[Skeptic]

I'm looking at buying one of these.
http://www.theplotmaster.com/400.html

I have close to 12 acres that I'd like to plant a deer and turkey smorgasbord either late this fall or early next spring. Need something that works great with an ATV. Are there any comparable products available? I'll also have a front mount finish mower for the ATV for mowing paths etc. Paths are established so I think the finish mower will be fine as opposed to a trail mower.

 

[<*)))><(]

I don't have one, but I've done some research. Check out the DR Roto-Hog as well. You can get it with a cultipacker and a spreader. My Dad has a DR Power Wagon and it has been very reliable.

I think there is a review of the DR tiller on the QDMA forum.

Good luck with whatever you get!

 

[j.d.m.]

Wow, 12 acres? is it an option to hit up the neihbor farmer to work the land for you this year? Paying him something of coarse. Unless you are planning on planting something like an annual, once the work is done, it is good to go for a few years, unless fertilizer and such is needed to be spread. It is just an option. Iknow that some guys that have tried to work their land hard with atv implements, have said that it worked, but it really wore and tore on the atv. Overheating and just working it to death. For 12 acres, i would try to do tractor type work with a tractor. Although i have never used a plotmaster, they look pretty usefull, i just don't know how worth it is to work the atv that hard.

 

[M.Magis]

Save your money and buy a tractor and some real equipment. 12 acres with an ATV isn’t going to work out well.

 

[Skeptic]

Save your money and buy a tractor and some real equipment. 12 acres with an ATV isn’t going to work out well.

How bout you stick to the topic!:doh::thumbs_do

 

[Skeptic]

Wow, 12 acres? is it an option to hit up the neihbor farmer to work the land for you this year? Paying him something of coarse. Unless you are planning on planting something like an annual, once the work is done, it is good to go for a few years, unless fertilizer and such is needed to be spread. It is just an option. Iknow that some guys that have tried to work their land hard with atv implements, have said that it worked, but it really wore and tore on the atv. Overheating and just working it to death. For 12 acres, i would try to do tractor type work with a tractor. Although i have never used a plotmaster, they look pretty usefull, i just don't know how worth it is to work the atv that hard.

I'm not concerned with the ATV being able to handle it.....Purchasing the ATV for this reason....BIG ATV:wink:. Plots won't all be done at once either....maybe an acre a day max. Have access to a tractor but I don't think it would be worth transporting it back and forth. The ATV will be solely for this property.

I'm specifically interested in the PLOTMASTER or other similar products for use with an ATV. Thanks to those with specific feedback.

 

[bowhuntr311]

Save your money and buy a tractor and some real equipment. 12 acres with an ATV isn’t going to work out well.

Yea I gotta agree, if your 12acres is all in one field dont bother with an ATV. However, please read the rest of my reply {it may get lengthy} I do consider myself an "ATV Farmer." I have used the King Kutter disc and the HS Disc (Tartergate); and some off brand flip disc. Discs, Mowers, Seeders, Tillers, Cultipackers, Rollers, Diggers, you name it, I've tried pulling it with a wheeler. I have never used the actual plot master so take what I have to say how you want.

Can I ask what price you can buy one of these for? I have been looking on Google Shopping quick and cant seem to find any of the plotmasters for less than $2500.

Plotmaster = Disc, Seeder, Roller, Drag (am I missing anything) = $2500

Seperate:
Tartergate Disc - $900 (Local Fleet Supply)
NICE - Electric seeder atv rack mount - $160
Roller - Swisher 48in - $300
Drag - Get a bedspring $25.
TOTAL = $1400

My suggestion is to get them in seperate items; why?

Your not going to be making one pass from sod to seeded to packed and off the field. With a disc, even in previous tilled ground your going to have to make atleast 2 passes. On sod you may be looking at 5-7passes. Then your going to have to drag it flat 1 pass. Then spread your seed, then pack it in. You cant seed with this thing and roll it flat at the same time. The spreader is going to throw your seed well behind the machine and behind the roller, so you have to make atleast 2passes just to seed and pack. And the roller on this thing is small and useless unless you filled it with sand then it still couldnt way more than 150lbs. Barely going to press the dirt, more going to just roll on top. So thats why I WOULDNT get the plotmaster.

The Tartergate disc{Hunter Specialties} has adjustable angle gangs and you can adjust the large knobby tires for depth so it doesnt pull so hard in good tilled dirt. It does have cultipacker attachment and a spot to carry a special chainlink drag they make for it. The cultipacker for it is about as expensive as the disc itself. This is by far the best disc on the market for an ATV. http://www.tartergate.com/switch.php?fn=catalog.details&cod=ATVTD8&site=tt&emp=tt

Roller VS Cultipacker. I suggest getting the cultipacker over a roller becuase of the small nubs on the wheels. You have a better chance of pushing your seed into the earth slightly farther and you dont create a crust near as much with as a roller. Store bought cultipackers are expensive, I found a 48in wing piece laying in the back of a grove at one of my neighbors farms. He gave it to me for free, needed a little work and once I find some running gear for it Im going to make it a flip style so it has wheels under it. Maybe someone else can chime in on why cultipackers are better than rollers.

I would stay away from the tiller idea. They have thier place but they are extremely slow when it comes to large acreage. The one I used we tilled a logging road through the woods. We tilled about 12feet wide by about 300yards, it was mowed but really sod bound. .24 acres took us some where around hour and half to two hours to make two passes. Now with that being said it was REALLY nicely tilled dirt.

 

[Skeptic]

Thanks 311 GREAT info!

