UDI U841 4-in-1 Drone Review – It Rolls, It Climbs, It Flips and Flies
Can't decide what kind of RC vehicle to get? Well the UDI U841 can race around on 4 wheels, it can climb walls and hug ceilings with its 2 giant wheels, and it can do the usual quadcopter tricks: zoom around in the air and do flips. So is it worth the premium to get these extra features? Keep reading for the full UDI U841 review!
[easyazon_image align=”center” height=”334″ identifier=”B00R52PTMA” locale=”US” src=”http://www.lemondrone.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/41XUoLNCzVL.jpg” tag=”blueclsolut02-20″ width=”500″] [easyazon_cta align=”center” identifier=”B00R52PTMA” key=”small-light” locale=”US” tag=”blueclsolut02-20″]Build Quality
There is a lot of stuff in the box! Wheels, more wheels, wheel attachments – a whole lot of little plastic parts! Overall though, it is well made. Attaching the four wheels is a pain, the two-wheel attachment is a little easier – but after trying both out once or twice, you'll likely put the wheels away and stick with just the quadcopter.
I tortured this little guy (well, not intentionally!). I flew it in a house full of kids and dogs – so it had its fair share of knocks, bumps, bites, and whacks. Oh, and it got covered in dog drool at one point. And yet, it still flies!
Battery Life
Without any wheels attached, you can get a good 6-8 minutes of flight time. But once you strap on either the 2 wheels or the 4 wheels, don't be surprised if you are only getting about 5 minutes of battery life. Video recording also drains the battery faster.
Recording video with wheels attached? The battery will barely eek out 2-3 minutes!
Control/Responsiveness
[easyazon_image align=”center” height=”295″ identifier=”B00R52PTMA” locale=”US” src=”http://www.lemondrone.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/41pMUutUuZL.jpg” tag=”blueclsolut02-20″ width=”500″]This little guy is agile! It makes for a great indoor flyer since it is responsive enough to zoom around corners and dodge between furniture and people. As you would expect, adding wheels to the drone makes it much less responsive. And don't expect that using the 4 wheel attachment will make this drive like an RC car – it won't. It is usable, but if you keep your expectations low you won't be disappointed.
Range
Expect a range of about 20-30 meters. I tested it out to over 20 meters, not sure if I quite hit 30 though during my tests. Being a small drone, it definitely takes some practice flying it at any moderate distance since it is easy to lose orientation.
Value
[easyazon_image align=”center” height=”334″ identifier=”B00R52PTMA” locale=”US” src=”http://www.lemondrone.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/41g2BnKs9k4L.jpg” tag=”blueclsolut02-20″ width=”500″]So here is the ultimate question: is the premium price worth it to get the extra attachments? I'd say no. Unless you are super bored with a “regular” drone and you are looking for something to add a little variety to your collection. Otherwise, I'd say don't bother going out of your way to pick one of these up – go for the fantastic UDI U27 instead (see my UDI U27 review here).
Other Notes
The built in 720p camera captures some surprisingly good pics and vids if you have enough light. As mentioned, video recording drastically cuts into flight time – so take that into account when you plan on using the camera. You'll definitely want a spare battery or two if you think you'll be using the camera frequently.
I really like UDI's remotes. This one is identical to the remote you get with the UDI U27, which is a good thing. It is a great remote! It is easy to hold, easy to access all the controls and buttons, and has a nice little LCD screen that shows useful stats.
