9 Best DIY Drone Kits for Beginners: 2020 Reviews and Buying Advice

From kids to people aspiring to get into the electronics, aviation or some serious drone/aero business, Drones have people of all ages captivated. Drones are dream come true for every kid and adult. Here you have a fully programmable and controllable flying machine that does your bidding in the air. Along with its increased popularity is also its fanbase filled with people obsessed with building a drone of their own. 

In our list today, we are going to talk about and list down some of the best DIY drone kits for Beginners to start with. Before buying your first drone kit, please be sure that you have the following three important aspects checklisted. 

1. Legality Status

The first and foremost thing that you need to look for and consider before getting a drone is whether a drone is perfectly and completely legal in your area or not. While most of the areas in countries like the US and Canada have a clear legal status for having and operating a drone, a few areas might require you to have a special license or permission of sorts to be able to build or use a drone. Please make a careful evaluation of the same before proceeding further.

2. Type of Drone

Drones come in various types and sizes as well. For starters, you will have 3 types of drones. RTF( Ready To Fly), ARF(Almost Ready to Fly) and BNF (Bind and Fly). RTF drones are for people who need a toy or a drone that flies immediately after purchase. DIY enthusiasts and Hobbyists would prefer an ARF drone as it requires a proper assembly before you fly it. BNF drones are yet another choice where you need not a lot of assemblies. A simple transistor insertion is all you need and you would be good to go.

3. Accessories

The third thing that you can look for in a drone is the level of accessories the seller is giving you. A few examples would be additional building tools, memory cards etc., that add on to help you build or make the most out of your drone.

Apart from these three, there are a lot more factors that you might need to consider before buying a DIY Drone. As a beginner, you would like to know more about the basic nut and bolts of this area. Our Buying Guide section is specifically built for the very same function. Be sure to check that out for further information on how to buy a DIY drone, frequently asked questions and much more. 

Now without any further ado, let us jump right into the article and review the top and best DIY Drone kits for beginners to buy in 2020

Drone Kits	Type	Camera	Warranty	Buy Now
DJI Mavic Mini Combo - Drone	ARF	Yes	1 Year	Check the Price
DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Combo	ARF	Yes	1 Year	Check the Price
DJI Mavic Mini Portable Drone Quadcopter Starters Bundle	RTF	Yes	1 Year	Check the Price
DJI Tello Quadcopter Drone Boost Combo	BNF	Yes	1 Year	Check the Price
GILOBABY STEM RC Mini Racing Drone	BNF	Yes	N/A	Check the Price
DJI Tello Quadcopter Drone	BNF	Yes	~ 1 Year	Check the Price
EMAX Tinyhawk Outdoor Drone	BNF	Yes	1 Year	Check the Price
Hobbypower DIY F550 Hexacopter Kit	ARF	No	N/A	Check the Price
LHI Quadcopter Frame Kit	ARF	Yes	N/A	Check the Price

List of Best DIY Drone Kits for Beginners

1. DJI Mavic Mini Combo – Drone 

First on our list is the DJI Mavic Mini Combo from DJI, a reputed Drone manufacturer and seller. The Mavic Mini Combo Drone FlyCam quadcopter comes with interesting features and impressive user reviews. 

Camera: 2.7k Quad HD Videos and 12 MP areal shots supported.

Software Specs: Can be programmed and run on iOS V10 or higher and also for android, Android V6.0 or higher.

Top Features

• 3 axis gimbal for better and good stability and can shoot without any shaky-cam feel 
• A total of 30 minutes of flying time with a fully charged battery. 
• Good under 250 grams of weight which is almost as heavy as a smartphone making it stay for longer than generic brand Flycams
• Multiple quick shot modes such as the Dronie, Helix, Circle and Rocket etc., Preset recording features available
• The DJI Fly App comes with intuitive user experience and lets you grab movie-like shots in just a few taps and also includes a flight tutorial that is great for beginners
• Comes with 3 pairs of spare propellers, remote controller, 3 intelligent flight batteries, Spare control sticks, Lightning connector, USB C connector, Two-way charging hub, 360-degree propeller guard and a neat carry bag

Warranty: Not too specific but it is around 90 days from the date of purchase.

