Evaluating a “used” Mavic Air

[trackspace]

I’ve been watching Craigslist for a little while in the hopes of picking up a Mavic Air at a reasonable price. As it turns out, a couple have popped up within a reasonable driving distance for me. Both listings are “like new” and “only flown 4-5 times” but I’m a little skeptical. The Air will be my first jump into a “prosumer” quad and so my experience is pretty limited.

I’m wondering what should I be looking for when evaluating a used Air. Are there any spots where wear and tear is obvious? Or even more so, any spots where damage ISN’T so obvious? How about the controller? Any way to judge battery life? I’m obviously going to want to see them in action but for those of you that own an Air or similar quad, what are your red flags?

 

[Point Zero]

Well I would start with how many flight hours the AC has under its belt. Then I would look at the batteries, see how many times they have been charged etc.

For a flight test I would see how stable the drone was using gps to hold its own position after take off and how good its safety features are, like the sensors and the auto braking / stopping etc.

 

[Rayray]

I’ve been watching Craigslist for a little while in the hopes of picking up a Mavic Air at a reasonable price. As it turns out, a couple have popped up within a reasonable driving distance for me. Both listings are “like new” and “only flown 4-5 times” but I’m a little skeptical. The Air will be my first jump into a “prosumer” quad and so my experience is pretty limited.

I’m wondering what should I be looking for when evaluating a used Air. Are there any spots where wear and tear is obvious? Or even more so, any spots where damage ISN’T so obvious? How about the controller? Any way to judge battery life? I’m obviously going to want to see them in action but for those of you that own an Air or similar quad, what are your red flags?

1. Don't buy If price is more than 50% of new.
2. With little experience, you may not be able to know how to test or examine. Can you take an expert with you?
3. Don't buy a stolen product; insist on receipts, etc.
4. These are very complex electronic/mechanical devices. Please buy a new one from a reputable dealer.

 

[CanadaDrone]

Aside from the obvious (flight test, physical inspection, checking logs, etc.) I wouldn't touch it unless the batteries have been maintained flawlessly, and you are comfortable that the seller is telling the truth about that fact (get them to tell you in detail how they maintained them - don't ask if they did A, B, C, etc.) For me that would be the biggest thing, because it could very easily be the reason why it drops out of the sky a week after you buy it.

Has he ever ran the batteries super low? If so, don't buy
Has he ever stored the batteries near 0%? If so, don't buy
Has he ever left the batteries out in the cold or does he do a lot of cold weather flying (below 0C)? If so, don't buy
Does he cycle the batteries and recharge to the proper level at least once every 3 months if not in use? If not, don't buy
Does he store the batteries around 40-60% when not in use? Not not, don't buy

If the seller can't describe the above best practices to you (without you guiding them through it), I would avoid that particular drone because chances are the batteries have been abused.

Same deal for the remote controller battery.

It's kind of impossible to verify those things beyond the word of the seller, but that is up to you. A drone is something I personally would be very hesitant to ever buy used, but I am far more an@l than the average person.

 

[Mtn. Man]

I would go to DJI refurbished and look there. I recently ordered a Mavic Air fly more with a landing pad for $812 (with 10% edu discount). They have good deals there, are warrented, and offer DJI refresh without having to send in a video. You also know it's a real DJI drone and it's not stolen or broken in someway.