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Vulcan · photo pending manufacturer approval
Weeding · AI-assisted

Vulcan

US (Salinas, CA) tractor-drawn precision weeder using onboard cameras and computer vision to mechanically remove weeds in-row without herbicide. Original venture-backed maker FarmWise wound down independent operations on 1 April 2025 after raising $65M but failing to reach profitability; three days later, produce processor Taylor Farms (itself a prior FarmWise investor and long-time customer) acquired the FarmWise business outright to keep the Vulcan line running. As of mid-2026 Vulcan is still actively sold and field-supported — not discontinued — through an exclusive dealer partnership with RDO Equipment Co. across the Southwest US.

Available in: United States

At a glance

Best for

Large-scale US vegetable growers (multi-thousand-acre operations, the kind Taylor Farms and Barkley Farms run in Salinas/Yuma) who want to cut hand-weeding crew costs on lettuce, brassica, or tomato beds and can absorb a six-figure implement purchase plus annual service contract.

Avoid if

You need a self-propelled or fully driverless machine — Vulcan is a pull-behind implement that still requires a tractor and driver; or you farm outside the Southwest US, where RDO's exclusive dealer territory and FarmWise/Taylor Farms field support do not currently reach.

Not suitable for

Small or medium farms (the flagship unit lists at roughly US$645,000); any buyer needing EU sales, service, or CE documentation — no EU market presence was found; crops outside the 45+ listed vegetable types (e.g. cereals, row crops, orchard, vineyard).

Specifications

Power sourceTractor-drawn, PTO-driven implement (not self-propelled)
Required tractor powerNot disclosed as an HP figure; compatible with standard Category II 3-point-hitch tractors, including John Deere 5-Series (V440 model) and 6-Series tractors
DimensionsSingle-bed working width 76-84 in (1.93-2.13 m); three-bed (V380/T380) working width reported as roughly 20-21 ft (6-6.4 m); four-bed V440 in 40 in bed spacing
WeightNot disclosed precisely by FarmWise; independent coverage puts the single-bed unit at roughly 3,000 lb (1,360 kg) and the three-bed unit at roughly 7,000 lb (3,175 kg)
Min farm sizeNot disclosed; documented deployments are on large multi-thousand-acre vegetable operations (e.g. a 10,000-acre Yuma, AZ/Salinas, CA grower), not smallholdings
Productivity25+ acres/day, 3-4+ acres/hour per manufacturer spec sheet; a two-unit Taylor Farms fleet reported covering up to 100 acres in a single week
Max speed1.5-4 mph
SensorsMultiple high-resolution, camera-equipped row units (18 cameras reported on the three-bed unit) plus custom LED lighting for all-lighting and night operation; onboard computer vision and deep-learning models for weed/crop differentiation
ConnectivityOn-device "edge learning" (24/7 onboard AI processing) with over-the-air software updates; no live remote-operator telemetry disclosed
Compatible toolsMechanical micro-precision blades/knives per row unit for intra-row and inter-row weed removal (chemical-free); 1-8 crop lines per bed depending on model
Configurations
Vulcan V380 / T3803-bed, 80-84 in working width; V380 for lettuces & brassicas, T380 for tomatoes — the flagship configuration, MSRP ≈US$645,000
Vulcan V3683-bed, 68 in working width; lettuces & brassicas
Vulcan V4404-bed, 40 in bed spacing; compatible with John Deere 5-Series tractors; lettuces & brassicas

Price & ROI

Price (EUR)≈€555,000 (+ ≈€39,000/yr service) — indicative conversion only; Vulcan is not sold or priced in the EU
Native priceUS$645,000 MSRP for the flagship three-bed 80 in Vulcan V380, plus a reported ≈US$45,000/yr service & support package — trade-press reported figures (Farm Progress, The Packer), not published on the FarmWise site; single-bed and 68 in/40 in models are priced lower but not disclosed
Price verified2026-07-19
Business modelDirect purchase (not RaaS), sold and field-supported exclusively through RDO Equipment Co. dealers across the Southwestern US since a September 2024 exclusive partnership; John Deere Financing and AgDirect financing offered; FarmWise also runs a "try before you buy" trial program (a free 1-week trial, or paid extended 100/250/500-acre trials with credits toward purchase)
Ongoing costReported ≈US$45,000/yr service & support package per unit (trade-press figure); consumable weeding-blade wear parts; software/AI model updates delivered via the onboard edge-learning system
MaintenanceField support and parts supplied via RDO Equipment Co., the exclusive dealer and service partner for the Southwest US; both FarmWise's CEO and Taylor Farms' leadership stated continuity of service, spare parts, and support through the April 2025 ownership transition
Payback modelVulcan · FarmWise (acquired by Taylor Farms, April 2025)
No manufacturer payback figure is published for this machine. The model below uses only your inputs.
Your farm

Farm figures carry across machines; the per-machine rates reset when you open a different listing.

Your result · per year
Labour saved
Inputs saved
Total saved

Payback = machine price ÷ (labour + input savings per year). Every figure above is yours to change. FX is indicative.

Verified outcomes

Each result is a before-to-after figure with a time horizon and a cited source. Independently-verified results are marked separately from vendor-claimed ones.

Weeding cost, large multi-region vegetable operationCostper season · Trade-press coverage (Farm Progress / The Packer) of the Taylor Farms-FarmWise deployment and acquisition
≈US$550,000 reduction in weeding costs in a single season (customer-reported figure, cited by trade press at the time Taylor Farms was a FarmWise customer, before its 2025 acquisition of the company)Vendor-claimedHand-weeding crews across a ~10,000-acre operation spanning Yuma, AZ and Salinas, CA → Vulcan mechanical precision weeding, eliminating cultivator passes on 64% of the acres covered
Herbicide use for in-row weedingHerbicide & crop-protectionper pass · FarmWise Vulcan product flyer (2025)
Mechanical blade-based weed removal guided by onboard computer vision — no chemical inputsVendor-claimedwas: Chemical herbicide application or hand-weeding crews for intra-row weed control

EU context

CE markingNot confirmed — no CE-marking evidence found; all documented deployments and dealer/service coverage are US-only (Southwest US)
EU Machinery RegulationNot applicable found — no EU placement on the market; would fall under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 autonomous-machine provisions if the Vulcan were ever sold into the EU
AI Act relevanceNot assessed for the EU market (US-only product); the onboard computer-vision weed/crop identification would likely be limited-risk if it were ever placed on the EU market
CAP subsidyNot applicable — US-based product with no EU sales presence, outside EU CAP eco-schemes

Get it

Verified EU dealers
RDO Equipment Co. (exclusive Vulcan sales & field-support partner)Southwestern United States (John Deere/Vermeer/Topcon dealer network, 80+ US locations; Vulcan coverage concentrated in AZ/CA)
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Evidence

Sources

Specifications cross-checked against manufacturer documentation; listing last verified 2026-07-19.

Demo
No demo video yetWe link a demo only once one is confirmed current.
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