Pros

• Highly rated and reviewed
• Highly durable product
• Great for beginners

Cons:

None too specific to mention about

Buy Now From Amazon

 

2. DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Combo

Next on our list is the also the DJI Mavic Mini Fly More Drone but with more accessories and onboard memory. 

Camera: 12 MP aerial shots supported and 2.7k Quad HD Videos

Software Specs: Can be programmed and run on iOS V10 or higher and also for android, Android V6.0 or higher.

Top Features:

• Comes with a free 64 GB Micro SD Card by SanDisk
• Package includes a VanCity UAV 75 cm Landing Pad
• Range Booster for a longer range of flying 
• USB 3.0 Card Reader for placing the memory card
• 3 DJI Original Mini Batteries
• 20 propellers and 360 Degree propeller guard
• The DJI FlyApp has great tutorials and also presets
• A neat Carry case
• Gimbal for stable areal recording
• Light in weight of about 250 grams
• 30 minutes of flight time with a full charge

Warranty: 1 Year manufacturer’s warranty from the date of purchase. 

Pros:

• Great user reviews
• A high number of accessories and utilities such as landing gear etc.,

Cons:

None too specific to mention

Buy Now From Amazon

 

3. DJI Mavic Mini Portable Drone Quadcopter Starters Bundle

Yet another DJI Mavic Mini, this portable drone quadcopter is a starters bundle and comes in a prebuilt format that is almost ready to fly. 

Camera: 12 MP Camera with a 2.7k Quad HD 3 Axis gimbal

Software Specs: Android and iOS smartphone controllable with the DJI Flyapp as well. 

Top Features:

• Ready to fly design 
• 3 Axis gimbal gives great stable videos
• FlyApp for better control and for tutorials as well
• HD Video output even from 2.5 Miles straight up
• Comes with the controller and also batteries

Warranty: 1-year manufacturer’s warranty from the date of purchase but is valid only in the USA

Pros

• Small and simple in design 
• Ready to fly thus needs no complicated construction 

Cons:

• Not so enthusiastic for professionals

Buy Now From Amazon

 

4. DJI Tello Quadcopter Drone Boost Combo

The DJI Tello is a low range yet high-speed and very affordable DIY quadcopter drone that comes with boost combo and VR too. 

Camera: HD Camera with VR headset compatibility

Software Specs: Intel 14 Core processor and has DJI FlyApp compatibility

Top Features:

• Simple design and beginner-friendly set up and build-up
• Compatible with VR Headset that gives you a breathtaking 
• Comes with the VanCityUAV Cleaning Kit
• Two antennas for better video transmission and extra stability 
• High capacity battery for about 30-35 minutes of air travel 
• Great image processor quality that lets you shoot pictures and videos

Warranty: 1-year manufacturer’s warranty from the date of purchase.

Pros:

• Affordable pricing 
• Built to be beginner-friendly 
• Light in weight thus needs not a lot of energy to take off and fly
• Comes with a bunch of accessories that aid in its usage and cleaning

Cons:

• Low range
• No gimbal
• No GPS

Buy Now From Amazon

 

5. GILOBABY STEM RC Toys DIY Mini Racing Drone

Gilobaby STEM is a super cheap and extremely affordable version of a drone. Technically, this is a STEM remote-controlled DIY toy.

Camera: No camera comes with the standard version.

Software Specs: No software and is controlled using a remote

Top Features:

• 6 Axis gyro controlled quad-rotorcraft flight with great stability
• Good wind resistance and easy to control for kids too
• Headless mode for easier flight control
• 360 Degree flexible movement function with the remote controller that you can move about the drone in any direction
• The throttle and speed controls of the drone can be done using the remote control itself
• 50 Meters control distance 
• 5 minutes of total flight time with 3 AAA batteries

Warranty: No Warranty

Pros:

• Great toy gift for kids and early teens and also for people who love drones
• Very affordable
• Easy to use

Cons:

