I tried to search posts before posting this, but looking for thoughts from people who use a Firminator. Good, bad, ugly? It seems there are a lot of good things said about them, but would like to hear from someone that has or currently uses one.

Used mine for the first time this season love it. I was used to a woods pss similar unit but with 2 seed boxes. I wish the firminator had a small seed box but other than that I think it’s overall a better unit.

Heavy. Disk cut really well. Can plant fall plots one pass in loamy soils. Only thing I’ve had trouble with is Chufa. The irregular size caused some to stick in the holes

I’ve bought a JD 7100 I’m cutting down/refurbishing to do summer plots that will need spraying. Anything like a mix will be done with Firminator

Thanks.

I assume you fertilize before seeding since it is not supposed to have fertilizer go through it. I am thinking of getting the RT model instead of the discs on the front of it.

Yes I broadcast fertilizer first. Personally not a fan of the RT models. The 6" spacing on the disks do a great job and it's faster. To me that's part of the benefit of the Firminator, it saves time.

Forgot to add, it really shines when you have a hydraulic top link. Adjustments are easier/faster and can be made on the fly.

i got one this past fall as well, we averaged 20 min per acre while actively disc/planting. they’re built insanely heavy/tough. we set ours to only cut a inch or so (very sandy soil) and they looked like a pool table when we were done. well worth the money in my opinion, saves 2-3 steps in one pass

They are fine in sandy soils in central and south AL. I wouldn’t give you .2 for one up here in rock and hard clay.

agreed, we attempted to plant a old loading deck on the property that was solid clay. as heavy as it is, it would have required multiple passes just to loosen the soil enough to plant. we made 2-3 single passes and moved on to the next sandy field

I still disk before I plant with the firminator. Usually I'll do it a few weeks before I plant so I'm not trying to cram it all in on one weekend. I'm in Conecuh county and could get away with one pass most likely, but I prefer not to.

In tough soil conditions that’s what you do. I was impressed with the finished seed bed. Made for a good seed to soil contact planting.

I also like for spot planting clover in bare patches. Don’t need much soil disruption to replant clover
Disk do not have to be angled to get a decent panting especially if disked prior to planting.

Yeah, I disc pretty aggressive with a big heavy pull behind, then when I plant just keep the firminator disc's straight. I did a plot with a little angle in them and preferred the straight. If I was one-pass planting, I would make them more aggressive.