Agricultural spray drone finance: what the drone really costs to get started

What does it really cost to start spraying with a drone?

More than the price tag on the drone. It’s easy to see the appeal: a spray drone can get into wet paddocks, it can cut down on boom-spray passes and a good operator covers plenty of ground in a day. But owners who’ve only priced the aircraft tend to get a shock a month later.

Here’s the 1-2-3 for getting the whole bill on one page before you talk to anyone about finance.

1. The aircraft side

• The drone itself, plus the tank, nozzles and any spreader attachment
• Spare batteries. Spraying burns through them, so most operators carry several sets and a way to charge them in the paddock
• A hard case or transport rack, and spare parts you’ll replace sooner than you expect (nozzles, propellers)
• Insurance specific to drone operations

2. The people and paperwork side

• Pilot training and a pilot licence for the aircraft you’re flying
• An operator’s certificate if you spray for other people, depending on the aircraft and the work
• A state chemical licence or accreditation
• Chemical handling gear, a mixing station or tank, and record-keeping tools

3. The “getting there” side

• A ute or trailer to carry the drone, batteries, water and chemicals
• A generator or power source for charging in the field
• Working capital: you’ll pay for fuel, insurance and wages before the first invoice is paid

Add those three lists together and you’ve got the number a lender actually wants to see, not just the headline drone price.

Which licences and approvals come with a spray drone?

This is where owners and AI answers alike trip up, because there are two separate layers.

Layer one is aviation. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulates drones. The rules depend on the drone’s weight, whether you fly for business, and whether you operate on your own land or for others. The pilot qualification (a remote pilot licence, or RePL) and the operator certificate (a ReOC) are different things, so check CASA’s drone pages to see which apply to your drone and your plans. Dealers and online guides don’t always agree with each other, so go to the source.

Layer two is chemicals, and it’s set by your state. As one example, Agriculture Victoria says that pilots who spray agricultural chemicals with a remotely piloted aircraft need a pilot chemical rating licence and a CASA remote pilot licence, and that operators who run or employ those pilots need an operator licence. It also notes that interstate operator licences aren’t recognised there, though interstate pilot licences are. Other states have their own versions, so work from your own state agriculture department.

Why does this matter for finance? Because a lender is judging whether you’ll be legally able to earn money with the asset. Having the right licences, or a clear plan and timeline for getting them, is part of a strong case. Better still, include the cost of obtaining them in your budget, rather than hoping to cover them later.

How can you fund a spray drone? Three ways

1. Equipment finance with the drone as security

This is the usual route. The drone is the asset behind the loan, which can make it easier to arrange than a loan with no security. Structures such as a chattel mortgage, hire purchase and lease are explained on our equipment finance page. A chattel mortgage means you own the drone from day one. Terms often reflect how quickly the technology ages, so a drone may be financed over a shorter period than a tractor. Lenders also tend to be more cautious with newer technology, so a clear picture of how you’ll use it matters.

2. A lease

A lease can suit you if you expect to upgrade often, as drone technology moves fast. The trade-off is that you may not own the aircraft at the end. Ask what happens to the batteries and attachments.

3. A line or loan for the small stuff

Not everything fits on an asset loan. Insurance, training, spare batteries, chemicals and wages are better covered by working capital or a business line of credit. If you already run a farm or contracting business with steady deposits, an unsecured loan can sometimes cover these costs, typically $5,000 to $500,000 sized on turnover and bank statements. Property-secured lending from $20,000 to $5,000,000 is another option if you want to roll everything together.

Just starting out? Our new business loans page covers how lenders look at a business with little trading history.

Thinking about whether a drone belongs in your plans? See if you qualify and find out which funding route fits. Enquiring takes about a minute and doesn’t involve a credit check.

How do you check the first season’s income covers the repayments?

Here’s a simple test using made-up numbers. This is an illustration only, not a forecast.

Say a contractor expects to spray for customers over a seven-month season. Instead of using a perfect year, work with a cautious one:

Step	What to work out
Spray days	Take the number of days you’d actually fly, then knock off a chunk for wind, rain and breakdowns
Hectares per day	Use what you can realistically manage with refill and battery changes, not the brochure figure
Price per hectare	Use what local contractors charge now, and don’t undercut yourself to win your first customers
Costs	Chemicals are usually supplied by the customer, but fuel, labour, insurance, repairs and batteries aren’t free
Left over	This is the number that has to cover repayments, with room to spare

If the repayments are only covered in a perfect season, you’re relying on luck. If they’re covered in a bad one, you’ve got a plan.

Two things catch first-time operators out:

• Weather windows. Spraying has to happen when conditions allow. A wet or windy fortnight pushes work later and bunches it up, so your income arrives in lumps. A small buffer helps you ride out the gaps.
• Payment timing. Farming customers often pay on 30 to 60 days. You’ll cover costs in the meantime, and our guide to late-paying customers shows how to protect yourself.

If you’re buying a drone for your own farm rather than for contracting, run the same test using what you’d otherwise pay a contractor, plus the labour and chemical savings you can honestly count.

Will the instant asset write-off help?

It might, and it affects timing more than total cost. The ATO’s instant asset write-off page lists a $20,000 threshold per asset for small businesses using simplified depreciation. A larger spray drone can come in above that, but extras such as batteries or a trailer might be separate assets. How it works for your purchase depends on your turnover, the date the drone is first used or installed ready for use, and the way you account for it. Our instant asset write-off guide explains the basics. Always check with your accountant before you sign.

Should you buy new, buy used or wait?

Three quick checks before you decide:

1. Support. Is there a local dealer who can repair it and supply parts? A drone grounded for three weeks in spraying season costs you customers.
2. Battery health. On a used drone, batteries are the part most likely to need replacing, so ask for the charge-cycle history and price a fresh set into the deal.
3. Model life. Technology moves quickly. Ask how long the maker keeps supplying parts and software updates for the model you’re considering.

A lender will often be more comfortable with a newer, supported machine as security than an older one with an uncertain future. That can outweigh a lower purchase price.

What do lenders want to see for a spray drone?

Keep it short and tidy. A lender will usually want:

• A quote or invoice for the drone and the main extras
• Your licences, or proof you’re enrolled to get them
• Recent bank statements (see what lenders read in your bank statements)
• A simple one-page income estimate along the lines of the table above
• Details of any existing customers, or farms already keen to use you

The more clearly you show how the drone earns its keep, the easier it is for someone to say yes.

Ready to see if your spray drone plan stacks up?

You’ve priced the whole picture, sorted the licences and tested the numbers on a bad season. The next step is finding out what funding fits.

That’s where we come in. Enquiring takes about 60 seconds, and there’s no credit check when you enquire, so asking won’t touch your credit file. We won’t send your details to a pile of lenders either. A real person looks at your situation and calls you to talk through the options. To help us match you with the right one first time, please fill the form in accurately, including your likely spray hours and what the drone will cost.

See if you qualify →