Who are the big players in quads besides DJI?

linter

Member
I'm just curious if DJI has any serious competition in the world of hobby-grade quads. I'm *not* talking quality of the product but size of the operation and depth of the offerings. Is there anyone else even in the running? I guess you could make a case for hobbyking but it's so highly diversified in terms of r/c that I'm not sure it counts. So ... who else?
 


HEX junky

Member
From what I understand DJI have approximately 300 employees, about 80-90 of which are in R&D. This is just for Multi-rotor and Helicopter. With this kind of resource the future should look interesting!! HobbyKing is "no" comparison.
 

DucktileMedia

Drone Enthusiast
Hoverfly has the potential to be bigger and better but for now they just have chosen to focus on making a really fantastic and stable flight controller. No way points or fancy features but it flies better and more reliably than anything I have ever had. MK had their shot but chose to take the million $ and bail on us as far as improving their products. MK seems to still have a good amount of market share but with their diminishing QC they are fading in the shadows of DJI. It will be hard to compete with DJI as they are in China and can manufacture things for less. But they still have yet to make a product that doesnt make the pilot crap their pants when flipping switches. If you're gonna goof around teh Naza is great. If you want waypoints and really good gps hold you have no choice but to go with the Wookong. If you only need amazingly smooth flight characteristics without accurate gps then the Hoverfly is hands down the best IMO. MK has it's strong points with all the features possible available and a very nice and tidy heli once completed but you will run the high risk of BL failure or soldering failure and it will be ALL your fault. And I think this is why most stay away from MK. I have to say the Wookong is a pretty impressive system and the software is very well laid out. But you are at the mercy of 50 firmware engineers that pump out so many new features at once there is destined to be some catastrophic failures along the way. Hopefully in the next few years we will really have a solid performer that has a high track record for no failures at all.
 


nicwilke

Active Member
ZeroTech is big, but more for winged drones. They have only been in multirotors for 12 months with the release of the YS series. They are a lot bigger than most think.
 

Tahoe Ed

Active Member
Hoverfly has the potential to be bigger and better but for now they just have chosen to focus on making a really fantastic and stable flight controller. No way points or fancy features but it flies better and more reliably than anything I have ever had. MK had their shot but chose to take the million $ and bail on us as far as improving their products. MK seems to still have a good amount of market share but with their diminishing QC they are fading in the shadows of DJI. It will be hard to compete with DJI as they are in China and can manufacture things for less. But they still have yet to make a product that doesnt make the pilot crap their pants when flipping switches. If you're gonna goof around teh Naza is great. If you want waypoints and really good gps hold you have no choice but to go with the Wookong. If you only need amazingly smooth flight characteristics without accurate gps then the Hoverfly is hands down the best IMO. MK has it's strong points with all the features possible available and a very nice and tidy heli once completed but you will run the high risk of BL failure or soldering failure and it will be ALL your fault. And I think this is why most stay away from MK. I have to say the Wookong is a pretty impressive system and the software is very well laid out. But you are at the mercy of 50 firmware engineers that pump out so many new features at once there is destined to be some catastrophic failures along the way. Hopefully in the next few years we will really have a solid performer that has a high track record for no failures at all.

Wow, I don't know what to add. I have and currently own an MK and your are right on. My friend that had a Hoverfly and it frustrated the heck out of him. Dealing with the Factory was an issue. I fly DJI and I have no issues; WKM, WKH, Naza M, or Naza H.
 

linter

Member
Thanks, all. I checked out Zero UAV and Hoverfly and neither seem to operate in the **hobby-grade** arena. Heck, even prices for their products are hard to come by at their sites, so they must cost a pretty penny. So I guess that leaves DJI as the sole contender, with the largest range of offerings. Interesting that it has no real competition. I wish somebody would step up to the plate; it'd be good for all.
 

Droider

Drone Enthusiast
When you NEED to fly no matter what all my stuff now has WKM. It just works. Once you have your head round the set up just what functions you want from it then its a NO brainer. If you are in the UK and need failsafe return to home for your CAA permissions to fly then I am afraid all the other contenders are out of the window. Fo health and safety reasons alone the auto return home and land is a must on any machine.. well that what I think anyhow.

Dave
 


Droider

Drone Enthusiast
Yeh but like all REALLY expensive German kit back up is ****e.. sorry when clients spend as much money on their kit as they do they should be treated like kings.. Typical of niche market German companies unless you ARE German you are treated like some second class citizen.

Buyers of kit that is exclusively produced buy one company beware.. your exclusively dealt with buy that comany and if they dont lke your yours stuffed. I wont go into details but if you go down a exclusively developed and marketed product you will be buying into their exclusive system and your trapped.

GRRRRRRR from experience..

Nay its ChristmAS SO Ill end this post with a smile :)
 

HeinzABF

Member
@Droider

You are absolutely right. I had a MD4-200 some years ago. If something went wrong (like vibrations) they said these "small" vibrations are normal.
When i bought the drone, i asked them when the active roll will be available and they told me: in a very short time! But after 1 1/2 year later i sold my drone because of the roll.
I also dont wont to go in more details.
But....... i must say the altitude and GPS hold was the best i have ever seen. (up to the moment DJI entered the market with the Wookong.)
Now i am flying only S800 and a Wookong Hexa, and i´m happy.

Regards
Heinz
 

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