How much each one can lift

The capacity we list for each machine comes from its manufacturer. On the job, go by the rated operating capacity in the operator’s manual for the machine you have, and never go over it. Our three skid steers have capacities from 2,000 pounds on the New Holland L320 to 3,400 pounds on the L334. Our nine track loaders run from 1,841 pounds on the Takeuchi TL6R to 4,107 pounds on the TL12V2.

The kind you need depends on what the machine will be driving on. On pavement and packed gravel, either one does the job. On a lawn, soft ground, or a slope, start with a track loader. A skid steer turns by skidding its tires, which can tear up the grass. A track loader’s tracks spread the machine’s weight, so it stays on top of soft ground and keeps its grip on a slope. Our guide to choosing a skid steer or a track loader goes through that choice in more detail.

Why a track loader's capacity looks low

The capacities we list for both kinds start from the same thing: the weight in the bucket that would tip the machine forward. A skid steer’s capacity is half of that weight, and a track loader’s is 35 percent of it.

That’s why a track loader’s number looks low. The New Holland C345 track loader is listed at 3,150 pounds, and the L334 skid steer at 3,400. Divide the C345’s number by 0.7, and you get 4,500, so measured the same way, the C345 has the higher capacity.

Only use the divided number to compare the two kinds. To match a machine to your heaviest load, go by the capacity we list.

Measuring the way in

A bucket can be wider than the machine behind it. The Takeuchi TL6R is just over 5 feet wide, for example, but it carries a 68-inch bucket. That’s the narrowest bucket on any of our skid steers or track loaders, so the opening has to be wider than 68 inches even for the TL6R, with room on each side for the operator to steer. If your opening is close to the bucket width, tell us the measurement when you call.

If the way in goes under a garage door or a low roof, check the height too. The TL6R and every New Holland machine on this page stand under 7 feet tall. Our other Takeuchi track loaders run from 7 feet 4 inches to 7 feet 10 inches. Treat those heights as close, not exact, and leave a little room overhead.

Hauling it yourself

When you add up what’s going on your trailer, count any attachment you’re bringing, not just the machine. Our skid steers and track loaders weigh from 6,470 pounds for the New Holland L320 to 13,190 pounds for the Takeuchi TL12V2.

If you haul for your business, check whether you need a commercial driver’s license. Under federal rules, the driver needs a Class A CDL once the truck and trailer together are over 26,000 pounds and the trailer alone is over 10,000 pounds, counting whichever is higher, the actual weight or the rating (49 CFR 383.91). Even our lightest machine, the L320, can put a loaded trailer over 10,000 pounds. Five of our track loaders weigh more than 10,000 pounds by themselves: the New Holland C345 and the Takeuchi TL10V2, TL11R3, TL12R2, and TL12V2.

Our article on transporting equipment on trailers covers how to tie the machine down and where to place the weight. If you’d rather not haul the machine yourself, we can deliver it and pick it up. Call the location nearest you with the job site address and the dates, and we’ll give you the delivery rate.

Radial lift or vertical lift

Skid steers and track loaders raise their arms one of two ways, and each suits different work. On a radial lift machine, the arms swing up on a single pivot, so the bucket moves in an arc and reaches out farthest partway up. That reach suits loading and unloading flatbed trucks. A radial lift machine also has more breakout force than a vertical lift machine its size, so it’s strong at digging and grading.

On a vertical lift machine, the arms keep the load close in as it rises, and the bucket generally reaches farther out at full height. That helps when you’re dumping into trucks and hoppers with high sides. All three of our skid steers are vertical lift, and our track loaders come both ways. The Lift column in the tables below shows which is which, and our guide to Takeuchi track loaders compares the radial and vertical models size for size.

Every skid steer and track loader we rent

These are the three skid steers and nine track loaders in our 2026 rental rate guide, lightest first. Divide a track loader’s capacity by 0.7 before you compare it with a skid steer’s. The L328 and the L334 are each listed with two bucket widths.

Two rows in the track loader table each cover two New Holland models: the C327 or C330, and the C332 or C337. The capacity shown is the lower model’s. The C327 is radial lift and the C330 is vertical lift, so if the lift type or the capacity matters for your job, ask which machine you’ll be getting.

What to tell us when you reserve

Tell us the heaviest load you’ll be lifting, what the machine will be driving on, and the narrowest opening on the way in. If you’ll be loading trucks, say whether they’re flatbeds or high-sided, since that points to radial or vertical lift. Let us know which attachments you need and if you’re hauling the machine yourself. With that, we can match the right machine to your job. Rentals don’t include an operator. Our guide to how renting works covers hours, fuel, insurance, and returns.