FAQ'S

Rantizo knows drones and we know U.S. agriculture.

Our team is consistently pushing the drone spraying industry forward and setting the standards for safe, legal, and productive custom drone applications. 

As our customer, we treat our relationship like a partnership. We aren’t just trying to sell you a drone and let you figure out the rest. We will stand by you with comprehensive training, omni-channel support, continuing education and overall customer service that is second to none.

The best drone for agricultural spraying greatly depends on the needs of your operation. This goes for the number of drones as well. If you are focused on servicing smaller fields, specialty crops, trial plots, or site-specific applications, a smaller drone under 55 pounds may suit you well. As a Rantizo partner you will also have permissions to swarm multiple drones (up to 3) simultaneously, although we generally recommend that you take the crawl, walk, run approach when it comes to drone spraying. If you are focused on larger acres or multiple service locations, a larger workhorse drone such as the Agras T30 may be your best option. The newest or biggest drone isn’t always the best option for your needs. That’s why we have a knowledgeable team ready to learn more about your business objectives and tailor the best solution for you to meet them.

Most often, we are asked this question with the desire to use the drone sprayer for both spraying fields and capturing field imagery and data. Think of this like using a lawn mower vs. a weed whacker. Imagery drones are best designed for capturing field imagery, while spray drones are best designed for spraying fields.

Typically spray drones are equipped with an FPV (first person view) camera. This camera is for pilot visibility of field conditions, flight paths, and drone missions. This camera is not designed for capturing field imagery for NDVI or other data analytics. There are other drones built to be used in tandem with various software programs for this. Rantizo is pleased to offer our contractor network exclusive pricing for Pix4DFields imagery software.

There are several contributing factors to consider with weather conditions most conducive for safe, legal, and productive drone flights. Wind speeds, precipitation, and both hot and cold temperatures can affect a spray drone’s performance.

Windy conditions can impact a drone’s ability to take flight, but can also affect ferrying times to return home for reloading and battery swaps. Keep in mind, that while most of the drones Rantizo offers are able to fly with winds above 20 mph, you’ll want to pay close attention to label restrictions on wind speeds. Typically, a pesticide label will prevent flight due to wind speeds before the actual wind speed itself would.

Spray drones are able to be flown with light precipitation, but where they really add value is in their ability to get into fields just before or directly following heavy rains. This can be greatly beneficial for cover crop applications when seed to soil contact and germination are important or muddy conditions prevent large heavy equipment from accessing fields to address time sensitive weed issues.

Flying your spray drone in cold or hot weather can cause a multitude of different issues. Both can pose safety risks so it is always advised to pay close attention to manufacturer recommended specifications for operating temperatures while also noting ambient temperatures of the equipment itself. For example, a 95 degree temperature may be within manufacturer operating specs, but you’ll want to pay closer attention to the actual temperature of your equipment. Summer heat can cause equipment to overheat, but our support team is well-versed in guiding you through troubleshooting in these conditions.

Drones for agricultural applications offer a new opportunity for ag retailers and agribusinesses looking to stay on the cutting edge of agriculture. Rantizo does not see our drone application systems as a replacement for ground rigs or other aerial application methods like airplanes or helicopters. Instead, we see drones as another tool to add to your toolbox to better serve your customers and optimize productivity. In other words, our drones can get into places that are hard to access with larger equipment, such as field edges, buffer zones or site-specific areas in a field. As a result, we can take care of those areas while other application equipment keeps moving and maximizing productivity in the areas they were designed for.

Rantizo offers a flexible way of doing business together! The majority of Rantizo customers have chosen to partner with us as service providers in their area. To get started as a Rantizo service provider, you would need to purchase your drone package and complete our FAA-approved training and certification process.

We offer monthly training cohorts as well as continuing education to ensure our service providers are well-versed and always up-to-date on safe, legal, and productive best practices for drone spraying.

Rantizo’s industry-leading omnichannel support services are available to both service providers partnering with Rantizo or individuals/businesses who elect to obtain their own licensing or have previously purchased drone equipment from a different supplier.

Rantizo does not currently offer any leasing options. However, we do work with a third-party financing partner and can provide introductions if financing is needed.

Both liquid and granular products. The most common liquid applications are fungicides, insecticides, foliar fertilizers, and herbicides. Granular applications include broadcast cover crops and fertilizers.

