Before you get on
Walk around the machine. Look for pools underneath it — oil or hydraulic fluid on the floor means do not start it. Check the wheels: cuts, embedded objects, wear down to the indicator.
Inspect the forks: cracks at the heel, deformation, a difference in height between the tips. Bent forks are not repaired — they are replaced.
Hydraulics and mast
Hydraulic fluid level on the dipstick or sight glass. Mast chains: even tension on both runs, no rust, no stretched links. Hoses: chafing and blisters on the braiding.
Electrics and battery
The battery connector: no scorch marks, no play. Cables: intact, with no chafing against the frame. On lead-acid, check the electrolyte level and that the terminals are free of corrosion.
After starting
Horn, service and parking brakes, lift and tilt through their full travel, running empty forks in both directions. Steering: no free play. Instruments: not a single warning lamp.
