Traditional manual pounding of yam using a mortar and pestle is labour-intensive, time-consuming, and increasingly unattractive to a shrinking pool of willing labour, creating a need for mechanized alternatives that preserve the desirable texture of pounded yam. This study presents the development and performance assessment of an engine-powered yam pounding machine comprising a cylindrical pounding drum, an internal rotating beater assembly, a reduction gearbox, and a gasoline engine as the prime mover. The machine was tested using three commercially important yam varieties - white yam (Dioscorea rotundata), yellow yam (Dioscorea cayenensis), and water yam (Dioscorea alata) at three beater speeds (500, 750, and 1000 rpm), with pounding time, throughput capacity, poundability, moisture loss, and pounding efficiency evaluated for each combination. Results showed that pounding time decreased and throughput increased with beater speed across all varieties, with white yam consistently pounding fastest (74.2 sec. per 2 kg batch at 1000 rpm) and most efficiently, while water yam required the longest processing time and recorded the lowest efficiency, reflecting its higher fibre and moisture content. Poundability scores peaked at 750 rpm for all three varieties before declining slightly at 1000 rpm, indicating that excessive speed compromises product texture despite improving throughput. A beater speed of approximately 750 rpm was identified as the optimal operating condition, offering the best balance between processing speed, throughput, and product quality. The findings demonstrate that the developed machine provides an effective, variety-adaptable mechanized alternative to traditional yam pounding suitable for household and small-scale commercial use.