Dependent of the drone series you select, our drones can apply 0.25 – 15 gallons per acre of liquid product and 3 – 300 pounds per acre of granular product. Low volume rates (typically 2 gallons per acre) are the most common use for our drone series. Due to the prop wash designed to distribute and penetrate the product across and through the canopy, we have found very high efficiency with a wide range of products at a low volume rate.

As a rule of thumb, 2 gallons per acre (GPA) is commonly labeled as the carrier volume for most aerial applied products. The max realistic efficiencies at 2 GPA are listed below. These include landing and refill time.

• T10: 15 acres per hour
• T30: 30 acres per hour
• T40: 40 acres per hour

At a lower GPA, the efficiencies for each drone will increase slightly, at higher GPA the efficiency will decrease.

• T10: 10-liter (2.6 gallons) liquid capacity and 3-gallon granular tank, which converts to approximately 20 lbs. of granular material.
• T30: 30-liter (8 gallons) liquid capacity and 10.5-gallon granular tank, which converts to approximately than 70 lbs. of granular material.
• T40: 40-liter (10.5 gallons) liquid capacity and 18.5-gallon granular tank, which converts to approximately 115 lbs. of granular material.

Drones utilize a vortex effect created by the rotor wash to help spread out and distribute the atomized liquid across a swath that is wider than the actual drone. The swath is affected by this vortex effect along with application height, nozzle selection, spray rate and spraying speed.

Below are the max swath widths for each drone model when spraying at 10-13 ft. over the crop canopy.

• T10: Swath width up to 5 meters (16.4 feet)
• T30: Swath width up to 9 meters (29.5 feet)
• T40: Swath width up to 9.75 meters (32 feet)

The spread pattern of the granular spreader varies widely depending on product and drone elevation, typically ranging from 20-35 ft.

Nozzle selection, product density and calibration will affect the max pump output. Below are max pump outputs for each drone model.

• T10: 2.4 liters (0.63 gallons) per minute
• T30: 8 liters (2.11 gallons) per minute
• T40: 12 liters (3.2 gallons) per minute

Pumps are operated with brushless motors that automatically adjust spray rate in accordance with flight speed. Electromagnetic flow meters ensure the rate is kept accurate.

• T10: Weighs under 55 lbs. (24.9 kg.)
• T30: Weighs 58 lbs. (26.3 kg.) empty and 168 lbs. (76.5 kg.) when fully loaded.
• T40: Weighs 83 lbs. (33 kg.) empty and 220 lbs. (100 kg.) when fully loaded.

During manual flight, a drone can fly up to 33 feet per second or 22.5 mph. Automated operation allows speeds up to 23 feet per second or 15.5 mph. At this speed, our drones can still follow slopes up to 30 degrees, while sensing obstacles in their flight path.

The T40 can spray faster than other Agras models at a rate of up to 32.8 feet per second or 22 miles per hour during automated operation.

Each of our drones have First Person View (FPV) cameras designed to provide the operator with a live view on the controller screen. FPV cameras support up to a 2-mile range, which is extremely useful when spot spraying weeds.

Note, FPV cameras cannot be used to map fields. We also do not recommend using sprayer drones to scout fields as smaller, less expensive drones with better cameras are better suited for that specific task.

The T40 does have one camera mounted on a gimble which can be used to do limited crop scouting and map fields using the T40 remote to process imagery.

T10: Light and portable

Designed with a swappable liquid tank, the T10 is the lightest and easiest sprayer drone to transport on market. This makes it ideal for small test plots and spot spraying applications, where the drone will need to be regularly packed up and moved from field to field throughout the day.

T30: Power and portability

The T30 is tested and proven in the field. It is easy to transport, yet big enough to do large acreage. The T-Jet nozzles give the T30 versatility for many different spray jobs.

T40: The BIG dog

The T40 is big, fast and packed with so many features never before seen on one spray drone platform. It can spray large fields, carry 100 lbs. of fertilizer, and create and process imagery. This is the most advanced spray drone in the world!

Overall, the drone is built to last. There are no major wear parts on the drone. Simply put, if you take care of it and don’t crash it, you will not have to replace any parts for a long time.

All drone parts are replaceable and modular. If you do need to replace parts it can be done easily and affordably. Below are details about a couple of parts that might need replaced over time.

