XAG vs DJI: Agricultural Spray Drones Compared
The XAG P150 Max and the DJI Agras T100 are the two spray drones growers compare most often. The T100 carries more per load, and the gap is larger than the tank figures suggest.
Where XAG and DJI Differ Most
The DJI Agras T100 carries more in one load than the XAG P150 Max, by 20 L of spray liquid and 20 kg of payload. In the guides we publish here, tank size is the first number growers ask about and the one that misleads them most. Flow rate and refill time decide how many hectares actually get covered in a day.
DJI is the larger manufacturer and sells the Agras line through a wide dealer network. XAG is the smaller specialist, and its P-series competes on flow rate and on a lighter airframe for the same job. Both companies are Chinese, which means the same US import and certification questions apply to both.
Neither aircraft is a better machine in the abstract. The choice turns on field size, on how far the mixing station sits from the working area, and on which dealer will answer the phone during a spray window.
XAG P150 Max vs DJI Agras T100 Specifications
The two flagships differ on every capacity figure, and the T100 is larger on all of them. The table sets out what each difference changes for an operator rather than listing the numbers alone.
| Criterion | XAG P150 Max | DJI Agras T100 | What it changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spray tank | 80 L | 100 L | The T100 covers more ground per load, so it returns to refill less often |
| Granule capacity | 115 L | 150 L | The T100 spreads longer between refills on fertiliser and seeding work |
| Max payload | 80 kg | 100 kg | Sets the heaviest load each airframe will lift in one flight |
| Max spray flow | 46 L/min (four-nozzle kit) | Not published as a single figure | Flow rate caps how fast either aircraft can fly at a given application rate |
| Obstacle sensing | 4D imaging radar, 1.5 m to 100 m | Laser radar plus 360-degree front radar, avoidance up to 13.8 m/s | The T100 publishes an avoidance speed, so an operator knows when sensing stops keeping up |
| Airframe | Four rotors | 62-inch carbon fibre propellers, eight pairs | Fewer rotors on the P150 Max means fewer parts to replace after a strike |
| Verdict | Lighter airframe, published flow rate | Larger capacity across every tank figure | The T100 wins on volume, the P150 Max on transport weight and published flow data |
Why Tank Size Is Not the Whole Comparison
A 20 L tank advantage only pays off if the aircraft can empty it at the right rate. Spray drones fly a fixed application rate in litres per hectare, so the flow rate sets the maximum ground speed. An aircraft with a large tank and a slow pump finishes the load over the same number of minutes as a smaller aircraft with a faster pump.
XAG publishes 46 L/min for the P150 Max with the four-nozzle kit, and 30 L/min for the P150. DJI publishes its T100 flow figures per nozzle configuration rather than as one headline number, which makes a direct pump-to-pump comparison harder from the spec sheets alone. Ask any dealer to quote the flow rate for the exact nozzle kit in the quote, and compare that figure rather than the tank.
Turnaround time matters as much as either number. A refill cycle includes landing, swapping a battery, mixing and pumping the next load. Put the mixing station far from the working area and every refill costs more transit. The aircraft with the larger tank makes fewer of those trips, so the T100 saves more time per hectare than its tank figure alone suggests.
What the Published Numbers Work Out To
XAG publishes one field-efficiency figure that makes the real constraint visible. It rates the P150 at 26 hectares per hour, measured at 30 L per hectare with 9 m spacing at 18 m/s. Those numbers can be worked through, and the result is not about the aircraft.
At 30 L per hectare, covering 26 hectares means pumping 780 L in an hour. A 70 L tank holds about 11 of those loads, so the aircraft lands roughly every five and a half minutes. Spraying one full tank at 30 L/min takes 2.3 minutes. Everything else in the cycle has to fit into the three minutes left over.
Three minutes covers the flight back, the landing, a battery swap, and a refill from a mixed batch that somebody prepared in advance. Miss that window and the published hourly figure does not happen, whichever aircraft is flying. Ground crew and mixing capacity set the ceiling long before tank size does, which is why a two-person operation rarely reaches a manufacturer's quoted rate.
The same arithmetic sizes the capacity gap. At 30 L per hectare, the P150 Max treats 2.7 hectares on one 80 L load against 3.3 hectares for the T100 on 100 L. The T100 makes about one fewer landing every five loads. Where the fill point sits at the field edge, that saves a few minutes an hour. Where it sits a kilometre away, it saves considerably more.
Dealer Network and Spare Parts
DJI has the wider dealer network of the two in most markets, and that is the practical argument for the Agras line. Spare rotors, pumps and nozzle kits are stocked closer to the farm, so a strike during a spray window costs hours instead of weeks.
XAG runs a distributor model and publishes no country-by-country dealer list. Buyers outside China are routed through the address on its distribution network page, which makes local support a question to settle before ordering rather than after. Ask any XAG distributor what they hold in stock for the exact model quoted.
