Planning on buying a drone to capture the perfect shot for your wedding? Do you want to fly drones as a hobby or use them for a film production studio?
Regardless of your reasons, you shouldn’t buy any random drone you find in the market. There are several factors to consider first.
Don’t panic if you aren’t familiar with drones and what to look for. We’ve prepared a guide below to help you buy a reliable drone and for a good price. Continue reading to learn everything you need when buying a drone:
Learn the Types of Drones
The first step in learning how to buy a drone is to know the different types. Your mileage will differ depending on which kind you get. This will also affect how much you’ll spend on the drone and its upkeep.
Multi-rotor drones are the most common and the simplest. You can also find fixed-wing and single-rotor drones but those are more complex and more expensive. Hybrid drones will hit the market soon and you can expect those to cost the most.
Is It Ready to Fly
For a beginner, look for an RTF (ready to fly) drone. These are the ones you can use right out of the box. They come with a transmitter and all the other tools needed right from the get-go.
You can also find Plug and Play drones and Bind and Fly drones. These both don’t come with a transmitter — Plug and Play ones don’t even come with a receiver. These are the types of drones better suited for people who already have some experience and have a preference for their transmitters.
ARF drones (almost ready to fly) are the most advance. These require a ton of work and are the best drones for people who love to customize, race, and upgrade their drones. If you don’t fully understand how drones fly, these aren’t the ones for you.
Find the Best Place to Buy a Drone
Whatever you do, don’t buy a drone from a shady online shop. You might not get what you ordered and the shop might not respond to return requests or refunds. Instead, focus on trustworthy stores that see tons of traffic and regular reviews, like DrDrone.
Found a reliable store? Now spend time reading reviews.
Reviews can help you gauge the quality of the drone and its features so don’t hesitate to go over them. Prioritize reviews with videos so you can see the drone you’re buying and how it works.
Which Features Matter
Not every drone is the same. Some come with more features than others so look for one that can achieve what you need and want. Of course, with more features comes a higher price.
For example, you might want a drone that can capture videos in 4K resolution. Some drones can automatically fly to a marked area via GPS. Others come with complex gimbals and stabilizers to ensure you get the most stable videos even through a fast flight.
Can the drone work with a different receiver or transmitter? Does the drone feature its own camera or do you have to slide in your smartphone instead? Make sure to check too if the drone requires an app on your phone or if it comes with its own remote controller.
All of these should be on your list of considered features and drone options.
Consider Maximum Flight Time
The type of drone you buy will also determine how long it can stay in the air.
A small drone that requires a phone app will likely stay up for 5-10 minutes. This is because it won’t be able to carry a big enough battery to stay up in the air for long. The required WiFi or Bluetooth connection to your phone will also drain its built-in battery, further reducing its flight time.
Bigger, more expensive drones can last longer in the air. They have space for a bigger battery and a powerful enough motor to keep flying. These drones can last from 10 minutes to half an hour, depending on their size and motor.
Buying a Drone With Available Parts
Whenever you buy a new drone, make sure to double-check the availability of its parts. No matter how careful you are, there is always the chance of you crashing your drone by accident. it could also crash and break when it suddenly runs out of battery.
If you can’t find replacement parts, you might not be able to repair the drone if it breaks. It’ll also be difficult to maintain it and keep it running.
Found parts online? Try to make sure they come locally. Shipping for parts from another country will take time and it can cost you a lot due to the shipping fees.
Camera Quality
Last but not least, consider the camera on the drone.
If you simply aim to take cool shots from the sky, a basic drone that lets you insert your phone into it might be enough. You’ll rely on your phone’s camera and the drone is simply there to take it up.
More advanced drones come with built-in cameras. The better ones allow you to take 4K resolution videos. These are the ones to buy if you want to use your drone for professional filmmaking or to make video ads for business purposes.
Buy the Best Drone Today
Buying a drone isn’t a difficult task if you know what you’re looking for. Know your types of drones, check their camera quality, and identify the features you want or need. Don’t forget to look for a good online store with positive reviews.
That said, buying your drone is only the start.
It’s also important to learn how to repair your drone and how to replace parts. You need to figure out how to take advantage of your drone’s best features too. Fortunately, we’ve got a library of guides and posts to help you out so don’t hesitate to check them out today!