 

[Cudorun]

How bout you stick to the topic!:doh::thumbs_do

Why Mmagis gave the best possible adivce? I agree with 12 acres I would buy a small used tractor, and used disc and spring harrow etc. Pike

 

[M.Magis]

How bout you stick to the topic!:doh::thumbs_do

Excuse me? That was very much on topic, and was advice to save you money and headaches. Rest assured I won't offer you any more advice, but I have a feeling you're going to need a bunch.

 

[Skeptic]

Why Mmagis gave the best possible adivce? I agree with 12 acres I would buy a small used tractor, and used disc and spring harrow etc. Pike

Excuse me? That was very much on topic, and was advice to save you money and headaches. Rest assured I won't offer you any more advice, but I have a feeling you're going to need a bunch.

If the topic was "Which one is better for large food plots....a tractor or an ATV" then that would be on topic. IT'S NOT THOUGH! A tractor is not in the cards for several years. An ATV is though. I appreciate any responses involving ATV implements! :doh:

 

[M.Magis]

The topic is 12 acres of food plots. You can get a tractor and proper equipment for far less than a “big” ATV, which WILL NOT handle 12 acres of tillage. Here’s some advice on ATV implements, under built and over priced. Have fun. The arrogance of some people who admittedly don't know what they're talking about is mind boggling.

 

[Skeptic]

The topic is 12 acres of food plots. You can get a tractor and proper equipment for far less than a “big” ATV, which WILL NOT handle 12 acres of tillage. Here’s some advice on ATV implements, under built and over priced. Have fun. The arrogance of some people who admittedly don't know what they're talking about is mind boggling.

Well, I've gotten many viewpoints from others that seem to disagree....so run along now little child....and go hijack another thread.

 

[manboy]

Well, I've gotten many viewpoints from others that seem to disagree....so run along now little child....and go hijack another thread.

Kory you are fighting a loosing battle....M.Magis is a taxidermist.....you know they know everything....lol

 

[halvy]

personally i dont like the concept of the plotmaster. i had a land pride plot ranger and your aways draging around all the other equiptment while discing. you can never really use any of the stuff at the same time so why would you want it all together to get beat around anyway? i would recommend the LOYAL-Roth Disc and seeder/ spreader and than you have everything your ganna need except the sprayer drag and some sort of roller/cultipacker

but if your in the market for one i know where you can get a used land pride plot ranger with actuator for about $1500 pm me for details if interested

 

[Tax Lawyer]

Save your money and buy a tractor and some real equipment. 12 acres with an ATV isn’t going to work out well.

Kory......I have to agree.

If this is 12 acres of unworked land, you are going to need some serious equipment......like a chisel plow. I went through this last year and looked at the plotmaster as well.

I think a plotmaster may work after the ground is worked for a few years. But, I wouldn't try it in year one with 12 full acres.

 

[halvy]

Kory......I have to agree.

If this is 12 acres of unworked land, you are going to need some serious equipment......like a chisel plow. I went through this last year and looked at the plotmaster as well.

I think a plotmaster may work after the ground is worked for a few years. But, I wouldn't try it in year one with 12 full acres.

ya i would agree with him normally but if he says one acre per day who cares? the thing is if you can break it down day to day of whats ganna get done and you have the time go ahead and use the four wheeler. just dont try doin it all at once or you will be disappointed. it takes time to do big plots. we put in 7 hours on the four wheeler on Sat to do 4.2 acres. and that was really movin with the four wheeler but we were breaking sod also!

 

[Skeptic]

Kory......I have to agree.

If this is 12 acres of unworked land, you are going to need some serious equipment......like a chisel plow. I went through this last year and looked at the plotmaster as well.

I think a plotmaster may work after the ground is worked for a few years. But, I wouldn't try it in year one with 12 full acres.

It's currently a corn field(and has been worked for decades). I don't recall ever saying I was gonna til the entire 12 acres either....that was Mr. Genius up above.:wink: I'm thinking a variety of fruit trees for part, beyond that, whatever I do end up tilling, it would most likely be smaller sections one at a time. No way I'd think I could get the entire thing tilled/planted etc in one day. It would probably be a few week process.

 

[Tax Lawyer]

It's currently a corn field(and has been worked for decades). I don't recall ever saying I was gonna til the entire 12 acres either....that was Mr. Genius up above.:wink: I'm thinking a variety of fruit trees for part, beyond that, whatever I do end up tilling, it would most likely be smaller sections one at a time. No way I'd think I could get the entire thing tilled/planted etc in one day. It would probably be a few week process.

That changes things........:smile:

My pro shop actually rents a plotmaster. It's in rough shape but it's functional. He rents it for like $50 a day. You might want to see if that is a possibility in your area.

I priced the high end plotmaster and it was around $6k. I have a strawberry/pumpkin farmer as a neighbor and he does all of my work for at cost. It benefits him and he's aware of my situation. I'll post some pictures later one but I'll have over 15 acres in corn, clover and chicory.......all for the wildlife. :darkbeer:

 

[Skeptic]

The one I'm looking at is $4k. I'd much rather have the equipment than rent. Then if I chose to move it to another property I can have that option as well. We have a nice tractor, but I just don't see it being worth moving it back and forth for this(it stays on the family ground). I'd love to have the equipment for this property ON this property to stay there for the most part. It would also be MINE and not OURS, which is nice too.

It will be fall after corn is out before I have to decide what I'm doing exactly.....that is why I just wanted feedback on the Plotmaster in particular, or other comparable products.