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You are probably familiar about the difference between brushed and brushless motors if you are reading this article. Nevertheless, in this article we are going to explain a bit about the advantages of one over the other.
The brushless motors are more reliable than the conventional motors. They are also comparatively more efficient and have a longer life. The most basic difference between brushed and brushless motors is that one uses brushes while spinning while the other does not. This feature makes the motor more efficient by reducing the amount of friction within the motor.
The brushless motors are the staple of the RC world in pretty much anything from boat to drone. Today, some of the best drones incorporate brushless motors.
Pros and Cons of Brushless Motors
Pros
- Last much longer
- Durability is considerably enhanced
- Don’t heat as fast
- More powerful
- They don’t require maintenance
Cons
- They are more expensive than the brushed motors
- They are usually larger
When we talk about best brushless drones available on the market, many people think of Yuneec Q500 and other think of products like the Phantom 3 series. But there are way cheaper alternatives to these available on the market. However, you shouldn’t expect the same level of performance.
It is very important to note that when it comes to quality we won’t make many compromises. This means that the drones we are reviewing here are still top-quality, compared to some newbie drones for example.
Read more to find the top 7 best cheap brushless drones currently available on the market!
What do you think how much weight can a drone carry? Or how high can it fly? How long does a battery of a drone last?
Do you know what a brushless drone is? Which one is better – Phantom 4 or Phantom 4 Pro? If you lose your drone – how to track it down and find it? Read here.
Cheerson CX-20
Amazon.com Specifications
- Dimensions: 360 x 360 x 200 mm (14.2 x 14.2 x 7.9 inches)
- Weight: 980 grams (2.2 pounds)
- Battery: 11V 2700mAh Li-Po 3S
- Flight Time: 15 minutes
- Charging Time: 120 minutes
- Maximum Speed: 29 km/h (18 mph)
- Maximum Flying Altitude: 300 meters (984 feet)
- Camera: no inbuilt camera
- Operating Range: 1500 meters (4921 feet)
- Controller Frequency: 2.4GHz
Features
- RTF drone
- GPS
- Altitude Hold
- Position Hold
- Automatic Landing
- Return To Home
- LED lights
The Cheerson CX-20 is cheapest brushless GPS drone on the market and it is considered to be the closest cheap alternative for the DJI Phantom 3 series. This drone is very resilient and pretty tough and has amazing video platform.
Even though the CX-20 is not so stable in stronger wind it works pretty well. The drone features Return To Home feature. This function is really useful for when you’ve lost sight of your drone and it will allow the drone to return to its original takeoff location at the push of a button. The drone also features Automatic Landings on Low Battery. This function will automatically begin to descend the drone when it senses that its battery is becoming too low to avoid a crash.
The CX-20 doesn’t come with a built-in camera and you can get it for under $200. However, the drone is GoPro compatible. This means that you can attach the GoPro camera to the bottom of the drone and capture all of your flying sessions. Powering the Cheerson CX-20 is an 11V 2700mAh Li-Po 3S battery that provides about 15 minutes of flight time. This battery is fairly large and it takes about 120 minutes to charge completely. The Cheerson CX-20’s transmitter is built relatively tough and it fits nicely in your hands. Using a remote control for operation, the CX-20 can be flown up to 1500 meters away from you.
Cheerson CX-20 Pros and Cons
Pros
- Great price
- GoPro compatible
- The drone is resilient
- Nice battery life
- Amazing controller
Cons
- If you are using action cam one of the legs can get in the footage
- The GPS system doesn’t work perfectly
JJRC X1
Specifications
- Dimensions: 328 x 325 x 53 mm (12.9 x 12.8 x 2.1 inches)
- Weight: 192 grams (0.4 pounds)
- Battery: 7.4V 1300mAh Li-Po
- Flight Time: 15 minutes
- Camera: no inbuilt camera
- Operating Range: 400 meters
- Controller Frequency: 2.4GHz
Features
- RTF drone
- Altitude Hold
- Position Hold
- Headless Mode
- One Key return
- LED lights
The JJRC X1 is one of the cheapest brushless drones currently available on the market. This drone is equipped with powerful D1806 – 2280KV brushless motors. These motors make this drone very fast and forceful. The brushless motors can be too powerful to handle so this drone is not recommended for newbies.
The JJRC X1 is powered by a nice 7.4V 1300mAh Li-Po battery and it can stay in the air for about 15 minutes. The transmitter on this device is pretty much toy grade and many users say that the starting button sequence is quite complicated. However, it has a pretty big range of flight and the X1 can be flown up to 400 meters away from you using solely a remote control for operation.
The JJRC X1 doesn’t come with an included camera. However, it is compatible with external cameras and the drone is powerful enough to lift even a GoPro. But it is recommended to use smaller cameras, such as the runcam or a mobius. You can also attach an FPV system on the X1 because it has a slot for the FPV camera to connect to. There’s even an FPV set you can purchase that’s custom for this drone.
