What a boom sprayer costs in Australia

Boom sprayers in Australia run from $849 for a 100L ute unit to $858,000 for a 2024 self propelled John Deere 616R. Used 36m trailed boom sprays ask $49,500 to $66,000, spot-spray camera units $165,000 to $176,000, and used self propelled machines $187,000 to $352,000. Tank, boom width, cameras and age set the price.

A boom sprayer has no single price. A 100L ute unit costs under $1,000, a 600L linkage sprayer about $9,000, a used 36m trailed boom spray $49,500 to $66,000, and a late-model self propelled machine more than $850,000. Tank litres, boom width, spot-spray cameras, GPS and age move the price. This guide sets out 20 dealer prices across South Australia, Queensland and northern New South Wales, what each feature adds, what a grower budgets to run one, and how the purchase is financed. Makers rarely publish new prices, so dealer asking prices are the working evidence.

What small, ute and linkage sprayers cost

The bottom of the market is a tank, a pump and a short boom. These are published dealer prices for new stock, taken from one Queensland dealer on 3 November 2026. All prices include GST and freight is extra. A ute or quad unit with no real boom starts under $1,000. Once the tank reaches 600L and the boom reaches 6m to 10m on a tractor linkage, the price moves to about $9,000. Figures are indicative market data and not Ventas offers.

The jump from $9,680 to $35,035 is tank size and a trailed chassis. The $35,035 pasture sprayer comes with no boom at all, so a grazier pricing a complete rig should add the boom the dealer quotes.

What trailed boom sprays cost

A trailed boom spray is a tank and boom on its own axle, towed by a tractor. Broadacre croppers mostly run 3,000L to 7,000L tanks and 24m to 36m booms. The table below mixes used dealer stock from Farm Dealers and two new machines with a drive away price. Dealer pages show GST inclusive prices; the two new listings do not state GST. Where the listing does not show a year, the table says so.

Four used machines with a 36m boom and a 4,500L to 7,000L tank sit at $49,500 to $66,000. The same width with spot-spray cameras sits at $165,000 to $176,000 used. New, a Weedit with 4,000L asks $341,000 drive away. So the camera hardware and the maker's name move the price far more than the tank does. Note that a Queensland dealer holds most of this stock, and three of the machines are located in northern NSW.

What self propelled sprayers cost

A self propelled sprayer has its own engine and cab and drives itself across the paddock. It costs more, covers more hectares a day, and holds its value better than a trailed unit. This table lists five used machines from the same dealer pages, across South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales.

Hours and age set the price within a model. On our arithmetic, the 2016 R4038 at $242,000 inc GST is about $220,000 ex GST. A 2024 John Deere 616R with 1,321 hours asks $858,000, about 3.5 times the 2016 machine. The listing for the 616R shows an extended powertrain warranty to 4,000 hours or March 2029, which is part of what the extra money buys.

What moves the price

• Tank litres. Larger tanks cover more hectares per fill, but in the listings above a 7,000L Hardi Commander 7036 and a 5,000L Hardi Commander 5000 ask the same $49,500.
• Boom width. 24m, 30m and 36m booms are the usual broadacre sizes. A wide boom needs steady height control, so look at the boom's condition and the axle suspension.
• Section and nozzle control. Section control shuts off parts of the boom to avoid double spraying. The R4038 listing mentions section control.
• Auto boom height and GPS rate control. Check what is actually fitted. The R4038 listing mentions AutoTrac but states that no GPS receiver is included.
• Spot-spray cameras. Weedit and Weedseeker units switch nozzles on when a camera sees a weed. They are the biggest single price step in the tables.
• Age and hours. A 2005 Hayes trailer at $66,000 and a 2022 Hayes at $165,000 differ by about 17 years and the cameras.
• GST wording. Dealer pages show inc GST, drive away or ex GST. Compare like with like.

What a grower budgets to run one

A sprayer's cost is not only the purchase price. WeedSmart, an industry extension project, published a worked example on 16 April 2026 that tests when a machine pays for itself. The figures are demonstration values from the article, and its authors set a target of $10 a hectare to own and operate.

On those figures, a farm of 3,500 ha that replaces one blanket spray with spot spraying saves about $35,700 a year in herbicide. Your own farm will differ. The practical point is area: a machine spread over 2,000 ha costs more per hectare than the same machine on 5,000 ha. For a contract sprayer, the question is how many paid hectares a season the machine covers. For a grazier spraying pasture, a $9,000 linkage unit is often the right size. Also budget for nozzles, hoses, pump repairs, tyres, fuel, insurance and your labour. We have not found a published industry average for those items, so ask the dealer for the service history of any used machine.

Financing a boom sprayer purchase

Boom sprayers are well-understood security for lenders. They have a serial number, a resale market and a clear use. Lender appetite is strongest for a late-model trailed or self propelled sprayer bought from a dealer. It is weaker for a cheap old unit, a private sale with no invoice, or retrofit camera hardware that is hard to resell. Many lenders also limit how old a machine can be at the end of the term, so a 2005 sprayer can be harder to fund than a 2016 one. Sprayers under a few thousand dollars are often bought with cash. Ventas is a finance broker, not a lender, so we do not quote rates here. They change with the lender, the machine and the file.

Illustrative only, subject to lender assessment. A realistic purchase of a used self propelled sprayer at the listed price:

And how it is typically funded across lender types:

Debt here is about 83 per cent of the asking price (our arithmetic), and we put the deposit at about 21 per cent of the total cash needed. A lender may ask for more deposit on an older machine or a private sale. Some deals use a residual or balloon at the end of the term, and a property-backed loan can fund the deposit or most of the purchase. The tax treatment of the purchase is a matter for your accountant.

What makes a sprayer deal fundable:

• An invoice or dealer contract that shows the make, model, serial number and price.
• Age and condition. A recent service history and a machine within the lender's age limit.
• Trading history. Lodged financials, BAS and bank statements for the farm or spraying business.
• Use. Contracts, area sprayed or a clear plan for the machine's work.

To get a number from Ventas, tell us the type, the tank and boom size, whether it is new or used, the seller and the price, and what the business earns from spraying. See sprayer finance, agricultural finance, and our guides on air seeder costs, combine harvester costs and tractor prices. The page on equipment finance for farmers covers the basics. Finance is subject to lender assessment and approval.

This is general information only and not financial, credit, or tax advice. Figures are indicative market data from the sources listed, not Ventas offers, and move with the market. Consider your own circumstances and speak to a professional. All finance is subject to lender assessment and approval.

This article is general information only and not financial, credit, or tax advice. Ventas Asset Lending is a finance broker, not a lender. Approvals are subject to lender assessment. Consider your own circumstances and speak to a qualified professional, including your accountant for any tax questions.