Build a Drone vs. buy one-what's the best?

Do I have to build a drone or buy a drone? People are asking this lot, so let's answer it once and for all!
Today I will highlight the differences between building a drone vs buy one on the shelf (or in most cases, the Internet). It is surprising to see how many people want to get their own drones these days.

Reasons why you should buy a Drone

There are a lot of people out there who just want something to fly around, or shoot some good looking videos with. If you are one of those people, then there is absolutely no reason for you to build a drone from scratch. There are tons of kits ready to fly out there, and a lot of times it can actually be cheaper to buy a drone prebuilt.

Building a multirotor can also take a long time if you do it for the first time. You have to expect the "Building and configuration part" to be a weekend project, while a (RTF) ready-made model could be and fly in a few minutes (if the battery is charged).

Why you need to build a Drone

If you are the kind of person who likes to play with each part, screw, setting, etc. .. Then construction is the way to go. When you build a drone, there is nothing you can not change. Each part can be changed or replaced by something better. It is also a great learning experience because you see how everything works and goes together. Another great advantage to building, is that when something goes wrong, you probably already know what it is and how to fix it.

Always ask yourself "why"

Before you build or buy your first drone, there are a few things you should think about. The first question you need to ask yourself is "Why am I getting in the drones in the first place?" Everyone has different reasons for wanting a multirotor, either for a school project, or perhaps the next big Hollywood film shoot.

Phantom 2	Drone DIY
$680	$683
960 $ (With Hero 3 Gimbal)	1033 $ (With Hero 3 Gimbal)
$ 1000 (With Hero 4 Gimbal)	1053 $ (With Hero 4 Gimbal)

Parts used for the comparison

• Flight Controller $99.99
• Controller $60
• 4 x Motors $140
• Gimbal $98
• Battery $28
• 4 x CES $52
• Frame $20
• 8 x Props $26
• Charger $28

For this comparison, I decide to go with the Phantom 2 V2 as a reference, simply because it is popular and I happen to own one personally.

Most of the parts I used for this comparison are very similar, even identical to what is on the Phantom DJI 2. I use the DJI Naza M V2 for the flight controller with the H3-3d Cardan, which is exactly what is used on the Phantom. For the engines, I chose the Multistar Elite 2312 980kv because they are similar in design and quality of construction. Things like the controller ESC and are completely different from what is on the Phantom, but I tried to find something similar in price and functionality. The battery is also very different because it does not have the advanced security or communication devices with the flight controller like the Phantom 2, even if it does have the same voltage and capacity.

If you want to buy quality parts cheaper/lower, then it is deffinetly possible to build a drone that will cost much less than $1000, but that would not compare apples with apples. The Gimbal and flight controller are the most expensive parts on the Phantom 2, so all you have to do to build a cheaper drone is to find comparable replacements. Well, the problem with doing this, in my opinion, is that you lose a lot of design simplicity and ease of use.

If you just want something you can build your self without advanced features or camera, check out my how to build a Quadcopter guide.

Hope that helped

I know it's hard to decide, but hopefully this article has given you a few things to think about before getting your first drone.