Free checklist · Construction equipment
Skid steer daily inspection checklist (free, printable)
Check a skid steer or compact track loader before each shift with the attachment flat on the ground: tires or tracks, lift arms and pivot pins, quick-attach wedges, hydraulic couplers and hoses, and engine fluids. From the seat, prove the seat bar interlock locks out what the manual says it should, then test the drive, lift and tilt, parking brake, horn, lights and backup alarm.
- How often
- Before each shift
- The rule
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2)
- Items
- 32 checks
- Takes
- About 8 minutes
By the CheckBadges team · Updated
Layout
Skid steer daily inspection checklist
Before each shift
| Item | OK | Problem | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walkaround (attachment down, engine off) | |||
| Tires and wheel nutsNo cuts or low tires; every wheel nut present and tight | |||
| Tracks and undercarriageTension per the manual; no deep cuts in the rubber; rollers turn | |||
| Lift arms and loader frameNo cracks or bends in the arms, cross tube or frame | |||
| Pivot pins and grease pointsPins and retainers in place; greased per the daily schedule | |||
| Lift and tilt cylindersNo leaking seals or scored rods | |||
| Hydraulic hoses and fittingsNo leaks, rubbing or bulges | |||
| Auxiliary hydraulic couplersClean, fully connected; hoses clear of pinch points | |||
| Quick-attach levers and wedgesLevers fully down; wedges through the attachment frame on both sides | |||
| Bucket or attachmentNo cracks; cutting edge, teeth or tines secure | |||
| Lift arm support devicePresent and undamaged; used whenever the arms are up for service | |||
| Engine and fluids | |||
| Engine oil levelBetween the marks; no fresh leaks | |||
| Coolant levelAt the mark in the overflow tank, checked cold | |||
| Hydraulic oil levelIn range on the sight glass with the arms down | |||
| Fuel level | ☐ Full ☐ 3/4 ☐ 1/2 ☐ 1/4 ☐ Low | ||
| Air filter restriction indicatorNot in the red; housing clamped shut | |||
| Radiator and oil coolerScreens and fins clear of dirt, leaves and chaff | |||
| Debris in the engine compartmentNothing packed round the exhaust, turbo or belts | |||
| Operator cab | |||
| Steps and grab handlesClean and secure; enter only with the attachment flat on the ground | |||
| Cab door, side screens and rear windowIn place and not cracked; door latches; rear exit opens | |||
| Cab and ROPS/FOPSNo cracks or missing bolts; tilt-cab latches secure | |||
| Seat belt and seat barBelt latches and retracts; seat bar moves freely, not tied up | |||
| Rated operating capacity decalIn place and readable | |||
| Hour meter reading | ________ hours | ||
| Function checks (engine running) | |||
| Gauges and warning lightsNo warning lights or alarms once running | |||
| Seat bar interlockBar up: lift, tilt and drive lock out as the manual describes | |||
| Drive and steeringSmooth, controls return to neutral; tracks straight | |||
| Lift and tiltSmooth; arms don't drift down when held a short way up | |||
| Parking brakeHolds the machine; drive is locked out when set | |||
| Backup alarmSounds in reverse, audible over the engine | |||
| HornWorks | |||
| LightsFront and rear work lights work | |||
| Fire extinguisherMounted, gauge in the green, pin in place | |||
Problems found and action taken:
If anything is a problem, don't use the machine: tag it out and report it. Free checklist from checkbadges.com — put it on a QR sticker and operators can fill it in on their phone.
