Woodmaxx MX-8500G+ 5-inch PTO Woodchipper Review (2026)
Entry-tier self-feeding 5-inch PTO chipper in the MX-Series, with Woodmaxx's 7-year warranty.
Woodmaxx MX-8500G+ overview: 5-inch direct-drive gravity-feed PTO chipper
Manufacturer introduction of the MX-8500G+ covering the direct-drive flywheel, gravity-feed chute, and US manufacturing.
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- Self-feeding gravity-fed design
- 7-year MX-Series warranty
- Best-in-class price for a self-feeding 5-inch PTO
- No hydraulic feed
- 5-inch ceiling — step up to MX-8600 for 6-inch
The only MX-Series Woodmaxx that fits a subcompact tractor
The MX-8500G+ exists for one reason: it is the lone MX-Series chipper Woodmaxx builds without a hydrostatic feed system, which is why it can drop to 18 HP at the PTO. Every other MX chipper — MX-8600, MX-8800, MX-9900 — needs 25 HP minimum because the hydrostat consumes 5–7 PTO HP before any wood enters the throat. On a Kubota BX2680 (17.7 PTO HP) or John Deere 1025R (18 PTO HP), the 8500G+ is the only Woodmaxx that the tractor can legally and safely run.
What you give up by going gravity-feed is meaningful but not crippling. There is no hydraulic top roller pulling material through, no feed-rate dial, no reverse function. Branches feed under their own weight plus whatever pull the rotary anvil and four angled A8 tool-steel knives generate as they bite. On clean, straight 1–4 inch wood that is fine — owners report 3–4 cubic yards of chips per hour behind a 33 HP Kubota L3301. Forked or twisted branches will hang in the throat and need a manual push.
What the G+ revision actually changed
Woodmaxx does not publish a changelog between the original MX-8500G and the current MX-8500G+ on the product page. From dealer copy and the spec sheet, the visible differences are the patent-pending cylindrical rotary anvil (replacing the older flat anvil) and the angled/offset knife configuration that increases the downward pulling effect during a strike. The flywheel mass (110 lb, 24 inch diameter, 3/4 inch thick) and the 4-knife layout appear unchanged.
If you are cross-shopping a used MX-8500G against a new G+, the rotary anvil is the upgrade worth paying for. Owner threads on Orange Tractor Talks describe the G+ feeding more aggressively than older mechanical-feed Woodmaxx units — closer to a power-feed machine than a pure gravity drop. That said, neither generation has hydraulics, so anyone expecting WM-8H-style behavior on crotchy yard wood will be disappointed by either revision.
Where it sits against the Woodland Mills WC46 and the MX-8600
The direct competitor is the Woodland Mills WC46 at $3,220 with a 3-year warranty, 4-inch capacity, and (as of 2026) hydraulic feed. The MX-8500G+ is roughly $230 cheaper, adds an inch of capacity (5 vs 4), raises the HP ceiling from 30 to 50, and more than doubles the warranty length to 7 years. The trade: the WC46 has hydraulic feed (the 8500G+ is gravity self-feed). For most subcompact owners the 8500G+'s extra capacity, longer warranty, and lower price win — unless you specifically value hydraulic feed for forked yard brush, in which case the WC46 becomes interesting.
The harder decision is internal: stepping up to the MX-8600 costs roughly $1,800 more ($4,790 vs $2,990). The 8600 adds a true 6-inch capacity, a hydrostatic feed system with variable speed control, and a 7-year warranty (the 8500G+ also has the 7-year warranty, so that's a wash). $1,800 is real money — for most subcompact and compact tractor owners chipping mostly 1–4 inch material, the 8500G+ is the better dollar. The 8600 makes sense only if you regularly chip 5–6 inch hardwood, run a 25–45 HP tractor that can use the hydrostatic feed, and have the budget room.
Real-world feeding behavior and chip quality
Gravity feed on a 5-inch chipper is a specific feel. Drop a straight 3-inch maple branch butt-first into the 24-by-24-inch hopper and the knives grab it within a second or two — the 36 strikes per second and the angled knife geometry mean the wood does not sit still long enough to fight. The 1,100 RPM upper PTO speed is where the 8500G+ actually wants to run; at 540 RPM owners report slower feeding and more hand-pushing required.
