My father (69) is looking for a cheap drone to have fun with and use to explore around his property and roof area. I have a DJI Mini but he doesn’t want anything that pricey. He’s afraid of breaking it, so he wants something that won’t cost too much if it happens to break. The main feature he’s looking for is a camera with decent quality (1080p) and something easy to use. Any suggestions? I’m considering the Velcase S101, since it seems popular for cheap drones, but I’d love to know about other options too.
This seems like a common question about which drone to buy. Check out the weekly thread here in this forum for advice and suggestions on drones.
Honestly, he is much less likely to crash a Mini than any of those $100 toy drones. If you go for the toy, he might end up climbing on the roof to get it back, which is a lot more dangerous. I’d suggest picking up a used Mini 1 or 2, test it yourself, and then gift it to him.
@Elliott
I totally agree. Anything worse than a Mini or Mavic will probably crash, and the image quality will be disappointing. A used Mini 2 would be a great choice. Something with obstacle avoidance like a Mavic might be worth considering too.
Just get a used DJI Mini, it’s worth it.
Those cheap Amazon drones are pretty much all the same. They usually have different labels but are pretty much the same quality, which is generally bad. Has he tried the Mini? If that works well for him, you can find used Minis and Sparks for under $100. Those cheap brands can be hard to get support for, but you might find YouTube videos showing what you’re getting into. Personally, I think the Spark (even though it’s not 1080p) would be a good choice. It’s much easier for him to upgrade from a Spark or Mini to a Mavic than from a cheap drone to a Mavic. Spark drones are older but still get the job done.
You could also look into the LYZRC L200. It has similar features but for a little extra money (still around $100), it adds GPS and brushless motors. You can get it with an obstacle avoidance module, but I haven’t seen anyone on YouTube test it yet.
@Ainsley
I totally agree! The LYZRC L200 is a great choice for the money. It’s definitely worth checking out.
I’ve got a drone for sale that has a screen built into the remote controller, so you don’t need to mess around with connecting a phone. PM me if you’re interested, and I can send pictures and details.