Older Self propelled sprayers - Case Study results

[Romeogolf]

There’s has been many debates over the years around the true cost of running older SP Sprayers. Just over two years ago I bought a 2004 chafer mirage with 7000hrs on the clock, and now it has been sold i have gone through my accounts and I can offer an accurate result of the figures. These figures do not Include labour, this is purely a machine costing exercise.
Purchase price: £22,000.00 delivered

Trimble FM750 GPS auto steer £3250

General upgrades £565 (boom lights, mudguards, airlines, radio, seat covers)

1x Wheel motor repair: £2,250.00

Servicing over 2yrs £1,000.00 (filters from
Chafer & labour in house @£20/hr)

General repairs and maintenance £543.00 (includes pipe work, aircon repair and regass, electrics, light repairs)

Total cost £29,608.00
Sale price £28,750.00
Cost of ownership over 2 years £858.00

Annually, The machine has looked after 200Ha of cereals with average 6 passes including stale seed beds and pre ems. Also covered 200Ha acres of grass including high quality horse haulage averaging 3 passes.

Over 2 years, 3600Ha sprayed in total, for a cost of £858.00. Without fuel, that works out at just under 24p/Ha. Fuel use has averaged 1L/Ha, which at an average of 80p/L (before price hike) adds 80p/Ha to the cost.

In conclusion, It has cost me £1.04p/Ha (42p/acre) to run for 2 years. Some of which has been charged out at £11.70/Ha (£4.75/acre)

Yes I could have had more wheel motor trouble, and I accept there are lots of other unknown costs which could have come to bite me. But for people who say older SP machines are a money pit and cannot be relied upon, in this case they are wrong.

I didn’t miss a single days spraying with it (wheel motor started to weep and fixed between spray timings) I jumped on and went spraying when I needed to, it was super manoeuvrable in the field, however slow and noisy on the road - although overall I miss it terribly.

I reluctantly sold it when I bought myself a 4220 fastrac and bought a lemken Sirius to go on and justify the fastrac. Whilst it is a good sprayer, it is now for sale as for my set up with other busy business going on, a SP is where I need to be for ease of use and time saving.

I am looking at a 2010 Bateman RB55 to try and repeat the experience. Perhaps second time I won’t be so fortunate but I’m willing to try. It’s possible this will encourage others to find more confidence in older machines. With careful buying and a mechanically sympathetic mindset, they’re not as bad as some would make out.

 

[snarling bee]

I ran a Bateman RB25 from new for 15 years, and had very little trouble. Bought a badly maintained RB35 at 5 years old and its costing me a lot of money, and that was from someone 2 friends told me was sound. Either he was prepared to sell me something that had a major issue and he was not honest, or his so called mechanic was ignorant.
Next time I see him at a show...........

I think you can be lucky or unlucky, but 2 years ownership is not a long time.

 

[Romeogolf]

I ran a Bateman RB25 from new for 15 years, and had very little trouble. Bought a badly maintained RB35 at 5 years old and its costing me a lot of money, and that was from someone 2 friends told me was sound. Either he was prepared to sell me something that had a major issue and he was not honest, or his so called mechanic was ignorant.
Next time I see him at a show...........

I think you can be lucky or unlucky, but 2 years ownership is not a long time.

Completely agree. Just sharing my findings over the 2 years. I really wish I hadn’t sold it - a head decision to justify the fastrac but would have loved to run it for years to come. Perhaps the figures would have changed over 5 years.

 

[neilo]

Completely agree. Just sharing my findings over the 2 years. I really wish I hadn’t sold it - a head decision to justify the fastrac but would have loved to run it for years to come. Perhaps the figures would have changed over 5 years.

It could also be argued that more than half of your costs were an upgrade, not a running cost, but you have had a bit of luck too I suspect.

I have had a 1999 Frazier Agribuggy for 5 years now, covering considerably fewer acres than yours. At a rough tot up in my head last year, the odd repairs I have had to do so far have amounted to around £1/ac over that time. That includes a refurb RDS controller to replace the original at 20 years of age, so likely to outlast the rest of the machine now. Nothing major/expensive has gone wrong with it….. yet.

 

[David.]

Most of the low cost of ownership is in the profit due to the uplift in used machinery values, it is more typical over time to lose money on disposals.

 

[Will 1594]

Completely agree. Just sharing my findings over the 2 years. I really wish I hadn’t sold it - a head decision to justify the fastrac but would have loved to run it for years to come. Perhaps the figures would have changed over 5 years.

Will you run the numbers on the lemken when you sell it that will be interesting but as others say uplift in new is pulling old stuff up ,
got a tractor here bought for 13000 Spent a grand on it ,used it for 2 /1/2 years , was bit 18000 by a trader ,yesterday ,

 

[Romeogolf]

Most of the low cost of ownership is in the profit due to the uplift in used machinery values, it is more typical over time to lose money on disposals.

Agree to a certain degree however trade in price offered was £18k including steering kit. Uplift in used machines also hasn’t really reached old self propelled sprayers in the same way it has tractors from what I’ve seen. Newer machines maybe. Used tractors have far more uses, and therefore a much larger target demographic for a strong resale.

