Radial vs Vertical Lift: Which Loader Is Right for You

Buyer's Guide · 2026-06-05

When you're shopping for a skid steer, you'll run into two lift styles: radial lift and vertical lift. It's one of the first real decisions you'll make, and it shapes how the machine performs for years. The good news is it's not complicated once you understand what the lift arms are actually doing.

Here's how we explain it to folks who walk into the shop.

What the lift path actually does

The lift arms on a skid steer follow a path as the bucket goes from the ground to full height. Radial and vertical machines follow different paths, and that path is the whole difference.

Radial lift arms pivot from a single point near the back of the machine, so the bucket swings out in an arc. The arms reach out farthest around the middle of the lift path, then tuck back in as they go higher.

Vertical lift arms use extra linkage to travel in a near-straight line, keeping the load tucked close to the machine and pushing the reach to the very top of the stroke.

That's it. One swings out in the middle, the other goes straight up. Everything else flows from there.

When radial lift wins

Radial machines shine at or below truck-bed height, which is where a lot of skid steer work actually happens. Think:

• Digging and trenching
• Grading and backfilling
• Pushing and carrying material
• Loading low trailers and dump trucks
• Running ground-engaging attachments like buckets and grapples

Because that extra mid-path reach lines up perfectly with dumping into a standard truck or pulling material out of a pile, radial is the go-to for dirt work and general contracting. Radial loaders also tend to be simpler and a better value, with fewer linkage parts and easy service access.

Most of our lineup is radial. The Gehl R165 is a popular all-around pick, and the R190 GEN:2 is the flagship radial machine when you want more capacity for everyday work.

When vertical lift wins

Vertical machines earn their keep up high. The straight-up lift path gives you more reach and more usable capacity at full height, plus the load stays closer to the machine so it's easier to place accurately. Reach for vertical when you spend a lot of time:

• Loading high-sided trucks and grain trailers
• Stacking pallets and material up high
• Dumping into hoppers and tall containers
• Placing loads where reach at full height matters

There's a capacity bonus, too. Because a vertical lift keeps the load tucked in close, you can often carry more at the top than a comparable radial machine. The Gehl V330 GEN:2 is our vertical machine, and it's rated at 3,300 lbs, so it pairs the straight-up reach with serious lifting muscle for truck loading and pallet work.

The quick decision

If you want a single sentence to make the call:

• Mostly moving dirt, digging, and loading low? Go radial.
• Mostly loading and stacking up high? Go vertical.

If your work is split down the middle, lean toward what you do more often, and remember that radial machines usually cost less to buy and service. Plenty of contractors run radial for years and never feel like they're missing out, because most of their lifting happens below truck height anyway.

Still not sure? That's what we're here for

The lift style is one of those choices that's easy to second-guess. Tell us the kind of work you do day to day and we'll tell you honestly which way to go. No pressure, and no steering you to the pricier machine just because it's pricier.

Browse the full skid loader lineup to compare radial and vertical models side by side, or request a quote and we'll help you match the right machine to the work.

← All buyer's guides