Petrol Wood Chipper or PTO Wood Chipper: Which Should You Choose?

If you’re looking to buy a wood chipper, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make is whether to choose a petrol wood chipper or a PTO wood chipper.

Both are excellent machines, but they’re designed for different types of users and different ways of working.

The right choice isn’t necessarily the most powerful machine or the most expensive one. It’s the machine that best suits your property, your equipment and the type of work you do.

In this guide, we’ll explain the differences between petrol and PTO wood chippers and help you decide which one is right for you.

What’s the Difference?

The biggest difference is simply how they’re powered.

A petrol wood chipper has its own engine, making it a completely self-contained machine.

A PTO wood chipper is powered by a tractor’s Power Take-Off (PTO), using the tractor’s engine to drive the chipping mechanism.

Both produce excellent woodchip, but each has its own advantages.

Scenario One: “I Don’t Own a Tractor”

“We’ve recently moved to a smallholding and want to clear branches and hedgerow cuttings, but we don’t own a tractor.”

In this situation, a petrol wood chipper is usually the obvious choice.

Because it has its own engine, it can be used almost anywhere without requiring additional machinery.

It’s ideal for:

• Smallholdings.
• Gardens.
• Estates.
• Woodland management.
• Tree maintenance.

Many owners also appreciate being able to transport the machine easily between different locations.

Scenario Two: “I’ve Already Got a Compact Tractor”

“I’ve already got a compact tractor that I use for mowing, moving logs and maintaining the property.”

If this sounds familiar, a PTO wood chipper often offers excellent value.

Rather than maintaining another engine, you simply connect the chipper to your tractor whenever it’s needed.

Many compact tractor owners prefer this approach because they already have the power source available.

What Are the Advantages of a Petrol Wood Chipper?

A petrol wood chipper offers complete independence.

You don’t need a tractor and you don’t need to remove other implements before getting started.

Advantages include:

• Completely self-contained.
• Easy to transport.
• Suitable for multiple locations.
• No tractor required.
• Ideal for occasional or regular domestic use.

For many homeowners and smallholders, this flexibility makes a petrol wood chipper an excellent investment.

What Are the Advantages of a PTO Wood Chipper?

If you already own a tractor, a PTO wood chipper can be an incredibly efficient solution.

Advantages include:

• No separate engine to service.
• Excellent value if a tractor is already available.
• Simple, robust design.
• Well suited to regular property maintenance.
• Easy to store alongside other tractor implements.

Many customers also appreciate having fewer engines to maintain throughout the year.

Which One Produces Better Woodchip?

In normal use, both petrol and PTO wood chippers can produce excellent quality woodchip.

The quality of the chip is influenced far more by:

• The condition of the blades.
• The type of timber.
• Feed rate.
• Moisture content.

Whether the machine is powered by petrol or a tractor makes very little difference to the finished result.

What Are You Chipping?

Before choosing a machine, think about the material you’ll be processing.

For example:

• Hedge trimmings.
• Tree branches.
• Woodland thinning.
• Orchard prunings.
• General garden waste.

The diameter and type of timber are often more important than whether the machine is petrol or PTO powered.

It’s also worth checking the manufacturer’s maximum branch diameter, but remember that feeding a machine at or near its absolute maximum capacity all day isn’t always the most efficient way to work.

Three Ways People Choose a Wood Chipper

Over the years, we’ve found that most customers fall into one of three groups.

Buy for Today’s Needs

Some people simply want a machine capable of handling the branches they currently produce.

This often provides the best value for money.

Buy for Convenience

Others already own a compact tractor and see little point in maintaining another engine.

For these customers, a PTO wood chipper is often the simplest solution.

Buy for Future Flexibility

Some customers know they’ll be taking on larger landscaping projects, expanding their property or managing additional woodland in the future.

Rather than replacing the machine in a few years, they prefer to invest in a more capable model from the outset.

There isn’t a right or wrong approach.

It’s simply about choosing the machine that best suits the way you work.

Common Myths About Wood Chippers

“A PTO wood chipper is always more powerful.”

Not necessarily.

Both petrol and PTO wood chippers are available in a range of sizes and capacities.

The overall performance depends on the design of the machine, the available power and the material being processed.

“Petrol wood chippers are only for homeowners.”

Not at all.

Many professional landscapers, arborists and estate managers choose petrol machines because they can be transported easily between different sites without needing a tractor.

“A larger chipper is always the better investment.”

Not always.

If you’re mainly processing hedge cuttings and smaller branches, buying a machine that’s significantly larger than you need may simply increase the purchase price without providing much additional benefit.

Buy With Confidence

When investing in a wood chipper, it’s worth looking beyond the headline specifications.

Consider:

• Warranty.
• Parts availability.
• Dealer support.
• Build quality.
• Blade availability.
• Ease of maintenance.

Long-term support can be just as important as the machine itself.

At Beckside Machinery, our FarmMaster and Mateng wood chippers are selected to provide reliable performance and are backed by expert advice, parts support and after-sales service.

Things We Tell Customers in the Showroom

One of the questions we hear most often is:

“Which one would you buy?”

Our answer is usually another question:

Do you already own a tractor?

If the answer is yes, a PTO wood chipper often makes excellent financial sense.

If the answer is no, a petrol wood chipper is usually the more practical and versatile choice.

Neither machine is better.

They’re simply designed for different ways of working.

Final Thoughts

Choosing between a petrol wood chipper and a PTO wood chipper comes down to the equipment you already own and the type of work you carry out.

If you already have a compact tractor, a PTO wood chipper can be a simple, cost-effective solution with fewer engines to maintain.

If you don’t own a tractor or need maximum flexibility, a petrol wood chipper is often the better choice.

Whichever option you choose, investing in the right machine can save countless hours of work while turning unwanted branches into useful woodchip for paths, borders and landscaping projects.

Browse our range of petrol and tractor wood chippers, or contact Beckside Machinery on 01673 828965. We’ll be happy to help you choose the right wood chipper for your property.