FAQS
WE'RE MORE THAN JUST A DRONE CONSULTING COMPANY
SPECS AND CAPABILITIES
Both liquid and granular products. The most common liquid applications are fungicides, insecticides, foliar fertilizers, and herbicides. Granular applications include broadcast cover crops and fertilizers.
Dependent of the drone series you select, our drones can apply 0.25 – 15 gallons per acre of liquid product and 3 – 300 pounds per acre of granular product. Low volume rates (typically 2 gallons per acre) are the most common use for our drone series. Due to the prop wash designed to distribute and penetrate the product across and through the canopy, we have found very high efficiency with a wide range of products at a low volume rate.
As a rule of thumb, 2 gallons per acre (GPA) is commonly labeled as the carrier volume for most aerial applied products. The max realistic efficiencies at 2 GPA are listed below. These include landing and refill time.
T10: 15 acres per hour
T20: 25 acres per hour
T30: 35 acres per hour
At a lower GPA, the efficiencies for each drone will increase slightly, at higher GPA the efficiency will decrease.
T10: 10-liter (2.6 gallons) liquid capacity and 3-gallon granular tank, which converts to approximately 20 lbs. of granular material.
T20: 20-liter (5.2 gallons) liquid capacity and 5.2-gallon granular tank, which converts to approximately 35 lbs. of granular material.
T30: 30-liter (8 gallons) liquid capacity and 10.5-gallon granular tank, which converts to approximately than 70 lbs. of granular material.
Drones utilize a vortex effect created by the rotor wash to help spread out and distribute the atomized liquid across a swath that is wider than the actual drone. The swath is affected by this vortex effect along with application height, nozzle selection, spray rate and spraying speed.
Below are the max swath widths for each drone model when spraying at 10-13 ft. over the crop canopy.
T10: Swath width up to 5 meters (16.4 feet)
T20: Swath width up to 7 meters (23 feet)
T30: Swath width up to 9 meters (29.5 feet)
The spread pattern of the granular spreader varies widely depending on product and drone elevation, typically ranging from 20-35 ft.
Nozzle selection, product density and calibration will affect the max pump output. Below are max pump outputs for each drone model.
T10: 2.4 liters (0.63 gallons) per minute
T20: 6 liters (1.58 gallons) per minute
T30: 8 liters (2.11 gallons) per minute
Pumps are operated with brushless motors that automatically adjust spray rate in accordance with flight speed. Electromagnetic flow meters ensure the rate is kept accurate.
During manual flight, a drone can fly up to 33 feet per second or 22.5 mph. Automated operation allows speeds up to 23 feet per second or 15.5 mph. At this speed, our drones can still follow slopes up to 30 degrees, while sensing obstacles in their flight path.
For safety and product efficiency reasons, the DJI system does not allow faster automated operation speeds.
Each of our drones have First Person View (FPV) cameras designed to provide the operator with a live view on the controller screen. FPV cameras support up to a 2-mile range, which is extremely useful when spot spraying weeds.
Note, FPV cameras cannot be used to map fields. We also do not recommend using sprayer drones to scout fields as smaller, less expensive drones with better cameras are better suited for that specific task.
T10: Light and portable
Designed with a swappable liquid tank, the T10 is the lightest and easiest sprayer drone to transport on market. This makes it ideal for small test plots and spot spraying applications, where the drone will need to be regularly packed up and moved from field to field throughout the day.
T20: The best of both worlds
The T20 is not only light enough for one person to lift into a truck, but it also has a swappable liquid tank making it big enough to spray down and back on a half-mile long field at a 2 GPA rate. These features make the T20 a great platform for large test plots and whole field application.
T30: The BIG dog
The T30 is the biggest and most technologically advanced sprayer and spreader drone in the US. If you are looking to cover acres, this is the best machine for the job.
Overall, the drone is built to last. There are no major wear parts on the drone. Simply put, if you take care of it and don’t crash it, you will not have to replace any parts for a long time.
All drone parts are replaceable and modular. If you do need to replace parts it can be done easily and affordably. Below are details about a couple of parts that might need replaced over time.
According to the manufacturer, the batteries for the T30 will last for 1,000 charge cycles.
All the drone motors are brushless. Industry-standard service life for brushless motors is 10,000+ hours.
We have seen electronic speed controllers (ESC) which control the motors go out after 150 hours, but most will last over 300 hours.
Props may need replaced when chipped or cracked but should last for multiple seasons.
