DRS – Droneflyers Rating and Review System

As the multirotor site “for the rest of us”, we determined that many of the online review and ratings for quadcopters are not suited to the average new consumer. Instead of using technical comparisons and subjective “feelings”, we determined that we would report the basics in a simple fashion which would help guide the buyer.

For example, we will not have an rating as to value or durability in our official system for these reasons. Value is in the eye of the buyer and most modern Quads are exceptional in terms of the technology your money buys. So it goes without saying that the value is usually a good one! Durability is also based on many things, especially the experience of the operator. One good crash can destroy parts of any multirotor.

Rather than rating these qualities, we will discuss them in the reviews and in the summary.

Our system will therefore be very simple and consist of:

Type
This will quickly categorize the type of machine, so that prospective buyers know the target market. It also will indicate the size.
Example: The Hubsan X4 is a “Consumer Micro”, which tells the reader it is very small (palm size) as well as not designed for any function other than hobbyists. It cannot easily be adapted for semi-pro uses, photography, etc.
Appeal to users (type of users)
This will be stated as either a category of users or with a + sign, indicating that it may be suited for a range of users.
Example: The same Hubsan X4 is rated “Advanced Beginners UP”, which indicates that all users other than beginners may find it an interesting product. On the other hand, we rate the WL Toys V959 as ONLY Advanced Beginners, meaning that it is unlikely to appeal to those who are much more expert.
In terms of users, we will initially break them down to:
Beginners – never flown a quadcopter or less than 1 hour experience.
Advanced Beginners – have already destroyed and repaired at least one quad and have 4+ hours (25+) flights. These users are confident they can fly in calm conditions and do some basic troubleshooting and repair if things should go wrong.
Intermediates – have experience with a number of quadcopters and/or other R/C controlled aircraft and have full confidence in their ability to handle most reasonable conditions and controls.
Experts – have years of experience and hundreds of hours of flight time on multiple quadcopters. These users are capable of virtually any modifications, assembly, repairs, etc. and are not worried even when they have $5,000 worth of quadcopter and camera aloft.

Crashworthiness 

We will also mention how well we think the product can handle a crash. This includes a number of factors, including how much it will cost to repair, how easy the repair is, and how likely it is that small crashes will result in big damage!

We will rate these only on what we EXPECT – based on sound engineering and design. We will rate this metric asL
poor
fair
good
very good

It is unlikely that we will be testing any “Experts only” quadcopters as our budget does not allow for the purchase! However, who knows what the future will bring? We invite and welcome other writers and drone flyers to help us both here and on the forums! Please send a note by email to cissod@gmail.com if you have interest in writing or editing on the main blog.

Every review will feature a short summary at the end of the page – this, when combined with the basic rating at the top of the article, should give you some idea if this is the drone for you! Reading the entire article and viewing the pics and the videos can then provide you with more exacting information and examples – both before and after your purchase.

NOTE: Droneflyers.com does not represent any retailer, wholesaler or manufacturer of multirotor products, allowing us to give our true opinions! This is untrue of MANY of the other reviews, ratings and videos you will find on the subject.