# what's the science on vertical vs radial?



## MagnumB (Feb 19, 2009)

Hi all, first post!!!

Could someone explain to my why the radial lift cuts better than the vertical lift?

I only ask this because when you typically cut you have your arm right down so if you are using your bucket control how does radial or vertical lift arm affect this. Total NoOb question, but aside from the pluses and minuses I hear about, I have never seen it properly explained physically HOW one is better than the other.

Thanks in advance

And feel free to lambaste me if it's a stupid question.....

Mags


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## cretebaby (Aug 23, 2008)

Whos said it does?

What brand(s) of machine is in question?

Where is powerjoke when ya need him?


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## Dodge2 (Nov 13, 2008)

From what I understand, the difference between radial lift and vertical lift on a SS. Is with the radial lift your buck will be closer at ground level, half way up it should be further out, and all the way up it should be around where it is on ground level, it travels in an ark. With vertical lift the bucket will stay at the same distance away from the machine at all heights. This I'm not too sure about, but I think a vertical lift would be better for moving any thing really heavy, because your not moving the load away from the SS and then back towards the SS, and with radial lift you have less distance from the bucket to the machine at ground level and highest level, but more at half way compared to a vertical lift. if this is true than radail lift should be better for snow removal. Does anyone know if I'm right?


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## bike5200 (Sep 4, 2007)

A vertical lift machine has a extra link/arm in the boom so the boom goes up straight or may move away from the machine at full height. This helps when loading a truck. On a one ton dump, you will dump in the center of the bed. 
A radial lift, when the boom goes up the bucket will swing in a arc. There is one pivot pin on the back of the machine that the boom pivots off of.

I think a radial lift is suppose to dig better because of there is not that extra link in the boom system. The force of digging is transfer to the one pivot point on the back of the machine.

I think it comes down to the operator. I seen guys that beat and bang with a skid and not get anything done, and operators on a smaller machine get more done.


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## DGODGR (Nov 30, 2008)

Bike 5200 is on track here. The advantage to the radial lift is not "better grading" but higher breakout force. The radial lift has a better leverage advantage to about the halfway point in the lift cycle. The vertical lift path offers a better leverage advantage in the second half of the cycle (higher off the ground). The radial lift path also offers better visbility for the operator. The advantage of the vertical lift path is that it works better for truck loading. Generally speaking you can lift the load higher and place it more to the center of the bed. As far as a one ton truck you should be able to load to the center of that (because it is lower than a larger truck) with either type of machine. For snow removal I see no advantage for either one unless you plan to load the snow into a large truck or something similar.


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