The Best Wood Chippers for 6 Inch Limbs

Here are some recommendations for PTO wood chippers with chipping capacity for large tree limbs

If you're the owner of large acreage, or a small property owner looking to do seasonal property maintenance, a heavy-duty wood chipper can be a seriously useful tool. 

Many landowners rely on PTO wood chippers to turn their storm debris and tree waste into a useful pile of wood chips, utilizing the PTO horsepower from their tractor to power their implements around their property.

And many landowners require the right chipper capable of chipping material up to six inches in diameter, so they can reduce their large tree limbs and clear away tree waste.

So what is the best wood chipper for chipping tree limbs up to six inches? And what type of tractor will you need to operate it? The answers to these questions and more are right here.

Why would I need a wood chipper that can chip six inch material?

Property owners often have a variety of trees on their land of varying species and sizes.

Chipping smaller branches, up to a few inches in diameter, is a relatively simple task for many wood chippers. But regularly processing branches up to five or six inches in diameter requires a chipper with sufficient rated capacity and a tractor capable of properly powering it.

A 6 inch wood chipper can turn these thick branches into a pile of wood chips, making it possible to process larger woody material that may exceed the rated capacity of smaller chippers.

And while gas chippers can be useful pieces of equipment, PTO wood chippers use your tractor as their power source, eliminating the need for a separate engine on the chipper. For tractor owners, that means one less engine to fuel and maintain while providing access to larger-capacity chipper options.

What type of tractor should I use for a 6 inch PTO wood chipper?

Woodland Mills' 6 inch chippers, the WC68 and TF68 PRO, are compatible with tractors that output between 20 to 50 horsepower at the PTO.

When choosing a PTO wood chipper, start with your tractor's PTO horsepower — not simply its engine horsepower. Check your owner's manual or tractor manufacturer's specifications to determine the available PTO HP, then match it with a wood chipper designed to operate within that range.

Your tractor also needs to meet the other compatibility requirements for the chipper, including the appropriate PTO and three-point hitch specifications.

Larger tractors with greater PTO horsepower and lift capacity may be able to accommodate larger chipper models, while compact and subcompact tractors can be matched with smaller PTO chippers.

Our recommendation is to match the chipper to your tractor's PTO horsepower first. Once you've identified the compatible models, choose between them based on the branch sizes, material volume and type of chipping you regularly do.

What are the best features for a 6 inch wood chipper?

What are some of the key features you should consider for chipping large branches? Here's a few things to think about:

• • Hydraulic Infeed: On a chipper with a hydraulic infeed system, hydraulically powered rollers grip branches and draw material toward the flywheel at a controlled rate. This reduces the amount of manual feeding required from the operator, while forward, neutral and reverse controls provide greater control over how material enters the chipper.

  • Twin Flywheel: Found exclusively on Woodland Mills PRO Series wood chippers, Twin Flywheel technology separates the chipping and discharge functions. On a typical single-flywheel chipper, the same flywheel performs both jobs, meaning the discharge paddles rotate at the same speed as the chipping flywheel. On a Twin Flywheel chipper, the primary flywheel is dedicated to chipping while a second, faster-spinning flywheel is dedicated to generating airflow and discharging the chips. The increased airflow helps carry lightweight, wet, leafy and coniferous material through the chip stream and throw chips farther from the discharge chute.

  • Compatible Accessories: Want to store your chainsaw close at hand or store your chipper outdoors? Consider optional add-ons like a chainsaw holder or custom-fitted nylon cover to protect your chipper from the elements.

What are the best wood chippers for chipping material up to 6" in diameter?

Looking for recommendations for chipping larger branches and small logs? Here are some great Woodland Mills chipper models that can get the job done.

Before choosing based on chipping capacity alone, start with your tractor's PTO horsepower. Once you know which models are compatible, you can decide whether a 6" or larger-capacity chipper makes the most sense for the material you regularly process.

Woodland Mills WC68 6" Wood Chipper

This single-flywheel chipper model has a capacity of up to 6" in diameter, making it well suited to chipping medium-to-large tree branches and turning woody property debris into a useful pile of wood chips.

This chipper is compatible with tractors with a PTO output between 20 to 50 horsepower, giving tractor owners within that PTO range a 6" chipping option that balances capacity, features and price.

Woodland Mills TF68 PRO 6" Wood Chipper

The TF68 PRO offers the same up-to-6" chipping capacity while adding Woodland Mills' Twin Flywheel technology.

On a typical single-flywheel chipper, chipping and discharge are handled by the same flywheel. The TF68 PRO separates those functions, with one flywheel dedicated to chipping and a second, faster-spinning flywheel dedicated to increasing airflow and discharging the chips.

That additional airflow is particularly useful when processing lightweight, wet, leafy and coniferous material, reducing the need to intentionally mix lighter material with heavier, drier branches to help carry it through the discharge chute.