What to check on a skid steer, item by item
Walkaround (attachment down, engine off)
- Tires and wheel nuts — No cuts or low tires; every wheel nut present and tight
- Tracks and undercarriage — Tension per the manual; no deep cuts in the rubber; rollers turn
- Lift arms and loader frame — No cracks or bends in the arms, cross tube or frame
- Pivot pins and grease points — Pins and retainers in place; greased per the daily schedule
- Lift and tilt cylinders — No leaking seals or scored rods
- Hydraulic hoses and fittings — No leaks, rubbing or bulges
- Auxiliary hydraulic couplers — Clean, fully connected; hoses clear of pinch points
- Quick-attach levers and wedges — Levers fully down; wedges through the attachment frame on both sides
- Bucket or attachment — No cracks; cutting edge, teeth or tines secure
- Lift arm support device — Present and undamaged; used whenever the arms are up for service
Engine and fluids
- Engine oil level — Between the marks; no fresh leaks
- Coolant level — At the mark in the overflow tank, checked cold
- Hydraulic oil level — In range on the sight glass with the arms down
- Fuel level (Full / 3/4 / 1/2 / 1/4 / Low)
- Air filter restriction indicator — Not in the red; housing clamped shut
- Radiator and oil cooler — Screens and fins clear of dirt, leaves and chaff
- Debris in the engine compartment — Nothing packed round the exhaust, turbo or belts
Operator cab
- Steps and grab handles — Clean and secure; enter only with the attachment flat on the ground
- Cab door, side screens and rear window — In place and not cracked; door latches; rear exit opens
- Cab and ROPS/FOPS — No cracks or missing bolts; tilt-cab latches secure
- Seat belt and seat bar — Belt latches and retracts; seat bar moves freely, not tied up
- Rated operating capacity decal — In place and readable
- Hour meter reading (reading, in hours)
Function checks (engine running)
- Gauges and warning lights — No warning lights or alarms once running
- Seat bar interlock — Bar up: lift, tilt and drive lock out as the manual describes
- Drive and steering — Smooth, controls return to neutral; tracks straight
- Lift and tilt — Smooth; arms don't drift down when held a short way up
- Parking brake — Holds the machine; drive is locked out when set
- Backup alarm — Sounds in reverse, audible over the engine
- Horn — Works
- Lights — Front and rear work lights work
- Fire extinguisher — Mounted, gauge in the green, pin in place
How often a skid steer has to be inspected
Inspect a skid steer or compact track loader before each shift, and do the daily checks in its operator's manual. OSHA has never written skid-steer-specific operating rules: 29 CFR 1926.602(a)(1) still says rules for rubber-tired "skid-steer" equipment are "reserved pending consideration of standards currently being developed." What does apply:
- Rollover protection. OSHA's ROPS rules (1926.1000) cover rubber-tired skid-steer equipment manufactured after July 15, 2019 and used in construction.
- Regular inspections, and unsafe machines out of use. 29 CFR 1926.20(b) requires frequent and regular equipment inspections by competent persons, and says equipment that doesn't comply must be tagged, locked out or removed.
- The manufacturer's manual. Whatever you run, whether it's a Bobcat, Cat, Deere, Kubota or Takeuchi, the manual sets the daily checks and the safety devices that must work.
On farms, landscaping crews and yards, the manual and your own safety program carry most of the weight. Heavy equipment inspection requirements covers the rules in more depth.
How to do the walkaround
Work from the ground up, and never put any part of your body under raised lift arms:
- Park it flat. Level ground, attachment flat on the ground, parking brake on, engine off.
- If the arms must be up for a check, engage the lift arm support device first, the way the manual shows.
- Walk round the machine. Tires and wheel nuts, or tracks, rollers and idlers. Look under it for fresh leaks.
- Follow the lift arms forward from the rear pivots: arms, cross tube, cylinders, hoses and pins, down to the attachment plate.
- Look at the quick-attach wedges, not just the levers. A lever can be down with a wedge that hasn't gone through the attachment frame.
- Open the rear door. Engine oil, coolant, hydraulic sight glass, air filter indicator, and any leaves, chaff or dirt packed round the exhaust and cooler, which is a fire risk.
- Get in using the grab handles and steps, never the controls. Check the door, side screens, seat belt and seat bar.
- Belt on, seat bar down, start it. Check the gauges, then raise the seat bar and confirm what the manual says should lock out. Lower it and test drive, lift, tilt, auxiliary hydraulics, parking brake, horn, lights and backup alarm.
- Record the hour meter and sign.
