seller has since wiped the machine down. Check the cab structure, the ROPS and FOPS frame, for cracks or repair welds, since a damaged safety cage is a serious issue regardless of how the rest of the machine looks.

• Under the machine: fresh fluid spots on the ground, not just on the machine itself.
• Cab and frame: cracks, bends, or welds that suggest a prior rollover or structural repair.
• Attachment coupler hoses: cracked, leaking, or visibly aged hydraulic lines.
• Cold start: how the engine sounds and behaves starting cold, before it has run and warmed up.

Test driving and running attachments before you decide

A short static inspection only tells part of the story. Actually operating the machine, driving it across a lot, turning both directions, raising and lowering the arms fully, reveals things a visual check alone misses: uneven track or wheel speed, a lift arm that drifts down on its own, or unusual noise under actual load rather than idling in place.

If the seller has an attachment on hand, ask to run it. A bucket, a set of forks, whatever is available gives a sense of how the auxiliary hydraulics perform doing real work rather than just cycling empty. A machine that hesitates, stalls, or loses power under an attached load is telling you something a clean paint job will not.

Reading between the lines of a seller's answers

How a seller answers direct questions is its own kind of information. A seller who readily shares maintenance history, allows an independent inspection, and answers specific questions about prior repairs directly is generally a lower-risk transaction than one who is vague, rushes the process, or discourages a closer look before purchase.

None of this replaces the physical inspection itself, but a seller's willingness to be transparent is a reasonable secondary signal worth factoring into the decision, especially when the mechanical inspection turns up something ambiguous that could reasonably go either way depending on how it is interpreted.

Setting a walk-away price before you look

Deciding on a maximum price, and a mental list of dealbreakers, before actually seeing the machine in person makes it much easier to walk away from a bad deal in the moment. Once standing next to a machine that mostly looks fine, it is easy to talk yourself past a concerning inspection finding simply because the rest of the visit went well.

Getting a second opinion, from a mechanic, an experienced operator, or even just a second set of eyes from someone who has bought equipment before, before finalizing a purchase costs little relative to the size of the investment and often catches something a first look on your own missed entirely.

What a fair price actually looks like

Comparing a specific machine against several similar listings, same rough age, hours, and condition, gives a far more reliable price benchmark than any single listing on its own. A price noticeably below similar listings is not automatically a red flag, but it is worth understanding why before assuming it is simply a good deal, since it can also point toward a mechanical problem, an incomplete history, or a title issue the seller has not fully disclosed up front.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What hours are too many for a used skid steer?

There is no fixed cutoff. What matters more is how the hours compare to the machine's age and how well it has been maintained. A well-maintained machine with higher hours can be a better buy than a neglected one with lower hours.

Should I get a used skid steer inspected before buying?

For any significant purchase, a mechanic's inspection is worth the cost. It catches issues, like internal hydraulic wear, that a visual and operational check alone can miss.

Can I finance a used skid steer?

Yes, most equipment lenders finance used machines, though terms and rates sometimes differ from new-equipment financing. Compare full financed cost, not just the purchase price, before deciding.

Should I buy from a dealer or a private seller?

A dealer typically inspects and services machines before resale and may offer a warranty, which can justify a higher price. A private sale can be a better value but shifts more responsibility onto your own inspection.