Tow-behind woodchippers are self-powered trailer-mount machines built for crews moving between properties. This is the smallest category we cover — most buyers on this page are running a tree service or land-clearing business.
Tow-behind woodchippers are a distinct category: road-legal trailer frames with DOT lighting, their own engines, and hydraulic feed as standard. They’re built for landscape and tree-service crews who need to tow the chipper to each job site.
Most of this category is dominated by Vermeer, Bandit, Bear Cat, and Morbark — brands that sell primarily through commercial equipment dealers. In the homeowner-accessible tier, MechMaxx’s CROBA TX1000 is the main option, and even it lives more in the “small commercial” space than on a homeowner’s property.
MechMaxx's flagship commercial-grade 8-inch chipper with hydraulic feed and a tow-behind frame.
Best forSmall tree services and land-clearing crews without a suitable tractor.
Tow-behind woodchippers are designed for crews, not property owners. The premium over an equivalent-capacity PTO or gas chipper goes into three places: the DOT tow frame, the hydraulic feed as standard, and the heavier-duty engine and flywheel. Unless you’re moving the chipper between properties, you’re paying for features you won’t use.
If you’re a single-property owner, the right answer is almost always a PTO chipper (if you have a tractor) or a gas-standalone chipper (if you don’t). Tow-behind makes sense only if you have a second property, run a business, or share the chipper across multiple locations.