• According to the manufacturer, the batteries for the T30 will last for 1,000 charge cycles.
• All the drone motors are brushless. Industry-standard service life for brushless motors is 10,000+ hours.
• We have seen electronic speed controllers (ESC) which control the motors go out after 150 hours, but most will last over 300 hours.
• Props may need replaced when chipped or cracked but should last for multiple seasons.
• Spraying system parts (tips, hoses, and pump diaphragms) may need replaced after a couple of seasons.

We have a full-time drone technician on staff to repair drones and get our customers parts. If you need parts, check out our Parts page. If your drone needs serviced, check out our Service Repairs page to get in touch with a technician.

Most fixes are easy to make yourself. These drones are modular, so you can simply pull the part off and put the new part on. Typically, no diagnostics or calibrations are needed. If there is something more complicated, our technician can help you through the process of fixing the issue yourself.

Three ways you could mix chemical include:

    1. Mix each tank load.

This is the least efficient method but good for small plots.

    2. Mix big batches, or hot loads, in a bulk tank.

Mix enough for a full day using IBC/chemical totes (125-, 260- and 330-gallon totes).

*Need to recirculate throughout the day to keep the product in suspension.

    3. Mix batches as you go.

Keep a big tank of water, enough for the day, as well as the chemical and two 30–60-gallon, cone-bottom tanks on your trailer. Mix up batches in the cone bottom tanks while the drone is out operating.

An automatic mixing system can be used to mix product as you operate throughout the day as well.

To fill the drone, use a 10 to 20 gallon per minute electric pump. A mini-bulk pump and a 30- to 40-foot hose work well.

Pump: Electric mini bulk pumps (CT6 high flow) work well. You can purchase at Shop.FarmChem.com. Another option is a DEF diaphragm pump (8-10 gallons per minute) which can be purchased on Amazon.

Hose and plumbing: You will need a 1” nylon applicator hose, along with valves and banjo couplers which can all be purchased at Shop.FarmChem.com.

Nozzles: We recommend a ¾” fuel nozzle along with a swivel connector similar to those used at a gas station. You can purchase fuel nozzles at your local farm supply store or on Amazon.com.

* Note: Auto shut off fuel nozzles work well but can cause some chemical products to foam.

Fill-through cap: This piece allows you to fill your sprayer tank without having to remove the cap providing operational efficiency. It is available for purchase from Agri Spray Drones. To install the cap you must cut a 41-mm or 1 5/8-inch hole in your existing cap on your drone tank.

This is dependent of several factors including what drone you have, carrying capacity needed for water and chemical and what areas you will be spraying. Below are some general setup recommendations.

The T10 will fit in the bed of a half-ton pickup with everything you need to spray about 50 acres in a day: 100 gallons of water, a small generator, T10 batteries and chargers.

A flatbed trailer is recommended when using the T30 due to its size for loading and unloading. Land the drone on the trailer and strap it down to the trailer for transportation. This limits kicking up rocks and potentially damaging the drone’s props as well.

All our drones have IP67 water and dust proofing, but some customers do prefer to use an enclosed trailer to store and transport the drones. In this case, unload the drones at the field and take off from the ground. A longer trailer may be needed when using multiple drones.

Under the 107 license, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) limits one pilot to operating one drone at a time. There are exemptions, though. If those are met, a pilot can legally operate up to three drones. The T10 and T30 allow one remote to control up to three drones autonomously in the field, though multiple remotes could be used.

Note that it would be difficult to operate three drones at once by yourself. You will want someone with you to help refill charged batteries, mix chemical, etc.

This will depend on the services you provide and the local market.

We recommend for large acreage jobs charging the same amount helicopters charge or even $2 more per acre. Typically, this will be around $14-15 per acre. If it is a smaller job, we recommend charging by the hour at a rate of $400-450 per hour with the T30.

All our sprayer drones feature incredibly intuitive software and controls for both manual operation and fully autonomous operation. That’s right! Our drones will not only fly but spray/spread completely by themselves. You simply input a field boundary and its parameters. Boundaries can be imported from shapefiles or manually created on the remote.

Each of our drone models feature industry leading obstacle avoidance utilizing Digital Beam Forming (DBF) radars. These radars can sense obstacles as small as 1 cm in diameter, causing the drone to either stop and alert the operator or automatically fly around the obstacle.

