The best PTO woodchippers for 2026, organized by tractor HP range. If you own a tractor with enough PTO HP, a PTO chipper is the best value per dollar in the woodchipper category.
PTO woodchippers run off your tractor’s PTO shaft instead of a dedicated engine. That’s why they dominate the capacity-per-dollar chart: you’re not paying for a second engine you don’t need. If your tractor has the PTO HP for one, a PTO chipper beats a gas-standalone chipper on almost every axis except portability.
The rankings below are grouped by tractor HP. Match your tractor’s rated PTO HP (roughly 85–90% of engine HP) to the chipper’s minimum, and stay within the recommended range.
MX-Series successor to the WM-8H with a larger flywheel, upgraded feed system, and Woodmaxx's 7-year warranty.
Best forBuyers choosing between WM-8H and MX-8800 who want the longer warranty and upgraded build.
8-inch hydraulic-feed PTO chipper — the most common Woodmaxx unit on mid-frame tractors.
6-inch PTO chipper and one of the most popular 30–40 HP tractor chippers in North America.
6-inch self-feeding PTO chipper sized for compact and mid-frame tractors.
5-inch gravity-feed Wallenstein PTO chipper built on a 25-inch rotor. Most common Wallenstein pick for 30–45 HP compact tractors.
Entry-tier self-feeding 5-inch PTO chipper in the MX-Series, with Woodmaxx's 7-year warranty.
Compact 4.5-inch PTO chipper sized for subcompact tractors in the 15–40 HP range.
8-inch hydraulic-feed PTO chipper — the Woodland Mills step up for owners who outgrow the WC68.
Flagship 9-inch hydraulic-feed PTO chipper — Woodmaxx's commercial-grade tractor chipper.
10-inch gravity-feed flagship PTO chipper on a 36-inch rotor with 400 lb flywheel mass. Cat II hitch, 80–120 HP utility-tractor range.
The number that matters is rated PTO HP, not engine HP. Tractors lose 10–15% between the crankshaft and the PTO shaft. A 35 HP engine tractor typically produces around 30 PTO HP — right at the minimum for an 8-inch hydraulic chipper.
Rough sizing rule: 3–4 PTO HP per inch of max branch diameter. A 4.5-inch chipper wants 15–20 PTO HP. A 6-inch chipper wants 25–30 PTO HP. An 8-inch chipper wants 30–40 PTO HP. A 9-inch commercial unit wants 45+ PTO HP.
Also check your tractor’s 3-point hitch lift capacity. An 8-inch chipper weighs 1,100–1,400 lb; a 9-inch commercial unit pushes 1,600 lb.
Mechanical-feed chippers use gravity and infeed rollers driven by the chipper flywheel. They’re simpler, cheaper, and have fewer failure points. They also hang up on forked or crooked material.
Hydraulic-feed chippers use a dedicated hydraulic pump to pull the rollers. They handle messy brush better, offer reversible feed for jam recovery, and cost $500–$1,500 more than their mechanical equivalents. For property-cleanup buyers (most readers here) the hydraulic feed is worth the premium.