The drone features Headless Mode that allows you to give up worrying about orientation altogether. The X1 also features One Key Return that will trigger it to fly back to the take off position. The only disadvantage is that the landing gear is really small and the drone can tip over when landing.
JJRC X1 Pros and Cons
Pros
- The drone is fast and powerful
- Great flight time
- Beautiful sporty design
- Amazing range
- Powerful enough to carry an action camera
- There is a slot for an FPV camera
Cons
- Landing gear is not so wide so the drone can tip over
- Weak LED lights
What do you think how much money do the most expensive drones cost? Or what is a headless mode on drone? What is a difference between drone and quadcopter?
Do you know what the best fpv drone is? Which one is better – Phantom 4 and Mavic Pro? Is Latrax Alias better than MJX x600?
Blade 200 QX
Specifications
- Dimensions: 142 x 142 x 90 mm (5.6 x 5.6 x 3.5 inches)
- Weight: 194 grams (0.4 pounds)
- Battery: 7V 800mAh Li-Po
- Flight Time: 15 minutes
- Camera: no inbuilt camera
- Controller Frequency: 2.4GHz
Features
- RTF drone
- Altitude Hold
- Position Hold
- LED lights
The Blade 200 QX is a very sporty and great quality brushless drone. The drone has respectable throttle power provided by its powerful brushless motors. It has both the potential to be a nice camera platform and more of a stunt drone so you will be impressed by this drone. The 200 QX doesn’t handle crashes that well so it is not recommended for newbies.
The Blade 200 QX works with a camera. However, it doesn’t come included in the package so you have to provide your own. You can easily attach a Mobius cam and even a GoPro camera to it. You can purchase a camera that’s custom made for it. But the problem with this camera is that it is difficult to mount and it is very low quality. The Blade 200 QX can also fly FPV and you can buy an entire kit for that.
The Blade 200 QX comes with a nice 7V 800mAh Li-Po battery and has a flight time of about 15 minutes. The drone comes with 3 main flying modes that allow for a very varied experience and utility purpose varying from camera mode to racing:
- Low angle stability (camera mode) will enable you to fly steadily while shooting smooth footage
- High angle stability (known as Stagility) will enable more pitch angle and therefore more speed. It still uses all the 6 axis of the gyro.
- Agility mode disables 3 of the gyro axis and enables for a more speedy and precise race-like flight. In this mode you are able to perform manual flips and stunts.
The Blade 200 QX comes only in a bindable version. This means that you have to come with your own transmitter, such as Spektrum ( DX5e) transmitter and bind it to the drone.
It is important to note that if you fly it hardcore and hit something hard the protective shell might break. It is recommended to upgrade to a Rakon frame, which grants extra protection thanks to the carbon fiber and it also looks totally badass.
Blade 200 QX Pros and Cons
Pros
- The drone is fast
- Upgradeable firmware
- It is fun to fly
- Bright LED lights
- Powerful enough to carry a GoPro camera
Cons
- The protective shell can crack pretty quickly
- The flight time isn’t great
HiSKY HMX280
Specifications
- Dimensions: 350 x 120 mm (13.8 x 4.7 inches)
- Weight: 416 grams (0.9 pounds)
- Battery: 11.1V 1350mAh Li-Po
- Flight Time: 10 minutes
- Maximum Speed: 101 km/h (63 mph)
- Camera: no inbuilt camera
- Operating Range: 400 meters (1312 feet)
- Controller Frequency: 2.4GHz
Features
- RTF drone
- Headless Mode
- LED lights
The HiSKY HMX280 is ultra fast racing drone thanks to its powerful 1300kv brushless motors. This drone has the ability to fly with a speed of more than 100km/h. The people at HiSKY have done a nice job when they designed this drone. This is a very well built and good looking drone. Unfortunately, the airframe is made from plastic. The manufacturer suggests that this drone is water-resistant and that it can fly in wet weather and take a quick dunk in the water.
The HiSKY HMX280 does not come with an included camera. However, it can carry lightweight action cameras thanks to its reliable brushless motors. The basic model of this drone does not have a gimbal but the drone itself has been designed to accommodate a gimbal. The drone can also support a gimbal FPV system. You should use only low profile gimbals because the ground clearance is around only 4 cm.
The HiSKY HMX280 also comes with a CC3D flight controller and has around 400 meters control range. The control range can be enhanced by adding a 2.4GHz range extender through the antenna’s SMA connector. The drone is equipped with a nice 11.1V 1350mAh Li-Po battery and has a flight time of about 10 minutes.
HiSKY HMX280 Pros and Cons
Pros
- Ultra fast
- Water- resistant
- Control range can be increased
- Strong enough to carry a GoPro camera
Cons
- Plastic airframe
- The battery life isn’t great
XK X251
Specifications
- Dimensions: 177 x 177 x 83 mm (7 x 7 x 3.3 inches)
- Weight: 205 grams (0.5 pounds)
- Battery: 7.4V 950mAh Li-Po
- Flight Time: 12 minutes
- Maximum Speed: 76 km/h (47 mph)
- Camera: no inbuilt camera
- Operating Range: 300 meters (984 feet)
- Controller Frequency: 2.4GHz
Features
- RTF drone
- LED lights
The XK X251 is a brushless drone from one of the lesser known brands — XK. This is the finest low priced brushless drone you can purchase. This drone features powerful direct drive brushless motors and it is designed to be fast and swift. The X251 is the perfect drone for those who have experienced the joys of small micro models and want to move up to the next level.
