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Mini 3 build quality compared to the Mini 2? had me surprised...

shadow3467

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So I got the 3 about two weeks ago and have been flying it nearly every day

This is my first mini drone so I decided to buy the mini 2 bundle from Costco just to try it out, see how it compares and probably return it

To my surprise, the Mini 3 feel more flimsy when compared to the Mini 2. I have both with me at the moment and the Mini 2 feels so well built when opening it up, but the Mini 3 feels like I'm going to break it every time I go to open up the legs.

I think it might be because the legs on the 3 are longer. It just feels so awkward opening it up every time.

I also just dislike the way it looks in general though, prefer the sleeker look of the 2

I wish I could get the camera and sensor of the 3 in the body of the 2 (don't care for obstacle sensors)
 
Well I disagree with pretty much everything you mention there
Really? You don't find the longer legs on the 3 more awkward or less well built?

I'm a big fan of german cars because their fit and finish is second to none, doors close with a satisfying thud, lines are symmetrical and build quality is noticeable

For some reason I get that feeling with the mini 2, but not with the 3.
 
I wouldn't put it down to the build quality as they both seem to be using the same flimsy plastic just that the 3 has more tech to cram in behind it
 
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the Mini 3 design as i said before is function first form second
when the drone is up in the air what it looks like doesn't matter a jot
it has to be as light as possible to conform with the regulations
for me its so called ugliness is actually its charm
it is a wonderful piece of engineering ,the way DJI have managed to fit all of the things that users were requesting ,to improve the Mini 2 is brilliant
its always the same when anything new appears people constantly compare it to what came before ,instead of embracing the new technology
 
I read other reviews that agree with the OP. Basically saying the plastic seems thinner making it feel cheaper because they they were putting so much more into it, they had to cut the weight somewhere else. Probably why they got rid of the legs too. Hence the frog look.

FTmY5fgWIAAaKqG - Copy.jpg
 
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This is my first mini drone so I decided to buy the mini 2 bundle from Costco just to try it out, see how it compares and probably return it
I know that several people have posted about buying drones from a retailer with the intention to return them, but it doesn't seem quite right to me.

My opinion. Not a sermon or a suggestion.
 
I read other reviews that agree with the OP. Basically saying the plastic seems thinner making it feel cheaper because they they were putting so much more into it, they had to cut the weight somewhere else. Probably why they got rid of the legs too. Hence the frog look.

View attachment 150444
Agreed, it is about saving weight primarily. You also need to remember it is an aircraft and they need to be light. You wouldn't stand of the wing of a Cessna would you? No, because it is not designed to be tough, but light.
 
So I got the 3 about two weeks ago and have been flying it nearly every day

This is my first mini drone so I decided to buy the mini 2 bundle from Costco just to try it out, see how it compares and probably return it

To my surprise, the Mini 3 feel more flimsy when compared to the Mini 2. I have both with me at the moment and the Mini 2 feels so well built when opening it up, but the Mini 3 feels like I'm going to break it every time I go to open up the legs.

I think it might be because the legs on the 3 are longer. It just feels so awkward opening it up every time.

I also just dislike the way it looks in general though, prefer the sleeker look of the 2

I wish I could get the camera and sensor of the 3 in the body of the 2 (don't care for obstacle sensors)
If you have a fixed weight limit (250 g), and you want to add features, you have to save on weight somewhere else. One of the most common ways to do that is to make things thinner...more flimsy.

I don't have a Mini-3 (I have 3 Mini-2s), but I wouldn't be surprised if that's what happened in this case.
 
the same thing happens to vehicles when i started driving nearly 60,years ago the cars that were around at the time used quite a thick steel to construct the body of the vehicle a lot of them had a separate heavy chassis and you could stand on the hood/bonnet, and lean heavily on the wings /fenders and no damage would be done
try that on todays vehicles and if the dent doesnt spring back then it will mean a replacement part or expensive repair ,even a small cheap car has lots of plastic panels and the ones that are metal are half the thickness of what they were before ,and why all to save weight to improve the power to weight ratio ,
 
Hello
You can't have your cake and eat it. you have to make choices to gain weight, for me the plastic parts are thinner doesn't bother me
not particularly. I think the added obstacle detections are more important. If my drone falls from the sky at 150 feet or 300 feet, it won't change anything with a thicker plastic, so...
A+patc45
 
I couldn't care less about the overall look of the frog.
Yeah, the sharkish look is kind of cool we had but as @old man mavic said, it's function first.

There's no way I would ever going back to the old design. being limited by the gimbal to roughly 20 ° upwards or having the rotors in picture with heavy wind flying forward.

It's a miracle how they got everything under 250 g really (coming from the M2P). That said, yes, the plastics feel thin but sturdy enough to get the bird through rough breezes nonetheless.

I could somehow also pass on the many sensors, because I only do stills, but yet, they are still nice to have just in case.
Still, I am surprised everytime I lift off with it so far of how good and silent it is. And I once thought, my M2P with 1 kg is small and light. ;)
 
We faced something similar with the Mavic 2 vs Mavic 3. The Mavic 2 felt like a tank in your hands (even though it was actually smaller) vs the Mavic 3 which feels lighter and therefore "cheaper." Lighter drone = more flight-time!
 
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Really? You don't find the longer legs on the 3 more awkward or less well built?

