Wallenstein vs WoodMaxx Chippers

[bhh]

Yea yea, I know, another chipper question.

I've got a Kubota L3800 HST that puts out around 32-34HP? at the PTO. For years now, I've been wanting a Wallenstein chipper but have ended up renting a big 12" Vermeer unit once or twice a year at $300 per day. We've done some clearing for food plots and such and the way the 12" Vermeer can eat an 10" diameter, 50' pine tree in a couple of minutes is just too cool. As the "bigger" projects wind down though and I start to shift more into maintenance mode, I've started to get the bug again and the WoodMaxx units seem to have come on strong since I last spent much time researching. If the rental place was 10 minutes away, it would be a different story and I might just keep renting but it is about an hour away and my vehicle can't tow it so I have to borrow a larger truck or pay to have it picked up and delivered.

Originally, I was always torn between the Wally BX42s, which is sized properly for my machine, or the BX62s which would require less trimming and maybe a little more capacity for softwoods or rotted punky stuff. Now that they have the BX52s, that would probably be the sweet spot and Woodward Crossing has that for $3100. The Woodmax WM-8H has 8" capacity so even less trimming AND hydraulic feed for only $2800. Both units seem highly regarded but I wanted to ask around and see if there was still any good reason to go with the Wally when the Woodmaxx seems like the obvious answer. Also, I'm still struggling a bit with the value proposition of just continuing to rent - way more capacity, less wear and tear on my tractor, no maintenance or upkeep vs convenience and a bit more mobility.

I appreciate any thoughts or opinions.

 

[DennisFolsom]

I've only had my Woodmaxx WM-8H a week now. I've used it 3 times so far, and am quite pleased with it. The hydraulic feed works very well. I'm definitely glad I got it.

From my reading on TBN, I believe the Woodmaxx is superior to most Chinese chippers. From what I've found with mine so far, I believe the quality is fine.

I've nothing against the US, Canadian and European brands, but to get one of them with hydraulic feed is much more expensive than the Woodmaxx.

Today's afternoon session illustrates why it's so nice to have your own chipper. I cut a few trees, piled the brush up beside the driveway, then immediately chipped the pile. No brush piles sitting around while I wait to get enough to be worth renting a chipper for. No burning permits to get. No waiting for proper burning conditions.

Hopefully, other Woodmaxx and Wallenstein owners will weigh in with their assessments.

 

[s219]

I liked the Wallenstein the best when I was shopping in 2012, compared to several other brands -- was clearly the Cadillac of chippers from what I could see. BTW, I have a gently used BX-42s I have been thinking about selling, in Kubota Orange color. It sounds like you want to go a little bigger, but if you have interest in a used BX-42s, PM me.

 

[hslogger]

I have had a Woodmaxx since November last year and don't have ten hours on it yet. The only drawback if you will call it that IMHO is that while it will take up to eight inch diameter, it has to be pretty clean. The entry table is not huge like a big rental unit and the machine doesn't do super well with narley limbs that are large or dog legged.They entry chute limits the size of limbs and side branches you cans suck in there. I have run professional tree service machines extensively, and a couple rental machines too. I am impressed with this three point chipper and I don't yet regret it. What ever you get, if you don't get a hydraulic feed unit, and intend on keeping it, you'll wish you had sprung for a hydraulic feed machine.

 

[The Fred]

I have had a Woodmaxx since November last year and don't have ten hours on it yet. The only drawback if you will call it that IMHO is that while it will take up to eight inch diameter, it has to be pretty clean. The entry table is not huge like a big rental unit and the machine doesn't do super well with narley limbs that are large or dog legged.They entry chute limits the size of limbs and side branches you cans suck in there. I have run professional tree service machines extensively, and a couple rental machines too. I am impressed with this three point chipper and I don't yet regret it. What ever you get, if you don't get a hydraulic feed unit, and intend on keeping it, you'll wish you had sprung for a hydraulic feed machine.

Agree totally. I've had the Woodmaxx for 2 years it is a decent piece and a good value. You won't however have the same efficiency that the rental unit has as hslogger says because those gnarly branches are a pita to get entered into the feed table.

