Radial vs Vertical Lift Skid Steer: Which One Fits Your Work?

Radial vs vertical lift is the skid steer spec that changes how the machine works all day, not just how the brochure reads. It decides where the bucket goes as the arms come up: out in front of the machine at mid height, or almost straight up to the top. Pick the wrong one and you will be fighting it on every truck you load or every trench you backfill.

This guide compares the two with the manufacturers’ own spec sheets for three matched pairs (same engine, same wheelbase or track length, different arms), shows how to tell which one a used machine has, and lists which lift path the skid steers and track loaders for sale from Pennsylvania dealers on Heavy Listing actually have. If you are still deciding on frame size, start with our skid steer size guide and come back.

Radial vs vertical lift skid steer: the short version

	Radial lift	Vertical lift
Arm path	An arc around one pivot pin behind the cab	Close to straight up, guided by extra links
Most reach	At mid height (arms level with the ground)	At full height
Best at	Digging, grading, backfilling, pushing, loading flatbeds, dumping over a wall	Loading high-sided trucks and dumpsters, pallets, lift and carry
Rated capacity	Lower than its vertical twin	Higher than its radial twin
Moving parts	Fewer pins and bushings	More pins, links and grease points
Weight	Lighter	Heavier, by about 360 to 820 lb on the pairs below

Sources: manufacturer spec sheets cited under each comparison below; grease points from Case TR270B product page.

How a radial lift skid steer works

On a radial lift machine, each lift arm hinges on a single pin at the back of the loader tower. When the arm goes up, the bucket travels in a circle around that pin. Partway up, the arms are level with the ground and the bucket is as far in front of the machine as it will ever be. Past that point the bucket starts swinging back toward the cab, and at full height it sits closer to the front tires than it did at mid height.

Manufacturers describe it the same way. Case says its radial design is “designed for grading, prying, and below grade digging” and gives “further reach at mid-lift height than a vertical lift.” Cat’s spec sheet credits its radial models with “excellent digging performance and superior mid-lift reach.” Bobcat sums it up as “maximum reach at truck bed height.”

The simple geometry also makes radial arms easier to keep up. Case points out that its radial design “has fewer grease points than vertical lift.” On a used machine, fewer pins means fewer places for slop to build up.

How a vertical lift skid steer works

A vertical lift machine adds one or more short links between the lift arm and the frame. As the arm rises, those links move the pivot point, so the bucket travels nearly straight up and ends a little forward at the top. In Case’s words, vertical lift “changes the path from a radial arc to a straight, up-and-down path. This allows for more reach at full extension, as well as offering higher lift capacity and greater stability.”

Two things follow from that path. The load stays closer to the machine through the middle of the lift, which is why vertical machines carry a higher rated operating capacity than a radial twin of the same weight class. And the bucket is out past the side of a truck bed when it gets to the top, so the load lands toward the middle of a high box instead of piling up against the near wall.

Matched pairs: what the spec sheets show

The cleanest way to see what the arms change is to compare twins: same engine, same wheelbase, different lift path. Cat and John Deere both publish full dimension tables that include reach, so these are the numbers we used.

Cat 246D3 (radial) vs Cat 262D3 (vertical)

Spec	Cat 246D3 radial	Cat 262D3 vertical
Gross power	74.3 hp	74.3 hp
Wheelbase	49.2 in	49.2 in
Operating weight	7,478 lb	8,296 lb
Rated operating capacity (50%)	2,200 lb	2,700 lb
Tipping load	4,400 lb	5,400 lb
Bucket pin height at max lift	124.2 in	124.9 in
Max reach with arms level	54.6 in	50.9 in
Reach at max lift and dump	23.6 in	30.9 in
Clearance at max lift and dump	97.1 in	93.7 in

Source: Cat 226D3 to 272D3 XE skid steer loader specifications (Caterpillar). Figures with a 68 in low profile bucket, no optional counterweights.

This pair shows the trade in its purest form. Pin height is almost the same: the vertical 262D3 only lifts 0.7 inch higher. What changes is where the bucket is. With the arms level, the radial 246D3 reaches 3.7 inches farther. At the top, the vertical 262D3 reaches 7.3 inches farther. The 262D3 also rates 500 lb more capacity, and weighs 818 lb more to get it.

John Deere 316GR (radial) vs John Deere 318G (vertical)

Spec	Deere 316GR radial	Deere 318G vertical
Net power	61 hp	61 hp
Wheelbase	41.5 in	41.5 in
Operating weight (base)	6,180 lb	6,542 lb
Rated operating capacity	1,750 lb	1,945 lb
Tipping load	3,500 lb	3,890 lb
Height to hinge pin	115.1 in	120.0 in
Dump height (foundry bucket)	88.6 in	94.3 in
Dump reach (foundry bucket)	15.8 in	34.0 in

Sources: John Deere 316GR and 318G spec sheets. Deere does not publish a mid-height reach figure for these two.

