Woodmaxx MX-9900 vs MX-8800
Both are USA-made MX-Series PTO chippers with the same POW-R-TORQ hydrostatic feed and 7-year warranty. The MX-9900 is 'The Beast' — a full 9 inches with a 100 HP ceiling. The MX-8800 is the 8-inch model that costs $1,125 less. Here's which one you actually need.
The MX-9900 and MX-8800 sit at the top of the Woodmaxx MX-Series. They share the same patented POW-R-TORQ™ hydrostatic infeed (which runs on just two quarts of motor oil), the same 7-year transferable warranty, and the same USA assembly in Buffalo/Akron, NY. On paper they look almost like the same machine one inch apart — and the $1,125 price gap makes buyers hesitate.
The honest answer: the extra inch is only part of the story. The MX-9900’s real advantages are the width of its throat and its HP ceiling, not just the 9-inch number. This page breaks down where the money actually goes.
Side by side.
| Spec | WoodmaxxMX-9900 | WoodmaxxMX-8800 |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Woodmaxx | Woodmaxx |
| Power | pto | pto |
| Engine | PTO-driven, 25–100+ HP tractor (50+ HP for full 9-inch capacity) | PTO-driven, 20–50+ HP tractor |
| Max branch | 9"✓ | 8" |
| HP requirement | 25–100 HP✓ | 20–50 HP |
| Feed | Hydraulic | Hydraulic |
| Weight | 1048 lb | 1004 lb✓ |
| Warranty | 7 yr | 7 yr |
| Price | $7,350 | $6,225✓ |
What the MX-9900 actually adds over the MX-8800
Four differences justify the price step — the rest of the two machines is shared:
- Capacity and throat:the MX-9900 takes a true 9-inch log through a 9×9 in opening, and its infeed funnel is a wide 27×18 in — the largest of any PTO chipper in its class. The MX-8800 is 8-inch with an 8×8 in throat. That wider funnel matters more than the single inch of diameter when you are feeding crooked, forked, or Y-shaped limbs that a narrow throat rejects.
- HP ceiling:the MX-9900 is rated 25–100 PTO HP, so it scales up to full utility tractors; the MX-8800 is rated 20–50 PTO HP. If you run a 50–100 HP tractor, only the MX-9900 lets you use that power for full 9-inch production. (Both need 50+ HP to chip their full rated capacity in hardwood.)
- Flywheel mass: the MX-9900 carries a 225 lb, 26.5-inch dynamically balanced flywheel driving four offset A8 tool-steel knives. That stored inertia is what lets it hold RPM through a 9-inch knotty log without bogging.
- Fold-up infeed bin: the MX-9900 is the only MX-Series chipper with a fold-up infeed bin for storage and transport — a genuinely useful feature if you trailer the machine or store it tight.
What doesn’t change: both use the POW-R-TORQ™ hydrostatic infeed with 0–75 ft/min variable speed and full reverse, both carry the 7-year transferable warranty, both are USA-made, both open clamshell-style for 10-minute knife changes, and both ship with a premium PTO shaft. Weight is nearly identical (1,048 lb vs 1,004 lb), so lift capacity is not the deciding factor.
The $1,125 question
The MX-9900 costs $1,125 more than the MX-8800 for what looks like one inch of capacity. Framed by diameter alone, that feels steep. Framed by usable throat and HP headroom, it reads differently: you are buying a 50% larger infeed funnel (27×18 vs a straight 8×8), a flywheel sized for 9-inch hardwood, and a feed system that can absorb a 50–100 HP tractor. If your wood is clean and rarely tops 8 inches, none of that pays off and the MX-8800 is the smarter buy. If you fight forked storm limbs or occasionally hit true 9-inch logs, the MX-9900 stops being an upsell and starts being the right tool.
What owners report
On the tractor forums, MX-9900 owners consistently praise the hydrostatic infeed for productivity, with several reporting no plugging across multi-day chipping sessions on green hardwood and softwood. A recurring pattern: buyers who cross-shopped a Woodland Mills machine first, then chose the USA-made MX-9900 specifically for the wider throat and feed control. The usual direct-ship caveats apply to both models — check hardware torque on arrival and expect LTL freight handling — but neither the MX-8800 nor the MX-9900 draws the feed-reliability complaints that dog cheaper gravity-feed chippers.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Woodmaxx MX-9900 worth $1,125 more than the MX-8800?
- For 8-inch-and-under material on a 20–50 HP tractor, no — the MX-8800 does the same job for $1,125 less. The MX-9900 is worth it if you regularly chip 8–9 inch logs, feed a lot of crooked or forked storm wood (its 27×18 in funnel swallows material the 8×8 throat rejects), or run a 50–100 HP tractor and want to use that power.
- What's the difference between the MX-9900 and MX-8800?
- Both are USA-made MX-Series PTO chippers with the same POW-R-TORQ hydrostatic feed, 7-year warranty, and near-identical weight. The MX-9900 adds a full 9-inch capacity (vs 8-inch), a much wider 27×18 in infeed funnel, a 225 lb flywheel, a 25–100 HP range (vs 20–50 HP), and an exclusive fold-up infeed bin. It costs $7,350 vs $6,225.
- Can the MX-8800 chip 9-inch logs?
- No. The MX-8800 is rated to 8 inches with an 8×8 in throat. For true 9-inch material you need the MX-9900. Both machines need 50+ PTO HP to chip their full rated capacity in seasoned hardwood.
- Do the MX-9900 and MX-8800 need the same tractor?
- They overlap but aren't identical. The MX-8800 wants 20–50 PTO HP; the MX-9900 wants 25–100 PTO HP. A 30–50 HP tractor runs either one. Below 25 HP, neither is a good match — look at the MX-8600 instead. Above 50 HP, the MX-9900 is the one that can actually use the extra power.
- Are the MX-9900 and MX-8800 both made in the USA?
- Yes. Both are MX-Series chippers manufactured and assembled in Buffalo/Akron, NY, with US-sourced knives and premium PTO shafts. This is the distinction from Woodmaxx's WM-Series (WM-8H, WM-8M) and DC-1260, which are imported.
- Which is better for a side-gig tree service?
- The MX-9900. The wider throat handles the crooked, forked, and oversized limbs a tree service actually encounters, the 225 lb flywheel sustains feed rate on knotty hardwood, and the 100 HP ceiling gives production headroom. For light homeowner cleanup that rarely exceeds 8 inches, the MX-8800 is plenty and saves $1,125.