Why use semi-automatic potting machines?

• Owners often remark that staff actually enjoy potting, and compete for numbers.

• Save in labour costs (wages for 2 workers) while doing a weeks worth of potting in just two days.

• Dramatic increase in production efficiency over hand potting - Pot twice as many plants in less time with less staff. (see testimonials)

What is a Comet Potting Machine?

• The COMET potting machine is fast and efficient for filling bags or pots, it is a simple, robust and proven design that will withstand many years of commercial nursery operation.

• The Comet has very low maintenance and uses hi-tech materials to reduce wear and minimise noise.  

• With an over 36 years proven track record, the COMET potting machine has shown to be a durable and reliable potting machine.

• Over 370 machines are now in active operation worldwide, the COMET has proven itself as a market leading potting machine.

• The COMET is an exclusive mix of the latest technology teamed with the heritage and pride of a family that has excelled in the field of engineering for over 50 years.

• You will always get superior after sales help from staff who are committed to both innovation and old fashioned service.

Brief history of Comet Potting Machine

1. The very first Comet potting machine was made by Andersen Engineering in 1980 and is still in active service at a nursery in Hervey Bay, Queensland.

2. Many early COMET potting machines are still in service after filling hundreds of thousands of pots.

3. The proven design has been refined for over 50 years with practical suggestions from COMET owners and is now the most popular potting machine in Australia.

4. Sold the business to C-Mac due to retirement in 2015 (Click here to read letter from Ron)

The versatile features of COMET   

Standard Features:

• Treated steel support frame with a 1 m³ polyethylene hopper.

• Galvanised steel fork lift tubes

• Power supply is from a three pin, 240 V, single phase power point

• Soft start and Variable speed drive (240volt to 415volt invertor installed)

• Pot directly into containers from 50 mm up to 300 mm and larger, either pots or bags.

Extra Options

(to maximise potting efficiency):

• Fertiliser Dribbler (2 per machine)

• 2 m³ hopper

• Bag/big pot filler chute

• Rotary table

• Take-off pot conveyor

• Benching set ups for in & out feed

Other options available to enhance your efficiency are rotary accumulation tables, self tracking trailers, pot lifters to save your back etc.

Why Choose a Comet Potting Machine?  

1. Reduce profit extracting expenses like staff sick days and staff injuries.

Your COMET makes potting easier and less physically stressful. Easier on the back, arms and hands.
 
The picture allows potting at a comfortable waist height without stress on the operators back and arms.

2. Staff are now never daunted by large potting jobs again!

Your COMET's easy, comfortable operation makes light work of even the biggest potting projects. Some COMET owners say that their staff now “enjoy potting and even compete to beat production records” (link to testimonial)
         
COMET enable you to handle large potting jobs with ease .

3. Large hopper sizes increase speed and efficiency of potting operation.

The generous sized standard 1 metre cubic hopper (and extra big optional 2 metre hopper) mean you can pot a large number of plants before needing to refill the machine with potting mix. This means you spend more time actually getting plants potted in a day.
 
The picture shows filling the Comet hopper with potting mix using a skid loader (note the heavy duty grille to exclude logs, bricks and careless operators).   

Why choose a C-Mac Comet Potting Machine?

Guaranteed Quality

• Very low maintenance: Heavy duty construction for long life with rust resistant polyethylene body (No corrosion or rusting of hopper).

• Hot dipped galvanised steel support frame

• The use of hi-tech materials - Reduces wear on moving parts and provides a quiter operation of the soil elevator.

• Australian Made and Owned with ISO 9001:2015 quality certification and traceability.

Note: (1) While getting spare parts for some imported machines can be costly and time consuming, C-Mac can supply you with affordable locally made spare parts fast.  

(2) With constant running, overtime the only major parts that need to be replaced from time to time are the elevator chains, sprockets and rollers. Our current COMET owners find chains last up to two years depending on the composition of the potting mix used. Chains, sprockets and rollers are easily replaced.

Simple Design Features: 

• No set up time - no training required to use the machine

• Less noise - operates quietly over several years due to the highest quality polyurethane sprockets, bottom rollers and gearing guides

• Less weight - Main body is made from quality polyurethane which is light weight & doesn’t rust.

