WoodMaxx 8″ Hydraulic Auto-Feed Chipper Review

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woodmaxx chipper reviewsIf you find yourself needing a wood chipper on a regular basis, it is easier to just go ahead and buy one than having to continually rent one out. Of course, they can be pretty expensive; some cost up to $10,000, but you certainly do not have to spend that much to get a good wood chipper. The WM-8H 8” Hydraulic Auto-Feed Chipper from WoodMaxx is one affordable option for you to consider. I have reviewed this WoodMaxx chipper below, including all of the best features and my personal experience with it.

WoodMaxx 8' Hydraulic Auto-Feed Chipper
7 Reviews
WoodMaxx 8" Hydraulic Auto-Feed Chipper
  • The ORIGINAL designer of this machine

Last update on 2022-02-28 at 14:59 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

WoodMaxx Chipper Reviews Oct 2024: Top Features / Specs

  • Required Minimum Horsepower: 19
  • Weight: 990 pounds
  • Warranty: 3 Years

Reversible Chipper Knives

This heavy-duty chipper features dual edge reversible chipper knives that can take whatever you throw at them. The knives themselves are sharpened on both edges so that they can do twice as much work as regular chipper knives. This is a huge advantage of hydraulic chippers instead of manual ones. Manual chippers do not have reversible knives, so you’re pretty much stuck with knives that only go in one direction. Speaking of knives, the knives and several other parts are made in the USA, New York to be exact, so you can feel good about supporting American business when you buy this chipper.

Hydraulic Infeed System

Chippers fall under one of two categories: hydraulic or mechanical. I personally prefer hydraulic machines because they tend to be faster, more efficient, easier to take care of, and reversible. The hydraulic infeed system on this machine features a large opening, measuring 8” x 8” that allows the chipper to take almost anything in, including thick or deformed branches, using dual hydraulic motors. Once the chipper accepts whatever you are trying to put in it, the razor-sharp chipper knives chop it up into very small pieces and shoot it out.

Hydraulics are very important to this machine, and what makes it unique is its self-contained hydraulic system. A hydraulic pump and reservoir water tank are built into this chipper so no hydraulics are required from your tractor. Other chippers will draw on your tractor’s hydraulics, which you have to continue to maintain.

Adjustable Settings

This WoodMaxx chipper has several different adjustable features which make it useful for a wide variety of people from all corners of America. As far as functionality goes, you can adjust things like the speed of the hydraulic infeed motors. You can also adjust the speed of the motors for different types of materials. The motors can be set between 10 and 75 feet/min, with the lower speeds being used for large branches or logs. Faster motor speeds can be used with general yard debris, like leaves and lawn clipping.

With this chipper, you also have the ability to adjust the infeed roller tension springs which control the amount of down pressure from the upper roller. You can increase or decrease the amount of down pressure according to what type of material you are chipping. And lastly, the base legs and discharge chute are also fully adjustable. The adjustable base legs, which can be set anywhere between 18” to 30” high, are the first of its kind and allows you to use this chipper on a large variety of tractors. This chipper works on almost every tractor, so you don’t have to worry if they’re compatible or not. The discharge chute is everyone’s favorite part of the chipper, where mass amounts of chippings shoot out in a glorious stream. The discharge chute on this chipper can rotate 360°, so you have full control over where the chippings go. Believe it or not, there are even more adjustable settings on this chipper that you can explore when you buy one.

Durable Construction

Any wood chipper has to be durable in order to work to begin with, a chipper made from anything but steel would immediately fall apart. However, not all steel is created equally, so some are more durable than others despite the fact that all chippers are made from steel. This WoodMaxx chipper, for example, is made from the strongest steel plate available, which is then cut and welded to create this chipper.

On the inside of this chipper is the super sharp chipper knives I talked about earlier. These knives are made from hardened, high carbon and chromium A-8 tool steel. If you know about steel, you know that you can’t get any better than this, so you don’t have to worry about the knives breaking or cracking. The massive, powerful steel infeed rollers are yet another testament to this chipper’s strength. The rollers which were specially designed by WoodMaxx are made from a hardened steel and can apply up to 165 pounds of down pressure. They are super effective and will grab up anything you put in there, including vines that would typically wrap around the rollers on a lower quality chipper.