T10 and T30: Incorporates an upwards facing radar designed to sense obstacles in all directions

In general, for a whole field operation, there are six steps:

1. Make sure you have a good including generator, premixed tank with pump on site.
2. Map your field boundaries. This can be done ahead of time creating shape files, on the remote using aerial imagery, or on-site with the drone or remote.
3. Set your parameters for that operation (flight height, direction, speed, and application rate).
4. Tell the drone how much to spray and set it for takeoff.
5. The drone will fly and return to home autonomously or can be landed manually.
6. Refill the tank as needed and replace the batteries and recharge them on-site.

The drone can be flown in manual or manual + modes for spot application.

About three miles. This may decrease substantially when operating close to the ground or with interference from trees. However, you will never operate this far away. The furthest most pilots will operate will be one mile. Range extenders are available for the remote controllers to increase signal when operating close to obstructions. 

Within inches. The standard GPS on the drones is unique in pulling signal from about 18 to 26 satellites using three sources, GNSS, GLONASS and Galileo, simultaneously.

Most people find the standard GPS more than enough. However, if you want more precision, the drone is set up for real-time kinematic (RTK), which limits inaccuracy to centimeters. You can purchase a DJI RTK base station from Agri Spray Drones or use a third-party cellular RTK service.

Under the 107 license, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) limits one pilot to operating one drone at a time. There are exemptions, though. If those are met, a pilot can legally operate up to three drones. The T10 and T30 allow one remote to control up to three drones autonomously in the field, though multiple remotes could be used.

Note that it would be difficult to operate three drones at once by yourself. You will want someone with you to help refill charged batteries, mix chemical, etc.

Flight times per battery charge vary depending on battery and ambient temperature, payload weight, wind and how quickly the drone empties its payload. With each of our drones, one battery charge lasts approximately two tank loads when spraying at a 2+ gallons per acre (GPA) rate.

With our standard recommended package (referenced below), batteries will charge almost as fast as the drone depletes them. This means you will operate continually for 1-2 hours before needing to stop to let the batteries refresh. If you have extremely large jobs and will be flying repeatedly all day, you may consider getting an additional battery and charging station.

Below are the recommended number of batteries, chargers and generator sizes for each drone model:

• T10: 4 batteries – 1 charger – 5000-watt generator
• T30: 3 batteries – 1 charger – 9000-watt generator
• T40: 3 batteries — 1 charger — 12000-watt generator

The T10 charger will require 3,500 watts (15 amps on 240 volts). We recommend a generator with at least 4,500 running/continuous watts and a 30-amp, 240-volt twist lock plug.

The T30/T40 charger will require 8,000+ watts (35 amps on 240 volts). We recommend a generator with at least 9,000 watts and a 50-amp, 240-volt, four prong plug.  Any type of generator with a 50-amp, 240-volt plug should work. We also carry the DJI 12000i generator/charger combo for T30 and T40 batteries. 

When purchasing your generator, consider if you need additional power for your remote battery charger, pumps, and fans. When running multiple drones, you will need multiple generators or a larger commercial generator.

Overall, the drone is built to last. There are no major wear parts on the drone. Simply put, if you take care of it and don’t crash it, you will not have to replace any parts for a long time.

All drone parts are replaceable and modular. If you do need to replace parts it can be done easily and affordably. Below are details about a couple of parts that might need replaced over time.

• According to the manufacturer, the batteries for the T30 will last for 1,000 charge cycles.
•  All the drone motors are brushless. Industry-standard service life for brushless motors is 10,000+ hours.
• We have seen electronic speed controllers (ESC) which control the motors go out after 150 hours, but most will last over 300 hours.
• Props may need replaced when chipped or cracked but should last for multiple seasons.
• Spraying system parts (tips, hoses, and pump diaphragms) may need replaced after a couple of seasons.

We have a full-time drone technician on staff to repair drones and get our customers parts. If you need parts, check out our Parts page. If your drone needs serviced, check out our Service Repairs page to get in touch with a technician.

Most fixes are easy to make yourself. These drones are modular, so you can simply pull the part off and put the new part on. Typically, no diagnostics or calibrations are needed. If there is something more complicated, our technician can help you through the process of fixing the issue yourself.

As a customer, we will provide you with tremendous resources to assist in the licensing process. Resources include free study guides and access to one of the nation’s leading drone regulations consultants and a leading drone insurance provider.

Below is a list of required licenses and certifications needed to legally operate a sprayer drone in the United States:

• FAA Part 107
• FAA Part 137
• FAA Section 44807 Weight Exemption (not required for the T10)
• Drone Registration
• State Pesticide Applicators License
• Liability Insurance (for commercial application)