Chip quality is the quiet win here. Side-by-side informal testing against the Woodland Mills WC46 consistently shows the 8500G+ producing finer, more uniform chips — a function of the heavier flywheel and the angled knife geometry. If you are chipping for mulch around landscape beds the difference is visible in the pile. If you are chipping brush to dispose of it, neither machine disappoints. The discharge chute is fixed-angle on the 8500G+ — owners on Green Tractor Talk wish it rotated, and that is a fair gripe.
What's in the box
- MX-8500G+ chipper unit
- PTO shaft with shear pin (540 RPM)
- Blade set (2 knives, installed)
- 3-point hitch pins (Cat I)
- Discharge chute
- Hardware bag (bolts, lock washers, nuts)
- Operator manual
- Tractor (18–50 HP with 540 RPM PTO)
- Quick-hitch adapter (if your tractor uses one)
- Ear protection and safety glasses
Ships freight on a pallet. Self-feeding design — no hydraulic components. PTO shaft ships as a separate item in the crate; measure and adjust length to your tractor before first use.
Woodmaxx MX-8500G+ 5-inch PTO Woodchipper specs at a glance
- Brand
- Woodmaxx
- Model
- MX-8500G+
- Power type
- pto
- Max branch diameter
- 5"
- Power
- PTO-driven, 18–50 HP tractor
- Feed system
- Mechanical self-feeding
- Weight
- 720 lb
- Price (MSRP)
- $2,990
- Warranty
- 7 years
Will the MX-8500G+ fit my tractor?
The Woodmaxx MX-8500G+ 5-inch PTO Woodchipper needs 18–50 PTO HP. Here’s how 26 common compact and utility tractors match up — rated PTO HP, not engine HP (after typical 10–15% drivetrain losses).
| Tractor | Engine HP | PTO HP | Hitch | MX-8500G+ verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kubota BX23S | 22 | 15 | Cat 1 | Too small |
| Kubota LX2610 | 25 | 19 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| Kubota L2501 | 24 | 19 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| Kubota L3301 | 33 | 26 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| Kubota L3901 | 37 | 30 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| Kubota L4701 | 47 | 38 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| Kubota MX5400 | 55 | 45 | Cat 2 | Fits |
| Kubota M4-071 | 70 | 58 | Cat 2 | Oversized |
| John Deere 1025R | 24 | 18 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| John Deere 2025R | 25 | 19 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| John Deere 3025E | 24.7 | 19 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| John Deere 3032E | 32 | 25 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| John Deere 3039R | 38.2 | 30 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| John Deere 3046R | 45.3 | 37 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| John Deere 4044M | 43.1 | 35 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| John Deere 4066R | 65.9 | 53 | Cat 2 | Fits |
| Mahindra 1533 | 33 | 26 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| Mahindra 2638 HST | 37.4 | 29 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| Massey Ferguson 1735M | 35 | 28 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| Massey Ferguson 2705E | 49 | 40 | Cat 2 | Fits |
| New Holland WORKMASTER 25S | 24.7 | 18 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| New Holland WORKMASTER 35 | 35 | 28 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| Kioti CK2620 | 24.5 | 20 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| Kioti NX4510 | 45 | 38 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| LS MT225S | 24.4 | 18 | Cat 1 | Fits |
| LS MT342 | 41.3 | 32 | Cat 1 | Fits |
“Fits” = within the manufacturer’s rated PTO HP range. “At limit” = below the minimum by 5–15%, will feel underpowered on seasoned hardwood. “Too small” = undersized for reliable chipping. “Oversized” = above range (works but overkill).
