Looking for Drone Recommendations

I am considering purchasing a drone for inaccessible and/or hard to access roofs. Does anyone have any recommendations? And yes, I know that to use it for commercial purposes that I need a Remote Pilot Certificate.

Welcome back to our forum, Mark!..Enjoy! :smile:

Sorry, no info on drones. But, some will be along shortly to give you lots of info.

I have the Mavic Air 2 and it has been a great drone. Video is very nice and it is shockingly stable in high winds. I think you can get them for about $1k. The Mavic mini and DJI mini come in a much smaller size and do nearly everything the Mavic Air 2 does for cheaper at around $600, if you’re just using them for inspections I would go for the minis although you will lose a little stability in the winds with the smaller size. There are much fancier drones out there too with thermal and all the bells and whistles if you are willing to spend the money.

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Thanks for the info Shane. A good friend of mine also has a Mavic Air 2 and highly recommended it, but I’ll also consider your recommendation for the minis.

Mark I have been using drones for a few years now and I have a couple types of DJI drones. The one I use the most now is my Mavic Air2 , but if you have not flown a drone very often I recommend a less expensive version to start. I also have a DJI standard 3 , that is about half the cost of Mavic Air 2 and does a great job also. I say this because it is inevitable that you will most likely crash the drone once or twice before you get the hang of it. The drones don’t get damaged as much as the cameras and gimbles that are very fragile and most the cost of your drone if you have to replace.

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You also need good software to edit and enhance pictures. I use ACDsee phot studio

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I have a Mavic Pro and have been satisfied with the quality of the pics and flying capability. Whatever you choose, make sure it has the Obstacle Avoidance built in. If you can get one with a zoom feature, more the better. I do edit my pics and can zoom with the edit. Pointed out backed out screws on a metal roof etc., but if I had the zoom function, probably could have shown the screw threads.

I bought my Mavic Pro off of eBay. Slightly used, 3 batteries with multi charger, hard case for $650. I’ll probably upgrade once I use it more.

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I am currently using the Phantom 4 Pro V2.

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Share your thoughts and experiences. And welcome to the forums!

Welcome back to our forum, Gregory Ayers!..Enjoy! :smile:

I have the Mavic Platinum Pro. Easy to use, though I only use it on steep roofs and when the roofs are wet or icy. I still like to climb the roofs.

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Mavic 2 zoom stable as a rock and can zoom in without the need to get to close to hidden saddles and such. I also spent the extra on a smart controller so i didn’t need to tie up my phone .

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I picked up a used MAVIC AIR for $250 as sort of a “practice” drone to see how well a drone would work, and if I crashed it I wouldn’t lose a ton of money. Well - I will say it works GREAT… Very stable, great pictures and easy to fly… the only “negative” is the flight time is about 25 minutes or so… I think that’s enough time in most cases. I plan on “upgrading” the a MAVIC AIR 2 or maybe a MAVIC ZOOM…

The one thing you may want to do is make sure of… with at least the some of the DJI drones, that the app will work with your phone or what you will be using for the screen/ controller. My Moto e5 plus will not work with the DJI app for my DJI Mini 2. And I believe it is the same app for the Mavic(s). I never found a good explanation except that many on the DJI forums report the same issues with other devices. My son also has a Motorola, different model but same Android version and works fine. DJI dose have a list of compatible devices. I would check that out just to be safe! and informed. I actually use my Samsung tablet now for the drone. just had to get a tablet adapter and longer usb cable. I actually like using the bigger screen. I will probably upgrade my phone in the near future and will most likely get one that is certain to be compatible with the DJI app.

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Thanks for all of the input guys! I’ve already purchased a DJI Mavic Air 2, which has the obstacle avoidance built in, and have taken it out for one practice run. I think this will work well for my purposes. I almost bought the DJI Mini 2, which would have probably served my purposes, as well, but when I looked at the specs, it said that it wouldn’t operate below 32 degrees F.

I moved on this rather quickly because I’ve recently had back surgery and can’t use ladders for more than a month.

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Great pick that is what I use

That’s interesting about the Mini 2. I wonder what determines DJI’s recommended operating temps?
For the record, I have operated my Mini well below 32 degrees F.

Neither do I… :roll_eyes:

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I have the same one. I use an iPad with it.

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My experience with Mavic Air 2 is good. Apparently, this release of the product is having problems with activation. It fails to activate. Essentially, I have a $1000 brick sitting on my table. Research shows many consumers are having this very issue. However, after flying outside, the underside temp is cool and completely fine.