I would argue strongly that the uplift in sale value was due largely to making the machine what it should be and desirable to purchase. It was tired looking when it came with bits hanging off, worn out pins and bushes etc. She was smart as a pin when it left with everything functioning properly and mechanically as good as a 18yr old machine could be.

Perhaps this is also a case for buying/selling at the right time!

 

[ollie989898]

Permit me, if I may, a small giggle on your behalf though I do thank you for providing a nicely detailed and honest post. But:



...Runs a second hand sprayer, utterly reliable, extremely low running costs. Looks after it, maintains it nicely, sells it in good order. Job is a good un...


Intends to repeat the experience...buys a fastrac...

I admire a guy who instead of sticking or twisting, decides to double down.

 

[ploughman1963]

Self-propelled or otherwise, for me, one of the biggest advantages of owning your own sprayer is timing - sometimes you just cant put a price on that. Having gone to a self-propelled in the last 12 months, a S/P just takes that advantage to a whole new level.

 

[David.]

Agree to a certain degree however trade in price offered was £18k including steering kit. Uplift in used machines also hasn’t really reached old self propelled sprayers in the same way it has tractors from what I’ve seen. Newer machines maybe. Used tractors have far more uses, and therefore a much larger target demographic for a strong resale.

I would argue strongly that the uplift in sale value was due largely to making the machine what it should be and desirable to purchase. It was tired looking when it came with bits hanging off, worn out pins and bushes etc. She was smart as a pin when it left with everything functioning properly and mechanically as good as a 18yr old machine could be.

Perhaps this is also a case for buying/selling at the right time!

Please don't think I was trying to knock it, that machine was a credit to you.

 

[Chae1]

Permit me, if I may, a small giggle on your behalf though I do thank you for providing a nicely detailed and honest post. But:



...Runs a second hand sprayer, utterly reliable, extremely low running costs. Looks after it, maintains it nicely, sells it in good order. Job is a good un...


Intends to repeat the experience...buys a fastrac...

I admire a guy who instead of sticking or twisting, decides to double down.

What's the most reliable tractor you have run?

 

[Romeogolf]

Please don't think I was trying to knock it, that machine was a credit to you.

No not at all, it was a very valid point - I was just countering!

 

[Romeogolf]

Permit me, if I may, a small giggle on your behalf though I do thank you for providing a nicely detailed and honest post. But:



...Runs a second hand sprayer, utterly reliable, extremely low running costs. Looks after it, maintains it nicely, sells it in good order. Job is a good un...


Intends to repeat the experience...buys a fastrac...

I admire a guy who instead of sticking or twisting, decides to double down.

Yes I must admit it was a bit of a curve ball decision in some ways! However, so far the fastrac hasn’t put a foot wrong and I genuinely love driving it.

Repeating the experience with a 2010 RB55 is something I find more daunting, and who knows may well bring me back to this conversation in a few years time with very different results!

 

[Richard Smyth]

Most of the low owner ship costs are due to secondhand values skyrocketing as well as fact the machine did very little work.

3600 ha is only 2 weeks work for me. Did 15000 ha in first 2.5 month of 2022

 

[britt]

I don't think you're being realistic counting the increase in value as most machines depreciate with age and it's not something that you could forecast or probably repeat. You've not put an interest charge in either which would be much higher than if you'd bought an equivalent age and spec trailed or mounted machine.

 

[Adeptandy]

I’m interested where you got the wheel motor repaired, I’ve got 2 dripping now on my Chafer 418

 

[principal skinner]

I inherited an elderly self propelled when I came to this job. Absolute piece of junk, could never go to it and be sure it would get through the day without a problem, slow on the road, noisy, uncomfortable, unreliable, many missed spray timings, I hated driving it.
Drove it for one season then got rid for a trailed on a new tractor. Love spraying again! It’s a bit of a pain having to swap from the sprayer to fert spreader etc as only running one tractor but I’m used to it now and just plan the work accordingly.

 

[DrWazzock]

We’ve had a Bateman HiLo for about 17 years. It’s 34 years old. One wheel motor has been the only major expense in all those years. It’s just so handy and does such a neat job. I have a Berthoud trailed machine on standby which I renovated but I’m not looking forward to the day I have to use it. It just feels leaden in comparison but maybe I’ll get used to it.

 

[Romeogolf]

Most of the low owner ship costs are due to secondhand values skyrocketing as well as fact the machine did very little work.

3600 ha is only 2 weeks work for me. Did 15000 ha in first 2.5 month of 2022

Work load is subjective, though.
The point of this exercise is to show that smaller operators for whom an older self propelled might seem attractive, with a bit of good fortune and correct buying, could be able to make it work more viably than some in the past have suggested.

Someone in England spraying 36000 acres in under 3 months is not going to be buying a self propelled sprayer for £25k. But for someone farming around 1000 acres it can appear quite attractive proposition.

To be clear, I am not suggesting this will always be how it pans out. I am merely sharing my results in the hope it may be of interest to others.

 

[ollie989898]

I wonder what size and scope of workload would mean a self propelled was justifiable?