Woodmaxx Woodchippers

Woodmaxx (styled WoodMaxx) is a PTO equipment manufacturer headquartered in Akron, New York — roughly halfway between Buffalo and Rochester. The company was founded in 2008 by Kurt Schie, a 14-year U.S. Army infantry veteran who wanted a compact, heavy-duty PTO chipper that didn’t exist on the market at the time.

Schie comes from a family of fabricators and machinists. Together they designed and built the first Woodmaxx chipper on an 18-acre property that still serves as the company’s proving ground for field-testing every product before release.

In January 2025, Woodmaxx was acquired by The Back Forty Group, founded by longtime employees Tucker Smart and Adam MacBain. Both helped design the original machines and continue to lead engineering and operations. The Akron facility, workforce, and direct-to-consumer sales model remain unchanged.

Woodmaxx sells factory-direct through woodmaxx.com — no Amazon, no dealer network. Every order ships free from Akron. Beyond chippers, the company manufactures backhoes, flail mowers, snow blowers, rotary tillers, and quick hitch attachments for compact and utility tractors.

MX-Series chippers (MX-8500G+, MX-8600, MX-8800, MX-9900) are manufactured and assembled at Woodmaxx’s Akron, New York facility. This is the USA-made tier — Woodmaxx explicitly markets MX-Series on domestic manufacture and sources upgraded US bearings and hydraulic components for the POW-R-TORQ™ infeed system.

WM-Series chippers (WM-8M, WM-8H) are imported. Woodmaxx assembles, quality-checks, and ships them from Akron, but the manufacturing base is overseas. This is the deliberate cost trade-off that gives the WM-Series its lower entry price — the WM-8H ($4,095) is the cheapest 8-inch hydraulic-feed PTO chipper in the category.

The DC-1260 gas chipper follows a similar import model to the WM-Series. All units regardless of origin ship free via freight from Akron, NY, typically in 1–2 business days.

If US manufacture is a priority, buy MX-Series. If you want the lowest price on 8-inch hydraulic chipping, buy the WM-8H. Both are warranted and supported from the same Akron facility.

Woodmaxx runs two distinct PTO chipper tiers. Understanding the difference saves you from overpaying for warranty you don’t need — or under-buying on a machine you’ll keep for 15 years.

Prices MSRP. MX-Series warranty applies to units purchased after Feb 1, 2025. WM-8M currently on waitlist — verify availability at woodmaxx.com before ordering.

The key functional difference between WM-8M and WM-8H isn’t just price — the WM-8H has dual hydraulic rollers with powered reverse, while the WM-8M uses a single mechanical roller with no reverse. For forked, crooked, or Y-shaped limbs, the hydraulic dual-roller system makes a material difference in throughput. For most buyers, the $405 step up to the WM-8H is the obvious call. See the WM-8M vs WM-8H comparison for the full breakdown.

For a deeper look at the tier difference, see our guide: Woodmaxx MX-Series vs WM-Series: which line should you buy?

Match your tractor’s PTO horsepower(not engine HP — PTO HP is typically 15–20% lower) to the chipper’s minimum requirement. Running a chipper below its minimum HP risks stalling, overheating, and premature drive component wear.

• 15–18 PTO HP (smallest subcompacts — Kubota BX series, JD 1025R)

  Only one Woodmaxx chipper fits: MX-8600 ($4,790, 6″, 15 HP min). Most competitors in this capacity tier require 20–25 HP minimum, making the MX-8600 the only 6-inch hydraulic-feed PTO chipper accessible to true subcompact owners.

• 18–24 PTO HP (subcompacts with more power — Kubota BX2680, Mahindra eMax)

  MX-8500G+ ($2,990, 5″, 15 HP min — gravity self-feed) or MX-8600 ($4,790, 6″ hydraulic). The MX-8500G+ is the entry price point; the MX-8600 adds an inch of capacity and powered infeed for $1,800 more.

• 19–29 PTO HP (compact entry — Kubota L2501, JD 3025E)

  Add the WM-8H ($4,095, 8″ hydraulic, 19 HP min) to the mix. This is the only 8-inch hydraulic-feed chipper available to tractors under 30 HP — Woodland Mills’ WC88 requires 35 HP minimum. If 8-inch capacity matters and your tractor is under 30 HP, the WM-8H is your only option in this tier.

