Hortman Flat Filling Machine
Manufactured & Distributed by
E&A Manufacturing

Two red industrial machines labeled "STANDARD" and "SWIVEL SPOUT" by Hortman, each with control panels and conveyors, displayed against a white background.

The Hortman flat filling machine (originally named Dinky Flatfiller) was designed and manufactured by Harvey Zimmerman, who was a flower grower with over 8000 square feet under roof. With his children growing up and moving away Harvey started looking for a less labor-intensive way to fill the trays – pots and hanging baskets with potting soil, not finding on the market for what he was looking for, he started designing and building his own machine.

In 2010 he had built a working machine, incorporating features such as: 6-inch caster wheels for mobility, variable speeds on fill auger and conveyor, and user friendly by being able to switch container size in less than a minute, also the features included a mixing tub being capable of breaking and mixing compressed bales or loose fill media, and filling containers up to 15 inches wide and 12 inches tall.

When the neighboring growers saw the machine, they started asking Harvey to build them one. After several years of building Dinky Flatfiller machines, when flower operation started to conflict with his schedule, he sold his flower operation and kept on manufacturing Dinky Flat fillers.

In 2020 he turned the operation over to his son Earl, while still helping in manufacturing and sales.

After the business changed hands, the machine was renamed to Hortman, to different from the original business name Dinky Flatfiller LLC, Harvey kept the original business name for his own use.

The Hortman name was chosen to signify the use of the machine in the horticulture industry. With a 12-gauge steel mixing tub and a powder coat finish, Hortman equipment is built to provide years of service.

Hortman flat filler is available in three different models:

ST-1100 (Standard model) capable of mixing 1-1/2 of the 3.8 cubic feet compressed bales or 5 bags of the 2.8 cubic feet loose fill.
Max container size of 15” wide by 12” Tall.
Filling speeds for 10×20 tray with 1204 insert is 600 trays per hour.

SW-2200 (Swivel Spout Model) has the same capacities as the ST-1100 with the difference being that the fill auger can be swiveled 180 degrees to the back of the machine and then user is capable of filling containers that are to large to fit through the conveyor, planters – wheelbarrows, etc.

The Auto Filler is designed for bulk loose fill media users, this machine is capable of holding the contents of a loose fill super sack in the feeding bin and then automatically feeding soil into mixer as it is needed.
This machine has the same filling capacities as the ST-1100 and the SW-2200.

All the machines are 220-volt single phase electric.

Our Story

Hortman flat filling machine (originally named Dinky Flatfiller) was designed and manufactured by Harvey Zimmerman, who was a flower grower with over 8000 square feet under roof.

With his children growing up and moving away Harvey started looking for a less labor intensive way to fill the trays – pots and hanging baskets with potting soil, not finding on the market for what he was looking for, he started designing and building his own machine.

In 2010 he had built a working machine, incorporating features such as: 6 inch caster wheels for mobility, variable speeds on fill auger and conveyor, and user friendly by being able to switch container size in less than a minute, also the features included a mixing tub being capable of breaking and mixing compressed bales or loose fill media, and filling containers up to 15 inches wide and 12 inches tall.

When the neighboring growers saw the machine they started asking Harvey to build them one. After several years of building Dinky Flatfiller machines, when flower operation started to conflict with his schedule he sold his flower operation and kept on manufacturing Dinky Flatfillers.

In 2020 he turned the operation over to his son Earl, while still helping in manufacturing and sales.

After the business changed hands, the machine was renamed to Hortman, to different from the original business name Dinky Flatfiller LLC, Harvey kept the original business name for his own use.

The Hortman name was chosen to signify the use of the machine in the horticulture industry.

With a 12 gauge steel mixing tub and a powder coat finish, Hortman equipment is built to provide years of service.

Hortman flat filler is available in three different models:

ST-1100 (Standard model) capable of mixing 1-1/2 of the 3.8 cubic feet compressed bales or 5 bags of

the 2.8 cubic feet loose fill.

Max container size of 15” wide by 12” Tall.

Filling speeds for 10×20 tray with 1204 insert is 600 trays per hour.

SW-2200 (Swivel Spout Model) has the same capacities as the ST-1100 with the difference being that the fill auger can be swiveled 180 degrees to the back of the machine and then user is capable of filling containers that are to large to fit through the conveyor, planters – wheelbarrows, etc. The Auto Filler is designed for bulk loose fill media users, this machine is capable of holding the contents of a loose fill super sack in the feeding bin and then automatically feeding soil into mixer as it is needed.

This machine has the same filling capacities as the ST-1100 and the SW-2200.

All the machines are 220 volt single phase electric.

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