Drone Coverage Time Calculator
A single DJI Agras T50 covers 300 acres in approximately 8 to 10 hours of total job time (flying, refills, battery swaps, setup) at 2 gallons per acre. A two-drone team cuts that to 5 hours. At 5 gal/acre for dense canopy crops, the same 300 acres requires roughly 20 tank refills and extends job time by 2 to 3 hours.
Adjust the sliders for your exact job. Times include setup, tank refills, and battery swaps but not drive time to the field. For multi-day quotes, contact operators in the directory.
Job Parameters
Estimated Job Duration
Multi-day job at this acreage. Consider adding 1 more drone to complete in one day.
Based on 36 ac/hr effective rate, 600 gal total product,46 tank fills, 20-min setup. Does not include drive time to field.
Time breakdown (per drone)
- Setup and pre-flight check20 min
- Active flying at 36 ac/hr8h 25m
- Tank refills (46× at 4 min each)3h 4m
- Battery swaps (33× at 3 min each)1h 39m
- Total (1 drone)13h 28m
Performance assumptions
Coverage rates are based on manufacturer specs adjusted for real-world efficiency: field-shape turn penalties of 5% (rectangular), 12% (irregular), and 20% (narrow strips). Battery times and refill windows are typical for experienced operators with a two-person ground crew. Solo operators add 15 to 25% to total job time.
Wind and temperature effects
Conditions not in the calculator also affect job time. Winds above 10 mph require slower speeds and tighter spray parameters, reducing effective coverage by 15 to 30%. High temperatures (above 90°F) reduce battery life by 10 to 20%. Early morning starts (5:30 to 7:00 AM) improve both battery performance and spray efficacy.
Drone comparison
For a detailed side-by-side of drone specifications, see the Drone Comparison Tool. For per-acre cost estimates, use the Spray Cost Calculator.