• 25–34 PTO HP (compact mid-range — Kubota L3301, JD 3033R, Mahindra 3540)

  The full Woodmaxx lineup is available except the MX-8800 (30 HP min). Best picks at this range: WM-8H for value, or MX-9900 ($7,350, 9″, 25 HP min) if you need the widest chipper throat in the lineup. The MX-9900’s 25 HP minimum makes it accessible to far more compact tractors than most buyers realize.

• 30–65 PTO HP (compact utility — Kubota L-Series, JD 4-Series, New Holland T4)

  The entire Woodmaxx lineup is available. Premium pick: MX-8800 ($6,225, 8″ hydraulic, 7-yr warranty). Value pick: WM-8H ($4,095, same 8″ capacity, 3-yr warranty). The $2,130 gap between them is the warranty and flywheel premium — worth it for commercial-adjacent use, overkill for light homeowner duty.

• 65–100+ PTO HP (utility — Kubota M-Series, JD 5-Series)

  MX-9900 ($7,350, 9″, up to 100 HP) is the only Woodmaxx model sized for full utility tractors. At this HP range most buyers are also looking at Wallenstein BX102S (10″) — see our Wallenstein vs Woodmaxx comparison for the tradeoffs.

For a full HP-by-tractor-model breakdown, see: Best Woodmaxx chipper for compact tractors — matched by HP.

Woodmaxx is direct-to-consumer only — no Amazon, no dealer network, no local pickup options. Every order goes through woodmaxx.com and ships from their Akron, NY facility.

• Shipping: Free freight (LTL) on all equipment. Ships enclosed in a wood crate, bolted to a pallet. Recent forum reports note improved packaging quality. Typically ships in 1–2 business days from order.
• Lead time: In-stock orders ship in 1–2 business days. The WM-8M is currently on waitlist — verify availability before placing an order.
• Returns: You must alert Woodmaxx of dissatisfaction within 1 week of delivery. There is a 15% restock/return fee. In practice, most issues are diagnosed by phone and resolved by shipping replacement parts under warranty — full unit returns are uncommon.
• Warranty claims: Phone or email. Woodmaxx may request photos or video to diagnose. Replacement parts are shipped before any return is required. MX-Series: 7 years or 1,000 hours (for units purchased after Feb 1, 2025). WM-Series: 3 years. All equipment: minimum 2-year parts warranty.
• Military & first responder rebate: Woodmaxx offers a 5% instant rebate on all orders for active duty military, veterans, and first responders — worth $150–$425 depending on the model. Verify once at checkout via VerifyPass (DD-214, VA ID, official badge, or pay stub); your verification is saved to your account for future orders. Kurt Schie, who founded the company after 14 years as an Army infantry veteran, built this discount into the business from the start. Details at woodmaxx.com/military-first-responder-rebate.
• Support: Phone and email, consistently rated as knowledgeable and responsive on TractorByNet, Green Tractor Talk, and OrangeTractorTalks. Multiple forum reports of issues resolved proactively with no-questions-asked parts replacement.

The most cross-shopped PTO comparison for compact tractor owners is Woodmaxx vs Woodland Mills. Both are direct-to-consumer, both cover 5–9 inch capacity, and both rank among the top-recommended PTO brands on tractor forums.

The short version: Woodland Mills wins on priceat most tiers — the WC68 ($3,450 MSRP / $3,275 sale, 6″) is $1,340–$1,515 cheaper than the comparable Woodmaxx MX-8600. Woodmaxx wins on warranty — the MX-Series 7-year coverage is the longest in the category by a wide margin. Woodmaxx wins on subcompact access— the MX-8600’s 15 HP minimum beats every Woodland Mills chipper’s 20+ HP floor.

Head-to-head comparisons:

• Woodmaxx vs Woodland Mills — brand overview
• Woodmaxx MX-8600 vs Woodland Mills WC68 (6″)
• Woodmaxx WM-8H vs Woodland Mills WC88 (8″)
• Woodmaxx MX-8800 vs Woodland Mills WC68
• Woodmaxx MX-9900 vs MX-8800 (9″ vs 8″)