Like the WC68, the TF68 PRO is designed for tractors producing between 20 and 50 HP at the PTO.

Woodland Mills WC88 8" Wood Chipper

A step up from the WC68, this heavy duty chipper can chip materials up to 8" in diameter. Its higher capacity also comes with different tractor requirements, so start by confirming that your tractor's PTO horsepower and other specifications fall within the WC88's recommended range.

If your tractor is compatible and branches larger than 6" make up a regular part of your workload, the additional capacity may make an 8" chipper worth considering.

Woodland Mills TF810 PRO 8" Wood Chipper

The TF810 PRO combines up to 8" chipping capacity with Woodland Mills' Twin Flywheel technology. It's designed for landowners with compatible larger tractors who regularly process higher volumes of woody material or branches that exceed the capacity of a 6" chipper.

Its Twin Flywheel system also separates the chipping and discharge functions, increasing discharge airflow when processing lightweight, wet, leafy and coniferous material.

If your tractor falls within the recommended PTO horsepower range and larger material makes up a regular part of your workload, the TF810 PRO provides additional capacity beyond a 6" chipper.

Anything else you should know about 6" wood chippers?

Consider maintenance of your chipper for its long-term health. Chipper blades on Woodland Mills chippers are sharpenable and replaceable, so you can always ensure you have sharp blades on hand.

Remember that your tractor's PTO horsepower is one of the primary factors determining which PTO wood chipper models are appropriate for your setup. Start there before comparing maximum chipping capacities.

Once you've identified compatible models, think about the material that makes up the majority of your workload. If you regularly process branches approaching 6" in diameter, a 6" chipper may be appropriate. If most of your material is considerably smaller and a 6" branch is only an occasional exception, you may not need to size your entire setup around that worst-case piece.

For higher-volume chipping, the same principle applies. If your tractor falls within the recommended range for an 8" model and larger material is a regular part of your workload, the additional capacity of a chipper like the TF810 PRO may be useful.

Would a log splitter also be useful for your property's needs?

A wood chipper is primarily useful for branches and woody debris, but larger sections of suitable logs can often be put to use as firewood.

A gas-powered hydraulic log splitter like the LS218 can complement a chipper by processing rounds into manageable pieces for your woodshed.

A Woodland Mills LS218 Wood Splitter efficiently turning a log into firewood.

Together, the two machines give landowners options for making use of more of the material created during pruning, storm cleanup and tree-removal projects: branches and suitable woody debris can become wood chips, while suitable log sections can become firewood.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the best wood chipper for tackling larger jobs?

A: Start with your tractor's PTO horsepower. That determines which PTO wood chipper models are appropriate for your setup before you consider maximum chipping capacity.

If your tractor is compatible with the TF810 PRO and you regularly process larger material or higher volumes, its up-to-8" capacity provides a step up from a 6" chipper. Its Twin Flywheel system also provides increased discharge airflow for lightweight, wet, leafy and coniferous material.

If most of your work involves branches 6" or smaller, however, a compatible 6" model like the WC68 or TF68 PRO may be the better fit. Choose based on your tractor and regular workload rather than simply buying the largest-capacity chipper available.

Q: What's the best wood chipper option for chipping green, leafy brush?

A: Lightweight, wet and leafy material can be more difficult for some single-flywheel chippers to discharge consistently because the same flywheel is responsible for both chipping and throwing the material.

Woodland Mills PRO Series Twin Flywheel chippers separate those functions. The primary flywheel handles the chipping, while a second, faster-spinning flywheel generates increased airflow and discharges the chips.

That additional airflow is particularly useful when processing green, leafy and coniferous material and reduces the need to intentionally mix lighter material with heavier, drier branches to help carry it through the discharge chute.

Q: What is the best option for compact tractor owners looking for a reliable wood chipper model?

A: Start by checking your tractor's PTO horsepower — not just its engine horsepower — and compare it with the recommended PTO HP range for the chipper.

For smaller tractors, models such as the WC46 or TF46 may fall within the appropriate PTO range. Once you've identified which models are compatible with your tractor, compare their chipping capacities and features based on the material you regularly process.

Q: Do I need a 6 inch wood chipper to chip 6 inch branches?

A: If branches approaching 6" in diameter make up a regular part of your workload, a chipper rated for that capacity may make sense. But maximum branch diameter shouldn't be the only factor in your decision.

For a PTO wood chipper, start with your tractor's PTO horsepower and determine which chipper models are compatible. From there, think about the size of material you process most often.

If most of your branches are 2–4" and a 6" piece is an occasional exception, you may not need to size your entire chipper setup around that worst-case branch. If 5–6" material is a regular part of your work and your tractor is appropriately matched, then the additional capacity of a 6" chipper becomes much more useful.