Potential 3DR Solo owner.

Kip Allen · Dec 25, 2015

Can I ask you guys a few questions about your drones? Beyond how you like them what are the most common problems? Do you have flyaway? Do you have many crashes? And the big one is how is customer service? That is the big one for me. DJI Phantom has a very bad rep. The only other one I have been looking at is the Yuneec Q500 4K. So come on guys help a old vet out and give me the real scoop. Thanks and Merry Christmas and Happy flying.

Marich · Dec 25, 2015

Welcome to the forum, Kip!
Well, flyaways are very, very few and far between, so much so that they're hard to actually list. Most aren't flyaways at all - most often they're the result of the return home function activating because of low battery, signal loss, etc..
Crashes are, well, crashes! Pilot error is responsible for 99% of them and it's about the same for all drones.
Customer service is the best in the industry, without a doubt. In fact, a log of each flight is automatically saved, and can even be sent straight to 3DR from the field if required. Speaking of which, the warranty can't be beaten either.
I've only flown a Yuneec once - a friend has one. Nice enough, but in my opinion Solo is hands and shoulders above it (and above DJI, for that matter).
I'm not putting down the other drones. I own a Phantom 3! But I assure you, I get far, far more enjoyment from my Solo. It's a little "picky" to be sure, but everything is being addressed by 3DR and it's now behaving pretty much the way it should.
You just can't go wrong with a Solo in my opinion.

Kip Allen · Dec 25, 2015

Marich said:
Welcome to the forum, Kip!
Well, flyaways are very, very few and far between, so much so that they're hard to actually list. Most aren't flyaways at all - most often they're the result of the return home function activating because of low battery, signal loss, etc..
Crashes are, well, crashes! Pilot error is responsible for 99% of them and it's about the same for all drones.
Customer service is the best in the industry, without a doubt. In fact, a log of each flight is automatically saved, and can even be sent straight to 3DR from the field if required. Speaking of which, the warranty can't be beaten either.
I've only flown a Yuneec once - a friend has one. Nice enough, but in my opinion Solo is hands and shoulders above it (and above DJI, for that matter).
I'm not putting down the other drones. I own a Phantom 3! But I assure you, I get far, far more enjoyment from my Solo. It's a little "picky" to be sure, but everything is being addressed by 3DR and it's now behaving pretty much the way it should.
You just can't go wrong with a Solo in my opinion.

Thank you for the quick response. That is just the info I was looking for. The web site shows a small iPad. or a iPhone. Not a full size iPad. is a iPhone 6+ large enough to do everything required to make it enjoyable? Don't want to invest in another iPad. Also I saw a review where the guy said the iPad was a little too heavy and made it controller out of balance. Any thoughts on that? Again thanks for your input.

Marich · Dec 25, 2015

An iPhone 6+ will be fine - usually I'm using an iPad Mini or Galaxy Tab 4, but my 6+ works great. On top of that, since both of those tablets are wifi only, my iPhone is the one to use if I might need an Internet connection.
Truth be told, an iPad doesn't have GPS either, on the wifi-only models. You'll need it for the follow-me function, so an iPhone is a perfect all-around device.
And yep, it's a little awkward balancing an iPad or Android tablet. The larger screen is literally the only advantage, but it's a big one!

DattaGroover · Dec 25, 2015

Marich said:
Welcome to the forum, Kip!
Well, flyaways are very, very few and far between, so much so that they're hard to actually list. Most aren't flyaways at all - most often they're the result of the return home function activating because of low battery, signal loss, etc..
Crashes are, well, crashes! Pilot error is responsible for 99% of them and it's about the same for all drones.
Customer service is the best in the industry, without a doubt. In fact, a log of each flight is automatically saved, and can even be sent straight to 3DR from the field if required. Speaking of which, the warranty can't be beaten either.
I've only flown a Yuneec once - a friend has one. Nice enough, but in my opinion Solo is hands and shoulders above it (and above DJI, for that matter).
I'm not putting down the other drones. I own a Phantom 3! But I assure you, I get far, far more enjoyment from my Solo. It's a little "picky" to be sure, but everything is being addressed by 3DR and it's now behaving pretty much the way it should.
You just can't go wrong with a Solo in my opinion.

Everything Marich said, except I did have a Solo that just crashed. Often. It was a machine error, and 3DR fixed it. It is night and day better than the Phantom 2 I own. THe Phantoms (as far as I'm concerned) are toys, and the Solo is a tool, that is also fun. 3DR customer support is 100 times better than DJI's

DattaGroover · Dec 25, 2015

Marich said:
An iPhone 6+ will be fine - usually I'm using an iPad Mini or Galaxy Tab 4, but my 6+ works great. On top of that, since both of those tablets are wifi only, my iPhone is the one to use if I might need an Internet connection.
Truth be told, an iPad doesn't have GPS either, on the wifi-only models. You'll need it for the follow-me function, so an iPhone is a perfect all-around device.
And yep, it's a little awkward balancing an iPad or Android tablet. The larger screen is literally the only advantage, but it's a big one!

I use my Galaxy Note Edge sometimes, and sometimes I use my Kindle 8.9" when I need more screen.