The defects that take a skid steer out of service
These keep a skid steer parked until they're repaired:
| Defect | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Seat bar or seat interlock doesn't lock out | Operators crushed between the lift arms and the frame is exactly what the interlock exists to prevent |
| Quick-attach wedge not through the attachment frame | The attachment can come off the plate, worst with a raised load |
| Lift arm support device missing or damaged | Nobody can safely work under raised arms without it |
| Hydraulic hose leaking, bulging or chafed | A failure can drop the arms or spray hot oil |
| Cut tire, missing wheel nuts or damaged track | Skid steers turn by skidding, which loads every tire and nut hard |
| Backup alarm or horn not working | The engine and lift arms block most of the view behind |
| Door, side screen or rear window broken | Screens keep arms and legs inside the cab, and on many machines the rear window is the emergency exit |
What to do when something fails
Stop, lower the attachment, shut it down, tag it and report it. On construction sites, 1926.20(b)(3) requires equipment that isn't safe to be tagged, locked out or removed. Hang an out-of-service tag on the controls and take the key. What to do when equipment fails inspection covers who repairs it and who releases it.
Keeping the record
OSHA doesn't require the daily skid steer check to be written down, but a dated record of who checked what is your only proof it was done. It matters even more for machines that move between crews or out to customers: a check with photos at the start of a rental or a job settles arguments about damage. Equipment inspection record keeping covers what to keep.
To take the clipboard out of it, stick a QR code checklist inside the cab. Operators scan it with their phone camera, answer these items, and anything marked as a problem reaches you by email straight away and warns the next operator who scans it. CheckBadges is free for 3 machines.
Skip the clipboard
Put this skid steer inspection checklist on a QR sticker.
- Operators scan the sticker with their own phone's camera. No app, account or password.
- Anything marked Problem emails you right away, with photos, and warns the next operator.
- Every check is saved by machine with who did it and when. Print one or export a CSV.
Free for 3 machines. Every item above is already filled in — edit anything. No card.
Skid steer 1
Skid steer inspection checklist
Frequently asked questions
What is a skid steer lift arm support device?
A strut or stop that holds the raised lift arms so they can't come down if a hose fails or someone touches a control. Use it whenever you have to work with the arms up, and check it's present and undamaged on every daily inspection.
How do you test the seat bar interlock on a skid steer?
With the engine running and the attachment on the ground, raise the seat bar and gently try the lift, tilt and drive controls. Whatever your manual says should lock out must not move; if anything does, the machine is out of service until it's repaired.
Is a compact track loader inspected the same way as a skid steer?
Mostly. The lift arms, quick-attach, interlocks, cab and fluids are the same. Swap the tire and wheel-nut checks for track tension, track damage, rollers, idlers and sprockets, which this checklist does with N/A items.
Does OSHA have a skid steer standard?
Not a skid-steer-specific operating standard: 29 CFR 1926.602(a)(1) still reserves those rules. Rubber-tired skid steers built after July 15, 2019 and used in construction fall under OSHA's rollover protection rules (1926.1000), and the general duties to inspect equipment and take unsafe machines out of use (1926.20(b)) apply.
How do I know the skid steer quick-attach is locked?
Look at the wedges or pins, not just the levers: both must pass through the holes in the attachment's mounting frame. Then press the attachment down against the ground before lifting anything, to confirm it's held.
Keep reading
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- Heavy equipment inspection checklistFree daily heavy equipment inspection checklist for any construction machine: walkaround, fluids, cab and function tests, plus machine-specific checklists.
- Equipment rentalRental equipment inspections on a QR sticker: a dated, photographed condition check each time a machine goes out and comes back. No app or login needed.
- LandscapingLandscaping equipment checklists on a QR sticker per mower, trailer and truck. Crews scan with their phone before leaving the yard; no app. Free for 3 machines.
- Heavy equipment inspection rulesOSHA has no single heavy equipment inspection schedule. Jobsite vehicles are checked each shift, unsafe machines tagged out, and the manual sets daily checks.
- Excavator inspection checklistFree excavator daily inspection checklist: undercarriage, boom and bucket, quick coupler, fluids and cab checks, in walkaround order. Print it or use QR codes.
Do your skid steer checks by QR code.
Stick a QR code on every machine and operators do the pre-use check on their own phone — no app, no login. Free for up to 3 machines; try it with your real machines before you sign up.