Talk me out of buying a Woodmax WM8H

[NCL4701]

They use chippers because they need the branches gone NOW, not some unspecified time later. (But they don't need to cut them much. When you can toss a 30' long branch with a 6" butt into a chipper and have it dragged in and gone in a minute flat, not much cutting is needed.)

Those of us who have the option of burning will save some time, but not much labor, with chipping.

Chipping now and having burned in years past when it was legal (it isn’t here currently without a one off permit every time, which may or may not be granted) I would have to agree chipping is unlikely to save time v burning. It sure doesn’t save me labor as I would sweat a lot less piling brush with the grapple, tossing a bit of diesel on the pile, and lighting it up as opposed to feeding a chipper; even one with hydraulic feed.

If you’re good with a relatively small quantity of ashes instead of a comparatively greater quantity of chips and have a reasonable place to legally burn, burning is certainly a viable option.

In regard to the 30’ long 6” diameter limb self feeding: the chipper contemplated by the OP is capable of doing exactly that. My WC-68 is smaller than the Woodmaxx WM8H and it eats stuff that size routinely. Just get it started and step away.

That’s a major advantage of the PTO chippers: you get a lot of capacity for a quite reasonable price not buying a motor or even an axle/trailer setup required for a self contained chipper. But they’re not necessarily the optimal solution for everyone.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

But they’re not necessarily the optimal solution for everyone.

Yes, especially not for a guy with 0.88 acres!

 

[radas]

Yes, especially not for a guy with 0.88 acres!

I have another 200'x6' section of woods to clear once my boundary survey is complete. It sure would be nice to own one for that but I'll make due with borrowing for a few weeks.

I appreciate you guys talking me off the ledge

 

[Shekkie]

Buy it!

 

[Shekkie]

I hate to say it but I kinda agree that in your situation a wood chipper may not be the best use of your funds. I have 11-ish acres with about 1/3 of it wooded. I can definitely justify it but still haven’t pulled the trigger.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Buy it!

10,000 comedians are out of work, and you ain't helpin' none.

 

[Shekkie]

I have another 200'x6' section of woods to clear once my boundary survey is complete. It sure would be nice to own one for that but I'll make due with borrowing for a few weeks.

I appreciate you guys talking me off the ledge

This thread got me back off the fence and I’m probably ordering within the next week of so. Not sure between the Woodland Mills and WoodMaxx yet.

I’ve cleared my trails of downed trees ( over 100 from a tornado) and have many large piles of branches around the property. I got knocked back into reality yesterday whilst mowing at just how much I have. I will let the bigger logs return to nature or become part of my expanded shooting range backstop but all of the 6-ish inch and below would be great chipped up as coverage for my trail system where we walk the dogs and mountain bike.

95% of the downed trees are pine and great for chipping. The rest will be firewood.

 

[Jchonline]

Have a Woodland Mills 88, also a great chipper. Very happy with the purchase of a chipper overall. If you have 5 or 6 piles like that every year its worth it. If this is a one time endeavor rent something.

 

[Elliott in GA]

I keep thinking about buying a chipper; I guess I will make a decision in a month or two - really would not use it until it gets cold in November. If I do buy one, it will be a WoodMaxx MX series. WoodMaxx makes them here in the US, and they only require 2 quarts of motor oil to run the feed system - not gallons of hydraulic fluid.

 

[radas]

This thread got me back off the fence and I’m probably ordering within the next week of so. Not sure between the Woodland Mills and WoodMaxx yet.

I’ve cleared my trails of downed trees ( over 100 from a tornado) and have many large piles of branches around the property. I got knocked back into reality yesterday whilst mowing at just how much I have. I will let the bigger logs return to nature or become part of my expanded shooting range backstop but all of the 6-ish inch and below would be great chipped up as coverage for my trail system where we walk the dogs and mountain bike.

95% of the downed trees are pine and great for chipping. The rest will be firewood.

There are pros and cons to both. If you are space constrained, the woodland Mills is more compact but has a manual feed. If you are not space constrained, the Woodmaxx has hydro feed IIRC and is easier to load. Both are made in China based on the feedback in this thread, however, both companies make quality products.

 

[Shekkie]

There are pros and cons to both. If you are space constrained, the woodland Mills is more compact but has a manual feed. If you are not space constrained, the Woodmaxx has hydro feed IIRC and is easier to load. Both are made in China based on the feedback in this thread, however, both companies make quality products.

Woodland Mills is hydraulic feed as well. They were actually my front runner but the more I’ve read recently the WoodMaxx with it’s heavier flywheel may be the better choice for my meager 19 PTO horsepower. The price difference is negligible and each have features I prefer but if the WoodMaxx chomps through stout pieces a bit easier then that’s the deciding factor for me.

 

[radas]

Woodland Mills is manual feed as well. They were actually my front runner but the more I’ve read recently the WoodMaxx with it’s heavier flywheel may be the better choice for my meager 19 PTO horsepower. The price difference is negligible and each have features I prefer but if the WoodMaxx chomps through stout pieces a bit easier then that’s the deciding factor for me.

I was browsing YouTube for B2650s with both chippers on them, the woodmaxx one seemed to run much nicer than the woodland Mills. Search Google for "B2650 + the model # of the respective chippers" and check them out.

 

[PortTackFarm]

Woodland Mills is manual feed as well. They were actually my front runner but the more I’ve read recently the WoodMaxx with it’s heavier flywheel may be the better choice for my meager 19 PTO horsepower. The price difference is negligible and each have features I prefer but if the WoodMaxx chomps through stout pieces a bit easier then that’s the deciding factor for me.

WoodMaxx offers both Manual Feed (WM-8M) and Hydraulic Feed (WM-8H). I purchased the hydraulic feed WM8H. The hydraulic feed also allows for reversing the feed and a safety bar which when hit stops or reverses the feed. I considered both the Woodland Mills and WoodMaxx and went with the WoodMaxx because of he feed mechanism, the heavier flywheel and overall heavier unit. Shipping weight is listed at about 1000 lbs and that's dry without nearly 7 gallons of hydraulic fluid in the tank. That said, there is potential for more maintenance and wear problems due to the hydraulic system with exposed hoses and belts which might need to be changed from time to time. I have just received mine and got it set up, but haven't used it yet. I am impressed so far by it's construction. The User Manual is very comprehensive and easy to follow. Good luck with your decision.