acreage.EQUIPMENT
Compare0Find equipment

THE ACREAGE EQUIPMENT FIELD GUIDE

Tractors rated exactly 45, 50 or 55 hp and the engine-rated chippers that stop or start there

Three chippers on this site are rated on engine horsepower with limits at round numbers: Farmry WCAP5 stops at 45, Wallenstein BX72S starts at 50 and BX52S stops at 55. Several current compact tractors are rated at exactly those figures, often on a gross basis with no SAE standard named. Exactly on the limit is a question to put to the chipper maker, not an answer.

By Acreage Equipment · Reviewed November 9, 2026 · Specification research, not a field test

PTO wood chippers at work
In this guide

THE DECISION IN NUMBERS

Tractors at engine-rated chipper limits

Tractor figures from the site’s current profiles (reviewed November 7–9, 2026). Limits: WCAP5 15–45, BX52S 22–55, BX72S 50–85 engine hp (retained product evidence reviewed November 7, 2026).

Scroll the table sideways on smaller screens.

Engine hpTractorsWCAP5 (≤45)BX72S (≥50)BX52S (≤55)
44.9KIOTI NS4710, DK4720SEH, DK45200.1 underShortInside
45KIOTI NX4510; New Holland Boomer 45At limitShortInside
50KIOTI NX5010; New Holland Boomer 50; Kubota L5070 PremiumOverAt limitInside
50.3KIOTI NS5310H, DK5020, DK5320SEH; Kubota MX4900 gearOver0.3 overInside
55KIOTI NX5510, DK5520; New Holland Boomer 55; TYM T574OverInsideAt limit (DK5520: hitch mismatch)
Sources for this decision table (10)

At 45: WCAP5’s ceiling

The KIOTI NX4510 and New Holland Boomer 45 are rated 45 gross hp; the KIOTI NS4710, DK4720SEH and DK4520 are rated 44.9. All are inside WCAP5’s 15–45 engine-hp range on an inclusive reading, by 0 to 0.1. None is inside BX72S, which starts at 50.

At 50: BX72S’s floor

The KIOTI NX5010, New Holland Boomer 50 and Kubota L5070 Premium are rated 50; the KIOTI NS5310H, DK5020 and DK5320SEH and the Kubota MX4900 gear are rated 50.3. All are inside BX72S’s 50–85 range by 0 to 0.3, and all are outside WCAP5. Kubota’s MX4900 net figures (47.7 and 48.5) would fall short.

At 55: BX52S’s ceiling

The KIOTI NX5510, New Holland Boomer 55, TYM T574 and KIOTI DK5520 are rated 55. They are at BX52S’s 22–55 maximum and inside BX72S. BX52S lists Category I only, so on the DK5520 (Category II in KIOTI’s brochure and manual) it is a hitch mismatch whatever the power.

Gross, net and the maker’s reading

Wallenstein and Farmry label their ranges engine horsepower without naming gross or net. A tractor’s net figure is lower than its gross. When a tractor is exactly on a limit, ask the chipper maker in writing which figure it means and whether the limit is inclusive.

Take these questions with you.

  1. Is my tractor’s engine rating gross or net, and to which standard?
  2. Does the chipper maker treat its limit as inclusive?
  3. Which figure does the maker want: gross engine, net engine or PTO?
  4. Does the chipper list my tractor’s hitch category?

Keep these questions with your exact tractor and attachment details.

Use these questions in my seller brief

FOLLOW THE NUMBERS

Sources & documentation

Research record reviewed November 9, 2026. Confirm the current manual and the exact revision supplied with your machine.

