The compact-machine buying checklist.

Ask for the precise model designation, legal factory name, serial-number format, current specification sheet and dated images of the unit being quoted. Similar-looking machines may be sold by several resellers under different labels, while one listing may cover several configurations. Match the nameplate and serial number across the quotation, inspection video, packing photographs and shipping documents. The engine plate should also be readable. If the seller cannot connect the advertised machine, quoted specification and physical unit with consistent identifiers, you cannot know whether later documents, parts or warranty support apply to the machine you receive.

Record the engine manufacturer and model, rated power, hydraulic pump and valve, operating weight, overall dimensions, track or tyre package, auxiliary flow and pressure, coupler and every attachment. For excavators, include dig depth, dump height, boom swing and track width. For skid steers, include rated operating capacity, tipping load, hinge-pin height and attachment interface. Do not rely on a listing headline when the page offers optional engines or multiple capacities. Put the agreed configuration into the quotation and pro forma invoice, then compare those values with the nameplates and inspection evidence before approving shipment.

Request the operator manual, maintenance schedule, illustrated parts book, wiring diagram, hydraulic diagram, load chart and configuration-specific certificates where required. Open every file and confirm that it matches the exact model, engine and control system being offered; a generic manual for a neighbouring model is not enough. The parts book should contain usable diagrams and part numbers, not photographs without references. Check whether the manual states fluid specifications, service intervals, filter references and safety procedures. A promise that documents will arrive after shipment leaves important service, compliance and parts questions unresolved when your negotiating leverage is weakest.

Build a first-year parts map before ordering. Include engine and hydraulic filters, belts, batteries, seals, hoses, switches, relays, track or tyre components, sprockets, rollers, pins, bushings and the wear parts for each attachment. Confirm factory part numbers, common local equivalents, current stock location and realistic delivery time. Ask whether the engine, pump, valve and final drives use recognizable component models that an independent technician can identify. Price a starter spares package with the machine—typically filters, belts, hose protection and selected seals—so routine service does not begin with an overseas search or a costly courier shipment.

Ask which assemblies are covered, for how long, who diagnoses a failure, who pays labour and freight, whether the failed part must be returned and what photographs, pressure readings or service records are required. Separate the machine warranty from the engine warranty because they may have different administrators and exclusions. Define the response time, the claim contact and the remedy when a covered part is unavailable. Also ask whether doing local repairs with written approval preserves coverage. A warranty period printed in a listing is not a complete support plan unless the process, exclusions and cost allocation are clear.

Use an independent inspection where practical, or at minimum request one continuous live video tied to the machine’s serial number. Begin with a genuinely cold engine, then check start-up smoke, warning lights, idle quality and visible leaks. Cycle every control through full travel, test steering and brakes, listen under hydraulic load, examine welds and hose routing, and operate every purchased attachment. Repeat key functions after the machine is warm and request a hot restart. The inspection should end with the same serial plate and packing process. A short edited demonstration reduces some uncertainty but cannot establish identity, condition or long-term durability by itself.

Separate the machine and attachments from export crating, factory-to-port transport, inspection, ocean freight, insurance, duty, taxes, port and terminal charges, brokerage, storage, local delivery, initial servicing, starter spares and any trailer or transport equipment needed to put it to work. Record which costs are fixed quotations and which are estimates that can change with shipment size, classification or time at the port. Compare suppliers on the same delivery basis rather than comparing one factory price with another freight-inclusive quote. Use written destination-specific quotations and current customs advice instead of treating a displayed supplier price as the amount required to put the machine to work.

Keep the final specification, attachments, serial continuity, delivery terms, inspection conditions, completion date, acceptance criteria and remedy for non-conformance inside the signed order and protected payment process. State what happens if the engine, weight, attachment interface or included equipment differs from the agreed configuration. Tie the final payment or release step to inspection evidence wherever the transaction structure allows it. Save the listing, quotation, drawings, messages, invoices and videos in one dated file. Important promises that exist only in informal chat are harder to enforce, especially when the commercial documents describe the machine more broadly.