Wood Chipper recommendations

[HEC]

I had a 3pt. hitch Woodmax 8m and it was self feeding and will handle 5 inch material with no problem . The people at Woodmax are great to deal with and they offer free shipping . I sold mine as my projects were all finished , it worked just fine for me .

 

[ericm979]

I have a MacKissick TPH184 4 1/2" (actually a MerryMac which is the brand Northern sold them under). For chipping trees and brush the Woodmaxx is far superior. It'll take much larger material, with branches that the MerryMac could never handle. The MerryMac had a shredder and the Woodmax does not so the MackKissick is better on that front. It will shred leaves while the 8H mostly passes them through. Any wood gets chipped however. The last time I looked the larger MackKissick was $400 more than the Woodmaxx 8H... they doubled in price in the 18 years since I bought mine.

The "chuck and duck" chippers like the MacKissick will yank material right out of your hands. Or it wont feed at all and you have to shove it. With the short chute and the speed of feeding once it grabs, it's kind of dangerous if you don't have the right technique. With the 8H's long chute and hydraulic feed the material's not being yanked out of your hands and there's not much shoving needed. Just get it under the roller and it'll get pulled in at a controlled rate. The feed rate control valve is the one problem I have with the 8H, it's the wrong size and makes adjusting the feed speed more difficult than it should be. I replaced with a smaller capacity US made one and it works like it should. But even if you leave the feed on fast all the time it's much safer than the MacKissick.

The MacKissick drops chips out the bottom, so you have to pick it up and move it pretty often otherwise it packs up and stops working. I kept the MerryMac when I sold the old tractor as the buyer didn't want it. I thought I'd use it every once in a while to shred stuff. But I've put 46 hours on the 8H and haven't used the MerryMac at all, so it'll go up for sale when I get a chance.

 

[RNeumann]

No, PTO is certainly an option. I have a Kubota L3400 that's rarely used.

Based on the feedback it looks like it may get used more!

Their is some good info....maybe more than you want to spend but most things are these days.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Based on the feedback it looks like it may get used more!

Their is some good info....maybe more than you want to spend but most things are these days.

You're so right... I've been nitpicking at this problem for about 5 years now. Cut, stack, haul and burn just doesn't get the job done for an old man (77y/o) working alone. Probably not for a young man either. Jumping up on the cost certainly seems to be the prudent thing to do. I hate buying junk tools. I'm already convinced that buying a HF special isn't going to happen, nor will any of the other cloned junkers. Buying a wood chipper is like buying a new truck - first thing that happens is sticker-shock I'm past that now.

I bought the Kubota when I lived in the 'city' with only 3 acres of land to run a brush hog on. No doubt, I bought the tractor for my toy. Moved from the city to the country and use it occasionally, but its now an essential tool when I need it, although not often. Its 9 years old with 130 hours on it. Right now its used only as to till our little garden, rake the 1/2 mile gravel driveway, and annually with my homemade man-lift for trimming trees. Using it with a wood chipper might give it justification.

There have already been some excellent suggestions, which I will definitely base my purchase upon. I certainly appreciate the feedback, leaning a lot about wood chippers that I never even thought about. Any other suggestions or info is certainly appreciated.

 

[hslogger]

Woodmaxx hydraulic feed. git one

 

[ericm979]

I'm in my 50s and only recently figured out that if I get appropriate sized equipment I can do far more with it. Costs more up front but saves me money in the long run. Hiring it out here is expensive. Renting is expensive and it's an hour each way to pick it up and drop it off.

The other thing I'd suggest looking in to is a grapple. I get a lot of use out of mine, not the least is pulling out poison oak. It's also good for grabbing brush or trees I have cut and piling them up in a place where it is convenient to chip. Mine cost me about what a crew of guys with saws and a chipper truck cost for a day. After I did what they can do in a day I'm even. Everything beyond that is saving me money.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Thanks for the Woodmaxx. That chipper looks like more than enough chipper for my needs, and at a good price. I'm checking into the Woodmaxx WM-8H now. Another bonus, they offer 5% discount to veterans.

Like I told my SO, the price falls right in my $2K budget, going over by ONLY 50%. That's right on target, based on the way she shops

 

[oosik]

Ha, ha - - right on target at only 50% over. Sounds like the auctioneer at the last auction I attended.

Woodmaxx has received good reviews here on TBN. Hydraulic in-feed is great if you have twisted limbs and trunks. My Wallenstein does not have that feature - I only chip pines whole and it grabs them hard and pulls so hard - - it has truthfully scared many of my weekend helpers. Particularly girls - they seem to scream a lot - jump around - raise rather large clouds of dust.

Whatever - as long as they grab a tree - now and then - and shove it in the chipper.

 

[NTG]

I too am looking at the Woodland Mills and the Woodmaxx with hydraulic feed. Just a heads up, Woodland Mills is increasing the price on both of their chippers by $300 on August 3rd, "due to new tariffs".

 

[plowhog]

Particularly girls - they seem to scream a lot - jump around - raise rather large clouds of dust.

I can see why you keep inviting them. But why would they wear bikinis to chip wood?

Seriously, I should buy a chipper. Only going 50% over budget sounds like a steal compared to some of my tractor-oriented purchases!