Plot Master
 

Has anyone used the plotmaster or any thing similar? I'm curious to hear if they work.
Thanks

RE: Plot Master
 

I bought a Plotmaster 2 years ago and it is AWESOME. I have the 4 foot electric model. It is a very rugged piece of equipment and I really put it to the test on my property and I can't imagine those "other" devises being able to do what I needed to do. The electric up and down is a very nice feature. The plotmaster weighs around 600 pounds, which is what you need if you are plowing unbroken ground. I would suggest using an ATV of 600cc or greater, as the unit bogs down if you are plowing deep. I have a 500cc and it does very good for 90% of the time. The other 10% I wish I had a 700cc. If you decide you want to get one, let me know and I'll hook you up with the right guy and the right price. I have absolutly no connection with the company or any other parties associated with them. Hope this is helpful.

RE: Plot Master
 

I was curious about the plotmaster too. Is it true from my understanding that it does everything in one pass, plow, plant seed, pack etc???

How does that actually work and does it do a good job...also if you don't mind me asking how much did that unit cost the 4 foot electric??

RE: Plot Master
 

Bagem,

Thanks, that's great information :). The local Gander Mtn has a used one for sale, it looks brand new, and the price seems right. I have the same question as SalCucco.

RE: Plot Master
 

The name I hear the most is plot disaster. Really if you are planting an acre or less or don't have a job and can keep going over the same spots over and over and over and over.....then it is probably something to consider. No probably not because if you have an acre or less do you really want to spend $3000 on a "tool" to plant that acre and if you don't have a job can you justify the $3000.

Really not much to it from what I've seen and heard.

RE: Plot Master
 

First, forget about the "one pass" idea for any implement. That might work if you are on a plot that has been well established and you just need to work some seed in on an already prepared seed bed. I started with 15 year-old, heavily thatched prairie grass. You will make many, many passes with ANY device to prep that type of terrain for planting. I suggest the plotmaster because it has the weight you need to really get deep and turn over the soil. The going rate is $3000. They modified the unit a year ago, so if you are looking at a used one, make sure it is the "new" model. The way you tell is the new model has a wider stance between the wheels than the original model. They did this because the original one rocked side to side a little too much. The new model has wheels attached to a square tube that slides into another square tube and held in place by 2 bolts. In other words, the wheels are removable, but remain attached to about a 1 foot long piece of square tubing. Hope I haven't confused you. Any new model being sold would almost certainly be a "new" model, as they quit making the original model a year or more ago. The electric motor is also improved on the new model to make it a little faster to raise and lower the unit.
..

RE: Plot Master
 

Sounds like a little "cheap advertising" for the plotmaster to me. I personally haven't heard one person come forward in 3 years that was able to say theycouldplant a productive plot on "normal" soils with that contraption.

I don't like to be accusatory - but showus the pictures - show us the progess of the plot and how well it worked. Otherwise don't waste our time.

FH

RE: Plot Master
 

Wow !! I feel like I've been blindsided. I'm new to this forum, so I don't know anyone yet, but I'm sure I just met a member with an attitude. Where do you get off on that type of response? I was just answering a genuine inquiry about a piece of equipment that I've become very familiar with the past few years. I don't advertise for anyone. I will however post a few pics just so you can eat your unkind words and to help those who have serious inquiries about this piece of equipment. The first photo is just prior to seeding on June 8, 2004.

RE: Plot Master
 

Again on August 20, 2004
Biologic Premium Perennial

RE: Plot Master
 

Again, Thanks. You have answered the questions I had.

RE: Plot Master
 

I would like to know how long this was worked before it looked like this.

I bought one of the damn things and it may as well be a boat anchor. Unless there is a serious amount of sand in a field it's a waste of time with the P-master. I have clay soils and usually I can get a strip 4' wide worked up in 15 passes.


Mine's in the barn, I'll let it go cheap.

RE: Plot Master
 

Bagem, the deer seem to be hitting the Biologic just about like they did mine. Not at all.

Beautiful plot, just no deer. I honestly can't understand why people continue to plant this stuff with all the customer complaints and failures that I've read.

As far as the Plot-Master, my buddy has one and it takes forever to get anything done with it. You speak of liking it for it's weight, It will hardly scratch the soil on our land.

Just my opinion---WASTE OF HARD EARNED MONEY

Otis

RE: Plot Master
 

Slumpbuster, I also have clay soils. I will also say that it takes alot of passes to work up ground that has been idle for years. I started with ALOT of deep thatch, so I bet it took nearly 15 passes for me as well, BUT 15 passes doesn't take all that long if you have an ATV with some muscle. Mine has 500cc. I would guess it took about 2 hours to get my plot the way it is in my first pic. If someone knows of another implement that can be towed behind an ATV that works faster, bring it on. I'm sure you could do it faster with a tractor and a larger, heavier disc set, but that won't work for me because some of my plots are inaccessible to a tractor (trees, etc)

One of the 5 plots that I worked up last year became so overgrown with weeds that I decided to rework it this past Spring. The nice part of that is that it took only a fraction of the time to work it up the second time, since I got all the deep thatch out last year.