  1. New Holland WORKMASTER and Boomer compact tractor brochure (PDF created March 25, 2025)PDF p3 model table; PDF p15 Boomer text; PDF p26 WORKMASTER specifications; PDF p27 Boomer specifications
  2. KIOTI NX Series brochure (PDF created September 18, 2025)p12 Specifications: Engine Gross hp, PTO hp by model and transmission, pump capacity, 3-point hitch category, maximum lift capacity (footnote: @ 24 in. aft of hitch), width, weight
  3. KIOTI NS Series brochure (PDF created September 12, 2025)PDF p12 Specifications: Engine Gross and PTO hp by model, pump capacity, 3-point hitch category, Maximum Lifting Capacity* (footnote: @ 24 in. aft of hitch), width, weight
  4. KIOTI DK20 / DK20SE brochure (PDF created September 17, 2025)Printed/PDF pp6–7 specifications: Engine Gross, PTO hp, pump capacity, 3-point hitch, Maximum Lifting Capacity* (@ 24 in. aft of hitch), remote valves, width
  5. Kubota 2026 Full Line Catalog — Grand L70, printed p21 / PDF p23Grand L70 table: engine model, Engine Gross Power*, PTO HP Power / RPM, Rated Revolution, Weight – ROPS, Pump Capacity, Maximum Lift Force at and 24 in. behind lift points, Rear PTO – Engine Speed, 3-Point Hitch; * SAE J1995
  6. Kubota current-linked MX specification sheet (PDF modified May 14, 2025)Printed p16: MX4900 gear-drive and HST columns — engine gross SAE J1995 and net SAE J1349 power, PTO power, rated speed, pump capacity, Category I & II, lift at 24 in.; printed p17: overall width, weight with ROPS / cab
  7. TYM Catalog 2025 – Series 4 (PDF modified August 14, 2025)p11 T494 and p13 T574 key specifications; p24 Specification Guide, T494 and T574 columns
  8. Farmry WCAP5 operator manual, Rev 1.5Printed p19: Engine HP Range 15–45, chipping capacity and 5 × 9-in. opening; p20: mounting (Category I/II), rated 540–1000 rpm, net weight with PTO shaft
  9. Wallenstein BX72S official U.S. pageEngine HP Range; Mounting System (Cat I and II); Total Weight; Discharge Chute Height
  10. Wallenstein BX-S operator manual Z97085_En, Rev Jan-2025Printed/PDF pp14, 18 and 40: PTO 540 or 1000 rpm, mounting (Cat I), capacity and opening, weight
  11. Wallenstein BX52S official U.S. pageEngine HP Range
  12. Farmry official product specifications
  13. Wallenstein BX52S support — currently linked operator, setup and shaft documents
  14. PTO shaft installation Z97844_En, Rev Aug-2024 — p6 sizing with a quick hitch attached
  15. BX-S setup instructions Z97085_SI, Rev Feb-2019 — assembly and shipment handling
  16. BX72S official support page — current operator/setup documents

EQUIPMENT IN THIS GUIDE

Check prices and fit for the attachments discussed.

MAKE THE NEXT CHECK

Continue with the related decision.

FIELD GUIDE

Meeting an attachment’s minimum PTO horsepower exactly: what zero margin means

A tractor whose PTO rating equals or barely exceeds an attachment’s minimum is inside the published range, and nothing more. Several makers attach separate capacity statements well above their minimums. When the margin is zero or one horsepower, also check the source of each number and what the maker expects at that power.

Read the guide →FIELD GUIDE

When the tractor is too strong: attachment maximum horsepower

Most horsepower checks look at the minimum. Many small chippers and flail mowers also publish a maximum, and a larger tractor can be outside the range for a lighter attachment. Treat the maximum as a published limit with its own horsepower basis. Ask the maker before assuming a light attachment is the safe choice.

Read the guide →FIELD GUIDE

Gross or net engine horsepower: SAE J1995, SAE J1349 and engine-rated attachments

Some tractor makers print two engine figures: gross power under SAE J1995 and net power under SAE J1349. The net figure is lower. When an attachment is rated in engine horsepower without naming a standard, a tractor near the line can pass on one figure and fail on the other. Kubota’s MX specification sheet shows both, and the gap decides several screens.

Read the guide →

MAKE THE TRADEOFFS CLEAR

Read a focused comparison.

SIDE BY SIDE

Wallenstein BX52S vs WoodMaxx MX-9900: engine-rated 5-inch or PTO-rated 9-inch

BX52S or MX-9900?

Read the guide →SIDE BY SIDE

Wallenstein BX52S vs WoodMaxx MX-8800: 5-inch gravity or 8-inch hydrostatic feed

BX52S or MX-8800?

Read the guide →SIDE BY SIDE

Wallenstein BX52S vs WoodMaxx WM-8M: 5-inch gravity or 8-inch mechanical feed

Compact tractor: BX52S or WM-8M?

Read the guide →
Browse all chipper comparisons →