Vertical vs. Radial
The most common question asked by skid steer customers is, “Which style of skid steer is better, radial lift or vertical lift?” The answer is both. The choice between radial lift and vertical lift design on a skid steer or track loader depends entirely on the application. While both types of skid steer and track loaders can essentially perform the same tasks, each design has its own advantages in certain applications. As a general rule of thumb, radial lift is ideal when the majority of the work is performed below eye level, while vertical lift is ideal when the majority of the work is performed above eye level.
Radial Lift Design
The radial lift design was on the very first skid steers made. This design gets its name from the fact that the loader boom arms rotate on a single pivot point, causing the lift path to arc out until the pin height, and then back as it reaches full height. The radial lift design ties the loader boom arms directly into the chassis in the rear and nests them against the lower chassis in the front. Therefore, pushing or digging work is done with the whole chassis.
Additionally, when loading pallets on a flatbed, the radial lift machine will have more reach at the bed height. The downside is that at this height, the skid steer loader is at the “most tippy” position. This is also the position that “tip load/rated operating capacity” is measured, and why vertical lift skid steer loaders of the same spec will have a higher rated operating capacity than a radial lift skid steer loader. Above this position, the bucket rotates back, causing the operator to lose reach the higher the boom goes. Due to the simpler design of the radial lift linkage, radial lift skid steer loaders tend to be less expensive than their vertical lift counterparts. But since radial lift machines are used in tougher applications like breaking, prying, grading or hard digging, they tend to be equipped with slightly more horsepower than vertical lift skid steer loaders.
Vertical Lift Design
The vertical lift linkage design was actually invented by New Holland 40 years ago in 1972, with the introduction of the L35 skid steer loader (the industry’s first vertical lift skid steer loader equipped with the patented Super Boom lift linkage). The vertical lift design uses two pivot points that allows the boom to raise the bucket straight up to full height. This provides more reach — the distance from the front of the unit to the bucket — at full height. The greater the reach, the easier it is to evenly load a truck from the center. With enough reach, loading can be done from just one side of the truck, which saves time and helps in cramped areas. This is why vertical lift skid steer loaders are preferred for loading high-side trucks, feed carts and other taller containers.
Vertical lift skid steer loaders also have superior hinge pin height (dump height), which is key to clearing tall truck sides and obstacles. When working near confined areas, such as next to buildings or trucks, the operator of a vertical lift skid steer loader doesn’t have to worry about the swing when raising the boom. Due to their lift path, vertical lift skid steer loaders tend to keep the bucket or forks fairly level while lifting and lowering, without the operator having to compensate for the change in angle. A vertical lift skid steer loader can be very versatile on a jobsite, handling a variety of material handling and load-and-carry applications.
Paul Wade is a brand marketing manager with New Holland Construction, based in Racine, Wis.