The XK X251 is a well made and robust drone and the material is a mixed of carbon fiber structure with light-weight Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). The total weight of the drone is only 205 grams so it does not break easily out in the field, if it just falls out of the sky.
The X251 comes with a great hobby grade transmitter that is programmable. This feature makes this drone a perfect learning tool for anyone aspiring to future FPV racing. The X251 can be flown up to 300 meters away from you using solely a remote control for operation. Thanks to a nice 7.4V 950mAh Li-Po battery you can easily spend 12 minutes on each flight. This drone does not come with a built-in camera. However, it is compatible with external cameras that can easily attach to the drone via a compatible stabilization gimbal.
The X251 is also equipped with LED lights. A red LED indicates you are in 3D mode and a green LED indicates you are in 6-axis gyro mode. This drone is perfect for those who are looking for a swift little brushless drone.
XK X251 Pros and Cons
Pros
- Programmable transmitter
- Hardy structure
- The drone is fast and a good punch
Cons
- The flight time isn’t great
- Battery may get a little warm after each flight
Eachine Assassin 180
Specifications
- Dimensions: 128 x 180 x 74 mm (5 x 7.1 x 2.9 inches)
- Weight: 288 grams (0.6 pounds)
- Battery: 11.1V 1000mAh Li-Po 3S
- Flight Time: 9 minutes
- Camera: 520TVL, supports HD night flight
- Operating Range: 200 meters (656 feet)
- Controller Frequency: 2.4GHz
Features
- RTF drone
- Bind and Fly
- GPS
- Altitude Hold
- Position Hold
The Eachine Assassin 180 is a low-cost, RTF racing drone that is great for new and advanced racers alike. The drone is very durable, although it looks very fragile. The Assassin 180 has a light compact body. This feature makes it very fast as well as extremely mobile.
The drone is equipped with 4 Eachine 1806 2300 kV brushless motors and it can stay in the air for about 9 minutes thanks to its 11.1V 1000mAh Li-Po 3S battery. It is also packed with different sensors such as acceleration sensors, integrated barometer, electronic compass and GPS. The Assassin 180 also boasts on-board OSD. This means that while flying you can get a live feed of the essential info about the drone such as its battery level, etc. The drone also has a set of extremely bright LED headlights that can help you determine which way the drone is facing when it’s far away. They can also make a big difference when flying at night.
The Eachine Assassin 180 is also equipped with a 520TVL camera that supports HD night flight. The camera broadcasts a real-time video stream and provides a nice FPV experience (Eachine VR-007 FPV goggles). The signal from the FPV system is decent and you will be able to get a couple of hundred meters away with very little static. The included Eachine i6 transmitter is a 6.channel transmitter that can store settings for up to 20 aircrafts and it gets great range.
Eachine Assassin 180 Pros and Cons
Pros
- Great i6 transmitter
- Onboard OSD
- The drone is durable
- the drone comes with a camera
- FPV goggles
- Carrying case is included
Cons
- Short flight time
- Battery is expensive and it charges very slow
Eachine Racer 250
Specifications
- Dimensions: 220 x 233 x 50 mm (8.7 x 9.2 x 2 inches)
- Weight: 400 grams (0.9 pounds)
- Battery: 11.1V 1300mAh Li-Po 3S
- Flight Time: 14 minutes
- Camera: 480p
- Operating Range: 1800 meters (5905 feet)
- Controller Frequency: 2.4GHz
Features
- RTF drone
- Bind and Fly
- GPS
- Return To Home
- LED lights
The Eachine Racer 250 is meant for everyone from beginner flyers to experienced pilots. The drone has an excellent build quality, remarkable speed, easy upgradability and of course, unbeatable price. The Racer 250 perfect is for those who love night time racing and flying because it sports some pretty bright headlights that can help you navigate during the night time.
You will be pleasantly surprised about the camera quality of this drone because it will allow you to get some pretty impressive shots. The Racer 250 is equipped with a nice 11.1V 1300mAh Li-Po 3S battery that will give you a total flight time of about 14 minutes. The CC3D flight controller that ships with the Eachine Racer 250 is favored by many UAV fans and provides you with all the control you’ll need to fly your new drone well.
When you take your drone outside for its first flight you will definitely have fun. You will be pleasantly surprised at how smoothly the Racer 250 flies when you get it airborne. This drone was actually built for racing and it has powerful brushless motors.
Eachine Racer 250 Pros and Cons
Pros
- It flies great
- It is very fast
- Comes with tiltable FPV camera
- Beautiful and bright LED lights
- Secure battery compartments
- Non-proprietary components
Cons
- Poor battery life
- Lack of instruction manual
- Setup could prove daunting for newbies
