Sprayers, like planters, have many upgrade and retrofit options available, keeping their used-unit market relatively flat. Prices and availability haven’t wildly fluctuated in recent years, as they have for tractors or combines. “Sprayers seem to be one piece of machinery that never has had the opportunity to be oversold,” said analyst Casey Seymour. “Not because they aren’t available; people just aren’t looking to add an extra sprayer. It’s more of a ‘one in, one out’ market that seems to be on about a three-year trade cycle.” Seymour has tracked equipment sales with data from TractorHouse since 2014. He notes that in February 2024, there were 3,156 sprayers on the market, close to the February 2021 inventory of 3,385. Numbers dropped in 2022 and 2023, to 2,109 and 1,391, respectively. But the dip wasn’t as large as in other segments. For self-propelled sprayers with 120-foot booms for the model year 2020 and newer, tractorhouse.com listed 100 completed auctions within the past year. The high price was a 2022 John Deere 410R that sold for $458,000. It had fewer than 200 hours, and four remaining years of extended warranty. The lowest was a Rogator 2020, with more than 3,000 hours, which brought $106,000. The average price was $265,430. Seymour said that the used sprayer market is evenly distributed among units up to 4,000 hours, meaning machines are available at multiple price points. “If I’m a dealer, and someone comes in looking for a 1,000-hour sprayer or a 200-hour sprayer, I should have access to what they’re looking for,” he said. Prices overall have increased since 2020. “Newer sprayers have more advanced technology, and in my opinion, that absolutely justifies the price increase,” Seymour said. Another factor is widespread upgrade availability, allowing older iron to retrofit new technology. “To me, that’s the wild card, because now, every new machine is in direct competition with every used machine on the lot, and every machine a farmer already owns,” he said. “Nobody’s put a value to that yet, but it’s coming down the line.” If you’re mainly looking for new technology, retrofit and upgrade options abound, John Deere offers a robust upgrade lineup.“We offer multiple levels of upgrades that allow different capability,” said Jonathan Chase. “See and Spray Premium is available back to model year 2018 on John Deere sprayers.” See and Spray Premium uses cameras and machine learning to distinguish crops from weeds, spraying those only. The technology reduces overall herbicide usage and is accurate at operating speeds up to 12 miles per hour. As technology advances, Chase said, John Deere regularly updates software, allowing second- and third-generation equipment owners to have the latest and greatest features. See and Spray Premium costs $25,000 for a 120-foot steel boom on 15- or 20-inch spacing. The sprayer also must have a factory-installed ExactApply system or Performance Upgrade Kit. “We want the ability to upgrade to have a low up-front cost and to get better over time, adding different crops, different weeds, to get smarter and smarter,” Chase said. “I think anytime you can put a sprayer on the farm is a benefit,” Seymour said. “The two biggest reasons are being able to spray on your own schedule, and the ability to spread the cost of the sprayer over all your acres.” He said that you need to consider the cost of having a qualified operator if that’s a hired person. But Seymour believes even adding personnel usually pencils out in favor of owning. “If you can spray one day earlier, it can add to your bottom line, whereas one day late can take it away,” Seymour said. Only 20 to 25 percent of farmers choose to apply their own fertilizer and crop protection products, he said. “Some things I would want someone to consider before purchasing a sprayer would be the initial investment, plus the maintenance, repairs, and cost associated with finding someone to run it,” Seymour said. A private applicator license is often required to purchase and apply restricted-use pesticides, involving classroom instruction, and a test every three years, plus a fee. “If you choose to buy your own sprayer and mix your own chemicals, the responsibility is solely on the farmer,” Seymour said. “You must be able to read and understand the labels to make sure the right rates and products are going into the tank. Tank mixes are becoming much more involved as the number of products that go into a mix has increased over the years. Plus, you should carry liability coverage in case of misapplication or drift complaints. “I really see custom application as a protection for the farmer. It takes the risk and liability off of them,” he added. +++30+++