• Not for professionals
• No warranty
• No camera nor any other software specs

Buy Now From Amazon

 

6. DJI Tello Quadcopter Beginner Drone 

Yet another Tello Quadcopter, the DJI Tello Quadcopter for beginners is just the same as the DJI Tello Quadcopter we mentioned earlier in the list except that this one is a BNF model (Bind and Fly) whereas the previous one was an ARF (Almost Ready to Fly)

Camera: Has an HD Camera and also VR headset compatibility

Software Specs: Can be controlled with an RC controller or easily with the DJI FlyApp on your mobile smartphone

Top Features:

• Simple join, bind and fly mode
• VR Compatibility for a great first-person view
• 35 Minutes of air travel with a full battery
• Comes with a neat carry case
• 4 Propeller pairs, propeller guards, battery and a propeller removal tool provided in the kit
• Also a spare battery and a VR Viewer that fits for 3.5 inches to 6 inches large mobile screens

Warranty: One year of manufacturer’s warranty from the date of purchase.

Pros:

• Beginner-friendly just plug and play model
• Comes with a free VR headset for First Person view flying

Cons:

• Not build for pros or proper DIY projects
• Could have improved the camera quality and battery life

Buy Now From Amazon

 

7. EMAX Tinyhawk Outdoor Drone

Emax is a very small 2.5 inches freestyle outdoor drone that is made for Beginners. This BNF (Bind and Fly) drone is a freestyle and also comes with a carry case

Camera: Basic 600 TVL CMOS Camera that can also provide a first-person perspective

Software Specs: EMax freestyle is compatible with most controllers and control softwares and also the D8.D16 Mode Frsky Remote cONTROL

Top Features:

• 2.5 inches propeller with powerful thrust and stability
• 1103 Brushless Motor has a unique power system
• Dual Battery connector that allows you to place and use two batteries at the same time. This will not only increase the power output but also improve the flight time for 8 more minutes
• The EMAX Tiny receiver is compatible with any Frsky remote controls that are in the D16 or D8 modes
• Has a fast F4 processor for stable flight function
• Carbon fibre aerospace-grade build

Warranty: Probably one year manufacturer’s warranty but not exactly specified

Pros

• Budget-friendly Model
• Good stability while flying
• Dual battery facilitated

Cons:

• No warranty specified 
• Not so preferable for professionals

Buy Now From Amazon

 

8. Hobbypower DIY F550 Hexacopter Kit 

The Hobbypower DIY F550 is the first DIY hexacopter in our list and it is of the BNF model. The Drone kit comes with a brushless motor and a flight controller as well.

Camera: Supports camera but it is not available in the module and should be bought separately

Software Specs: Compatible with most generic control softwares but does not come with any pre-programmed remote control

Top Features:

• Six propellers and has a strong rack
• 3S Lipo battery support (not included) for sustaining longer flight duration and to support powering the 6 propellers
• Strong rack with an aesthetically decent appearance
• High stability thanks to the number of propellers. Great for Flight and FPV
• The assembly requires some expertise and is also built in a way to aid develop DIY drone skills

Warranty: There is no proper warranty information that has been provided for the drone

Pros:

• Built for power
• Budget-friendly
• Great for DIY Learners

Cons:

• No battery
• No Camera
• No warranty information

Buy Now From Amazon

 

9. LHI 240mm FPV Quadcopter Frame Kit

Finally, we have the LHI Quadcopter Frame kit. The ARF 2306 is a 2600 KV Motor, 32 bit and 240 mm large drone that also comes with a flight controller ARF kit and a camera too. 

Camera: FPV Camera 700 TV Lines which roughly translates to 976 X 494 Pixels

Software Specs: 32 bit ESC Compatible with Blheli_s 35A and can also support 3-4S 11.1V-22. BetaFlight GUI with OSD Configuration included in the kit.

