Building an FPV drone for $140, is that good or bad?

Seeking Advice
1

I’m building an FPV drone, and my total cost is around $140 (a little over but close). I’ve seen people saying their builds are over $200. Is my budget good or bad? Please, I need some advice.

2

Drone size plays a HUGE role in cost. Smaller builds can definitely be cheaper.

3

It depends on the quality of materials. If you’ve done your research and chosen good parts, you’ve done well.

4

It really depends on what you’re aiming for. I’ve spent around $500 on my build because I went digital. But you can definitely build a decent FPV drone on a budget if you plan carefully.

5

Grier said:
It really depends on what you’re aiming for. I’ve spent around $500 on my build because I went digital. But you can definitely build a decent FPV drone on a budget if you plan carefully.

My all-in-one flight controller was $120 alone, so $140 for the whole build is impressive.

6

@Lennie
Yeah, my F7 V3 FC and O3 Air Unit were over half my total cost. Going digital adds up fast.

7

Check out Hoarder Sam on YouTube. He builds cheap but decent drones and shares full parts lists and costs.

8

Dru said:
Check out Hoarder Sam on YouTube. He builds cheap but decent drones and shares full parts lists and costs.

I wouldn’t recommend those builds. They often use outdated motors, defective or unsupported flight controllers, cloned frames, and other low-quality parts. Definitely do more research before following those recommendations.

9

@Miller
I’ll do some more research, thanks for pointing that out. Sorry for the bad advice, OP!

10

Dru said:
@Miller
I’ll do some more research, thanks for pointing that out. Sorry for the bad advice, OP!

No worries, I appreciate the help!

11

Can you share your parts list? It’s hard to say if it’s good or bad without knowing what you’re working with.

12

Shea said:
Can you share your parts list? It’s hard to say if it’s good or bad without knowing what you’re working with.

Most of the parts are from AliExpress. They have pictures of people using the parts, so I assumed it was okay.

13

@Jamie
That doesn’t really help much. Can you post a screenshot of your shopping list? Also, be careful with AliExpress. Shipping can take a while, and sometimes parts don’t arrive at all. Banggood.com might be a better option for drone parts.

14

Lol.