We burn 12 cords or so a year so anything over 3 inches is saved for heat. Those 8" diameter branches must be dead straight to chip.

After 3 hours of chipping your back will be wrecked. I let my wonderful wife load "our" chipper for me. Notice I said our?

Fred, Everything that's mine is hers and everything that's hers is hers too just kidding!

 

[bhh]

Thanks for the input everyone. S219, If I decide to go Wally, I'll reach out to you for sure. As far as the 8" limit, my PTO HP is really not enough to process 8" anyway and probably 5" is the limit as far as that goes The reason I like the bigger hopper though is simply to allow for less trimming. Any hardwood over 3-4" gets burned although I do and will chip a lot of pine as that only gets used for campfires and fire pits around here.

 

[s219]

Thanks for the input everyone. S219, If I decide to go Wally, I'll reach out to you for sure. As far as the 8" limit, my PTO HP is really not enough to process 8" anyway and probably 5" is the limit as far as that goes The reason I like the bigger hopper though is simply to allow for less trimming. Any hardwood over 3-4" gets burned although I do and will chip a lot of pine as that only gets used for campfires and fire pits around here.

One nice thing about the Wallensteins is that the throat is rectangular, which helps feeding quite a bit. On my BX42s, it's 4"x10", the BX52s is 5"x10", etc. So you're not dealing with a puny 4"x4" or 5"x5" throat, which would be harder to work with. I passed on MacKissic, DR, Salsco, and Echo/Bearcat units because their throats were square (or close to square).

 

[DennisFolsom]

WoodMaxx has a new top-of-the-line model that just showed up on their website. It's the MX-9900. The price is just under $5,000. They say it's manufactured in Upstate NY. I like the folding infeed chute and the way that the housing opens up for service.

While I have no doubt that it has several advantages over the WM-8H that I bought, I think the price point still puts it beyond what I would wan to pay. They claim it's rugged enough for commercial duty. It may be worth the extra to some folks. Here's the website to check it out:

9" PTO Wood Chipper Shredder | Made in the USA | 3pt. Wood Chipper Attachment -WoodMaxx

 

[pinetree10]

I realize I'm replying to a nearly three-year old thread but I've had a Wallenstein chipper for a few years now and the thing is great. Like the previous poster said, it's great to be able to cut a tree down, take all the limbs off, and chip everything in the same day rather than build the pile until it justifies renting a chipper for a few hours. The BX42 is sized just right for my tractor and it'll eat big and small stuff. I assume their chipper / shredder is pretty nice for everything from brush to large branches but I wanted a compact machine with simple maintenance and that's just what I got. It's even easier to grease now that I got a locking grease gun fitting. The main bearing used to be tough to lube because the grease gun never really set onto the fitting properly.

Let us know how you made out.

 

[oosik]

I realize its an old thread also BUT - I'm just wondering how in the world bhh man handles a 10" pine up into that rented chipper. I have a Wally BX62s and it all this old fart can do to drag out and get a 6" pine into the chute. Next time any of you guys feel real healthy - cut a 6" pine thats 30+ feet long - drag it 50' to 75' and then lift it up to your chipper in-chute. Every spring I thin my pine stands - which means I fall and chip 750 to 900 small(less than 6" diameter) pines. As far as I'm concerned any pine that makes it to 10" - has it made.

 

[Captain Dirty]

I realize its an old thread also BUT - I'm just wondering how in the world bhh man handles a 10" pine up into that rented chipper. I have a Wally BX62s and it all this old fart can do to drag out and get a 6" pine into the chute. Next time any of you guys feel real healthy - cut a 6" pine thats 30+ feet long - drag it 50' to 75' and then lift it up to your chipper in-chute. Every spring I thin my pine stands - which means I fall and chip 750 to 900 small(less than 6" diameter) pines. As far as I'm concerned any pine that makes it to 10" - has it made.

Let me speculate that a chipper that has the capacity to chip 10" diameter logs has a winch to drag the log to the in-feed.
My 32 PTO hp (claimed) tractor powering a 210 pound, 29" diameter flywheel (also claimed, I haven't weighed or measured) starts to bog down about 5' into a 6" eastern white pine log. This old fart cuts the 30' pine into five, 6' sections to lift them into the hopper. The tractor recovers while I get the next log. I don't know how long it would take me to recover from dragging and feeding the whole tree.