Top Features

• Sturdy Carbon Fiber Frame that is cut neatly and comes with arms that have small motor guard extensions as well
• Comes with three 4S Brushless Motors of  2600 KV capacity. 
• 420 Anti-Collision stainless steel fuse that runs smoothly without any dangerous vibrations
• F3 Ombi bus FC that uses the MPU6000 Sensor. 
• Includes radio receiver, transmitter, LIPO battery and a VR Goggle
• 10 propellers provided for usage and backup

Warranty: Warranty not specified for this product 

Pros:

• Highly detailed and built for professional DIY project persons
• Useful Accessories provided 
• Powerful motor
• Easy to assemble and build

Cons:

• No warranty

Buy Now From Amazon

 

Things to look for when Buying a Drone Kit

There are many consumer drones kits available in the market, but the majority of the beginners have no idea about how to choose the best quadcopters for their needs.

These quadcopters are known for their safety and performance that reduces the potential of the device. Not all drones are ready to fly when you shop online.

Types of Drone Kits

Before you wish to add drone kit to the cart, it is very important to know the types of drones and its applications. If you are aware of it then you can easily choose the right one for your project or other purposes. Here are few types of drone kits. Check them!

RTF means Ready To Fly; It comes with everything you need to get the drone in the air within minutes as soon as your batteries are fully charged.

ARF means Almost Ready To Fly; It is specially designed for the DIYers & hobbyists. It doesn’t come with a single piece and you just need to assemble the parts to make the device fly.

BNF means Bind N Fly; This BNF drone also comes with all the necessary components except the transmitter. Now you need to select a transmitter of your choice, connect to the drone model and make the device to fly easily without any delay.

1. What is the Range?

The range is the main factor for to be considered while purchasing the drone kit. It gives you an idea of how far (distance in meters) you can control the device.

Our best suggestion is to think for a while about the purpose of using drones at homes or other places. Usually, you can control the drone remotely within a range of 50-100/500 meters.

2. Headless mode

When you look at the drone, you can easily identify the front and back side. But the beginners may get confused little bit because of the 4 wings.

For example, if you make the drone to fly it can turn 180° and move towards you. Now its head facing opposite to the original direction. Meaning that if you move the drone towards left, it will move to your right and vice versa.

In the beginning, you may face some difficulty but later on, you can handle it with an ease. If you are new to flying the drones then get one with the headless mode.

3. Flight time

Flight time is another important aspect you should look into a drone. Because when you start playing with the drone there may be chances of falling down due to the battery that gets completely discharged.

The average flight time of drones may vary from 5-30 minutes. and the basic model drone kits have 10 minutes of flight time. It is important to keep the drone within the range and monitor accordingly.

4. Camera

Next amazing feature in the list is Camera. Almost all drones will have a camera feature. This amazing feature catches the eye of customers and makes them buy the product immediately.

Some of the DIY drone kits have a separate option to install. If you really want the drone to fly longer then you shouldn’t even think about the camera. There are more chances of taking videos and images from the sky with high clarity. But the thing is you need to invest more money than the basic models.

5. Return home button

The return home button on the controller is very simple to access. For this, you need to press a button that makes the drone to fly in the sky. You won’t find this feature in the basic models only on the expensive drones that have return home and obstacle avoidance features.

If your drone doesn’t support GPS then operate in the headless mode else it can move in different directions than approaching towards you.

6. Gimbal

Gimbal is a pivoted support that helps to rotate an object in a single axis. It is usually adopted on drone kits to prevent the footage from being wooble.

When your drone changes the direction the video may look tilted or you are not skilled at capturing the moments. You can see this amazing feature in the expensive or latest kits that plays a crucial role in making the videos look professional.

It best suits for those who can bear huge amounts and love the capture the beautiful moments. If you are not willing to spend more then opt for models that best suits you in the given list of 12 best.

How to Build your own DIY Drone Kit?

In this section we have provided the complete information to build DIY drone kits. For this, you need the drone components and the procedure for building a drone kit.

1. Basic Components You Need

To build your own drone kit, the components like frame, propellers, motors, battery, and remote controller are mainly required. Read below to know how each of the specific component work to make the drone more reliable and long lasting with greater efficiency.

Frame

Frame is referred as the structural system that supports peripheral components in a physical form. It is the largest part of every drone where all the necessary components are to be attached.

