If you’re in the marketplace for a new quadcopter, then look no further than the Blade 180 QX HD. At the moment, it’s moderately priced (about $159.99) and still offers a respectable amount of battery life and performance capabilities. In this Blade 180 QX HD review, we’re going to dive deep and show you all the amazing things that this quadcopter has to offer. Let’s get started!
Blade 180 QX HD Review
Control
Durability
Flight Time
Style
Value
Best Bang For The Buck!
If you’re in the marketplace for a new quadcopter, then look no further than the Blade 180 QX HD. At the moment, it’s moderately priced (about $159.99) and still offers a respectable amount of battery life and performance capabilities.
Basic Features & Overview
First and foremost, you can’t really beat the price. At $159.99, you’re getting an amazing bargain. How? Because you’re getting a drone that offers a variety of safety control features, smartphone capability, and much more. The drone’s 1S 3.7V 500mAh battery ensures an average flight time of 5-10 minutes (more or less depending on what conditions you’re flying in). I really like the 180 QX HD because it comes ready-to-fly straight out the box.
Good for Novice Flyers?
Let’s use this part of the Blade 180 QX HD review to answer one question: is this drone good for newbie flyers? Well, it really depends on what you consider “newbie”. If you have absolutely no experience flying, I’d recommend that you spend your time practicing on say, the Syma X5C or the UDI U818A. Both of these are relatively cheap (around $50) and will definitely get you warmed up to the sport.
For those with some flying experience, experience added peace of mind with Blade’s signature SAFE technology. For those of you who’ve read my Blade QX Nano review, you know that this technology is responsible for keeping the drone relatively stable in the air. Overall, it will help eliminate crashes and allow your drone to last for as long as possible. So, to answer the question: yes, the Blade 180 QX HD is great for beginner flyers, but not those who have absolutely no flying experience.
Flight Time
On a full battery, expect an average flight time of 5-10 minutes. That’s actually about average for a drone of its caliber and price range. For example, the Hubsan X4 H107D, which costs about the same, offers a similar price range. The memory capacity for the drone is expandable via its micro SD card slot, and it also comes with a 2 GB card in the box.
This should be enough to set you on your way to recording amazing aerial shots. To charge the battery back up to maximum capacity, be prepared to wait approximately 1 hour (more or less depending on how drained the battery is). To avoid this problem, and get back into the air quicker, be sure to buy extra batteries for your drone.
Performance, Durability, and More
In this section of the Blade 180 QX HD review, we’re going to talk about the drone’s performance and durability. Visit any forum that talks about the QX HD and you’ll notice a common theme:
agility. And based on my firsthand experiences, I can tell you that it’s absolutely true- the 180 QX HD is fast. You’ll be able to perform flips with ease, as well as zip in any direction that you want at the push of a button. Plus, all of this can be done while capturing clear aerial footage.
I mean, the camera quality isn’t perfect, but for the price, you really can’t complain (I’m positive that you’ll be impressed with it). As far as crashes are concerned, you won’t have to worry about much with the 180 QX HD. I’ve crashes mine a few times and typically, maximum damage is just a missing/broken propeller or two (easily repairable). Remember that the drone comes with an extra set of propellers so you won’t need to purchase them separately.
Bottom Line
Let’s end this Blade 180 QX HD review by talking about the drone’s LED lights. In short, these things are bright. When flying at night, you won’t have any problem staying oriented to your drone. Trust me when I say that this becomes exceptionally for when you’ve lost track of your drone in the distance. Without a quality set of LED lights, you can easily lose it. For $159.99 on Amazon, you’re definitely getting an amazing bargain in my opinion. Good luck!
This seems a good one. Fortunately I got BLADE Chroma Camera Drone (BNF) with GoPro-Ready Fixed Camera Mount at 12% discount from helidirect.com and I’m loving the experience.
Keep sharing more reviews on RC Helicopters 🙂
I’m fairly certain this does not have smartphone capability. It is a good newbie learner, I had no experience & have worked up to flying acro mode with it. The remote can be used on many other Blade models so you can get rtf models such as the inductrix for when it’s not flying weather. Parts are readily available & cheap but the motor arms are sacrificial. If you crash you weaken them but they are cheap & easy to replace & better than famaging a frame or body.
This is no good over 15 kph winds.
The LED lights are near useless unless you do some aftermarket upgrades.
A good stable flyer & even in acro mode, if you get it trouble you can flick to SAFE mode to regain control mid flight.
I recommend it, in fact I love it.