WoodMaxx 8' Hydraulic Auto-Feed Chipper
7 Reviews
WoodMaxx 8" Hydraulic Auto-Feed Chipper
  • The ORIGINAL designer of this machine

Last update on 2022-02-28 at 14:59 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

First Impressions

When I first ordered my WoodMaxx chipper, I had pretty high expectations for it after hearing all the praises for it from my coworker. He went on and on about how much he loved this chipper, so I was expecting some kind of revolutionary thing that I had never seen. When I received the chipper, it was already 90% assembled, which made the other 10% of assembling a breeze. Hooking it up to my tractor was also very easy, which immediately gave me high hopes for this chipper. Your tractor must have a category 1 or 2 three point hitch and at least 19 horsepower, but that’s it. As you know, most tractors fall under the criteria, so this is definitely a versatile chipper.

As I set up my new chipper, I couldn’t help but notice the ground was pretty soft from a rain we got a few days earlier. For a second I considered waiting until the ground was dry, but I decided to give it a try as it was, and I’m glad I did. I quickly learned that the legs have a wide support base on the bottom. Instead of allowing the chipper to slide or sink into the ground, the support bases offer a wide, slightly angled buffer between the bottom of the legs and the ground, which lets you use this chipper on almost any terrain.

Before messing with all the different settings and potentially screwing something up, I decided to test the chipper with the settings it came on. I figured I should start small, so I just started with a few small branches that I collected from my yard. The horizontal infeed hopper helps to push materials down without risking your own safety. It’s super easy to use, and within a matter of seconds I was able to feed the branches in, and almost immediately, the chipper sliced through those branches like butter and spit out a good amount of wood chips. I was pretty pleased, so I went and gathered some more branches to keep testing out my new chipper. I tried messing around with the motor speeds and roller speeds a bit, which I don’t recommend doing unless you have to. Sometimes it will be necessary to make adjustments based on what kind of wood you are chipping, how big it is, and how wet or dry it is. Anyway, after tinkering a bit I was able to match the speed of the infeed rollers to the speed of my tractor, and it worked even better. I knew a thorough test included more than just playing with the machine, though.

A big part of owning a chipper is maintaining your chipper which includes changing or sharpening your knives when they get dull. Changing the knives in most chippers would be a two man job, but WoodMaxx has made it so you can do it all by yourself. Instead of reaching into the infeed bin, which always made me nervous, you can easily access the knives via an access panel on the side of the chipper. In just a few minutes you can change the knives and get back to chipping, saving you tons of time and labor.

During the span of the first week I owned this chipper, I used it on a few different occasions and ended up forming a really positive opinion towards it. I love the commercial quality this chipper provides. I don’t plan on getting rid of it for a very long time, mainly because I can tell it is going to last that long.

Pros

Pros
  • Made from super strong materials
  • Made in the USA
  • Much more affordable than high end, commercial chippers and even lower quality chippers
  • Quick hitch compatible
  • Easy to operate
  • Rust-resistant, baked on powder coat finish
  • Clear chip baffle, made from durable vinyl
  • Adjustable features
  • Safety focused
  • 3-year warranty included

Cons

Cons
  • The warranty is limited
  • Weighs 900 pounds, so it isn’t exactly mobile
  • Extremely dangerous if not operated properly

Final Verdict

This WoodMaxx chipper soared past my expectations, which is why I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a chipper. I don’t personally use it for commercial use, but I’m sure you could since it’s virtually at the same level of a commercial chipper, with high-quality materials and perfected features. I still haven’t had a bad experience with this chipper after several weeks of use; it is just as effective as ever.

I know you don’t have much of a reason to trust a stranger online, but you don’t have to; WoodMaxx’s reputation speaks for itself. They are a trusted company that has several years of experience and thousands of chippers sold. Each chipper is thoroughly tested before it reaches you, so you can be assured that what you’re getting is a high quality, beast of a chipper. It is clear to me that WoodMaxx designed their chippers with customer satisfaction in mind, and they have delivered. Their chippers are used all over the country from college campuses to golf courses, even the Army Corps of Engineers use WoodMaxx chippers, not to mention all of their international fans as well. The 3-year warranty that is included further proves their commitment to customer satisfaction. If anything happens to your chipper, the WoodMaxx service department is on standby to help.

My last piece of advice, other than to invest in this chipper, is to practice all the necessary safety precautions. Chippers aren’t something to play with or goof off around because one wrong move could have serious consequences. Just be very careful and aware of your surroundings when you are using the chipper, and be sure to read the entire safety manual before you use it. I highly recommend making the switch to this incredibly powerful and reliable chipper from WoodMaxx today.

WoodMaxx 8' Hydraulic Auto-Feed Chipper
7 Reviews
WoodMaxx 8" Hydraulic Auto-Feed Chipper
  • The ORIGINAL designer of this machine

Last update on 2022-02-28 at 14:59 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Can’t make up your mind yet? Read our buying guide for wood chippers before you proceed with your purchase.

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