David Weston · Dec 25, 2015

I got a SOLO the 1st day Best Buy had them,,June 16th,,6 months ago. And I will tell you that SOLO has advanced light years from that time and I'm pretty sure others that were in that group will tell you the same. Ive had 2 motors replaced and 2 gimbals. My calls to 3DR were answered and not a hesitation replacing faulty components. Now, I have a solid "tool", not a toy as someone else said. Steady video, excellent camera control, long range (DBSmod), and "TOWER" and Mission Planner are phenomenal. It's everything I had hoped it would be and I love working with it!! Lastly, as a side benefit, there is an enormous amount of expertise from guys that have been around this stuff for years and they don't hesitate sharing their mods and are always happy to help someone through a problem or offer advice. Never had a crash as I bought a $50 micro quad 2 months before SOLO became available to practice with and that was a smart decision. Never, never have heard of a legit "fly-away" although it's possible but I think most claims are Op-error. It's a significant expenditure but if you want a serious machine this is it. Look forward to hearing from you in the future.

Jubalr · Dec 25, 2015

Like David above said, I also got mine in June during the first release. Have not had a single crash or unexpected behavior the entire time, and still using the original props. I have a great deal of history in RC and MRs, so I would also emphasize the importance of practice on a sim or inexpensive toy and in particular, practicing hovering in all orientations with emphasis on 'nose in' while facing you. If you have that down, and be sure and have 'Manual' assigned to A or B on the controller, you will be fine. Welcome to he forum!

LarryF · Dec 25, 2015

A few notes to add:

1) 3DR gives you a 30-day money back guarantee, regardless of where you buy it from They will just ask a few questions to help improve their product. Just remember to keep the boxes for at least 30 days.
2) 3DR has a full 1-year (in the US - I think it's 2-year in Europe) replacement warranty. IF you do have a fly-away or crash and it's the fault of the equipment (motor, ESC, etc.) then 3DR will replace your Solo, Gimbal, AND GoPro. Now that's customer service and faith in their product! Of course, it's it's your fault, sorry, but they will give you 15% off a refurbished Solo.
3) While Apple makes great products, you might consider an Android Tablet. Not only will you be able to use the Solo app, you can also use the Tower app. The Tower app lets you program "surveys" and multi waypoint "missions". But don't mess with the parameters (unless you know what you're doing). Changing a parameter that causes a crash or fly-away isn't covered by the warranty. Be sure your Android tablet is supported (Nexus is the most popular used).
4) I use a 10" Galaxy S2 tablet on my controller. Yes, it's a tad large, but works great and makes viewing the screen easier for my old eyes.

You can't go wrong with the 3DR Solo.

Kip Allen · Dec 25, 2015

I am impressed with all the advice and the level of expertise I have found here. I am sold. Thank you one and all.

Chuck · Dec 25, 2015

Welcome, Kip. I flew a P2 for my first ever UAV. When I found out it's value was going down when they came out with the P3 series, I started reading about Solo. What sold me was the best customer support out there, and the fact that an open platform system means my Solo won't be obsolete in a year or two. Like everyone else says, you can't go wrong, and you will enjoy it greatly. Good luck to you, and happy and safe flying.

Kip Allen · Dec 25, 2015

Thank you.

pyrate · Dec 25, 2015

buy one and get out there, you will not regret it.

DattaGroover · Dec 26, 2015

pyrate said:
buy one and get out there, you will not regret it.

+1

Maddog · Dec 27, 2015

LarryF said:
A few notes to add:

1) 3DR gives you a 30-day money back guarantee, regardless of where you buy it from They will just ask a few questions to help improve their product. Just remember to keep the boxes for at least 30 days.
2) 3DR has a full 1-year (in the US - I think it's 2-year in Europe) replacement warranty. IF you do have a fly-away or crash and it's the fault of the equipment (motor, ESC, etc.) then 3DR will replace your Solo, Gimbal, AND GoPro. Now that's customer service and faith in their product! Of course, it's it's your fault, sorry, but they will give you 15% off a refurbished Solo.
3) While Apple makes great products, you might consider an Android Tablet. Not only will you be able to use the Solo app, you can also use the Tower app. The Tower app lets you program "surveys" and multi waypoint "missions". But don't mess with the parameters (unless you know what you're doing). Changing a parameter that causes a crash or fly-away isn't covered by the warranty. Be sure your Android tablet is supported (Nexus is the most popular used).
4) I use a 10" Galaxy S2 tablet on my controller. Yes, it's a tad large, but works great and makes viewing the screen easier for my old eyes.

You can't go wrong with the 3DR Solo.

Agree with all of this, but I would recommend you save the box and all packing material for a year.

I recently had to send my Solo back to 3DR and they requested it be sent back with all the original packaging. (It makes it really easy to ship).
(Had an electrical problem that 3DR fixed and had back to me in less than 2 weeks)!

DattaGroover · Dec 28, 2015

Maddog said:
Agree with all of this, but I would recommend you save the box and all packing material for a year.

I recently had to send my Solo back to 3DR and they requested it be sent back with all the original packaging. (It makes it really easy to ship).
(Had an electrical problem that 3DR fixed and had back to me in less than 2 weeks)!

My repair experience with 3DR was also within 2 weeks.

Dave gonzales · Dec 29, 2015

Hi Kip, I am a first time drone owner , I purchase the solo because of the features it has to get you out of trouble, Im sure all drones have some sort of these features, but also
I know when I get better at flying I wanted this drone because it has the built in flight movements, Selfie, circle around you and many more, It has room to grow to more advanced operator. It also uses a gopro which is going to be a lot better camera, I bought the package that basically has everything gimbal, extra batteries, bag including the hero 4 black from amazon about $2100, More expensive yes, but I wanted the camera for when I take scuba diving trips also,So far Im very happy with the solo, Just understand you have to be very careful were you fly not only for drone clearance but people safety, I register with FAA to be in compliance , don't want the big fines for flying without, I would say if you have the money buy the SOLO.

Here is my first flight just getting to know the controls, goodluck