Otis...that photo of the Premium Perennial plot was taken in August. Of course the deer haven't touched it. What you see there are brassicas, which are not palatable to deer until after the first few hard frosts. By mid December that plot was mowed to the ground by deer. I would suggest having your friend contact his regional plotmaster sales rep and ask for some tips on using the implement. There are several key adjustments on that machine that can be made to suit different terrain and soils. If your soils are too hard for the plotmaster, than good luck using any other ATV implement. It sounds like you may need to use a tractor rig of some type.

It's obvious to me at this point that I'm in shark infested waters on this plotmaster issue. Being new here, I'm not sure how this overall dislike of the plotmaster has developed. I assure you I have absolutely no connection to the plotmaster people or anyone else who sells them and stand to gain nothing by plugging this machine. Plain and simply, I have had a great experience with the plotmaster the past few years over some very challenging terrain and remain very impressed with it.

RE: Plot Master
 

Bagem, sorry for group bashing of the plotmas...errrr plot diasaster butthere just isn't much to it IMO. You are one of the very few people who have anything positive to say about it. For every positive response I have heard, I have alsoheard 50 people call it a piece of crap.

Farm hunter is usually a pretty staight up guy so don't get too up tight. It is just that when someone says something positive about the plot disaster or any other tonka toy typeproductit makes our advertising antenna go up. I'm glad it is working for you because $3000 is a bunch to spend on something that doesn't seem to work for so many people.

Welcome to the board. I look forward to hearing how everything else works out.

RE: Plot Master
 

bagem -

Sorry to sound so negative - its not usually my nature. Truly - I thought you were on plugging that planting tool (maybe even as a rep for the company)- and I was a little more blunt than usual.

Truthfully - the plotmaster doesn't work well for many soil types and conditions. It would be horribly misfigured after a year on my rocky fields, and heavy clay soils. When they first started coming out - many people were sorry they purchased one.

Thanks for posting the pics of you plots. It looks like you did a fine job preparing the plot.

FH

RE: Plot Master
 

Thanks FH
I'll just make a few more points and then I promise I'll let this topic die.
1) I wonder if the plotmaster became a better implement a year ago when they made some major changes to it. Mine is the updated version. Are people here basing their opinions on the original, and possibly less impressive version? I don't know, since I never saw the original.
2) Although the folks on this site seem to have had a bad experience, there are a number of folks over on the QDM site that have had similar success to me.
3) I think we all agree that a tractor setup is far more effective at establishing a plot than an ATV drawn unit, whether that's a plotmaster or any other. The beauty of the plotmaster for me is that I am able to put plots in areas that are completely inaccesible to a tractor, like in small open areas tucked back in the middle of stands of trees, etc. I love it's ability to accomplish that.

RE: Plot Master
 

I know of a fellow that has a plot master and likes it quite a bit. his only negative feedback is that as stated above it is not a one pass machine unless used behinda tractor and the seeder is only good for large seeds. I think that you could buy a set of tuffline disc 700.00, a chain harrow for 300.00, a could hand held bag seeders 60.00, and a pull behind spreader for 200.00 and come out cheaper IMO. only problem is you will have more equipment to haul around. I have a tsc disc that I added 4 basket pods on top of it so I can add more wt to get it to cut better but it has a narrow cut. the tuffline IMO weighs 462 LBs and I think would do a better job than the one I had to modify as it has a larger cutting width (less passes per field) and more wt (cuts deeper) IMO. hope this helps IMO a tractor will outperform my atv implements hands down.

RE: Plot Master
 

This is an opinion from someone who only has used a tractor and tiller. I believe no one here has answered bagem's question. Does anyone know of a better machine pulled behind a fourwheeler?

In my opinion the only mistake that plot master makes is that it markets it's machine as a one pass tool. There is no tool out there that I know of, whether pulled by tractor or anything else that is a one pass tool. Though my tiller breaks the ground and prepares the seed bed in one pass, I still have to broadcast the seed, drag a harrow and compact.

The reason I like the idea of the plot master is that if you cant get a tractor into an area this is your best bet. Every tool that you need is on this unit. There is no unhitching each tool and hauling each tool through the woods. One unit, everything you need. It might not work in one pass but who cares? It still works as long as you put the work into it.

Every tool has a purpose. And I will say this again. I have never used one, never seen one in action but I could have used one in the past if I had the money to buy one.

Now if this guy is a rep. how about sending me one to try out for this season for free....LOL....