• Fork lift Slippers  - As Standard

• Ergonomic working height - Nursery workers will easily pot comfortably all day  

• Superior hopper design - Specially designed to suit potting media.

• Simple, effective, variable flow control - With Emergency stop and variable controller (see picture) 

Great Support

• Sheet metal fabrication, engineering and design support with over 50 years experience in the horticultural industry

• Fast delivery of spare parts avoiding costly down time

• A team of engineers with years of specialisation in potting machinery and materials handling on call

• Great maintenance support available (although the machine is low maintenance) -  sold over 370 COMET potting machines worldwide over a period of 35 years –

COMET Spare parts available

Spare Parts for Steel COMET

• Spray can of chain lube

• Bolt pack for chains to slats

• Chain elevator slat

• Rotary guide with bearings

• Drive sprocket

• Bottom roller including bearings

• Chain

Spare Parts for Poly COMET

• Bolt pack for chains to slats

• Spray can of chain lube

• Chain elevator slat

• Drive sprocket

• Bottom roller including bearings

• Chain

• Motor and Gearbox

How does the COMET potting machine work?

Filling Pots

Potting mix from the polyethylene hopper is picked up by a series of galvanised trays that are elevated by the operation of a heavy duty motor driving the dual sprockets fitted to the drive shafts.

Fertilizer dibblers are available for direct application of a measured amount of fertilizer into the pot or bag, operated by a foot pedal (See below).

Pot directly into containers from 50 mm up to large pots and plant bags.   

Small Pots and Plant Bags

Pot any size tube, pot or bag quickly, easily and without root damage.

Being able to adjust the flow rate of the potting mix is helpful with filling the smallest tube right up to the largest bag.

Centre each plant and secure it quickly and easily without damaging the roots.

No wasted setup time

No wasted setup time means you get right onto the job of potting immediately.

Whether you've got a handful of plants to pot or thousands, the COMET is always ready to go.

Even when you're changing from one pot size to another, there's no time consuming changes that need to be made - just adjust the flow of the potting mix with the turn of a knob.

COMET – Efficient, flexible tool

In fact, the COMET is so flexible, two workers can work side by side, potting different size pots at different rates.

COMET keeps your potting area clean, organised and safe.

Your COMET recycles the potting mix, keeping the surrounding floor clean and safe for workers. No potting media wasted or contaminated. Compact, safe design fits neatly into most potting areas.

Picture: Filling medium sized pot VS Filling medium sized bags with ease

Large Pots

Fill large pots quickly and easily with your COMET.

Just add the “large pot filling chute” to direct the potting mix flow into your large pots. The large pot chute is foot pedal operated and moves under the soil flow and directs the potting mix into the large pot.

On release of the foot actuator, the chute moves away from the COMET allowing the continual flow of potting mix to be returned to the hopper.

Handling Large Pots

Large pots are much easier to handle and fill using the adjustable large pot stands - no more back breaking work holding large pots while being filled.

The picture to the right shows the “large pot stands” and the foot pedal actuator rods that operate the mix chute to position it under the potting mix outlet, to then direct the potting mix into the pot.

Right-hand side picture - Stands for filling large pots (note the clean work area).

Pictures of "Chute activated to direct mix to large pots" vs "Filling chute"OFF".

COMET Fertiliser Dibblers

Increase plant growth consistency with COMET fertiliser dibblers (an affordable optional extra) to stop profit wastage because of uneven plant growth.

For maximum profits, nurseries must fertilise every plant with the same measured dose of fertiliser. Inconsistent growth due to inaccurate fertilisation is a costly problem.

COMET's optional fertiliser dibbler makes adding the exact amount of fertiliser quick and easy every time.

Picture of COMET fertiliser container, feed pipe, and variable amount controller. This image also shows the potting mix outlet chute with the mix feed rate control knob just above the chute.

Fertiliser Dibbler

The variable controller sets the correct amount of fertiliser to be added to each pot.

When the fertiliser pedal is activated (hand or foot), the electronic actuator opens the slide and releases the set dose of fertiliser into the feed pipe which is directed into the pot being filled.

Dibbler actuator rod and slide
 
Easy foot pedal activation of fertiliser dibbler for pots and bags

Hand operation of fertiliser activator for large pots.