Parts availability outranks both spec sheets during a spray season. A window for a fungicide application can be a few days wide, and an aircraft waiting on an airfreighted pump misses it entirely. Weigh a nearby dealer holding stock above a 20 L tank advantage from a supplier three countries away.
The Rules Apply to Both Aircraft Equally
Neither manufacturer offers a way around US agricultural aviation rules. Spraying any substance for agricultural purposes needs a Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), plus a Part 107 remote pilot certificate. Both the P150 Max and the T100 sit far above the FAA's 55-pound threshold, so both also need a Section 44807 exemption before that certificate is issued.
The import question is also shared. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added foreign-manufactured drones and drone critical components to its Covered List in December 2025, with temporary exemptions running to January 1, 2027. Both companies are Chinese, so neither escapes that action by being the smaller or larger firm.
This changes what the comparison is worth. Both machines carry the same certification path and the same import exposure, so neither one is the safer choice on regulation. That pushes the decision onto dealer support and spare-part supply. Growers who want to avoid the import question entirely should read our list of American-made drones instead of comparing these two.
When to Choose Each Aircraft
Choose the DJI Agras T100 when fields are large, the mixing station is far from the working area, and a dealer within driving distance stocks parts. Its capacity advantage compounds across a long day, and the wider Agras dealer network is the practical reason most contractors end up on it.
Choose the XAG P150 Max when transport weight matters and when an XAG distributor covers your territory with real support. The four-nozzle flow rate has to suit the application rate you actually spray. A lighter four-rotor airframe is also easier to move between blocks on a trailer.
- Large row-crop blocks with a distant fill point: the T100, because refill trips cost the most time there.
- Mixed or broken fields with short runs: the P150 Max, because the capacity advantage never gets used.
- No local dealer for one of the two: pick the one with support, whatever the spec sheet says.
- Spraying in the US without a Part 137 certificate: neither, until that certificate is in hand.
Who Should Not Buy Either Aircraft
Neither aircraft suits a grower with a small area to treat each season. The certificates, the exemption wait and the battery and generator kit carry a fixed cost that a few days of flying a year does not repay. Those growers should hire an operator who already holds a Part 137 certificate rather than buy an airframe.
Neither suits an orchard or vineyard where the spray target sits under a canopy. A rotor pushes spray downward, so a ground rover such as the XAG R200, or a conventional airblast sprayer, reaches the canopy underside that an aircraft misses.
Two things would change our answer. If DJI published a single headline flow rate for the T100, the flow comparison would stop depending on dealer quotes and the T100 case would strengthen. If the FCC exemptions lapse on January 1, 2027 without replacement, both aircraft become hard to buy new in the US and the comparison shifts to domestic makers. Growers deciding this season should get both dealer quotes written against the same nozzle kit and battery count, then compare the flow rates on those two quotes.
Where To Buy
The models below are the ones we point readers at, listed in the order we would consider them. We earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you — it never changes which aircraft make the list.
DJI Agras T100
Best for largest fieldsCarries a heavier load per spray mission, so it is picked for covering more area per flight. The trade-off is more weight to manage on the ground and during battery swaps.
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link. Price and stock change constantly, so we show them only on Amazon.
Drones and UAS FAQs
Which is better, XAG or DJI agricultural drones?
The DJI Agras T100 carries more per load, with 100 L of spray against 80 L and 100 kg of payload against 80 kg. It covers large blocks with fewer refill trips. The XAG P150 Max is the lighter four-rotor airframe and publishes a single flow-rate figure of 46 L/min with its four-nozzle kit. Dealer support in your territory decides more of the outcome than either spec sheet, because an aircraft grounded during a spray window costs more than a capacity difference.
How does the XAG P150 compare to the DJI Agras T50?
The XAG P150 carries a 70 L spray tank and 70 kg of payload, which places it above DJI's T50 in the Agras range and below the T100. Comparing across generations is unreliable because DJI revises the Agras line frequently and each model carries its own nozzle options. Compare the two aircraft a dealer will actually quote you this season, using the flow rate for the specific nozzle kit in each quote.
Are both XAG and DJI affected by US drone restrictions?
Yes. The FCC added foreign-manufactured drones and drone critical components to its Covered List in December 2025, and both XAG and DJI are Chinese manufacturers. Temporary exemptions issued in January 2026 run to January 1, 2027. The rules are prospective and apply to newly manufactured equipment, so aircraft already holding an authorization are not grounded by them.
Do I need a licence to fly a spray drone in the United States?
You need two things before spraying commercially. A Part 107 remote pilot certificate covers the flying, and a Part 137 Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate covers dispensing a substance for agricultural purposes. Aircraft over 55 pounds, which includes every XAG and DJI Agras model in this comparison, also need a Section 44807 exemption before the Part 137 certificate is issued.