DJI Agras T100 Cost per Hectare: Complete Breakdown for Agricultural Contractors

Understanding the cost per hectare for high-capacity agricultural spray systems is essential for commercial viability assessment. This analysis breaks down T100 operational economics for contractors and large-scale farm operations.

Equipment Cost Components

Base T100 system pricing ranges from AUD $40,000–$60,000 depending on configuration and supplier. Additional equipment requirements include battery systems ($8,000–$12,000), charging infrastructure ($3,000–$5,000), and operator training ($2,000–$4,000).

Total capital investment for a single-unit operation typically ranges from $55,000–$80,000 before operational consumables.

Per-Hectare Operating Costs

Operational cost per hectare depends on coverage rates, labour costs, consumable usage, and equipment depreciation. Typical operating costs break down as follows:

Labour costs (pilot + ground crew): $2.50–$4.50 per hectare depending on local wage rates and operational efficiency.

Battery cycle costs (depreciation): $0.80–$1.20 per hectare based on battery replacement schedules and hectare coverage per charge cycle.

Consumables (propellers, nozzles, maintenance): $0.50–$0.90 per hectare.

Total operating cost per hectare: $8–$12 for most commercial operations, compared to $15–$25 for ground rig contractors and $25–$45 for helicopter application.

Break-Even Analysis

For contractors charging $18–$22 per hectare for aerial application services, break-even typically occurs at 8,000–12,000 hectares depending on equipment configuration and operating costs.

Operations covering 15,000+ hectares annually achieve full payback within 18–24 months under typical utilization scenarios.

Seasonal Capacity Planning

A single T100 unit can cover 50–80 hectares per day depending on block size, refill distance, and operating hours. Multi-unit operations scale linearly with additional pilots and support crew.

Peak seasonal demand (60–90 days) requires careful capacity planning to avoid overcapitalisation. Our fleet sizing tool helps determine optimal unit count based on seasonal hectare targets.

Variable Cost Considerations

Refill distance significantly impacts productivity. Operations with refill distances under 2km achieve 20–30% higher daily hectare coverage compared to 5km+ refill scenarios.

Block size affects efficiency: blocks over 100 hectares enable longer flight patterns and reduced setup time compared to fragmented holdings under 50 hectares.

Calculate whether the T100 makes commercial sense for your operation using our cost per hectare calculator.