SANDUSTRYFIELD GUIDE
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Automation crew

Sandustry Drones: Sweeper, Digger, Recon, and Hauler

Four drones address four different forms of manual work: collecting, digging, scouting, and transporting materials.

Field guideUpdated August 22, 2026
A Sandustry explorer moving through a large underground environment

Drones are not one generic automation upgrade. Each confirmed drone has a narrow role, so the best purchase depends on where player time is being lost. The costs below come from the official WIP research snapshot and should be checked in the current game.

Drone comparison

DroneResearchSnapshot costConfirmed role
Sweeper DroneTier 2800 GoldCollects materials from the ground.
Digger DroneTier 32,500 GoldDigs autonomously.
Recon DroneTier 42,500 GoldScouting.
Hauler DroneTier 43,000 GoldAutomated material transport.

Sweeper Drone: remove loose-material cleanup

The Sweeper Drone is the earliest drone unlock. Its confirmed job is collecting material from the ground, making it relevant where machines or excavation leave useful matter outside a controlled belt route. It does not replace a designed production line; it reduces repeated pickup work around one.

Digger Drone: automate excavation

The Digger Drone arrives one tier later and automates digging. Research it when opening space or reaching material deposits consumes more time than operating the factory. The official snapshot confirms autonomous digging but does not provide enough detail here to promise speed, range, or terrain limits.

Recon Drone: spend less time scouting

The Recon Drone is a Tier 4 scouting unlock. It belongs to an exploration route alongside the Map and Activity Heatmap rather than the core Wet Sand production loop. Choose it when finding the next location or resource is the bottleneck.

Hauler Drone: move materials automatically

The Hauler Drone automates material transport. This is distinct from the Sweeper Drone's ground collection role: one gathers loose matter, while the other addresses movement between locations. Before buying it, identify the repeated hauling route you expect it to replace.

Which drone should you research first?

  1. Choose Sweeper when loose output repeatedly needs manual pickup.
  2. Choose Digger when excavation blocks expansion or access.
  3. Choose Recon when information and scouting are the constraint.
  4. Choose Hauler when a known material route still requires repeated manual transport.

Buy the drone that replaces an observed chore. Buying automation before identifying its route only moves the bottleneck somewhere else.

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