On Deere’s small frame the gap at the top is bigger: the vertical 318G dumps more than twice as far forward, 34 inches against 15.8, and its hinge pin sits almost 5 inches higher. Deere says the 316GR’s radial boom “enables the 316GR to excel at digging, grading, and backfilling,” and the 318G’s vertical boom makes it “ideal for stacking and truck-loading applications.”

The same trade on tracks: Cat 279D3 vs Cat 289D3

Spec	Cat 279D3 radial	Cat 289D3 vertical
Gross power	74.3 hp	74.3 hp
Operating weight	10,095 lb	10,688 lb
Rated operating capacity (35%)	2,220 lb	2,890 lb
Bucket pin height at max lift	124.9 in	125.1 in
Max reach with arms level	54.0 in	50.0 in
Reach at max lift and dump	22.6 in	30.0 in

Source: Cat 239D3 to 299D3 XE compact track loader specifications (Caterpillar). Track loaders are rated at 35% of tipping load, skid steers at 50%, so do not compare ROC across the two tables.

Compact track loaders use the same arm designs, and the numbers move the same way: 4 inches more reach at mid height for the radial, 7.4 inches more at the top for the vertical, 670 lb more rated capacity for the vertical. If you are choosing between wheels and tracks as well, our skid steer vs compact track loader comparison covers that decision.

Reach at mid height vs reach at full height: why it matters

Reach sounds like a small number, but it decides where your material lands.

• Mid-height reach is what you use when you dump over a retaining wall, backfill a foundation from the far side of a trench, fill a hopper or load a flatbed or low trailer. Here the radial machine puts the bucket farther out, so you do not have to creep the tires up to the edge.
• Full-height reach is what you use when the side of the truck is up near the hinge pin. A vertical machine puts the bucket edge past the side board and spreads the load toward the middle of the box. A radial machine at the same height dumps closer to the near side, and you end up pushing the pile over or repositioning the truck.
• Pin height is not always the difference. The two Cat pairs above lift to within an inch of each other. The vertical advantage on those machines is reach at the top, not height.

One detail surprises people: on the Cat skid steer pair, the radial 246D3 actually has 3.4 inches more clearance under the bucket at full dump (97.1 against 93.7 in). Clearance alone does not load a truck well. If the bucket is not over the box, more clearance only helps you avoid the side board.

Loading trucks vs digging and grading: a decision table

Main job	Better lift path	Why
Loading dump trucks, roll-offs, dumpsters	Vertical	More reach at the top, dumps past the side board
Pallet forks, block, sod, bagged material	Vertical	Higher rated capacity, load stays close through the lift
Lift and carry around a yard	Vertical	Higher ROC on the same frame size
Digging, footings, below-grade work	Radial	Arm geometry built for digging and prying
Grading and leveling	Radial	Makers aim radial machines at grading; lighter and simpler
Backfilling, dumping over walls	Radial	Most reach at mid height
Loading flatbeds and low trailers	Radial	Most reach at truck-bed height
Snow on lots and driveways	Either	Pushing does not use the lift path; vertical helps if you stack high piles
Rental fleet or mixed work	Vertical	Covers the high work a radial machine cannot

Mixed work is where most buyers land, and most of the used machines in our Pennsylvania listings are vertical. A vertical machine can still dig and grade fine for most contractors. A radial machine cannot fake reach at full height. If you split your time and load trucks every week, vertical is the safer buy. If you are a site prep or landscape outfit that mostly works at ground level, the radial machine is lighter, simpler and does the work it was built for.

The lift path also does not change how hard a breaker or mulcher works. For that, look at the hydraulics: our guide to high flow vs standard flow covers what each attachment needs, and skid steer attachments covers which jobs each tool handles.

How to tell if a used skid steer is radial or vertical

1. Read the model name

Some brands put the lift path in the name. Others do not, and you have to look it up.

Brand	Radial	Vertical	Rule of thumb
Case	SR175B, TR270B, TR340B	SV280B, SV340B, TV450B	R = radial, V = vertical
Takeuchi	TL8R2, TL12R2	TL10V2	R = radial, V = vertical
John Deere (G series)	316GR	317G, 318G, 320G, 324G, 332G, 333G	R after the G = radial
Cat D3 skid steers	226D3, 236D3, 246D3	232D3, 242D3, 262D3, 272D3	No pattern, check the list
Cat D3 track loaders	239D3, 279D3	249D3, 259D3, 289D3, 299D3	No pattern; the D series split the same way
Bobcat	S450, S630	S590, S650	No letter code, check the model
Kubota	None listed here	SVL97-2	Kubota markets its vertical lift on the SVL

Sources: Case SR175B, SV340B, TV450B; Takeuchi TL8R2, TL10V2; John Deere G-series spec sheets; Cat D3 and D series spec sheets; Bobcat model pages; Kubota SVL97-2 brochure.

