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Farm Machinery & Motor Insurance

Your tractor was expensive. Can you afford to replace it?

Fire, theft, rollovers, and breakdowns during harvest, farm machinery is expensive and essential. One accident or breakdown can cost you tens of thousands of dollars and halt your operation. Farm Machinery Insurance protects your biggest assets.

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What could go wrong

(and why you need this)

Farm machinery is expensive, essential, and exposed to harsh conditions on a daily basis. One harvester fire, one tractor rollover, one major breakdown during peak season, and you’re facing six-figure losses plus operational shutdown. Unlike office equipment, you cannot simply hire a replacement from a local shop. Lead times for major machinery can be months, and every day without it costs you money and potentially jeopardises your contracts.

Scenario 1

The harvester fire

You’re harvesting wheat on a 40-degree day. Dust buildup ignites in your $450,000*header. Within minutes, the entire machine is engulfed in flames. Total loss. You’re mid-harvest with 500 acres still to cut. Hiring contractors to finish: $35,000*. Lost harvest value from delays: $60,000*. You’re facing $545,000* in losses without insurance.

What Farm Machinery Insurance covers

Full replacement value of the destroyed harvester, hire costs for replacement machinery to finish harvest, salvage and removal costs, and fire brigade charges.

Scenario 2

The tractor rollover

Your $180,000* tractor rolls on steep terrain. The driver (your employee) walks away with minor injuries, but the tractor is a write-off.

The rollover protection frame worked, but the machine was destroyed. You still have months of work ahead and no tractor.

What Farm Machinery Insurance covers

Full replacement cost of the tractor, hire equipment while you’re waiting for a replacement, towing and recovery costs, and cleanup of any environmental damage (fuel spills).

Scenario 3

The stolen quad bikes

Thieves target your property overnight, stealing two farm bikes ($18,000* each) and attachments. You use these daily for livestock checks across 800 acres.

Without them, operations slow dramatically. Replacement plus security upgrades: $45,000*.

What Farm Machinery Insurance covers

Theft of machinery and equipment, replacement costs, upgraded security if required by insurer, and hire costs while waiting for replacements.

Scenario 4

The breakdown during peak season

Your $320,000* combine harvester breaks down during the critical 10-day harvest window. Repairs: $42,000*. Parts are on backorder for 2 weeks.

You hire contractors at $180/hour to finish harvesting before rain arrives. Contractor costs: $28,000*. Some crops deteriorate while waiting, resulting in a $15,000* loss.

What Farm Machinery Insurance covers

Repair costs, expedited freight for parts, hire of replacement machinery, and some policies cover consequential loss (deteriorating crops, missed market windows).

What this actually covers

Farm machinery and motor insurance

Farm Machinery & Motor Insurance covers agricultural vehicles and equipment:

Mobile farm machinery:

  • Tractors (all sizes and types)
  • Harvesters and headers
  • Balers, seeders, and planters
  • Spray equipment and spreaders
  • Slashers, mowers, and cutters
  • Loaders and telehandlers
  • Mulchers and cultivators

Farm vehicles:

  • Utes and farm trucks
  • ATVs and quad bikes
  • Side-by-sides (UTVs)
  • Farm motorbikes
  • Trailers and floats

Specialised equipment:

  • Grape harvesters (viticulture)
  • Cotton pickers
  • Nut harvesters
  • Irrigation pumps and equipment
  • Dairy equipment (milking machines, vats)

Events covered:

  • Fire and explosion
  • Theft and attempted theft
  • Collision and rollover
  • Storm and hail damage
  • Flood and water damage
  • Malicious damage
  • Accidental damage

Additional cover typically included:

  • Attachments and implements
  • GPS and precision agriculture tech
  • Tools carried on machines
  • Third-party liability (if causing damage)
  • Towing and recovery
  • Fire brigade charges

Optional extras

  • Machinery breakdown (mechanical/electrical failure)
  • Loss of income or hiring costs
  • Expedited freight for parts
  • New-for-old replacement (agreed value)
  • Spare parts and accessories

What's typically not covered

  • Wear and tear or gradual deterioration
  • Maintenance and servicing
  • Faulty workmanship or design
  • Overloading or misuse
  • War or nuclear risks

When you need this

By founder stage

Start smart

Pre-launch to first year

You need this immediately when:

  • You’re buying your first tractor or significant machinery

  • You’re financing equipment (lender will require insurance)

  • You own machinery worth more than $50,000 total

  • You’re using equipment daily for commercial farming

  • You can’t afford to replace equipment from cash reserves

Market value vs agreed value:
An agreed value is better; you know exactly what you’ll receive if there’s a total loss. Market value means the insurer determines the payout at claim time (which could be less than you expect).

Typical coverage

Individual machinery items over $20k listed separately, smaller items grouped. The sum insured should equal the replacement cost, not the market value.

Scale strong

Growing and hiring

Your cover needs to increase when:

  • You’re adding more machinery to your fleet
  • You’re upgrading to newer, more expensive equipment
  • You’re buying specialised machinery (harvesters, pickers)
  • You’re using machinery for contracting work (not just your own farm)
  • Your equipment becomes essential to income (can’t operate without it)

Fleet policies

iIf you have multiple machines, a fleet policy is more efficient than individual policies. Single renewal date, easier administration.

Stay protected

Established and optimising

Review your cover annually:

  • Update machinery values (new purchases, depreciation, appreciation)
  • Add new equipment as you buy it
  • Remove sold or scrapped machines
  • Check agreed values are still accurate (replacement costs change)
  • Review breakdown cover if the machinery is aging
  • Consider hire and consequential loss cover during peak seasons

Typical coverage

This is where things get custom, and you need to talk to the team at Pocket to evaluate your specific needs.

Common questions

Founders actually ask

Does my farm insurance already cover my machinery?

Basic farm insurance usually covers smaller equipment, but has low limits (often $50k-$100k total). Major machinery, such as tractors and harvesters, requires separate specific coverage due to their high value. Check your farm policy limits.