Start with the problem, not a fixed tier list
The most useful first upgrade depends on where your time goes. If your tool fills long before you reach the deposit point, compare container capacity with travel. If the container lasts but cleaning itself is slow, compare the cleaning-head branch. If the main delay is depositing, the logistics branch may be more relevant.
These are decision rules, not measured profit rankings. The analyzed upgrade tree provides base prices and prerequisites, but it cannot know your route, play style or actual time per trip.
When your container fills too often
Every cleaning tool has its own container path and requires the corresponding tool. In the extracted build, the toothbrush starts at 0.5 kg; its container upgrades have base prices of $5, $10 and $20 and use 2×, 4× and 8× multipliers relative to that base, before other effects.
The Dust Compactor applies to tool containers more broadly. Its tree requirement is any one level-one tool container, rather than all six. If you already own a suitable container upgrade, select your current level in the planner to avoid buying it twice.
When cleaning width or reach is the constraint
Wide Heads is a root-level branch in the analyzed tree, with base prices of $40, $140 and $400. Deep Heads and Long Reach each require Wide Heads level one. Surge Heads requires Wide Heads level three, Deep Heads level two and Long Reach level two.
That dependency chain is the important part of the decision: the visible price of Surge Heads is not the full cost for a player who still needs its prerequisites. Use the planner with your owned levels rather than treating a single listed price as the whole bill.
When delivery and walking take longer than cleaning
Rapid Transfer begins the logistics branch. Capsule Tether requires Rapid Transfer level one; Throw Assist requires Capsule Tether level one; Express Dock requires Rapid Transfer level three and Throw Assist level one. Those dependencies make a targeted plan more useful than buying by name alone.
For a travel bottleneck, Servo Stride and the separate vehicle system are also options. Compare the time spent on a complete collection-and-delivery loop; the extracted parameters do not establish which purchase saves the most time in your particular base.
When to consider Auto-Packer and discounts
The localized description says Auto-Packer packs a full hand-tool container at the player’s feet while cleaning. Its prerequisite is Dust Compactor level two. With a toothbrush already owned, no existing container or compactor levels and no discount, the static plan adds the $5 toothbrush container, $150 and $450 compactor levels, and the $2,000 Auto-Packer: $2,605 total.
Supplier Network is a separate economy node. The recovered discount applies to tool purchases and container upgrades, not automatically to vehicle upgrades or building prices. The planner uses your current discount level; buying the discount during the same plan can change the best purchase order.
Review your choice after changing the route
A larger container may be useful until the return trip becomes short, while a faster deposit may matter less after the route changes. Revisit the bottleneck after a new vehicle, station or production line changes how often you travel.
The extracted build is identified by commit f87fd7e5. Prices are static base values, not a promise of the current in-game UI or a universal recommendation for every patch.
Frequently asked questions
What should I upgrade first in Moon Sweepers?
Choose the constraint in your own collection loop. A frequently full tool suggests comparing containers; a slow return or deposit suggests examining movement and logistics. The data does not establish a universal best first purchase.
How much does Auto-Packer cost with its prerequisites?
With a toothbrush owned, no existing qualifying container or compactor levels and no discount, the recovered base-price plan totals $2,605. Your existing upgrades and discount can change the estimate.
Does Supplier Network discount the entire upgrade tree?
The recovered discount applies to tool and container purchases. It is not applied to building or vehicle upgrade prices in our tools.
Static recipe values use analyzed build f87fd7e5, which is not independently mapped to a Steam patch number. Official patch claims cite the developer; community reports are observations, not verified fixes. The guidance has not been tested in-game.