Spraying system parts (tips, hoses, and pump diaphragms) may need replaced after a couple of seasons.
OPERATION FEATURES
All our sprayer drones feature incredibly intuitive software and controls for both manual operation and fully autonomous operation. That’s right! Our drones will not only fly but spray/spread completely by themselves. You simply input a field boundary and its parameters. Boundaries can be imported from shapefiles or manually created on the remote.
Each of our drone models feature industry leading obstacle avoidance utilizing Digital Beam Forming (DBF) radars. These radars can sense obstacles as small as 1 cm in diameter, causing the drone to either stop and alert the operator or automatically fly around the obstacle.
T20: Senses obstacles 360, laterally around the drone
T10 and T30: Incorporates an upwards facing radar designed to sense obstacles in all directions
In general, for a whole field operation, there are six steps:
Make sure you have a good including generator, premixed tank with pump on site.
Map your field boundaries. This can be done ahead of time creating shape files, on the remote using aerial imagery, or on-site with the drone or remote.
Set your parameters for that operation (flight height, direction, speed, and application rate).
Tell the drone how much to spray and set it for takeoff.
The drone will fly and return to home autonomously or can be landed manually.
Refill the tank as needed and replace the batteries and recharge them on-site.
The drone can be flown in manual or manual + modes for spot application.
Within inches. The standard GPS on the drones is unique in pulling signal from about 18 to 26 satellites using three sources, GNSS, GLONASS and Galileo, simultaneously.
Most people find the standard GPS more than enough. However, if you want more precision, the drone is set up for real-time kinematic (RTK), which limits inaccuracy to centimeters. You can purchase a DJI RTK base station from Agri Spray Drones or use a third-party cellular RTK service.
Under the 107 license, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) limits one pilot to operating one drone at a time. There are exemptions, though. If those are met, a pilot can legally operate up to three drones. The T10 and T30 allow one remote to control up to three drones autonomously in the field, though multiple remotes could be used.
Note that it would be difficult to operate three drones at once by yourself. You will want someone with you to help refill charged batteries, mix chemical, etc.
OPERATIONS SETUP
Three ways you could mix chemical include:
1.Mix each tank load.
This is the least efficient method but good for small plots.
2. Mix big batches, or hot loads, in a bulk tank.
Mix enough for a full day using IBC/chemical totes (125-, 260- and 330-gallon totes).
*Need to recirculate throughout the day to keep the product in suspension.
3. Mix batches as you go.
Keep a big tank of water, enough for the day, as well as the chemical and two 30–60-gallon, cone-bottom tanks on your trailer. Mix up batches in the cone bottom tanks while the drone is out operating.
An automatic mixing system can be used to mix product as you operate throughout the day as well.
To fill the drone, use a 10 to 20 gallon per minute electric pump. A mini-bulk pump and a 30- to 40-foot hose work well.
Pump: Electric mini bulk pumps (CT6 high flow) work well. You can purchase at Shop.FarmChem.com. Another option is a DEF diaphragm pump (8-10 gallons per minute) which can be purchased on Amazon.
Hose and plumbing: You will need a 1” nylon applicator hose, along with valves and banjo couplers which can all be purchased at Shop.FarmChem.com.
Nozzles: We recommend a ¾” fuel nozzle along with a swivel connector similar to those used at a gas station. You can purchase fuel nozzles at your local farm supply store or on Amazon.com.
* Note: Auto shut off fuel nozzles work well but can cause some chemical products to foam.
Fill-through cap: This piece allows you to fill your sprayer tank without having to remove the cap providing operational efficiency. It is available for purchase from Agri Spray Drones. To install the cap you must cut a 41-mm or 1 5/8-inch hole in your existing cap on your drone tank.
This is dependent of several factors including what drone you have, carrying capacity needed for water and chemical and what areas you will be spraying. Below are some general setup recommendations.
The T10 will fit in the bed of a half-ton pickup with everything you need to spray about 50 acres in a day: 100 gallons of water, a small generator, T10 batteries and chargers.
The T20 will fit in a three-quarter or one-ton pickup with 330 gallons of water/pre-mixed chemical tote, a big generator, T20 batteries and chargers.
A flatbed trailer is recommended when using the T30 due to its size for loading and unloading. Land the drone on the trailer and strap it down to the trailer for transportation. This limits kicking up rocks and potentially damaging the drone’s props as well.
