THE ACREAGE EQUIPMENT FIELD GUIDE
Chipper feed height: compare the loading position, not overall height
A chipper’s total height usually tells you little about where material enters. For a purchase decision, ask for the feed surface’s position in the documented working configuration. Then compare that position with how you expect to handle your brush. Published heights can narrow the questions for a demonstration, but they do not establish comfort, a suitable loading arrangement or the effort of processing a pile.
By Acreage Equipment · Reviewed November 8, 2026 · Specification research, not a field test
THE DECISION IN NUMBERS
Worked loading-height screen: what can each number answer?
MX figures come from the September 18, 2026 manuals; WM-8H wording comes from its official page. The 28-inch staging surface is hypothetical. Arithmetic does not approve a loading device, operating position or ergonomic fit.
Scroll the table sideways on smaller screens.
| Model or example | Published or assumed measurement | Purchase implication |
|---|---|---|
| MX-8800 | 30-in feed height; angle labeled 3.25° Horizontal | Request measurement endpoints and working configuration |
| MX-9900 | 30-in feed height; angle labeled 2.25° Horizontal | Same height, one-degree difference in the angle labels; no effort ranking |
| WM-8H | Page discusses 18–30-in tractor PTO height | Do not relabel that as feed-surface height |
| Hypothetical 28-in staging surface | 30 − 28 = 2 in, on a common ground reference | Ask about the transition and permitted arrangement; other geometry is unknown |
Sources for this decision table (3)
Ask what the height is measured between
The MX-8800 manual lists a 30-inch feed height, separately from its assembled dimensions. The MX-9900 manual also lists 30 inches. Before treating either as the height you will encounter, ask the seller to identify the measurement endpoints and the support configuration behind the specification. A dimensioned side view is more useful than a photograph: it can distinguish the tray lip, the deeper feed surface, the inlet center and the top of the hopper.
Equal height does not mean identical feed geometry
The MX-8800 specification table labels its feed angle 3.25° Horizontal; the MX-9900 table uses 2.25° Horizontal. The numerical difference is one degree, while both height rows remain 30 inches. Those entries do not establish which machine requires less handling effort. Ask for the reference line and tray geometry that those angle labels describe. Do not infer a sloping direction, an adjustable range or an approved modification from a short table label.
Do not substitute the tractor’s PTO height
WoodMaxx’s WM-8H page describes adjustable base legs in relation to tractors with PTO heights from 18 to 30 inches. That is a driveline-related claim, not a published 18-to-30-inch range for the loading surface. Its separate 20-inch-wide by 24-inch-tall outer opening also describes the mouth, not its elevation above the ground. If considering this model, ask for the actual feed-surface height and its measurement conditions rather than borrowing either number.
Use arithmetic to expose a missing measurement
Suppose a buyer records a 28-inch material-staging surface and compares it with a stated 30-inch feed height. The difference is two inches, provided both measurements use the same ground reference. That calculation identifies a question about the vertical transition; it does not approve placing a cart, table or support beside the machine. The horizontal separation, tray lip, approach area and manufacturer’s loading requirements remain unknown. Give the seller a sketch of the proposed arrangement and request a documented assessment.
Make a demonstration address the actual purchase question
Describe the typical brush’s length, branching and how it reaches the work area. Ask the seller to show the permitted loading position and explain how the exact machine’s controls, guards and feed surface affect access. Request a demonstration arranged under the manufacturer’s instructions rather than judging reach from a running-machine video. Equal feed heights cannot establish equal effort for different users or irregular branches; the useful outcome is a clearer understanding of the documented arrangement, not an unsupported ergonomic score.
Keep loading geometry beside capacity and fit
After obtaining the dimensions, return to the model’s separate power, capacity and tractor-fit requirements. A convenient-looking tray does not expand the cutting limit, and a larger throat does not answer the loading-height question. Record the confirmed measurement, configuration and any unresolved access issue with the selected product. This guide’s seller brief carries those questions; add your handling description and any proposed staging arrangement before copying or downloading the brief for the supplier.
Take these questions with you.
- What is the feed-surface height on the exact supplied model, and which endpoints, ground reference and support configuration define it?
- Can you provide a dimensioned side view showing the tray lip, feed surface and the reference line for any published feed-angle figure?
- For my described brush and handling arrangement, what loading-position and access requirements need checking under the manufacturer’s instructions?
- Can you demonstrate the documented loading arrangement for this model and identify any remaining handling or tractor-fit questions before purchase?
Keep these questions with your exact tractor and attachment details.
Use these questions in my seller briefFOLLOW THE NUMBERS
Sources & documentation
Research record reviewed November 8, 2026. Confirm the current manual and the exact revision supplied with your machine.
- WoodMaxx MX-8800 Rev D, September 18, 2026 — printed p. 45 / PDF p. 46 infeed specifications
- WoodMaxx MX-9900 Rev C, September 18, 2026 — printed p. 42 / PDF p. 43 infeed specifications
- WoodMaxx WM-8H official page — adjustable base legs and separate hopper-opening dimensions
- WoodMaxx official manual library — Flail Mower Manuals model-year groups
- WM-8H linked manual — assembly p20 and maintenance p29 give different fill quantities
- Official MX-8800 page: power/capacity claims, feed, hitch and current sale price
- Official MX-9900 page: power/capacity claims, feed, hitch and current sale price
