The one thing that I think has not been fully accounted for is the human element in this calculation - not all decisions are made on cost alone. Take us - 350 acres and we just bought the top notch greenstar tit and screen plus steering wheel and raven smart boom - bonkers decision really as can never financially justify it even if DEFRA paid for a good chunk BUT dad , who is 70 this year, wanted to ease the strain on the system. He can drive as straight as anyone I know and even without markers can get near perfect matching however this does take more concentration than perhaps it used to plus his son is always calling him with excellent new ideas which rather distracts him. The last straw was the jump up to 24m sprayer which was supposed to make life quicker and easier for him but instead left him (and our chap who is mid 30's) struggling with turn on/ off points. FFIS gave us the classic opportunity to spend 60% of something because we were saving 40% and so the Greenstar and raven arrived. Dad drilled the spring wheat on SF1 and kept calling me in the office with irritating new ideas and at the end of the long days was as fresh as a daisy. Spraying has just kicked off again and there is none of the usual anxiety over turn on and if points. So what is the 'value' of making a job easier and more enjoyable? I should add that at certain points in the day he had to return to the Mk1 eyeball due to the wrong sort of tree being within half a mile but these intervals kept him engaged in the job and gave me some peace and quiet.