 

[Slippy]

I am doing some research to upgrade my chipper and came across this. Hopefully someone will still reply.
I have been using a Jinma chipper for about 10 years now. Cant believe it has lasted that long. Have done some up grades and it still works, but I have a need for a faster process.
I have explore the pull behinds like Vermeer and Bandit, the ptos including a like new Vermeer BC606, Woodmax and the Wallenstien BX72RI. Yes, like others I still burn when I can. My piles are massive at times due to the Ash bug that is killing our trees here in Ohio.
Having said all of that, looking for some more tips from those who have used these products and how you get along with them. The old but new BC606 is built like a tank and has its own hydraulic system, but the opening is only 6x6. I can see those dog legged branches getting hung up.
The intellafeed on the Wallenstien looks really nice with a big opening.
Thanks for you experience comments.

 

[Ortimber]

I'll add my $.02 to this old thread as well..

Woodward Crossings is an awesome company. I highly recommend them and they will get my business when I bite the bullet for a logging winch.

I have a Wallenstein BX-62. The rectangular throat is definitely better than a square one. Way less hand de-limbing to deal with. I have run my chipper behind my L3901 and it is barely adequate for 3-4" dia trees as long as they are green. If the wood is cured, 2-3" dia are about all it will handle. Now, put that chipper behind a 100hp tractor, and you have yourself a real wood eater. If it'll fit in the throat, it'll chip it...

 

[RichM752]

I had a Wallenstien. Sold it with my L3400 as part of the package deal, and I don't miss it.
Now, I pile brush for burning, or haul it away. Sometimes I'll hire out a chipping crew if warranted.

 

[mark02tj]

Slippy - I am also in Ohio and have a property full of dead ash trees. I have a WoodMaxx 9900 with the hydraulic feed. If it will fit through the 9" opening, it will chew it up. It was pretty pricey, but well worth it.

I had a manual feed BearCat that was supposed to be a 5" chipper. It did a great job on smaller stuff, but anything with a crook in the branch meant you had to trim it up to get it in the chute. Sold it and bought the WoodMaxx and couldn't be happier.

Never had a Wallenstien but I do like how their opening is rectangular. I could see how that would allow you to feed crooked stuff much easier than my old BearCat.

I'm in SW Ohio if you want to PM me. I'm more than happy to let you feed some ash through my WoodMaxx. Do you want to spend 3 or 4 days here? :laughing:

 

[Slippy]

I would come help if I just had more time, but thank you for the invitation.

At this point I am leaning toward the Wallenstien. Below are the specs. Of importance is the wide opening, duel rollers, lower and wider feed, solid fly wheel, and direct drive (no belts), and with the hydraulic intella feed, it automatically adjusts roller speed to match pto power. I can also run it on my 60 hp and 100 hp tractor when max power is needed. Plus, there is a 5 year warranty. Dont know the feed speed of the Woodma 9900, but the BX72ri is 75 feet per minute. Also, not sure if it will matter, but my tractors run 540 and 1000 pto, so thats an additional treat.

Now the down side is the price. It is probably twice the price of the Woodmax. Some times I feel like I'm chipper dollar bills...argghh.




SPECIFICATIONS:
DRIVE SYSTEM: DIRECT DRIVE, PTO W/ SHEARBOLT HP REQUIREMENTS FOR MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 60-70
HP RANGE: 40-100 RECOMMENDED HYDRAULIC FLOW: 3-6 GPM
CHIPPER CAPACITY: 7" DIA. (MAX. 12'' SLAB) CHIPPER HOUSING OPENING: 7”H X 12”W
ROTOR SIZE: 28” NUMBER OF ROTOR KNIVES: 4 SEGMENTED KNIVES
KNIFE TYPE: HARDENED TOOL STEEL ROTOR WEIGHT: 185 LBS
DIMENSIONS LXWXH: 83”L X 56”W X 90”H HOPPER OPENING: 26” X 35”
DISCHARGE HOOD ROTATION: 285° DISCHARGE HOOD HEIGHT: 90”
RATED RPM: 540-1000 WEIGHT: 1300 LBS.

