Heavy Equipment Maintenance Checklist

Pull the machine number off the unit (not the keys), read the hour meter, and note the operator on shift. The hour reading drives the OEM service interval — record it before any work begins so the next PM is scheduled correctly.

Pull the unit's history in the fleet system (Tenna, HCSS Equipment360, Fleetio, or the binder in the shop). Look for open defects from the last shift, recurring complaints, and the last filter/oil service hours. Repeat tickets on the same component are usually a clue to a deeper issue.

Cat, Deere, Komatsu, Bobcat, and Kubota each publish service-interval tables — typically 250 / 500 / 1000 / 2000 hours. Confirm which interval this PM falls under so the right filters and fluids are pulled before the machine is opened up.

Check on level ground with the engine cold for accurate readings. Hydraulic sight glass, engine dipstick, coolant overflow, DEF tank, and transmission/final drives where applicable. Milky oil indicates coolant intrusion — pull the machine before topping off.

Look at hydraulic cylinders, hose fittings, the swing motor, final drives, and the engine pan. A weeping cylinder rod is normal; a dripping rod is not. Hydraulic fluid on hot exhaust is a fire risk — flag immediately.

Follow the OEM lube chart — pin/bushing locations on the boom, stick, and bucket; swing bearing; cab pivot. Use the grease type called out by the manufacturer (typically NLGI #2 EP). Skipping pins accelerates bushing wear and shows up as slop in the bucket.

Look for swelling, cracked cases, white corrosion at the posts, and loose hold-downs. A loose battery in a tracked machine vibrates itself to failure inside a few hundred hours.

Resting voltage above 12.4 V on a 12 V system; voltage should not drop below 9.6 V under crank. Use a load tester, not just a multimeter. Twin-battery systems should be tested as a pair and replaced as a pair.

Read pressure cold from the spec plate, not the sidewall. Skid steers and telehandlers run different fronts and rears; loaded telehandlers are higher. Foam-filled tires don't take air — inspect for chunking and sidewall cuts instead.

Replace at the OEM minimum tread (typically 25% remaining on construction tires). Note any sidewall cuts deeper than the cord — those don't get patched, they get replaced.

Tracked machines only. Measure sag at the carrier roller — typically 1-2 inches depending on OEM. Inspect the rails, sprockets, idlers, and pads for chunking. Premature undercarriage wear is the single biggest hidden cost on tracked equipment.

OSHA 29 CFR 1926.602 requires ROPS, seat belts, and backup alarms on construction equipment. A non-functioning backup alarm is an automatic downcheck — these get cited routinely and are involved in the majority of struck-by fatalities.

Cycle each lamp; verify the strobe runs while the engine is running. Night-pour and tunnel work require all lights functional — confirm with the super before signing off.

Boom up/down, stick in/out, bucket curl, swing left/right, travel forward/reverse. Listen for cavitation, watch for drift on a held cylinder, and feel for hesitation. Drift in a held position usually points to a worn cylinder seal or a leaky control valve.

Photo with a tape measure or coin in frame for scale where wear is the issue. Attach to the inspection record so the next mechanic and the equipment manager see the same evidence you did.

Pass: machine cleared for service. Pass with notes: monitor on next PM. Fail — tag out: machine cannot run until repaired. Anything affecting ROPS, brakes, steering, hydraulics under load, or backup alarms is an automatic Fail.

Pull the keys, hang a red OUT-OF-SERVICE tag at the operator's seat and at the battery disconnect, and log the LOTO in the equipment file. Per 29 CFR 1910.147, only the person who applied the lock can remove it — coordinate with the mechanic on the repair.

Call — don't email — when a machine is downchecked. The super needs to rebalance crews and the equipment manager needs to dispatch a replacement before the next shift starts. Follow up in writing in the fleet system for the audit trail.