For several years now, here at Backfarmer, we have been purchasing, dismantling, inspecting, and reselling milking robots throughout Europe.

So I regularly see the three major players in the recent market:

• Lely Astronaut A5 and now A5 Next

• DeLaval VMS V300 and V310

• GEA DairyRobot R9500

I’m going to focus specifically on modelsfrom 2019 and later, which, in my opinion, currently represent the core of the recent used market.

Most importantly, I'm going to sharemy perspective as a dealer—based on what we actually see coming through at Backfarmer—to give you a brief comparison of milking robots.

My Comparison

Criterion	GEA R9500	Lely A5	Lely A5 Next	DeLaval V300	DeLaval V310
Reliability
Robustness
Ease of Use
Cow Comfort	½			½	½
Technology	½	½		½
Ease of relocation
Maintenance Costs	½			½	½
Resale Value	½			½
Value for the money on used items		½

 Lely Astronaut A5: A Sure Bet

If I had to sum up the Lely A5 in a few words:

Simple, sturdy, well-known, and easy to resell.

It's probably the robot that's best at putting buyers at ease these days.

Lely has a very large installed base in Europe, and the robot is particularly appreciated for its ergonomic design and ease of use.

The cow moves through the robot very naturally, and the A5's hybrid arm is, in my opinion, one of its greatest achievements.

Another important benefit for us, used-car professionals:

A clean, well-maintained A5 usually sells fairly easily.

What's his flaw?

 The price.

Thanks to Lely's reputation, the A5 models retain a high value—sometimes even a very high one.

For a used-car buyer, it’s therefore essential to compare the asking price with the model year, the number of payments, the features included, and the robot’s overall condition.

My Opinion

Probably the safest choice on the used market.

 Lely A5 Next: Very Promising… But Still Too New

The newA5 Nextfeatures new technologies, particularly in the areas of detection, software, and remote maintenance.

On paper, it looks great.

But it's 2026, and the product is still very new.

Personally, when it comes toused robots, these days I sometimes prefer to buy one:

A5 2020, 2021, or 2022—in excellent condition and perfectly maintained

rather than a recent A5 Next sold for almost the same price as a new one.

In a few years, the A5 Next will certainly become a major benchmark in the used car market.

But today:

 We still need some perspective.

 DeLaval VMS V300: Probably the best value for the money

TheV300 is a robot that I really like when bought used.

Why?

Because it combines:

• a very good technology,

• a high-performance connection,

• proper udder preparation,

• a sturdy design,

• and, above all, a discount that is often greater than at Lely.

And that's exactly where the opportunity gets interesting.

A 2020, 2021, or 2022 V300 that is fully equipped, well-maintained, and purchased at the right price can offer outstanding value for the money.

For a dairy farmer who wants to switch to robotic milking without necessarily investing in new equipment, this is a machine I regularly recommend these days.

His weak point?

The DeLaval environment can sometimes be a little more technical for a new user to get the hang of.

But for someone who enjoys working with herd data,DelPro is an extremely comprehensive tool.

My Opinion

Probably one of the best deals currently available on the market for recent used cars.

 DeLaval VMS V310: Excellent, but not necessary for everyone

The V310 is largely based on the V300, notably with the addition of RePro technology, designed to monitor reproduction through progesterone analysis. Technically speaking, it’s remarkable.

But let's be pragmatic:

Not all farms need a V310.

If the breeder is truly interested in taking advantage of RePro technology, the V310 could be a great choice.

On the other hand, for someone who is looking first and foremost for:

An excellent milking machine for 60 to 70 cows—I’ll often prefer to recommend a good V300.

Fewer pieces of equipment also mean less complexity and potentially lower long-term costs.

 GEA DairyRobot R9500: The Robot I Think Is Underrated

The GEA R9500 is probably the robot about which my opinion has changed the most.

It's an extremely interesting machine.

TheIn-Liner Everythingsystem allows several steps of the milking process to be performed directly in the milking cup:

preparation, stimulation, initial let-down, milking, and post-milking soaking.

It's smart, compact, and technically very interesting.

The R9500 is also particularly well-suited for installations that include:

2, 3, or 4 robots.

Sharing some of the equipment results in highly efficient facilities.

What's his real problem?

It isn't necessarily the robot.

That's the market surrounding the robot.

Depending on the region in Europe, there are fewer installers and technicians who are thoroughly familiar with the R9500 than with Lely or DeLaval.

And that inevitably affects the resale value.

That's also why it can become…

 A great deal on a used item.

Because it's sometimes possible to buy a recent R9500 for much less than an equivalent Lely A5.

My Opinion

½

Technically excellent and sometimes one of the best opportunities on the market.

So, in the end, which one should you choose?

If you were to ask me that question today at Backfarmer:

 Are you looking for peace of mind and excellent resale value?

 Lely A5

 Are you looking for the best value for your money when it comes to technology?

 DeLaval V300

 Are you looking to install multiple robots and take advantage of an excellent business opportunity?

 GEA R9500

Do you want to take reproductive monitoring to the next level?

 DeLaval V310

Are you absolutely set on getting the latest generation of Lely?

 A5 Next, but be mindful of the current purchase price.

And the most important thing is still the condition of the machine

I often tell my clients:

The year listed on the robot isn't everything.

I much prefer to buy:

 a robot from 2020 that has been extremely well maintained,

rather than a robot from 2023 that has been used under poor conditions and has an incomplete maintenance history.

When we select a machine atBackfarmer, we look specifically at:

• its history,

• the number of its milkings,

• its mechanical condition,

• the condition of the arm,

• peripheral devices,

• the vacuum pump,

• computer science,

• the valves,

• the buffer tank,

• available accessories,

• and, of course, the conditions under which the robot operated.

My conclusion

Today, I believe we are fortunate to havethree excellent European automakers, each with a different approach.

Lelyprobably has the product that is easiest to understand and resell.

With the V300, DeLavaloffers a particularly attractive price-to-performance ratio on the used market.

And with the R9500,GEAhas a machine that I still find is all too often underestimated.

AtBackfarmer, our job is precisely to find this equipment in Europe, select the right machines, and give them a second life on a new farm.

The opportunity to bring your projects to life.

Alexandre Duval