 

[ultrarunner]

I had a Wallenstien. Sold it with my L3400 as part of the package deal, and I don't miss it.
Now, I pile brush for burning, or haul it away. Sometimes I'll hire out a chipping crew if warranted.

Had a chipper on my wish list for a longtime... a small commercial unit like a Bandit 65... always a day late or a dollar short.

I do have a small ravine on the property and clean brush/limbs goes there and so far it works and is less work for me... a couple of years and it's gone... bigger stuff can be left in place or harvested for firewood.

My brother did buy a small hydraulic feed for his L3800 to use in his Christmas Tree business... it has it's limitations but is well suited to Christmas Tree chipping...

Here is a picture with Mom helping out... at the lower right is the Stihl Electric Chainsaw which has also been a good fit for the Christmas Tree business... especially doing 100's of Fresh Cuts each day as the trees are sold.

 

[Ortimber]

I would come help if I just had more time, but thank you for the invitation.

At this point I am leaning toward the Wallenstien. Below are the specs. Of importance is the wide opening, duel rollers, lower and wider feed, solid fly wheel, and direct drive (no belts), and with the hydraulic intella feed, it automatically adjusts roller speed to match pto power. I can also run it on my 60 hp and 100 hp tractor when max power is needed. Plus, there is a 5 year warranty. Dont know the feed speed of the Woodma 9900, but the BX72ri is 75 feet per minute. Also, not sure if it will matter, but my tractors run 540 and 1000 pto, so thats an additional treat.

Now the down side is the price. It is probably twice the price of the Woodmax. Some times I feel like I'm chipper dollar bills...argghh.




SPECIFICATIONS:
DRIVE SYSTEM: DIRECT DRIVE, PTO W/ SHEARBOLT HP REQUIREMENTS FOR MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 60-70
HP RANGE: 40-100 RECOMMENDED HYDRAULIC FLOW: 3-6 GPM
CHIPPER CAPACITY: 7" DIA. (MAX. 12'' SLAB) CHIPPER HOUSING OPENING: 7禰 X 12埜
ROTOR SIZE: 28 NUMBER OF ROTOR KNIVES: 4 SEGMENTED KNIVES
KNIFE TYPE: HARDENED TOOL STEEL ROTOR WEIGHT: 185 LBS
DIMENSIONS LXWXH: 83猫 X 56埜 X 90禰 HOPPER OPENING: 26 X 35
DISCHARGE HOOD ROTATION: 285ｰ DISCHARGE HOOD HEIGHT: 90
RATED RPM: 540-1000 WEIGHT: 1300 LBS.

You bring up a good point about the speed. The gravity/self feed Wally eats limbs very fast. I have watched hours of videos and some of the hydraulic chippers look like they feed very slow.

 

[ericm979]

The Woodmaxx 8H's fastest feed speed is 75 fpm. I originally thought that'd be too slow as it's slower than a self feed chipper when it's feeding well. But it turns out that it's plenty fast enough. It takes time to grab the next item even if it's piled well. If you're chipping smaller stuff you can put a new item in before the one in the chipper is done. I 'stack' stuff like this pretty often when I'm chipping brush.

 

[Slippy]

I spoke with Wallenstein today and discovered that their HP rating is an engine rating, not a pto rating. Just thought those who where interested should know.
I have narrowed it down to the Wallenstein BX72r and the Vermeer stand alone. Not going to go with the intellafeed since my tractor is at the upper range of the hp needed. Was told it is most helpful for lower hp tractors that need time to keep up with the roller feed. Plus, it is an electronic device, which I am not fond of, especially on something vibrating as much as a chipper.

Impressive things on the Wallenstein: large 7x12 opening, which will be helpful in feeding those branches with dog legs and shoots, direct drive (no belts), upper and lower hydraulic rollers with serrated teeth, and 5 year warranty. I do like the Woodmax 9900 and people seem to really like it. However, the opening size is square and not as large. It looks like it is a couple of k less expensive also.
If anyone has a BX72, would be interested in your experiences.