Buying a used skid steer with a 30-day return window: what to check on day one

You bought a used skid steer with IRON+. The machine is on the trailer, heading to your yard. Before the first bucket load, there is a short list of things you should check on delivery day that will either confirm you made a good buy or flag issues worth tracking during the 30-day window. This is not a full mechanical inspection — you already have our inspection report for that. This is the operator-level intake checklist that catches the things a report cannot.

Before you unload

Check the machine against the listing photos from https://equipmentsupplyservice.com. Obvious, but people skip this. Compare the serial number tag to your purchase paperwork. Confirm hour-meter reading against what was documented at sale. Look at the overall cosmetic condition — if the listing showed a clean machine and it arrived filthy or with fresh damage from transport, document it immediately with timestamped photos.

Check tire condition (if wheeled) or track tension and tread depth (if tracked). Tires are easy to assess visually — look for sidewall cuts, flat spots, and uneven wear patterns that suggest alignment issues. On a compact track loader, push on the track midway between sprocket and idler — it should deflect about one inch for proper tension. Over-slack tracks are the single fastest way to destroy an undercarriage.

Day-one startup checklist

Cold start behavior

Start the machine cold. Note how many cranks it takes to fire. A healthy diesel should light off within 3-5 seconds of cranking in moderate weather. Excessive cranking, white smoke on startup, or rough idle in the first 30 seconds can indicate glow plug issues, injector problems, or low compression — all worth tracking but not necessarily immediate deal-breakers.

Hydraulic cycle times

Once the machine is at operating temperature (give it 10-15 minutes of idle or light work), time the lift cycle. Raise the arms from ground to full height — on a typical mid-frame skid steer (Cat 262D3, Deere 320G class), this should take roughly 4-5 seconds. If it is significantly slower, the pump may be weak or the relief pressure may be mis-set. Repeat with tilt and auxiliary — consistent, smooth motion is what you want.

Drive straight test

On flat ground, drive the machine forward at full travel speed with your hands neutral on the sticks (or joysticks centered). The machine should track roughly straight. If it pulls hard to one side, the drive motors or charge pressure may be imbalanced. Minor drift is normal on skid steers due to their design, but aggressive pulling is a red flag.

Auxiliary hydraulics

If you bought the machine for attachment work (and most skid steer buyers do), connect your primary attachment on day one. Run it for at least 30 minutes under load. Check oil temperature at the couplers — if the auxiliary circuit is running hot, it could be a flow mismatch, a clogged cooler, or an undersized return filter. The IRON+ inspection documents flow rates, but your attachment's actual demand is the final test.

What to track during the 30-day window

Week 1: fluid levels and leaks

Check engine oil, hydraulic fluid, and coolant levels at the start and end of each day for the first week. Mark the dipstick levels with a paint pen if it helps. Any consistent drop means a leak — find it early. Look under the machine each morning for puddles or wet spots. Hydraulic leaks in particular are worth catching early because they often indicate a failing seal that will get worse, not better.

Week 2: operating temperature patterns

By week two, you should have enough data to know the machine's thermal behavior. Note the ambient temperature and the hydraulic oil temperature gauge reading at the end of a hard work cycle. If the machine consistently pushes into the yellow or triggers a temperature warning, that is a cooling system issue — and it is exactly the kind of problem that only shows up under sustained load, which is why the 30-day IRON+ window matters.

Week 3-4: production baselines

By now you should know whether the machine meets your production expectations. Track fuel consumption per hour of work. Compare cycle times to your previous machine (if you had one) or to published specifications. If the machine is consistently underperforming — slower cycles, higher fuel burn, more heat — those are data points that help you decide whether to keep it or exercise the IRON+ return.

Common skid steer issues that surface during the first month

Drive motor weakness: usually shows up as reduced hill-climbing ability or difficulty pushing heavy loads. Chain tension (on chain-drive models): a loose chain causes jerky response and can damage sprockets. Cab sealing: if dust or water intrusion is excessive, the cab seals may need replacement — not a major expense, but worth noting. Loader arm pivot pins: worn pins cause the arms to wobble laterally and can lead to expensive frame repairs if ignored.

When to call us

If anything on this checklist raises a flag — or if something surfaces during the 30 days that was not documented in the inspection report — call our sales desk at (904) 274-6155. We will help you assess whether the issue is a normal wear item, an adjustment, or something that warrants a return. The whole point of IRON+ is that you do not have to make that call alone. Browse IRON+-eligible skid steers and CTLs at https://equipmentsupplyservice.com and buy with the confidence that day one is just the beginning of your evaluation, not the end of it.