 

The above-featured images are the 2-different designs of drone frames that is responsible for the drone to fly smoothly in the air as medium.

Propellers

Propeller is actually a fan that transmits the power by converting the rotational motion into thrust which is produced on the front/rear surfaces of the blades.

The are the parts that allow the drone to flight. For a drone to fly, it should have a minimum of 4-propellers. If there is any damge to the propellers then the drone will not fly. Make sure you use only the propellers made with fine quality materials.

Many of the manufacturers offer more than the required propellers in the kit if there is any damaged.  You can see the differently shaped propellers as given below when you purchase the drone kit.

Motors

All drone kits must have atleast 1-4 motors. These motors are connected and monitored via remote controllers that can power up the propellers for smooth and fast flight. The more powerful motor, higher the propeller speed (in RPS- rotations per second).

ALthough, the product manufacturer offers high-end motors, you can use it only for a specific task. If you want the motors with more flexible options then go with the Brushless Motors that can be affixed to robot cars, motor tanks, and many more gaming toys.

Battery

Battery is another important thing that everyone should look into while buying a drone kit. Without this, you cannot run or control the device as it power the motors which in turn powers the propellers.  Usually, high powered batteries are preferred.

Remote controller

A remote controller is an electronic device used to operate at a distance. The traditional models are equipped with the wired technology (for short distance) but now you can see wireless controllers everywhere.

If you are planning to hook up with all the necessary functionalities in a single device. No other device can compete with the remote controllers.

Beware that not all the drone kits will offer remote controller, and you need to buy them separately.

2. Step by Step Procedure to make a DIY Drone

Here in this section, you will come to know about the step by step procedure for crafting a DIY drone.

• First step is to make a frame. You can use any sort of material like metal, wood or plastic.
• Check for the propellers, motors, and the controllers.
• Now mount the motors on frame at their respective positions with screws and nuts.
• Add landing gears as it significantly reduces the shock when the drone lands on a surface.
• Flight controller to be placed on top of the drone and be sure that all the components connected to the frame are well calibrated.
• Check out for any loose connections of the hardware devices and test your drone.

A small test to be made using remote controller and propellers to ensure the drone fly well. For this to happen, take the device to a suitable place and  monitor it within a short distance. Carefully observe the cables, components connection. If you do not find anything weired then it is absolutely fantastic and is ready to fly. Without any delay you can start playing with your drone and enjoy those wonderful moments.

Benefits of Drone Kits

Knowing about the drone kits isn’t the thing; you should also know how to use the drones wisely to make your work effortlessly. These wonderful drones have major applications in War, Agriculture, and Technology and read on to know how effectively they can be used in wide areas.

Detecting a bomb; As the size of the drone is very small they can easily penetrate into constricted areas. The HD cameras used in these drones make suitable for detecting the bombs and save our lives.

Surveillance; Surveillance is another important application of a drone that ensures the safety of the people.  For such things, using surveillance drones can be an interesting idea. This reduces the effort of a man and makes easier for them.

Filming; Now-a-days we are able to see full HD or 4K resolution videos. It is all because of the latest improvement in the technology. These days many of the shots are being captured by drone or quadcopters that has brought a completely new look to the film industry.

The Hollywood movies that have already used drones are James Bond Skyfall, Wolf of Wall Street, and Harry Potter- the Chamber of Secrets. It’s because drones have the capability to reach places and get the clear vision of the moment.

Agriculture; Drones have a prominent role in the agriculture field. It greatly helps the farmers in reporting the improvements of crops and also monitors regularly to provide in-depth analysis of the agricultural land.

Forecasting the weather; Another important use of drones is the weather forecasting. It experiences the surrounding weather conditions with the help of sensors and cameras. It collects the information of weather parameters like temperature & humidity with excellent footages to study and understand their occurrences.

Some of the major benefits of drone kits you will indulge with are given below:

• Drones are very flexible to upgrade by simple connecting to hardware parts which in turn saves your money.
• If you compare with the ordinary drones they are very affordable.
• It enriches your thought process; as you clearly watch and observe the things happening around you with the help of drones.
• When you have drone kit, you can add or install a number of components for a specific task.
• They have much better aerial photography because you can fix high pixel camera and an electric motor for a smooth flight.
• They offer more fun than the pre-assembled drones and the level of adjustments & modifications is higher.

