What's an easy to repair lightweight filming drone for Europeans ?

george3d6 · May 10, 2019

So... I had a parrot ANAFI for a while and I quite liked the 4k video and the speed/control when the GPS signal was on.

However, I managed to crash it (as it happens) and broke a small plastic bit, nothing too hard to fix, but I'm not exactly good a DIY plastic molds and that specific part wasn't sold by anyone... so I ended up contacting parrot's repair center and after 2 weeks they gave me a quote of 410$ to replace the bit O.O

This is obviously rather silly... since I can essentially pay double and just buy a brand new drone.

I'd like to start flying again, but I'm the kind of person that isn't careful enough to *never* crash and loads of interesting footage can be taken in place that are a bit trickier to fly through.

Thus, I'm wondering, what kind of drone can I purchase in Europe for which I can easily purchase a lot of separate spare parts and which I can easily repair (if such a drone exists) ?

What I mean by "load of spare parts" is that they don't come bundled together, so, for example, if a scratch the lense I don't have to get the "Whole camera + CPU package for 400$", instead, I can just buy a 40$ lense. If a motor dies, I don't have to purchase the "motors + propellers + arms pack for 300$", but rather, I can just get a single 30$ motor and replace it. So essentially, something that lends itself to home-repair, not full replacement of the whole product.

Budget wise I'm pretty flexible, anywhere from 500$ to 2000$, but I'm probably not knowing to go much higher, I know the professional quality stuff is better, but for me it's still just a fun hobby.

Other than that, I really like'd the anafi video quality and lightweight size... but I can't really afford to buy a new drone every time I loss GPS signal and it crashes due to instability :/

Any recommendation are much appreciated (Note: I mention Europe since I assume there might be good companies in the US, but the added VAT, shipping cost and shipping times would make them not ideal)

Liger 1956 · May 10, 2019

I think that the only way you are going to get an easily and cheaply repairable drone is to do like lots of us did many years ago and build your own. You then can use easily sourced components and even buy a few spares at the same time. It will involve a steep learning curve if you are not familiar with mechanical assembly, soldering and using a computer to upload firmware and adjust variables but it is very fulfilling and frustrating!

Where in Europe are you as you quote all prices in dollars?

george3d6 · May 10, 2019

I mean.... I am a programmer, I've worked with embedded hardware, I've build simple electronics and repaired them (guitar amps and guitar wiring). But, wouldn't you still be locked in to a simple set of components that can work together unless you want to literally write your own software ?

Are there any good guides for DIY drones ? Any places one can source component online from in Europe ? Do you end up paying much more than with pre-assembled ones ?

Jagerbomb52 · May 10, 2019

How about getting yourself a DJI Tello? They are cheap to buy, light weight, easy to fix if you crash it and you can make your own programs for it or use a free one that someone has made for it already. It also takes pretty good photos, video is just so so. Check out the Tello forum to see if it might fit your needs.

DJI Tello Drone Forum

DJI Ryze Tello Drone Help, Discussions and Community. If you fly the DJI Tello then you'll want to join TelloPilots.com to discuss the latest technologies and uses for the Tello drone.

tellopilots.com

Liger 1956 · May 10, 2019

I understand that if you buy a DJI drone then you can also buy an additional package (insurance) that gives you free repairs for a specified time. Perhaps a DJI owner can supply more information or you can look online.

Reconnaissance Squadron · May 10, 2019

Agustine said:
How about getting yourself a DJI Tello? They are cheap to buy, light weight, easy to fix if you crash it and you can make your own programs for it or use a free one that someone has made for it already. It also takes pretty good photos, video is just so so. Check out the Tello forum to see if it might fit your needs.

DJI Tello Drone Forum

DJI Ryze Tello Drone Help, Discussions and Community. If you fly the DJI Tello then you'll want to join TelloPilots.com to discuss the latest technologies and uses for the Tello drone.

tellopilots.com

Didn't he say he liked the Anafi's 4K camera? Going down to 720p would probably be a deal-breaker, I'd guess.

The Mavic Pro has lots of bits available for it and there are lots in circulation. Of course it is more expensive than an Anafi but there are lots of used ones for sale on eBay, and some of them have hardly been used at all. You can certainly get them repaired really professionally for a lot less (alright, less) than buying a replacement.

Waldo Pepper · May 10, 2019

george3d6 said:
So... I had a parrot ANAFI for a while and I quite liked the 4k video and the speed/control when the GPS signal was on.

