Thinking of buying a used DJI… what should I know?

Buying Advice Forum
1

I’ve flown some racing drones and cheap AliExpress ones before, but now I want something that takes really good photos. If possible, I’d also like it to carry a lidar sensor and a control board. I thought about building one myself, but maybe getting a used DJI is the smarter move.

My budget is under $500 CAD, so I’ll be shopping used. I’ve seen a few Mavics and Minis pop up in that range. What models should I focus on? And what are the common problems or things I should check before buying?

Thanks in advance!

2

Don’t buy one that’s still registered to someone else, and ask about any crash signs, dents, or scratches. Big red flag if it looks banged up.

3

Larkin said:
Don’t buy one that’s still registered to someone else, and ask about any crash signs, dents, or scratches. Big red flag if it looks banged up.

How do I even know if one is still registered?

4

@Willow
You won’t really know unless you ask the seller. Have them show you photos of the drone and be clear that you’ll return it if anything’s wrong. Use a payment method that protects you.

5

@Willow
I think what he meant is you need to make sure the drone is unbound from their DJI account. If you can’t link it to your own DJI account, it’s useless.

Here’s a guide from DJI support: DJI Fly App Account and Device Binding/Unbinding Guide

6

@Merrill
That makes a lot more sense, thanks. I’m new to DJI stuff, so I didn’t know about that. Sounds like they should be able to show me flight hours and battery info from the app too?

By the way, I saw you mentioned a Mavic 2—how’s it treating you? I live out in the country where it’s windy a lot, so I’m thinking something heavier like a Mavic would be more stable.

7

@Willow
Yeah, I’ve got the Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced. I use it for Search and Rescue stuff. It’s a solid drone—really stable and simple to fly.

And yep, the seller can show you flight hours and battery cycles before they log out of their account. Definitely ask for that before buying.

8

@Merrill
That sounds great, really appreciate all the info!