As recently as just a decade or two ago, the idea of you walking into a store and buying a drone would have been a pipe dream. It was almost impossible for an ordinary person to get their hands on a drone.
But these days, it’s easier than ever before for people to buy drones. It’s why there are almost 1 million people who have registered drones in this country at this point.
Want to join them? If so, you should start things off by asking yourself, “What drone should I buy?” There are all different types of drones that you can purchase when you’re in the market for one nowadays.
We’ve put together a drone buying guide that should make it possible for you to answer the question, “What type of drone should I buy?” It’ll guide you in the right direction as you shop around for the best drones in the business.
Take a look at our guide below.
How Do You Plan to Use a Drone?
There are dozens of different ways in which you can use a drone. You can utilize a drone to:
- Explore parts of your city or town that aren’t easily accessible by land
- Keep a close eye over your agricultural operation
- Take photos of homes for your real estate business
The question is: How do you plan on using a drone? You’ll have to answer it before you can even think about answering the question, “What drone should I buy?” It’ll make finding a drone that will meet your needs easier overall.
If you’re only going to use a drone to do some light exploring, you should be able to get away with purchasing a beginner option. But if you’re going to use a drone for professional purposes, you might need something a little more heavy-duty.
What Type of Drone Fits Your Needs?
Once you know how you’re going to use a drone, you can learn a little bit more about the different types of drones and what they each have to offer. It should put you in a position to pick out a drone that’s going to check all the boxes for you.
You’ll want to know the differences between, say, multi-rotor drones and fixed-wing drones. You’ll also want to know what a single-rotor helicopter drone or a fixed-wing hybrid VTOL drone can bring to the table.
Far too often, people will just pick out whichever type of drone they’re able to find first without giving a second thought to it. Your goal should be to look for the type of drone that is going to fit your specific needs.
Which Drone Brand Do You Trust the Most?
The drone industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the course of the last decade or so. Some experts predict that it might grow to be worth more than $60 billion within the next five years.
It remains to be seen whether or not that prediction will turn out to be true. But regardless, there are a lot of new drone manufacturers throwing their hats into the ring right now to try and cash in on the drone craze.
You should do your research on the different companies that specialize in producing drones and find one that you trust to supply you with a high-quality drone. Ideally, you’ll want to invest in a drone that was made by a company like DJI.
The DJI Matrice 30 will deliver a whole lot of the features that you need out of a drone. You’ll be thrilled to see everything that you can do from the moment that you get it out of the box.
How Much Do You Want to Spend On a Drone?
A big part of the reason why drone sales have exploded over the last decade is that they’ve become way more affordable than they used to be. You don’t have to take out a second mortgage on your house anymore to secure a drone.
There are actually some drones that are available for under $100. Although they won’t be equipped with all the latest drone features, you might not mind if you’re just interested in learning the ins and outs of using a drone.
There are also some drones out there that will cost you tens of thousands of dollars. Most of these drones will do way more than you would need a drone to do and would be better suited for those using drones for professional purposes.
You should sit down and decide how much you would like to spend on a drone from the start. It’ll make it so much simpler for you to come up with an answer to the question, “What drone should I buy?”
How Skilled Are You When It Comes to Using a Drone?
Are you going to be using a drone for the very first time when you buy one? Or are you someone who has already spent your fair share of time flying drones around?
Your experience level with drones should be something that comes into play at some point when you’re shopping for a drone. You don’t want to buy something that is going to be very difficult for you to control if you’re still an amateur when it comes to drones.
At the same time, you don’t necessarily want to buy a beginner drone if you’re already familiar with how drones work. You might get bored of it within just an hour or two if it’s not capable of doing what some advanced drones can do.
In a perfect world, you should try to test drive a few drones to see which ones make you feel like you’re in the most control of them. It’ll ensure that you’re going to be satisfied with a drone when you start using it.
How Far Do You Want to Fly a Drone?
Is your plan to fly your drone around in your small backyard every so often? Or would you like to fly your drone several miles away almost every time that you use it?
Either way, you should put some thought into how far you want to fly a drone before you buy one. The further that you’re planning to fly a drone, the better the drone is going to need to be.
Most beginner drones are only going to fly for about 300 feet or so before you’ll need to turn them around and bring them back towards you. This will work OK for you if you’re just getting your feet wet in the world of drones, but it won’t be ideal for those who want to monitor their agricultural fields.
Most advanced drones, meanwhile, can fly for up to 7 or even 8 miles before you’ll need to bring them back to you. They’re a great solution for those who are going to utilize drones for professional purposes.
Many people will want the drone that they buy to fall somewhere in between those two extremes. But it’ll be up to you to decide exactly how far you want a drone to fly before picking one out.
How Fast Would You Like a Drone to Be?
Even “slow” drones are much faster than you might think. The average beginner drone should be able to reach speeds of about 20 miles per hour.
But there are some drones that can go way faster than that. Certain drones can reach speeds of 70, 80, 90, or even 100 miles per hour. These drones will be a great option for those who need to cover a ton of ground with a drone.
As you ponder the question, “What drone should I buy?”, it would be worth thinking about how fast you would like a drone to be. You might have to splurge for a more advanced drone if speed is going to be an important factor for you.
What Kind of Camera Do You Want a Drone to Have?
Almost everyone who puts a drone up into the air does so in order to utilize the camera that is included in it. People will often put drones in the air so that they can snap photos and take videos with them.
But it’s definitely worth noting that you won’t be able to get the best photos and videos with a drone that doesn’t have a great camera in it. So if you’re on a mission to take the best photos and videos possible, you’ll need to look high and low for the best drone for video content.
Don’t be afraid to do some digging into the different types of cameras that are found in drones. It’ll allow you to track down a drone with a camera that is going to live up to your expectations.
Which Other Features Are You Looking For in a Drone?
At this point, there are so many different features that drone manufacturers are cramming into drones. You’ll need to consider which features you would like to find in a drone when you’re in the market for one.
For example, would you like:
- A drone with a screen on the controller for it?
- A drone with an extra long-lasting battery?
- A drone with collision avoidance sensors?
- A drone with an advanced GPS module?
It would be a good idea for you to put together a long list of the different features you would like to find in a drone. You can then use this list to narrow down the drone options that you have so that you’re able to buy one that has all the features you need.
How Much Maintenance Can You Do to a Drone?
There is some basic maintenance you’ll need to do to almost any drone that you buy. You will need to do things like:
- Find a suitable place to store your drone when you’re not using it
- Take good care of the batteries that you use in your drone
- Update the software that is use to power your drone
- Keep the propellers for your drone in good condition
- Clean the motors for your drone
- Make sure you only use your drone in suitable conditions
There are also some advanced maintenance steps that you might need to take when you have a more advanced drone. For instance, you might have to replace some of the parts in your drone from time to time. You might also need to be extra diligent about keeping your drone’s motors clean.
If you’re not prepared to do these types of things to maintain your drone, you might want to think twice about buying this kind of drone in the first place. You’ll need to be ready to perform all the proper maintenance on a drone before you agree to buy it. Otherwise, it might not last for as long as you would like, and it might not live up to all your lofty demands.
Stop Asking, “What Drone Should I Buy?”, and Go Shop for One
When you first find yourself asking the question, “What drone should I buy?”, you might be a little overwhelmed. There are just so many drones out there that you can purchase.
But you can make your search for a drone more manageable by asking yourself all of the other questions that we’ve posed here. Your answers should get you one step closer to obtaining a drone that you will truly love in the end. Would you like to get more information on buying drones and other types of gadgets? Find it in the other articles posted on our blog.
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