Wood chippers

Jimmyob · Dec 17, 2022

Hi guys, looking for a little help from this great well of knowledge. I'm looking to buy a wood chipper, I like the idea of 3 point attachment chipper. Titan has one for $2,300 that goes to 4". It's the WCBX42S.The manual says 35 PTO hp for maximum capacity and capability. My lx3310 is around 27 PTO hp. So I'm wondering if I'll lose efficiency. I'd have thought 540 is 540. My 5' brush hog runs around 2100 or so rpm at 540.
Also, does anyone think this is a good piece of equipment?
I also have the option of their tow behind, 5" chipper for $1,900 which looks like a good deal but it's one more motor to mess with.
Grateful for any input or recommendations, thank you all!

sea2summit · Dec 17, 2022

Wood chippers depend a lot on their flywheel weight to get work done so 27 PTO HP should spin it but it's going to bog down fairly quickly if you over feed it. FWIW my MX9900 has a has a 220# flywheel and is recommended for minimum of 25 PTO HP. My small tractor has 46PTO HP and my big one just over 60PTO HP, the difference in their chipper throughput speed is easily 50% and probably more. I couldn't imagine running it with 25 PTO HP. It does have hydraulic feed so that is a power thief but there's still a lot to be said for rightsizing the unit for the PTO and adjusting the feedrate/material size as required.

TerryR · Dec 17, 2022

I have a Cary Bearcat 73454 3-pt chipper, which is similar to their CH5540 today. It has a 140 lb flywheel, and I run it with my JD 870, which was rated at 25 PTO HP. It runs it fine, but does lug down if I put something large and solid in it. But I generally use anything like that for firewood, so don't chip it.

ericm979 · Dec 17, 2022

Jimmyob said:
Hi guys, looking for a little help from this great well of knowledge. I'm looking to buy a wood chipper, I like the idea of 3 point attachment chipper. Titan has one for $2,300 that goes to 4". It's the WCBX42S.The manual says 35 PTO hp for maximum capacity and capability. My lx3310 is around 27 PTO hp. So I'm wondering if I'll lose efficiency. I'd have thought 540 is 540. My 5' brush hog runs around 2100 or so rpm at 540.
Also, does anyone think this is a good piece of equipment?
I also have the option of their tow behind, 5" chipper for $1,900 which looks like a good deal but it's one more motor to mess with.
Grateful for any input or recommendations, thank you all!

For $3300 you can get a Woodmaxx WM8H. It's an 8" square throat chipper that's got hydraulic feed. The larger throat means less trimming of branches than a 4" or even a 4x10 like the Titan. Hydraulic feed is much safer than self-feeding. I have one of each kind of chipper and the power feed is so much better.

Woodmaxx also has other chippers. There's also Woodland Mills. Their design is different from Woodmaxx but like the Woodmaxx they are designed in north america and made in China.

While my Titan pallet forks have been fine, from what I read Titan has little support or parts for their implements. (there's not much that can go wrong with pallet forks). If you need anything that's not a generic part like belt or bearing you will have to find someone else who imports the same Chinese machine and does have parts. I do see that they have replacement blades.

My Branson puts out 32hp at the PTO. There have been times I could use more power for bigger stuff but now that I have a decent wood stove I am not chipping large material as much. Anything over 4-5" and I set the feed as slow as it will go.

Some units like the 8H gear the rotor up to about 2x the pto input speed so the flywheel has twice the inertia as one of the same weight and diameter that is direct drive.

Jimmyob · Dec 17, 2022

Thanks guys, as always, so many choices and issues to consider. I appreciate your input!

Captain Dirty · Dec 17, 2022

There is a high number of threads on this site that discuss chippers. A conscientious reading of all of them would keep you occupied for the rest of the year but provide you with enough anecdotal data to form some valid opinions.

Power is king, but, as sea2summit pointed out, a lot of energy can be stored in a heavy flywheel. I am of the opinion that the manufacturer's minimum power requirements are a little optimistic, but someone will validly claim to have run a sub-minimally powered chipper with "no problem" "because over 3/4s of the material I [they] chip is less than 3/4 of the maximum size the chipper will handle, I [they] just have to be careful feeding the biggest material." [See post #19 from 3Ts below.]

The gravity feed vs. mechanical feed arguments will go on forever; I think it is largely one of cost vs. convenience. As he reports he has both, ericm949's opinion would trump mine.

oosik · Dec 17, 2022

There is little doubt - a heavy flywheel and higher hp will make chipping easier/faster. I run a Wallenstein with a 200# flywheel behind my M6040 with 50+ PTO hp. Six inch green pine trees won't make it slow down - even a little. Last year I chipped up two old weather hardened dead apple trees. The six inch main trunk DID slow the chipper down somewhat. It was the first time it chipped anything other than green pine trees.

With 27 PTO hp it will chip slower as the limbs/trees get bigger. Then it will depend upon - are you chipping soft or hard wood.

Jimmyob · Dec 17, 2022

Quite alot to consider. That WM8H looks real productive, just don't think I'd realize it's full potential with my little tractor.
I almost went with the L3901 but it probably wouldn't make a huge difference. I've been happy with the lx3310. Grapple, stump bucket, tree and post puller, brush hog, fork spade and forks have served me well. I've moved literally a few hundred tons of rocks, boulders, dirt, logs etc. The previous owner of my property had the L6060 but the size and the cab kept him from moving around in the woods easily.
I'll make do with my little 3310 for a while, got a lot of hours on her. I'll find the right chipper, glad I'm not in a huge hurry! I really appreciate all the info and opinions! Always trying to do the research and make the right choice but sometimes you have to just jump in and learn as you go. Thanks again!

Whitbread · Dec 17, 2022

I bought a lightly used woodmaxx wm8m and its been fantastic. I wouldn't trade power feed for gravity feed any day of the week. I've run it on a nh 1620 and a massey 1740m. Obviously the massey runs it better with another 13hp, but it was still very usable on the 1620 for things that weren't firewood size. As others have said, the bigger the throat is, the less trimming you have to do when feeding it. I'd absolutely love a 12"x12" opening chipper even if it "only" could handle a 4-5" branch by hp limit.