PTO chippers

[shelby27604]

I need a chipper, and having a PTO unit sounds best to me. Seems like dollar for dollar you get a stronger unit, more capability, and one less engine to maintain.

School me, what features should I be looking for? Any specific make/models you like or that should be avoided.
This is mostly for clearing out the property as trees come down. Anything over 4" will be processed into firewood.

Tractor has a 2k lift capacity and 30hp at the PTO.

 

[shelby27604]

Wood Chippers | Tractor Wood Chipper Attachments | WoodMaxx

Explore wood chippers and tractor-mounted attachments built for dependable performance. Compare PTO chipper models by capacity, feed style, and features.

www.woodmaxx.com

Liking some of the lower prices options here, they all seem to offer a power feed and a heavy flywheel compared to a lot of what I am seeing from some of the overseas options.

 

[BigBody79]

I was just thinking this myself. Looking forward to seeing what the opinions are.

 

[WARRIORWELDING]

Woodland Mills has a line of chippers. Hydraulic in feed powered off the PTO self contained unit. They offer three model sizes.
Its on my wish list.

 

[Caver Dave]

Wood Chippers | Tractor Wood Chipper Attachments | WoodMaxx

Explore wood chippers and tractor-mounted attachments built for dependable performance. Compare PTO chipper models by capacity, feed style, and features.

www.woodmaxx.com

Liking some of the lower prices options here, they all seem to offer a power feed and a heavy flywheel compared to a lot of what I am seeing from some of the overseas options.

Woodland Mills has a line of chippers. Hydraulic in feed powered off the PTO self contained unit. They offer three model sizes.
Its on my wish list.

We've got 88 acres of fawking sticks, limbs, & downed trees... so the "want" escalated to a "need", and as @rockcity has stated, burning that quantity is both very time consuming and dangerous
Have been looking for a year+ and because it made my brides "priority list, we just pulled the trigger on a WoodMaxx MX-8600. Hoping it's not too much for the 72 y/o 8N... and the "angled" feed chute (versus the "horizontal" chutes on other models) not a total PITA? They claim "Made in the USA", but fine print reads that some parts are imported and "assembled in the USA" with the balance of domestic parts...

Should be here next week and will be happy to spread the info, likes/dislikes and any gotchas...

We'd also looked at Woodland Mills (@lomodyj has one for on his 2000(?) series blue Ford), but they were 12 weeks out shipping, where the slightly more $ WoddMaxx had dozens IN STOCK...

Both have models with self-contained hydraulics for those of us with archaic tractors with NO live hydraulics or remotes (translation: paid less for tractor & implements than the cost of touch-up paint for new "colored"/$500 a month tractor )

 

[Caver Dave]

Just got word the MX-8600 is slated for P/U from WoodMaxx (BF NY) and guesstimated dropping here mid-week

 

[rockcity]

I’d love to hear some feedback of that chipper. I’ve kind of decided to get a PTO chipper soon to keep costs reasonable versus a trailer mounted unit. I’m happy with my Woodlands sawmill and would likely be happy with their chipper, but I’m flexible if you like the Woodmaxx.

And, why the MX 8600 versus the WM 8H? The 8H seems to accept an 8” log versus the 6” of the 8600 and also has a hydraulic indeed. The 8H is also $100 cheaper

 

[jeepinmatt]

Just on chute angle alone I would go with the Woodland. Having to pick everything completely up to feed sucks compared to dragging it over and giving it a shove.

 

[Caver Dave]

And, why the MX 8600 versus the WM 8H? The 8H seems to accept an 8” log versus the 6” of the 8600 and also has a hydraulic indeed. The 8H is also $100 cheaper

Because the MX-8600 fit both the PTO HP and lift capacity of the the 72 y/o 8N... the 8600 is 550#-600# and the others required north of the Ferds 800# max.
The carry-all 1/2 full of green oak and the monster Hardee 66" offset bushhog are at that limit, so figured 2/3rds would be fine for some of the technical areas (read: steep/tight) with minimum pucker?

Your colored tractor shouldn't have an issue with the 8H's <1000#

Just on chute angle alone I would go with the Woodland. Having to pick everything completely up to feed sucks compared to dragging it over and giving it a shove.

Agreed, but as stated... didn't want to wait until June for shipment for the WM... ABF called this AM and will drop the WoodMaxx on Wed.
Should cutting the lengths down for easier insertion/feeding become a total drag, I suspect an enterprising gentleman will be able to mod around that limitation

Edit: and just like the MX-8600 is not available/Out-of-Stock

 

[Caver Dave]

Ended up being OD delivery, right on time, very smooth dealing. Dropped at 1215, pulled cardboard, connected to 3pt, taken to house, and assembled by 1500! Planning to test it out on a pile of brush left by the helo-trimmer in the fall...

 

[jeepinmatt]

Ended up being OD delivery, right on time, very smooth dealing. Dropped at 1215, pulled cardboard, connected to 3pt, taken to house, and assembled by 1500! Planning to test it out on a pile of brush left by the helo-trimmer in the fall... View attachment 370324View attachment 370325

Looks like a solid unit. If you extend that toplink all the way out, that should make the chute angle much easier to feed, and you'll have fun until you get tired of it!

 

[shelby27604]

Going to pull the trigger on the WM-8H tonight, my Kubota has a 30hp PTO so it should be a good match and I haven't managed to find a better option locally.

 

[Caver Dave]

We've got a little over 5 hours on the MX-8600 cleaning up some of the helo-trimmer droppings and some limbs in one field.
Night & day difference over the ol' Crapsman chipper/shredder! While definitely NOT a "commercial" unit, I contend this thing will wear 3 men slap out trying to keep up!

Side note: the 8N burns about a gallon an hour spinning the chipper, which I consider pretty decent considering...

 

[Croatan_Kid]

They're a what...10 gallon tank or so? I wouldn't want to spend 10 solid hours shoving wood in a hole. Any way you interpret that, I'd be dehydrated and wore the hell out! Chafed too!

 

[Caver Dave]

A little over 10 hours now (just completed 1st regreasing, nut/bolt checks, etc.) and it's still doing great! Pretty sure it's time to flip the blades, as we're feeding it LOTS of dry hardwood and there's a noticeable difference in engine load over what it was, but does fine just the same.
Planning to order a new set of blades and ship the originals to @Tom@Hilltop_Machine for a dustoff on his surface grinder at some point.

Sunday's 3 hours filled about a 15 wheelbarrow loads that my wife used in the garden "walkways" and cleared about 1/4 acre of underbrush/limbs from the mouth of the trail down to Puddin' Creek... definite visual improvement!

 

[WARRIORWELDING]

I'm going to pull the trigger on the WM-8H tonight. My Kubota has a 30hp PTO, so it should be a good match, and I haven't been able to find a better option locally...

My WM chipper has been great. One thing you'll have to watch is really green leafy stuff. Rainy wet stuff is the worst. The chute narrows at the swivel and the make up air screen on the chipper drum is pretty narrow. It will clog to the point of requiring opening the drum and using tools to un jam it. Keep the flow visible. If it slows or worse stops you stop! My son being a bit impatient loaded it so bad the belts began slipping and the tractor kept trying to power through it. Mines around 40 hp. Old girl was chugging hard before I could get back across the field to get him to shut it down.

Ear plugs. Noticably louder then some units. They all make racket but these seem to me amplified by design.

 

[jeepinmatt]

One thing you'll have to watch is really green leafy stuff. Rainy wet stuff is the worst.

They all do this. Even my big ones. And rotten logs, especially pine.