However, I managed to crash it (as it happens) and broke a small plastic bit, nothing too hard to fix, but I'm not exactly good a DIY plastic molds and that specific part wasn't sold by anyone... so I ended up contacting parrot's repair center and after 2 weeks they gave me a quote of 410$ to replace the bit O.O

This is obviously rather silly... since I can essentially pay double and just buy a brand new drone.

I'd like to start flying again, but I'm the kind of person that isn't careful enough to *never* crash and loads of interesting footage can be taken in place that are a bit trickier to fly through.

Thus, I'm wondering, what kind of drone can I purchase in Europe for which I can easily purchase a lot of separate spare parts and which I can easily repair (if such a drone exists) ?

What I mean by "load of spare parts" is that they don't come bundled together, so, for example, if a scratch the lense I don't have to get the "Whole camera + CPU package for 400$", instead, I can just buy a 40$ lense. If a motor dies, I don't have to purchase the "motors + propellers + arms pack for 300$", but rather, I can just get a single 30$ motor and replace it. So essentially, something that lends itself to home-repair, not full replacement of the whole product.

Budget wise I'm pretty flexible, anywhere from 500$ to 2000$, but I'm probably not knowing to go much higher, I know the professional quality stuff is better, but for me it's still just a fun hobby.

Other than that, I really like'd the anafi video quality and lightweight size... but I can't really afford to buy a new drone every time I loss GPS signal and it crashes due to instability :/

Any recommendation are much appreciated (Note: I mention Europe since I assume there might be good companies in the US, but the added VAT, shipping cost and shipping times would make them not ideal)

Parrot Bebop 2 with Skycontroller 2, usually $300 to $400. Easy to repair, flys great. I have several Bebop 2. Also have the Anafi, Bebop 2 with Sky Controller 2 May be your best bet.

Paul

Jagerbomb52 · May 10, 2019

Reconnaissance Squadron said:
Didn't he say he liked the Anafi's 4K camera? Going down to 720p would probably be a deal-breaker, I'd guess.

The Mavic Pro has lots of bits available for it and there are lots in circulation. Of course it is more expensive than an Anafi but there are lots of used ones for sale on eBay, and some of them have hardly been used at all. You can certainly get them repaired really professionally for a lot less (alright, less) than buying a replacement.

He said he wanted cheap....can't have both good video and cheap in the same sentence as far as I know.

Iandico · May 10, 2019

Have to agree bebop2 well worth a try,i have 2 and no problems at all fly great very stable and plenty of parts available if needed. Ian

AugerIn · May 10, 2019

The lightweight part is probably carbon fibre, not plastic.

The build your own route would be the way to get it cheaper, but the software doing that isn’t the same as these rtf drones; the featureset you get with an anafi or bebop I think justifies the price. Anything you build yourself is going to take a bit more skill to fly, and putting something together is going to be much more time consuming than just replacing broken parts.

It sounds like you want insurance instead - parrot doesn’t offer it, but perhaps another company will.

This type of thing might even already be covered under homeowners insurance, so call and check with them first if that’s a thing you have, or they might do for a nominal fee.

Then look into drone insurance specifically - lots of commercial liability insurance providers for commercial stuff out there, just a matter of getting one that will cover your recreational drone and repair in case of accident and not just do liability for damages you cause to other things.

george3d6 · May 11, 2019

Agustine said:
He said he wanted cheap....can't have both good video and cheap in the same sentence as far as I know.
View attachment 2022

I didn't really say that, I said I wanted cheap repair, as in, I want to be able to buy spare sparts at no great added markup. I'm comfortable spending 2000$ on a drone, but if every time something happens I have to shell out an extra 1000$ to fix that 2k drone, that's where I'm no longer comfortable budget wise

Dirk_ANAFI · May 11, 2019

george3d6 said:
I didn't really say that, I said I wanted cheap repair, as in, I want to be able to buy spare sparts at no great added markup. I'm comfortable spending 2000$ on a drone, but if every time something happens I have to shell out an extra 1000$ to fix that 2k drone, that's where I'm no longer comfortable budget wise

Then indeed a DIY drone is the best choice:
You can spend as much money as you like for the drone including camera and gimbal.
And: Most DIY drone sets can be repaired easily with single replacement parts.

Reconnaissance Squadron · May 11, 2019

george3d6 said:
I didn't really say that, I said I wanted cheap repair, as in, I want to be able to buy spare sparts at no great added markup. I'm comfortable spending 2000$ on a drone, but if every time something happens I have to shell out an extra 1000$ to fix that 2k drone, that's where I'm no longer comfortable budget wise

That's what I read. I'll stick with the Mavic Pro suggestion. A used Mavic Pro. You can buy replacement bits and try to fix it yourself, a major repair can be done professionally with a warranty on it. Or you can avoid crashing it.