All our drones have IP67 water and dust proofing, but some customers do prefer to use an enclosed trailer to store and transport the drones. In this case, unload the drones at the field and take off from the ground. A longer trailer may be needed when using multiple drones.
Under the 107 license, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) limits one pilot to operating one drone at a time. There are exemptions, though. If those are met, a pilot can legally operate up to three drones. The T10 and T30 allow one remote to control up to three drones autonomously in the field, though multiple remotes could be used.
Note that it would be difficult to operate three drones at once by yourself. You will want someone with you to help refill charged batteries, mix chemical, etc.
This will depend on the services you provide and the local market.
We recommend for large acreage jobs charging the same amount helicopters charge or even $2 more per acre. Typically, this will be around $14-15 per acre. If it is a smaller job, we recommend charging by the hour at a rate of $400-450 per hour with the T30.
BATTERIES AND POWER SYSTEMS
All our sprayer drones feature incredibly intuitive software and controls for both manual operation and fully autonomous operation. That’s right! Our drones will not only fly but spray/spread completely by themselves. You simply input a field boundary and its parameters. Boundaries can be imported from shapefiles or manually created on the remote.
Each of our drone models feature industry leading obstacle avoidance utilizing Digital Beam Forming (DBF) radars. These radars can sense obstacles as small as 1 cm in diameter, causing the drone to either stop and alert the operator or automatically fly around the obstacle.
T20: Senses obstacles 360, laterally around the drone
T10 and T30: Incorporates an upwards facing radar designed to sense obstacles in all directions
In general, for a whole field operation, there are six steps:
Make sure you have a good including generator, premixed tank with pump on site.
Map your field boundaries. This can be done ahead of time creating shape files, on the remote using aerial imagery, or on-site with the drone or remote.
Set your parameters for that operation (flight height, direction, speed, and application rate).
Tell the drone how much to spray and set it for takeoff.
The drone will fly and return to home autonomously or can be landed manually.
Refill the tank as needed and replace the batteries and recharge them on-site.
The drone can be flown in manual or manual + modes for spot application.
Within inches. The standard GPS on the drones is unique in pulling signal from about 18 to 26 satellites using three sources, GNSS, GLONASS and Galileo, simultaneously.
Most people find the standard GPS more than enough. However, if you want more precision, the drone is set up for real-time kinematic (RTK), which limits inaccuracy to centimeters. You can purchase a DJI RTK base station from Agri Spray Drones or use a third-party cellular RTK service.
Under the 107 license, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) limits one pilot to operating one drone at a time. There are exemptions, though. If those are met, a pilot can legally operate up to three drones. The T10 and T30 allow one remote to control up to three drones autonomously in the field, though multiple remotes could be used.
Note that it would be difficult to operate three drones at once by yourself. You will want someone with you to help refill charged batteries, mix chemical, etc.
Each of our drone models feature specially built batteries designed to charge extremely fast without overheating, even in hot summer conditions. This has been tested time and time again.
With the correct setup (referenced below), batteries will charge as fast or faster than the drone is able to deplete them. This means you can operate nonstop by simply swapping batteries when the drone comes back to refill.
Below are the recommended number of batteries, chargers and generator sizes for each drone model:
T10: 4 batteries – 1 charger – 5000-watt generator
T20: 4 batteries – 2 chargers – 7000-watt generator
T30: 3 batteries – 1 charger – 9000-watt generator
The T10 charger will require 3,500 watts (15 amps on 240 volts). We recommend a generator with at least 4,500 running/continuous watts and a 30-amp, 240-volt twist lock plug.
The T20 requires 2 chargers to continuously run all day. Together, they will require 7,000 watts (30 amps on 240 volts). We recommend a generator with at least 7,500 running watts and a 30-amp, 240-volt twist lock plug.
The T30 charger will require 8,000+ watts (35 amps on 240 volts). We recommend a generator with at least 9,000 watts and a 50-amp, 240-volt, four prong plug. Any type of generator with a 50-amp, 240-volt plug should work.
When purchasing your generator, consider if you need additional power for your remote battery charger, pumps, and fans. When running multiple drones, you will need multiple generators or a larger commercial generator.
Overall, the drone is built to last. There are no major wear parts on the drone. Simply put, if you take care of it and don’t crash it, you will not have to replace any parts for a long time.
All drone parts are replaceable and modular. If you do need to replace parts it can be done easily and affordably. Below are details about a couple of parts that might need replaced over time.
