Sprayer upgrade kits: Technology, options, and pricing

In my last article, I covered the market for used sprayers and how technology from the factory and upgrade kits will change how used equipment is sold today and in the future. If you’re interested in what technology options are available and the pricing, this article compares sprayers from the factory with the option to upgrade an existing machine.

John Deere See and Spray

In 2017, Blue River Technologies introduced See and Spray, later purchased by John Deere. In 2021, Deere introduced See and Spray Select. This technology was limited to the recognition of brown and green, meaning it could tell the difference between the soil and green vegetation to only spray the green. This works well for preseason burndown and top dressing applications. 

In 2022, See and Spray Ultimate was introduced, updating the system to spot spraying with the ability to tell the difference between a weed and crops. In self-propelled sprayer applications, spot spraying has shown up to a 77% reduction in chemical spray, according to John Deere. To unlock this feature, Deere charges a $4 per acre subscription fee per acre sprayed. For example, if you plant 5,000 acres of corn and spray three times throughout the growing season, that equals 15,000 acres or $60,000 to use the See and Spray Ultimate function. 

The list price of a new 616R sprayer with a 120-foot boom is $958,676, which includes See and Spray Ultimate for $139,000. 

See and Spray Premium, the upgrade kit, is for model year 2018 and newer R-series, 400 Series, and 600 Series sprayers equipped with ExactApply. The kit costs roughly $25,000 for a 120-foot boom on 15-inch spacing. The same subscription cost for See and Spray Ultimate applies at the rate of $4 an acre.

The difference between Ultimate and Premium upgrades is that Ultimate has a dual solution option to spray two different chemicals simultaneously. Besides this, Premium provides all of the technology available through Ultimate. The system will recognize weeds from crops and reduce the amount of chemicals that need to be applied with a significant cost savings compared to purchasing a brand new sprayer.

AGCO options 

AGCO has several sprayer technology packages, some available through the factory or retrofit and one not yet available in the U.S.

Available from the factory, AGCO’s OptiPulse HD option is an individual nozzle control that increases and decreases pressure and product application at the nozzle level. The system allows for the increase and decrease of droplet size to help better control product drift. This option is available in 20-inch spacing.

The Fendt OptiPulse Control is an aftermarket install kit that is available for 90- to 132-foot boom length and a range of row spacing from 10 to 20 inches. OptiPulse Control has the same functionality as OptiPulse HD from the factory. 

A nozzle control ready boom is required for an upgrade kit. The OptiPulse Control 120-foot, 20-inch row spacing option is $44,000. The 120-foot, 15-inch row spacing option is $49,375. These systems need to be installed by a dealer. The cost of the kit does not include installation. 

AGCO has also partnered with Bosch BASF Smart Spraying Solution for Fendt sprayers. Similar to See and Spray, this is a weed recognition system that can reduce chemical applications. The first set of trials for Smart Spraying was in May 2021. Although it’s not available in North America yet, the technology is available in European markets this year. 

Evaluating a retrofit

The factors associated with each sprayer are a one-off scenario. The condition of the sprayer’s powertrain and chassis also need to be considered for the upgrade route. Options surrounding upgrades should be part of a discussion with your dealer and all options should be weighed to determine whether from the factory or an upgrade kit is a better option.

For more on used equipment, listen to my episodes on the Successful Farming podcast on the last Monday of each month, where Aaron Fintel and I explore current market conditions and factors driving used equipment. Please tune in to the Moving Iron podcast, where I track the economic drivers of the farm equipment business, and check out movingironllc.com for everything related to Moving Iron LLC.