I'm a big fan of german cars because their fit and finish is second to none, doors close with a satisfying thud, lines are symmetrical and build quality is noticeable

For some reason I get that feeling with the mini 2, but not with the 3.

I just put the Mini 2 and the Mini 3 on the kitchen counter and switched on all the lights and took a good look. I don't have a product design engineer hat to put on, but I used to be a product design engineer.
  • The fit in both are nothing short of superb. There are no gaps or misaligned parts on either.
  • The finish of the exterior surfaces is excellent and appears to be identical on both models.
  • The arms on the 3 are longer (to accommodate the longer props), but the cross sections are greater.
  • There's essentially no play or backlash in the arm hinges on either.
  • The battery mounting is far more secure on the 3.
  • When sitting on a surface, the ground clearance of the props on the 3 is substantially greater, though the 2 has greater lateral stability. (Epoxy an unfolded paper clip on the front motor bases of the 3 if that's an issue.)
  • The only perceived difference in "quality" is the fact that the 2 might be feel "beefier" because it puts the same weight in a smaller package. It's denser.
  • Flying both recently, I've been surprised that the perceived noise level of the 3 is substantially lower.
Looks? Sleekness? Neither the 2 nor the 3 has the visual appeal of a P-51, for instance. Maybe the 2 has an edge; it has a bit of that stealth look because of the flatter surfaces. And the "facial expression" seems determined and concentrating. The 3 has lots of sensors and appears more full functioned. But it looks like a flying frog, especially if the gimbal cover is installed. But, if you're choosing a drone based on appearance, you may need to be gently guided back to the specs pages instead. There, the 3 is the clear winner in all regards.

I can't see anything flimsy about either model. Both are astonishingly well developed designs that function beautifully. I marvel that both design teams were able to fit so many functions into such a lightweight and small machine that does so much and is such a delight to fly.
 
We faced something similar with the Mavic 2 vs Mavic 3. The Mavic 2 felt like a tank in your hands (even though it was actually smaller) vs the Mavic 3 which feels lighter and therefore "cheaper." Lighter drone = more flight-time!
Unfortunately that's not the case though, I get an average 18-19 mins out of the standard mini 3 battery
 
the same thing happens to vehicles when i started driving nearly 60,years ago the cars that were around at the time used quite a thick steel to construct the body of the vehicle a lot of them had a separate heavy chassis and you could stand on the hood/bonnet, and lean heavily on the wings /fenders and no damage would be done
try that on todays vehicles and if the dent doesnt spring back then it will mean a replacement part or expensive repair ,even a small cheap car has lots of plastic panels and the ones that are metal are half the thickness of what they were before ,and why all to save weight to improve the power to weight ratio ,
Yup.

I own two cars, a 1969 Mercury Marquis, and a 2016 Toyota RAV4, Yoda.

The RAV4 is a delightful machine (this is my second one), has all the luxury that I need and some that I don't, and gets great gas mileage, about 32 mpg on average, and it has over 100,000 miles on it.

The Mercury, who's name is Behemoth, is 19 ft long and weighs 4400 lbs. He doesn't really have "gas mileage" at this point. He burns about 8 gph, regardless of speed. He's got over 150,000 miles. He's more of a pet than a working car at this point, although he does run, and he's registered and insured.

But unlike Yoda, Behemoth would hold his own just fine in a "Mad Max" environment, thank you very much! And he does serve a useful function. His 19 gallon gas tank acts as mobile fuel reserve!

1655843895068.png
 
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So I got the 3 about two weeks ago and have been flying it nearly every day

This is my first mini drone so I decided to buy the mini 2 bundle from Costco just to try it out, see how it compares and probably return it

To my surprise, the Mini 3 feel more flimsy when compared to the Mini 2. I have both with me at the moment and the Mini 2 feels so well built when opening it up, but the Mini 3 feels like I'm going to break it every time I go to open up the legs.

I think it might be because the legs on the 3 are longer. It just feels so awkward opening it up every time.

I also just dislike the way it looks in general though, prefer the sleeker look of the 2

I wish I could get the camera and sensor of the 3 in the body of the 2 (don't care for obstacle sensors)
DISAGREE.
 
its always the same when anything new appears people constantly compare it to what came before ,instead of embracing the new technology
Couldn't agree more. I get a huge kick out of American performance car buyers. When the Mustang changes and gets sleaker, it's always "hate it! They ruined the Mustang!" 2 years later it's in the driveway, and posting photos of it. Even better was engineering changes: Turbos? NEVER! Aluminum Ford F150's "No trucks made of beer cans for me!" and the hands down winners? Ford Lightning and C8 Corvette. "Electricity!" "Mid-Engine" lions and tigers and bears oh my! Just don't toy with them at a stop light, with that Neanderthal thinking. I saw the quote "I've got the last proper front engine Vette!" I'll never blah blah blah.
Those horse lessons carriages will never catch on. Mark my words!

The Mini 2 feels the same if not flimsier than the 3 to me. Maybe the smaller props don't rattle as much when you open the arms. I think the 3 feels well built considering the requirement for minimal weight in every component. The reduced mass helps limit damage in minor crashes, though the camera as hood ornament does put it in harms way. Until we have laser protective virtual cocoons around them, we will have to manage.
 
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