Sliding Mode Control (SMC) systems are developed for a hydraulic manipulator. The control model is obtained via state-dependent parameter (SDP) system identification. In contrast to previous research using discrete-time SDP models, in which the model coefficients are functions of the sampling interval, the present work develops a new continuous-time approach. It is well known that for conventional SMC there is a trade-off between chattering and robust performance. Hence, a recently developed approach to address this problem is investigated, in which the controller is designed via a fractional exponent of the sliding surface. The approach is developed for both conventional and Nonsingular Terminal SMC (NTSMC). The new continuous version of the NTSMC algorithm successfully reduces chattering and provides the best overall performance of various SMC designs. However, for the preliminary experiments reported in this article, a PID lead-lag controller yields the lowest absolute errors, albeit at the cost of a higher control effort. Hence, given that dead-zone and other uncertainties provide the main motivation for use of SMC in this application, further research into the robustness of the new algorithm is required.