Be careful with Bobcat. The S650 is vertical, not radial; its radial counterpart in the same M-Series was the S630. Bobcat’s own description of the S630 calls it “radius lift path” with “greater forward reach at mid-range heights,” and the S650 “vertical lift path” with “greater forward reach at full lift height for loading over dump trucks.” When the name does not tell you, look up the exact model on the manufacturer’s site before you rely on a listing description.

2. Look at the arms

• Radial: each arm runs in one piece from a single pivot pin high on the rear tower down to the bucket. There is no extra link between the arm and the frame behind the cab.
• Vertical: look behind and beside the cab for a short extra link or lever on each side that ties the arm to the frame. You will see more pins at the back of the machine.

3. Watch it lift

Ask the seller to raise the empty bucket slowly while you stand to the side. A radial bucket moves out, then curves back toward the cab near the top. A vertical bucket goes almost straight up and drifts forward at the end. This takes ten seconds and settles it, even on an older machine with a worn decal.

Which lift path is for sale in Pennsylvania right now

We matched the 75 skid steers and compact track loaders listed by Pennsylvania dealers on Heavy Listing on November 12, 2026 against the manufacturer statements above. We could confirm the lift path on 31 of them. Vertical lift outnumbers radial four to one.

Lift path	Machine	Year	Hours	Asking price
Radial	Bobcat S450	2018	717	$27,500
Radial	Bobcat S630	2011	1,276	$28,500
Radial	Takeuchi TL8R2 (tracks)	2021 / 2023	2,033 / 1,900	$25,000 / $29,900
Radial	Case TR340B (tracks)	2021	3,524	$34,500
Radial	Takeuchi TL12R2 (tracks)	2022	2,300	$57,900
Vertical	Bobcat S650 (3)	2018 to 2019	422 to 6,535	$17,500 to $37,500
Vertical	Bobcat S590 (2)	2025	Not listed	$45,900 / $52,900
Vertical	John Deere 318G	2024	908	$35,000
Vertical	John Deere 320G	2023	535	$43,000
Vertical	John Deere 332G	2020	1,400	$49,500
Vertical	Track loaders: Cat 249D, 249D3, 259D, 259D3, 289D3; Deere 317G, 333G; Kubota SVL97-2; Case TV450B; Takeuchi TL10V2 (17)	2015 to 2024	400 to 3,945	$28,500 to $67,900

Source: Heavy Listing inventory, Pennsylvania dealers, November 12, 2026. The other 44 machines are models whose lift path we could not confirm from a current manufacturer source, so they are left out rather than guessed.

What this means if you are shopping: a vertical lift machine is easy to find in almost any size and budget. A radial machine takes more looking, especially on wheels, where we found only two. If you need radial for grading or dirt work, widen the search to track loaders, where the Takeuchi and Case R models show up, and compare prices with our used skid steer price guide and used compact track loader prices.

When you need more height than either one

Every machine in this article tops out with the bucket hinge pin between about 9.5 and 10.5 feet. Vertical lift moves the bucket forward at that height. It does not add much height. If your work is stacking pallets on a second-floor deck, filling a high hopper or placing hay or block well above a truck, a skid steer is the wrong tool whichever arms it has. That is telehandler work.

Buying used: what the lift path changes in your inspection

Lift path changes what wears. Check these on top of the usual items in our used skid steer and CTL inspection checklist.

• ❌ Checking only the main arm pivot on a vertical machine. ✅ Check every pin on the rear links too: raise the arms halfway and rock the bucket to feel for play at each joint.
• ❌ Assuming the listing says the right lift path. ✅ Confirm by the model number and by watching the arms go up.
• ❌ Buying vertical “just in case” for pure grading work. ✅ If you never load high trucks, a radial machine is lighter and has fewer pins to grease.
• ❌ Buying radial to load tandem dump trucks. ✅ Look at full-height reach on the spec sheet; on the Deere pair it is 15.8 against 34 inches.
• ❌ Comparing capacity across the two without context. ✅ Expect the vertical twin to rate higher; the Cat and Deere pairs show 195 to 670 lb more.
• ❌ Forgetting the weight. ✅ The vertical twins above run 360 to 820 lb heavier, which counts against your trailer and tow vehicle.

The bottom line on radial vs vertical lift

Radial vs vertical lift comes down to where your bucket spends its day. Low and out in front, digging, grading and dumping over walls: radial. High and over the side of a truck, or carrying heavy loads on forks: vertical. The spec sheets back it up: on matched Cat and Deere pairs, the radial machine wins reach at mid height and the vertical machine wins reach at the top plus rated capacity. On the used market in Pennsylvania, vertical is what you will mostly find, so if you want radial, start looking early and include track loaders.