New Tractor Delivery Checklist in India: PDI, Equipment and Handover

A new tractor delivery should answer a concrete question: is this the machine you ordered, with the agreed equipment, documents and operating guidance? A polished bonnet and a brief engine start do not answer it. Use this checklist alongside the dealer's model-specific pre-delivery inspection, usually called PDI. It is a buyer's handover record, not a substitute for the manufacturer's workshop procedure.

Bring the order, not just the advertised model name

Take the final written quotation, order confirmation and the agreed equipment list to the delivery appointment. Identify the drive version, clutch, steering, tyres, hydraulic package and included accessories. If a detail was settled verbally, ask for it to be recorded before comparing it with the machine.

Options can materially change the order. For example, ACE's DI 450 NG page lists 1200 kg lift with 1800 kg optional. A brochure advertising the option does not prove it was included in your quotation. Ask the dealer to identify the fitted package from the build information, not by attempting a maximum-load test in the yard.

Match the physical identity to the paperwork

Ask the dealer to locate the identification markings and show how they correspond to the invoice and delivery record. Copy the model, chassis or serial identifier and engine identifier where applicable. Check the buyer's details and the equipment description while the responsible staff member is available.

Record any mismatch as a specific unresolved item. A similar model badge or an assurance that the document will be corrected later is not the corrected document. Agree who will resolve it and obtain the revised copy. This article does not prescribe a universal registration-document bundle: ask which registration, insurance or finance documents apply to your transaction and obtain their current status from the responsible provider.

Separate the dealer's PDI from your walk-around

Request the completed PDI record for this particular machine, including its date and outstanding work. Ask which checks were performed and which adjustments were made. A blank checklist or a general statement that all tractors are inspected gives you less information than a record tied to the delivered serial number.

For your visual review, have the tractor secured in the condition specified by its manual. Look for visible damage, missing covers, tyre-size differences, loose-looking components or fluid traces that need explanation. Ask a trained technician to investigate concerns. Do not reach into moving parts, open a hot cooling system, inspect beneath raised equipment or touch a suspected pressurised leak. The buyer's task is to record and escalate an observation, not to repair the tractor during handover.

Ask for a planned demonstration of the ordered functions

Agree the demonstration before anyone moves the tractor. A competent dealer operator should use a suitable clear area and follow the machine's manual. Ask to see the fitted gear and direction controls, steering, braking, instruments and the specific PTO or hydraulic controls needed for your work. If a function cannot be demonstrated safely, record it as not yet demonstrated rather than marking it passed.

A lever being present is not the same as an operating explanation. Ask the operator to show the correct engagement and stopping sequence and identify settings that are inappropriate for your implement. Do not improvise a slope test, overloaded lift or high-speed stop to prove the tractor's capability. An implement demonstration needs an approved tractor-implement pairing and the appropriate guarding.

Record the meter reading without inventing a pass mark

Write down the displayed hours at handover and ask the dealer to explain the machine's movement, preparation and demonstration history. This checklist does not set a universal maximum acceptable delivery reading. A non-zero display alone does not establish that the tractor is used, and a low display does not replace the identity and PDI checks.

If the explanation is inconsistent with the records, keep the question open until you receive a specific answer. Do not turn an unexplained reading into a diagnosis or accept a discount as evidence that the history is understood. Our used-tractor inspection guide covers the different task of assessing an already-used machine; this checklist concerns fulfilment of a new order.

Complete the equipment and document handover

Count the agreed items with the dealer: keys, supplied linkage components, ordered weights, tools and accessories. Do not assume every item shown in a brochure is standard. Mark each as received, not ordered or outstanding, using the actual order as the reference.

Obtain the applicable operator manual, warranty information, PDI or delivery record and service contact details. Ask the dealer to identify the first-service trigger, subsequent schedule and any calendar limits in that manual. Record the relevant start date rather than substituting the date you happen to collect the tractor. John Deere India's warranty page, for example, refers to first sale and requires the owner's-manual service schedule; that is a brand-specific example, not a rule to copy onto another make. The separate warranty guide explains coverage comparisons.

Arrange operator orientation and installation

Include the person who will actually drive the tractor. Ask them to locate the controls, understand warnings and explain the stopping procedure back to the technician. Request guidance on the intended attachment and the checks needed before first use; reading an unfamiliar manual alone in the field is a poor substitute for resolving questions at handover.

Mahindra's service page describes product installation at the customer's home or farm by trained technicians, including orientation on controls, warranty and maintenance, and attachment of implements as required. Ask what installation or orientation your own dealer provides, where it occurs and when. Do not assume another brand includes the same service or that an unconfirmed visit is booked.

Use a discrepancy sheet that can be closed

For every open item write the ordered requirement, observed condition, evidence needed, responsible person and agreed completion date. A hypothetical example: the order specifies a hydraulic connection, but it has not been identified on the delivered machine. Record the missing confirmation, ask the dealer to show the fitted connection or explain the correction, and arrange the appropriate demonstration. Do not label the whole tractor defective without that investigation.

Separate a document correction, a missing accessory and an unresolved operating concern. They need different remedies; none should disappear inside a vague note saying dealer will handle it. Ask for the delivery record to reflect the actual status and keep a copy. Follow the sale agreement for any unresolved acceptance or payment question; this checklist does not create a universal right to a refund or replacement.

Before beginning work, confirm that safety and operating concerns have been resolved, the needed equipment is present and the operator understands the machine. Close each remaining item with evidence of completion. The useful outcome is a traceable handover, not a checklist full of ticks without explanations.

Manufacturer sources checked on 7 October 2026. The workflow and hypothetical discrepancy example are Aglist editorial guidance, not a manufacturer-issued PDI form.