Chipper WoodMaxx WM-8H vs Woodland Mills WC86

[Carleola]

@John B. - Thanks for the input. I'm very glad to hear from someone that has owned the WM-8H since 2013 without any major issues. That's a major endorsement for the WoodMaxx. I liked your chainsaw idea and will most probably copy you!

@ericm979 - After reading your blade comment and John's, I tend to agree that its not a big deal and maybe easier to maintain.

Here is another question for one to ponder regarding the WoodMaxx flywheel weight;

Flywheel dimensions are 24" diameter x 3/4' thick steel. The density of steel varies between 0.280lbs/cu.in. to 0.291lbs/cu.in.
(Stainless Steel 301 is 0.285lbs/cu.in.).

So doing the maths using the most dense steel number we get:

Area of Flywheel: Pi x radius squared =3.14 x 144" = 452.38 sq.in.
Volume of Flywheel: Area x Thickness = 452.38 x 0.75" =339.29 cu.in.
Weight of Flywheel: Volume x Density = 339.29 x 0.291 = 98.7lbs.

One can add a few lbs for the chip expulsion vanes but in no way does this number get anywhere close to 200lbs. Interesting?

If you do this calculation on the Woodland Mills flywheel or the Bearcat flywheel, they all come out correct. So, I'm wondering where the discrepancy comes from? Have they added the weight of the shaft to the weight of the flywheel or just deceptive marketing? I'm going to call them and try find out. Will keep you posted. if you know the answer, let me know.

 

[ericm979]

The vanes are thick (same as the flywheel I think) and there's a lot of them.

 

[joeinmissouri]

I appreciate reading the dialogue between you three about these two chippers. I am leaning toward pulling the trigger purchasing the WM, but thinking about passing on the hydraulic feed. Seems like a feature that offers more complication than it's worth. The WM-8M still pulls in the brush, just not at the rate of the 8H. For those who have the 8H, I was wondering if you have had any trouble with the hydraulics and your views on the 8M vs. 8H. Also wondering what Carleola will find out from WoodMaxx about what they have to say about the weight of the flywheel given his calculations. Thanks. Joe

 

[ericm979]

The hydraulic feed's been totally reliable for me. The only problem I have is the feed speed control not being all that variable- but I do use both speeds. The high speed (75 ft/min) is not all that high. It's not like a commercial unit. For smaller brush I could use an even higher speed but it's acceptable (I load branches before the previous one's done). The slower speed (about 25 ft/min) works for just about everything except large fir. I'd like an even slower speed for that. The hydraulic parts are standard so if something fails when its out of warranty I should be able to get replacements anywhere.

It's very handy to be able to shut off the feed or reverse it with an easy to operate lever or the safety bar. The hydraulic feed model has two driven rollers, top and bottom. I think that helps it feed easier compared to single roller designs. For a few hundred $$ more hydraulic feed seemed like an obvious choice to me.

 

[747driver]

I have put over 20 hrs on the 8H since i bought it 4 months ago. No problems with anything. I being the ripe age of 66, i elected for the 8H so i wouldn't have to tug and pull if something got stuck or the ease of backing out debris. Myself, it was worth the extra $$. When your out chipping for hours that hyd self feed eases the workload ! I have learned that when you finish up leave the chipper run for a few extra minutes so the flywheel and chute can clear itself of debris. If not bigger pieces will get jammed when the unit slows down....with the 3 access panels it is easy to clean out.

 

[Carleola]

Regarding the Rotor weight: I have emailed WoodMaxx but have not received a reply yet. I did find out that there are 4 vanes attached to the rotor. However, I could not determine how wide the vanes would be. In my calculation I assumed them to be 8" wide. So assuming each of the four vanes is 10"x8"x 0.75" then this would add an additional 67lbs to the rotor for a total weight of about 166lbs. Not too shabby a number - but still not 200lbs.

Having said that, I'm still leaning toward the WM-8H because almost all the customer user reviews are excellent.

I'm also looking into the WoodMaxx MX-8800 because although it has the same weight rotor as the WM-8H the unit weighs only 850lbs (vs. 950lbs for the 8H). This is mostly due to the fact that it has a hydrostatic-type pump that requires only a 2Qt. of oil while the 8H uses 7.6gals. I like the lower weight because I have a smaller Kubota B3350. However, the MX-8800 costs about $1,100 more! I'm not sure I'm will to pay that differential for lower weight and Made in USA?

 

[joeinmissouri]

Regarding the Rotor weight: I have emailed WoodMaxx but have not received a reply yet. I did find out that there are 4 vanes attached to the rotor. However, I could not determine how wide the vanes would be. In my calculation I assumed them to be 8" wide. So assuming each of the four vanes is 10"x8"x 0.75" then this would add an additional 67lbs to the rotor for a total weight of about 166lbs. Not too shabby a number - but still not 200lbs.

Having said that, I'm still leaning toward the WM-8H because almost all the customer user reviews are excellent.

I'm also looking into the WoodMaxx MX-8800 because although it has the same weight rotor as the WM-8H the unit weighs only 850lbs (vs. 950lbs for the 8H). This is mostly due to the fact that it has a hydrostatic-type pump that requires only a 2Qt. of oil while the 8H uses 7.6gals. I like the lower weight because I have a smaller Kubota B3350. However, the MX-8800 costs about $1,100 more! I'm not sure I'm will to pay that differential for lower weight and Made in USA?

Thanks for the information about the weight of the rotor. For my needs, the WM-8M will be sufficient. All the information provided by the various posts was very helpful to me making an intelligent decision. Thank you all.

 

[ericm979]

Does the mechanical feed have a reverse? It doesn't look like it does but I might have missed it. I use reverse 5-10 times an hour, when an irregular branch won't feed. It's handy to back it up and try again at a different angle. I'd hate to have to pull stuff out by hand.

 

[hslogger]

Does the mechanical feed have a reverse? It doesn't look like it does but I might have missed it. I use reverse 5-10 times an hour, when an irregular branch won't feed. It's handy to back it up and try again at a different angle. I'd hate to have to pull stuff out by hand.

Just GET the hydraulic feed. It's the real deal and you won't regret it down the road

 

[HEC]

I have had the wood max 8m now for a couple of years and no problems . I did have a couple of occasions where reverse would have been nice, due to a piece being in at a wrong angle or getting stuck because of a nub making it to wide to go through . After using the machine for a couple hours you will know what will go through with out any problems and cut your pieces accordingly. All you have to do is pull down on the lever and a piece will pull out with some effort . I have had the end of a chunk get caught in behind the feed roller a couple times and it takes a few minutes to dig it out from an access point , but once you have done it once it isn't any problem and reverse would be of little help in that situation I would imagine . If I were doing any commercial type work I would get the hyd. unit , but for around my farm wood lot etc. the 8m is just fine . I am 76 and it works just fine for me . The hydraulics is just one less thing I have to worry about . I would like to add the people at Wood Max are great to do business with .