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.
USA-made 8-inch PTO chipper with Woodmaxx's patented POW-R-TORQ™ hydrostatic infeed. Requires only 2 quarts of motor oil. 20 HP minimum, 7-year transferable warranty.
Best for20–50+ HP tractor owners who want USA-made 8-inch hydrostatic feed with a 7-year warranty.
8-inch dual-roller hydraulic-feed PTO chipper. Imported. Self-contained hydraulic system (no tractor hydraulics needed). Works from 19 HP; 50 HP for full 8-inch capacity.
6-inch hydraulic-feed PTO chipper and one of the most popular compact-tractor chippers in North America. 4 reversible blades, 360° chute, self-contained hydraulics.
USA-made 6-inch hydrostatic-feed PTO chipper with Woodmaxx's patented POW-R-TORQ™ infeed system. Lightest 6-inch hydraulic-feed PTO chipper in its class.
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 USA-made direct-drive gravity-feed 5-inch PTO chipper in the MX-Series, with Woodmaxx's 7-year warranty.
4-inch hydraulic-feed PTO chipper sized for subcompact tractors — the cheapest hydraulic PTO chipper in our coverage.
Woodland Mills' first gravity-feed PTO chipper — 5-inch capacity with patented Twin Flywheel Technology, sized for subcompact tractors.
8-inch hydraulic-feed PTO chipper — the largest in the Woodland Mills lineup and one of the cheapest 8-inch hydraulics in the category. Requires 35 HP minimum.
Flagship USA-made 9-inch PTO chipper — 'The Beast.' Patented POW-R-TORQ™ hydrostatic infeed, 225 lb flywheel, 4 offset A8 knives, fold-up infeed bin, 100% assembled on delivery. 25 HP minimum, 7-year transferable warranty.
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.
Kubota BX / B-Series (15–25 PTO HP): Woodland Mills WC46 (hydraulic 4-inch) or Woodmaxx MX-8500G+ (gravity 5-inch, longer warranty).
John Deere 1025R / 1-Series (18–22 PTO HP): Same subcompact tier — the WC46 fits hydraulic-feed buyers; the MX-8500G+ wins on capacity and 7-year warranty.
Kubota L / MX / John Deere 3-Series (30–45 PTO HP): Woodland Mills WC68 (6-inch value) or Woodland Mills WC88 / Woodmaxx WM-8H (8-inch hydraulic).
Head-to-head matchups: Woodmaxx vs Woodland Mills, WC88 vs MX-8800, WM-8H vs MX-8800, best PTO for 30 HP tractor. See also every model ranked by price per inch of capacity and our PTO vs gas wood chipper guide.