Used Compact Tractor Buyer's Checklist

Before you go

• Ask the seller not to start the tractor before you get there. A cold start tells you a lot.
• Ask for the serial number and hour meter reading ahead of time. Check the serial with a dealer for the model year, open recalls, and (where possible) any loan or lien on the machine.
• Ask why they're selling, how long they've owned it, and where it's been stored (in a shed or outside).
• Ask what's included: loader bucket, mower deck and its lift linkage, 3-point implements, manuals, spare filters, weights.
• Look up a few sold prices (not just asking prices) for the same model with similar hours.
• Never send a deposit by wire, gift card, crypto, or payment app for a tractor you haven't seen in person.

Walk-around (engine off)

• Puddles or wet spots where it was parked.
• Leaks at the front axle pivot, axle seals, final drives, hydraulic cylinders, and hose ends.
• Fluids: engine oil, coolant, transmission/hydraulic oil. Milky means water. Glittery means metal. Brand-new fluid on an older machine with no records is worth asking about.
• Hours vs. wear: do the pedals, seat, steering wheel, and pins look like the hours on the meter?
• Loader: cracks or fresh welds at the mounts and frame, play in the pins and bushings, bent arms.
• 3-point hitch: worn ball ends, bent lift arms, missing pins.
• Tires: tread left, sidewall cracking, the date code, mismatched sizes, rust at the rims (filled tires).
• Wiring: spliced, taped, or chewed wires. Look for rodent nests behind the dash and under the hood.
• ROPS (rollover bar): present, not cut, drilled, or welded, with a seat belt.

Cold start and running

• Starts easily from cold. Note how long it cranks.
• Smoke: a brief puff that clears is normal. Steady blue (oil), steady white, or heavy black smoke under load is a question for the seller.
• Knocks, ticks, or squeals at idle and when you rev it.
• Gauges and warning lights come on at key-on, then go out.
• Let it reach full operating temperature, then look for leaks again.

Test drive (do it yourself if you can)

• Every gear and range, forward and reverse. With hydrostatic drive, feel for hesitation, surging, or weak climbing.
• 4WD engages and disengages.
• Brakes stop it evenly. The parking brake holds.
• Steering is smooth lock to lock, without a lot of play.
• Loader: raise it fully with a load and hold it. Does it drift down? Is it slow or jerky?
• 3-point hitch: lift an implement and hold it. Does it drop?
• PTO: engages, runs without chatter or grinding, and stops when switched off.
• Run it a while. Some problems only show up once it's hot.

Paperwork and closing

• Service records, receipts, and the owner's manual if they have them.
• Serial plate matches what you were told and what goes on the bill of sale.
• A written bill of sale with the date, price, serial number, what's included, and both signatures.
• Safe payment: in person, at pickup, by a method your bank recommends for the amount.
• Plan the trip home: trailer, straps, and a truck rated for the weight.

Total cost, not just the price

• Asking price ______________
• + buyer's premium and tax (auctions) ______________
• + hauling ______________
• + first service (all fluids and filters if there are no records) ______________
• + anything you found that needs fixing ______________
• = what this tractor really costs you ______________