The number of farmers picking sprayer refurbishment over replacement has doubled due to the spell of low grain prices, according to Keith Wood of sprayer maker Alanco.

Machine orders dried up savagely during 2015, but the company has been boosted by the increased interest in refurbs. It gives owners the chance to improve a machine’s spec for considerably less than the cost of a replacement.

See also: Get the best from a Sands self-propelled sprayer

While engine or gearbox upgrades are generally uneconomic on a self-propelled sprayer, pretty much every other component can be renewed for reasonable cost, says Mr Wood.

“It’s possible to refurbish an automatic transmission for about £1,000 to improve its performance and extend its working life, while replacing hoses and injectors in the fuel system can improve engine performance” he says.

“But our most common requests are for boom and pump rebuilds – booms cost about £2,000 to refurbish and £5,000 to replace.”

“Some owners want their machines completely stripped down and subjected to a full rebuild and repaint, with new parts where required, and for this it’s possible to spend anything from £5,000-30,000.”