How to buy a drone well: new and used
What do you need a drone for
The job decides everything. For holidays and family video, a compact drone under 250 g with a stabilised camera is enough. For shooting work, construction or roof inspection you need a bigger sensor, longer flight and reliable obstacle sensors. For night monitoring or searching for people and animals, people take models with a thermal camera. FPV drones with goggles are a separate class, with their own page.
What to look at in the specifications
- Camera: sensor size, video resolution, frame rate, whether there is optical zoom.
- Flight time: the claimed 40 minutes is in ideal conditions, and in practice it is less.
- Range and quality of the link, for example O3+ in DJI.
- Obstacle sensors in several directions.
- Weight: registration requirements and flying restrictions depend on it, so find out the rules for your type of drone.
The kit affects the price
Many models are sold in two versions: “basic” (drone, controller, one battery) and Fly More Combo (three batteries, a charging hub, a bag). The price difference is usually less than the cost of these items bought separately, so for regular flying the combo is better value. A controller with a built-in screen is more convenient than one that uses a smartphone, but costs more. One more point: a new model in “grey” import is often sold without an official warranty, so ask who will be responsible for repairs.
What to put in your request
- Type of drone — for leisure, filming, FPV, with a thermal camera;
- Model, if you have chosen;
- Specifications — thermal camera, flight time, camera;
- Kit — Fly More Combo, controller with screen;
- Condition — new, not activated, or used;
- Quantity, if you need several;
- Budget and city for delivery.
Example: “Looking for a new DJI Mavic 3 Pro in the Fly More Combo kit with the RC controller, not activated, with a warranty. Tsuen Wan, courier delivery. Budget up to HK$11,000.”
How BlaBlaPrice works for drones
Write your request on the home page: drone sellers will answer with offers in the chat with price, kit and terms. They see where their offer stands and compete for your request. It is free for the buyer, your phone is hidden, and there is an explanation on How it works.
How to check a used one and avoid problems
For a used drone, ask for the serial number, the flight hours, and photos and video of it working, and check the propellers, the gimbal and the batteries. For a new one, ask whether the unit has been activated and whether there is an official warranty in Hong Kong. Also find out about compatible drone accessories and whether spare batteries are easy to get.