Some Frequently Asked Questions:

1.What is an FPV drone?

FPV (First person view) is a method to control the drone from the pilot’s point of view. Mostly this mechanism is equipped with drone aircraft or simply say Umanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to control the device via camera or video monitor.

Some of these latest FPV drones are programmed to fly automatically by accessing the data from onboard sensors and GPS.

2. How does FPV (First Person View) mode work?

Depending on the drone model kit the signal sent may be a video or the image. To view the information sent by the drone, you can use smartphone or tablet for better clarity.

But if you use only a drone remote controller, the HDMI port is compatible with the screens primarily controls the drone. The display unit shows up the battery life and altitude or even the position of drone if it features GPS technology.

Whereas if you interface the drone with the smart devices it simply captures photos or videos and also give commands to the drone-like takeoff, return home that makes the flying easier.

3. How to connect drone to my smartphone or tablet?

Firstly, you need to download the app (recommended by the manufacturers) on your smart device and connect the drone via Wi-Fi connection or Bluetooth. It will let you save the photos and videos when the drone is flying

4. Where shouldn’t you fly the drones?

When you get the home drone kits for the first time, you are super excited to play with it all the time. While playing you should consider some of the important things like:

• You shouldn’t fly the drone more than 400-feet from the ground level.
• Not in national parks,  near government buildings or areas.
• Don’t fly over crime scenes or fires.

5. What will happen when your drone is crashed?

The first thing you need to know is about the drone that it is equipped with cameras, motors, batteries, and sensors.

When the drone is crashed there are more chances of damaging to these parts by the environmental parameters like temperature and humidity or a strong hit to a wall, wooden or any other source. So you must thoroughly check the receiver as it can navigate to the location where it got stuck.

Another option can be due to the power.

The beginner who has no experience make more mistakes in handling the drones. For them, an instruction manual is provided along with the kit components to be familiar with the remote controller options and handle with an ease.

6. How to prevent drone from crashing?

To prevent your drone from crashing there are a number of settings like auto return & land to ensure the safety. It mainly occurs due to the low battery power or obstacles in front of it. The advanced drones feature No-fly zones option to make sure that you don’t actually put the device in an uncomfortable position.

7. Why should you buy a drone kit?

Well, for a beginner the drone kit may give the freedom to build your own drone that exactly how you wish to. The good quality drone kit may cost 100’s of dollars or even more. But money isn’t the matter when you desire to get into the drone world. Though there are low-priced drone kits, they don’t offer the quality and performance than a high-quality drone kits.

My best suggestion for you is to go with the high-priced drone kit that comes with amazing features. If you purchase a cheap quality or low cost drones kit then after assembling the hardware parts, the drone starts malfunctioning and your total money will be wasted.

8. What is the main purpose of using a drone kit?

One must know the importance of drones in real time applications like war, technology, agriculture, research, satellites and industries. When you desire to craft a drone project you should also know about what  you are going to implement.

The best part of the drone kits is that you can assemble the components ‘N’ number of times until you reach the goal.

For example, if you wish to make a plan to craft drone to capture the aerial images then you need an HD camera with respect to the FPV-First Person View. Here  the decision you take is more important.

Wrapping it up:

The DJI Mavic Mini Combo Drone comes with a brilliant 2.7K Camera mounted on top of a 3 Axis Gimbal along with GPS. It has a total of 30 minute fly time and can be controlled and toggled with just your smartphone. Furthermore, it is light in weight and comes with a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty. That and the fact that it has garnered great user reviews and ratings have made it one of the best drones to buy in 2020. 

While those were our picks, we are intrigued to hear it from you. Did we miss out on anything? Or do you want us to add something to this list? Or is it that you have any questions for us regarding drones and other DIY kits? If so, feel free to write to us in the comments section below and our team of product experts will write back to you as soon as possible.

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