According to the manufacturer, the batteries for the T30 will last for 1,000 charge cycles.
All the drone motors are brushless. Industry-standard service life for brushless motors is 10,000+ hours.
We have seen electronic speed controllers (ESC) which control the motors go out after 150 hours, but most will last over 300 hours.
Props may need replaced when chipped or cracked but should last for multiple seasons.
Spraying system parts (tips, hoses, and pump diaphragms) may need replaced after a couple of seasons.
We have a full-time drone technician on staff to repair drones and get our customers parts.
Most fixes are easy to make yourself. These drones are modular, so you can simply pull the part off and put the new part on. Typically, no diagnostics or calibrations are needed. If there is something more complicated, our technician can help you through the process of fixing the issue yourself.
Three ways you could mix chemical include:
1.Mix each tank load.
This is the least efficient method but good for small plots.
2. Mix big batches, or hot loads, in a bulk tank.
Mix enough for a full day using IBC/chemical totes (125-, 260- and 330-gallon totes).
*Need to recirculate throughout the day to keep the product in suspension.
3. Mix batches as you go.
Keep a big tank of water, enough for the day, as well as the chemical and two 30–60-gallon, cone-bottom tanks on your trailer. Mix up batches in the cone bottom tanks while the drone is out operating.
An automatic mixing system can be used to mix product as you operate throughout the day as well.
To fill the drone, use a 10 to 20 gallon per minute electric pump. A mini-bulk pump and a 30- to 40-foot hose work well.
Pump: Electric mini bulk pumps (CT6 high flow) work well. You can purchase at Shop.FarmChem.com. Another option is a DEF diaphragm pump (8-10 gallons per minute) which can be purchased on Amazon.
Hose and plumbing: You will need a 1” nylon applicator hose, along with valves and banjo couplers which can all be purchased at Shop.FarmChem.com.
Nozzles: We recommend a ¾” fuel nozzle along with a swivel connector similar to those used at a gas station. You can purchase fuel nozzles at your local farm supply store or on Amazon.com.
* Note: Auto shut off fuel nozzles work well but can cause some chemical products to foam.
Fill-through cap: This piece allows you to fill your sprayer tank without having to remove the cap providing operational efficiency. It is available for purchase from Agri Spray Drones. To install the cap you must cut a 41-mm or 1 5/8-inch hole in your existing cap on your drone tank.
This is dependent of several factors including what drone you have, carrying capacity needed for water and chemical and what areas you will be spraying. Below are some general setup recommendations.
The T10 will fit in the bed of a half-ton pickup with everything you need to spray about 50 acres in a day: 100 gallons of water, a small generator, T10 batteries and chargers.
The T20 will fit in a three-quarter or one-ton pickup with 330 gallons of water/pre-mixed chemical tote, a big generator, T20 batteries and chargers.
A flatbed trailer is recommended when using the T30 due to its size for loading and unloading. Land the drone on the trailer and strap it down to the trailer for transportation. This limits kicking up rocks and potentially damaging the drone’s props as well.
All our drones have IP67 water and dust proofing, but some customers do prefer to use an enclosed trailer to store and transport the drones. In this case, unload the drones at the field and take off from the ground. A longer trailer may be needed when using multiple drones.
Under the 107 license, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) limits one pilot to operating one drone at a time. There are exemptions, though. If those are met, a pilot can legally operate up to three drones. The T10 and T30 allow one remote to control up to three drones autonomously in the field, though multiple remotes could be used.
Note that it would be difficult to operate three drones at once by yourself. You will want someone with you to help refill charged batteries, mix chemical, etc.
This will depend on the services you provide and the local market.
We recommend for large acreage jobs charging the same amount helicopters charge or even $2 more per acre. Typically, this will be around $14-15 per acre. If it is a smaller job, we recommend charging by the hour at a rate of $400-450 per hour with the T30.
As a customer, we will provide you with tremendous resources to assist in the licensing process. Resources include free study guides and access to one of the nation’s leading drone regulations consultants and a leading drone insurance provider.
Below is a list of required licenses and certifications needed to legally operate a sprayer drone in the United States:
FAA Part 107
FAA Part 137
FAA Section 44807 Weight Exemption (not required for the T10)
Drone Registration
State Pesticide Applicators License
Liability Insurance (for commercial application)
Click BELOW to download our regulations quick guide for more information about this process and what Agri Spray Drones offers.