Who should buy the MX-8500G+ — and who should skip it
- You own a subcompact tractor (Kubota BX, John Deere 1025R, Mahindra eMax) with 18–24 PTO HP and want a real 5-inch capacity chipper that the tractor can actually run
- You value Woodmaxx's 7-year transferable MX-Series warranty over Woodland Mills' 2-year coverage on the WC46
- Most of your wood is straight branches under 4 inches — clean limb and yard cleanup, not forked storm debris
- You want USA-made A8 tool-steel knives and a heavy 110 lb flywheel that produces finer, more uniform chip quality than competitors at this price
- You prefer direct-drive simplicity (no belts, no hydraulics, no feed motor) and the lower long-term maintenance that goes with it
- You expect to keep the chipper longer than five years and the warranty math matters to total cost of ownership
- You regularly chip 5–6 inch hardwood and have 25–45 HP available — the MX-8600's hydrostatic feed and extra inch of capacity are worth the $1,800 step-up
- Most of your wood is forked, crotchy yard cleanup or storm debris — gravity feed will fight you, and a hydraulic-feed WM-8H ($4,095) is the right tool
- You need a rotating discharge chute to direct chips into a trailer or a contained pile
- Your budget is tight and you do not value the warranty premium — the Woodland Mills WC46 is roughly $600 less and most owners will not feel the half-inch capacity gap
- You want a premium 4-inch hobbyist machine and chip quality is everything — the Wallenstein BX42S is built heavier and finishes better, though it costs roughly twice as much
Alternatives to the MX-8500G+
$575 less. same 5-inch capacity. 3-year warranty. from Woodland Mills.
$2,160 more. same 5-inch capacity. 5-year warranty. from Wallenstein.
$1,291 less. 4-inch capacity (1 inch smaller). 1-year warranty. from MechMaxx.
MX-8500G+accessories & add-ons
Set of 2 replacement chipper knives. Available from woodmaxx.com parts catalog.
PTO shaft shear pins. Woodmaxx ships one installed — order spares before your first big job.
Upgraded PTO shaft with wider-angle CV joints. Recommended if your 3-point geometry creates steep shaft angles.
Adapter for iMatch or equivalent quick-hitch systems. Not needed if you use standard 3-point pins.
MX-8500G+blade replacement & sharpening
MX-Series uses A8 tool steel — expect 30–40 hours per edge on mixed hardwood before a sharpening.
Both flywheel knives are reversible, so flip before you sharpen: a single set gives you roughly 60–80 hours of cut life.
Woodmaxx sells the blades direct; keep a factory set on hand for the 7-year warranty window.
- Blade count
- 2 flywheel knives
- Bed knife
- Yes — fixed anvil
- Sharpening angle
- 30–40°
- Reversible
- Yes — doubles edge life
- Blade material
- A8 tool steel
- Replacement set
- $130–$180
- Sharpening interval
- 30–40 hours
- Bolt torque
- 45–55 ft-lb
- 01Stop the machine and isolate power
Disengage the PTO, shut the tractor off, and remove the key. Wait 60+ seconds for the MX-8500G+ flywheel to stop completely — it coasts longer than the engine.
- 02Open the discharge or flywheel access cover
Remove the bolts on the MX-8500G+ flywheel access hood (or flip the hinged hood if equipped). Swing it clear so you have line-of-sight to every blade position.
- 03Rotate the flywheel to the first blade
Turn the flywheel by hand until the first of the 2 knives is aligned with the access opening. Mark it "1" with a paint pen so you can keep track of orientation.
- 04Break the blade bolts loose
Use a breaker bar on each of the 2 blade bolts. Woodmaxx and Woodland Mills both thread-lock these at the factory; heat gently if they don't yield. Do not pry on the flywheel itself.
- 05Slide the blade out and inspect
Remove the blade and inspect for cracks, nicks deeper than 1/16", and rounded bevels. A cracked blade goes straight in the scrap bin — never re-sharpened.
- 06Flip or replace the blade
The MX-8500G+ uses 2 reversible knives. If the secondary edge is still clean, simply flip the blade for a fresh edge. If both edges are worn, sharpen at 30–40° on a belt sander — quench every 10–15 seconds to avoid bluing the A8 tool steel.
- 07Balance the set
Remove equal material from every blade in the set. On the MX-8500G+'s 2-knife flywheel, even a 1–2 gram imbalance shows up as vibration at operating RPM. Weigh on a gram scale after sharpening.
- 08Reinstall and torque
Apply anti-seize to the bolt threads (not the heads) and torque in a star pattern to 45–55 ft-lb. Use fresh lock washers — reused washers are the #1 cause of a loose blade downstream.
- 09Repeat for every remaining blade
Rotate the flywheel and repeat steps 3–8 for the remaining 1 knives. Then inspect the fixed bed knife — if the edge is rounded, flip or replace it and reset the blade-to-anvil gap to ~0.030" with feeler gauges.
- 10Close up and test-run
Rotate the flywheel by hand one full revolution to confirm no contact with the bed knife or housing. Close the access cover. Start the tractor, engage PTO at low idle, and listen for 30 seconds before ramping to operating RPM. Feed one small test branch before returning to normal work.
