AgBot W3-2 Series vs 8R Autonomy
Two autonomous tractor machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
AgXeed's compact wheeled AgBot for permanent row crops — a 75 hp diesel-electric autonomous platform built for orchards, vineyards and tree nurseries, distinct from the larger arable-focused AgBot 2.055W4 (wheeled, 156 hp, id agxeed-agbot) and AgBot T2-7 (tracked, 230 hp, id agxeed-t2-7) already listed on this site. AgXeed states "proven running hours in apple and pear production"; no public press release, world-record trial or independent test data was found for this specific model (unlike the T2-7), so its commercial footprint reads smaller/quieter than its siblings.
Best for: Orchard, vineyard and tree-nursery growers (apples and pears named specifically) needing a compact, low-weight autonomous platform for spraying, flail mowing and soil preparation between permanent rows without soil compaction.Autonomy retrofit for the 8R tractor — supervised driverless tillage at scale. Deere's flagship autonomy moved to the second-generation kit on the 9RX at CES 2025; the second-gen kit retrofits MY2020.5+ 8R/8RX.
Best for: Very large arable operations already standardised on John Deere and Operations Center.| AgBot W3-2 Series Verified 2026-07-19 | 8R Autonomy Verified 2026-07-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Autonomous tractor | Autonomous tractor |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | Netherlands | United States |
| Availability | Available now | Pilot / limited |
| EU market | Pending | Pending |
| Lead time | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-19 | 2026-07-16 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Diesel-electric, 55 kW / 75 hp (2.9 l 4-stroke Deutz Diesel engine, Stage V, max. torque 300 Nm) driving an electric drivetrain | Diesel, 410 hp (8R 410) |
| Required tractor power | Is the tractor (75 hp / 55 kW equivalent); wheeled, no cab | Is the tractor (up to 410 hp) |
| Dimensions | Length 3.85 m; height 1.50 m; wheelbase 2.40 m; width from 1.38 m (min. transport width, 400 mm rear tyres) to 2.02 m (710 mm rear tyres); front wheel fixed at 710 mm, rear wheel options 380/400/520/710 mm | Standard 8R chassis |
| Weight | 2.8 t empty | ~15,000 kg |
| Min farm size | Not disclosed | 400 ha |
| Productivity | Not disclosed as a ha/day figure; brochure gives per-implement rates — orchard sprayer (2,000 l, PWM valves) at 8 km/h; 180 cm flail mower at 4-6 km/h | Field-dependent; 24 h duty capable |
| Max speed | 0-13.5 km/h (electric drivetrain) | 42 km/h (road) |
| Sensors | Roof-mounted LiDAR; ultrasonic and radar sensors integrated into a contact-sensitive safety bumper; geofence system; visual indicator lights and audible alarm; emergency-stop buttons around the machine; RTK GNSS positioning accurate to ±2.5 cm | 6 stereo camera pairs · 360° obstacle detection |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Native price | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Business model | Buy only, price on request — AgXeed does not publish list pricing for the W3-2 on its own site. Sales are handled directly by AgXeed's regional team (including a named orchard/tree-nursery specialist) or via a requested dealer field demo; no country-specific W3-2 distributor was found (unlike the AgBot T2-7's UK distributor SoilEssentials). | Subscription autonomy on owned/leased 8R (US pilot) |
| Ongoing cost | Not disclosed for the W3-2 series specifically — no published service-cost figures found | Not disclosed — subscription, region-dependent |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | — No verified outcome | Operator supervision 1 supervisor/several · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | AgXeed's FAQ states every AgBot "will be delivered together with an EC Declaration of Conformity... [and] all machines are fitted with a CE mark" — a range-wide claim, but no W3-2-specific certificate was found | Not filed for EU autonomous operation |
| Machinery Regulation | AgXeed's FAQ states its AgBots "comply with the most relevant EU regulations" (Regulation (EU) 2023/1230); geofence-bounded supervised autonomy is documented for the W3-2 specifically | EU autonomous approval not yet in place |
| CAP subsidy | Eligible; several EU states fund autonomy pilots | Not applicable pending EU availability |
"—" means the manufacturer has not disclosed the figure; we never estimate silently. Model either machine's payback with your own numbers on its ROI calculator page.