MX-8500G+ — frequently asked questions
- Will the Woodmaxx MX-8500G+ run on a Kubota BX or a John Deere 1025R?
- Yes — the 8500G+ is the only Woodmaxx PTO chipper rated to run on 18 HP, which puts the BX2380/BX2680 and the 1025R inside the spec window. At that HP class expect comfortable 3-inch hardwood and 4-inch softwood capacity, not the rated 5 inches. For full-capacity 5-inch material you want 40+ PTO HP.
- How does the gravity feed handle forked or crooked branches?
- Honestly: not as well as marketing implies. The rotary anvil and angled knives improve pulling action over older flat-anvil mechanical chippers, but a true Y-shaped crotch will still hang on the funnel lip and need a manual push or a re-orient. If most of your wood is forked yard cleanup, pay the upcharge for a hydraulic-feed chipper like the WM-8H — the gravity-feed shortcut is not the right shortcut for that material.
- What is the difference between the MX-8500G and the MX-8500G+?
- The G+ revision updated the anvil from a flat plate to a patent-pending cylindrical rotary anvil and runs angled/offset A8 tool-steel knives instead of perpendicular blades. Flywheel mass (110 lb, 24-inch, 3/4-inch thick) and the 4-knife count are unchanged. The result is a more aggressive pulling action on straight wood — closer to a power-feed unit than older gravity-feed Woodmaxx models. If you are looking at a used original MX-8500G, the G+ rotary anvil is the upgrade worth paying for.
- Is the MX-8500G+ worth the step down from the MX-8600?
- For most buyers, yes — the MX-8600 is roughly $1,800 more ($4,790 vs $2,990), and that gap is a serious tax for the upgrade. The 8600 adds a true 6-inch capacity and hydrostatic feed with variable speed control, but the 8500G+ already has the same 7-year MX-Series warranty. If you regularly chip 5–6 inch hardwood and run a 25–45 HP tractor, the 8600's hydrostatic feed earns its keep. For 1–4 inch yard cleanup on a subcompact or smaller compact tractor, the 8500G+ is the smarter spend.
- Does the discharge chute on the MX-8500G+ rotate?
- No — the discharge chute is fixed-angle. This is the single most common owner complaint on forum threads. If you want to direct chips into a trailer or a specific pile location, you will need to reposition the tractor and chipper rather than swivel the chute. The WM-8H and MX-8600 both offer rotating discharge as part of their step-up value.
- What PTO RPM does the MX-8500G+ want to run at?
- It accepts 540 to 1,100 RPM PTO input. Feeding is noticeably more aggressive at 1,000–1,100 RPM where the flywheel hits its full 36 strikes per second. At 540 RPM the chipper still works but owners report more hand-pushing and slower throughput on hardwood. If your tractor offers a high PTO position, use it.
- MX-8500G+ vs mx-8600 — which should I buy?
- See our head-to-head comparison for the detailed breakdown. In short: the MX-8500G+ at $2,990 offers 5-inch capacity with mechanical self- feed. The right pick depends on your tractor HP, branch size, and whether you need hydraulic feed for forked material.
- What can the MX-8500G+ actually chip in real-world use?
- Rated for 5-inch branches. In practice, green softwood chips reliably at rated max. Seasoned hardwood at 5 inches slows the feed rate and bogs the flywheel on knots — comfortable working capacity on hardwood is 3.5–4.5 inches. The mechanical feed handles straight material well but can stall on forked branches.
- Is the MX-8500G+ worth buying?
- At $2,990, the MX-8500G+ is the value sweet spot — enough capacity for regular property use without commercial pricing. The 7-year warranty provides strong long-term protection.
- How much HP do I need to run the MX-8500G+?
- The MX-8500G+ needs 18–50 PTO HP. That's PTO horsepower (roughly 85–90% of engine HP). A 21 HP engine tractor produces about 18 PTO HP. Comfortable range: 23–45 PTO HP.
- What warranty does the MX-8500G+ come with?
- Woodmaxx covers the MX-8500G+ with a 7-year warranty. This is the MX-Series warranty — the longest in the PTO chipper category. Covers manufacturing defects; excludes wearing parts (blades, belts) and cosmetic damage.