Eachine E010 Mini quadcopter review

Eachine E010 cheap mini drone with ducted fans

At the time when Eachine E010 Mini was announced everyone was curious if it can beat in terms of features and specs the Blade Inductrix or the Tiny Whoop (TW). Especially because the E010 Mini is sold for a fraction of their price.

Although the above 3 mentioned mini quadcopters have approximately the same design, only the TW features a FPV camera. I sow some tries to FPV upgrade the E010 Mini but the results were disappointing. The total flight time was reduced dramatically to 1 minutes, which is too short and not enjoyable. Also, probably the motors will burn out more quickly being stressed by the extra weight of the camera. For example, my most lightweight AIO FPV camera that I could mount on the E010 Mini is the Eachine MC01 which has 7g.

Shortly after I agreed to review this Eachine E010 quad I was contacted by another partner to test the Eachine H36. After short study I concluded that these two models are practically identical. The only difference seems to be that the E010 is sold in blue and red color and the H36 in blue and gray.

Eachine E010 Mini quadcopter review

I was very glad when Banggood offered me this mini quadcopter for review because I use them as gift for my son’s friends. They are very happy when they receives such RC toys.

The package arrived in about 3 weeks with visible effects of the long distance shipping. The box was almost totally smashed but luckily its content was still intact.

Inside the box I found besides the tiny Eachine E010 mini quad and its transmitter a complete set of spare propellers (four blades), battery charger and user manual.

The ducted fan design of the Eachine E010 perfectly copies the TW. Basically, the unibody propeller guard serves as airframe. The motors, as well as the receiver board (JR-NH010R), are mounted on the propeller guard. The mainboard is protected with a tiny removable cockpit.

Usually, even the smallest drones have at least 4 LEDs, so I was surprised to find out that this E010 Mini features only two LEDs, one blue in the front and a red one in the rear.

Powered by a small capacity 150 mAh battery, the advertised flight time is about 5 minutes. The battery is swappable, which is nice because you can have a charged spare one ready for more fun time.

Even if the nylon material which is used to made this drone looks cheap I’m confident that the E010 quadcopter will survive bravely to many crashes.

Manufacturer’s features and specs

• Compact and durable design;
• Headless flight mode (Compass mode);
• One key return to home (without GPS);
• One key course reversal;
• LEDs for night flights;
• Low battery voltage alarm;
• Up to 5 minutes of play time;
• About 30 meters control range;
• Size: 8cm x 8cm.

Eachine E010 Mini review – Transmitter

The black/green remote controller with the size of only 10 x 6cm may be a little small in my hands but all the controls can be easily accessed even by adults.

Besides the usual control sticks, trim switches and two shoulder buttons, the transmitter features a small button (in the middle of the RC) which allows to switch between slow and fast speed rates.

This time I will not get into details about the function of all the buttons and switches because the Eechine E010’s user manual is very ambiguous. I’m still trying to figure out what is “Carefree mode” or exactly how to perform control trimming.

By moving the direction stick (right one in mode 2) to the lowest left position will activate the gyroscope calibration sequence. Keep the stick in this position till the LED’s stop to flash.

Eachine E010 Mini review – Test flight

Being very small I tested it firstly indoor. Thanks to the large propeller protectors you don’t need to worry about hanging to something. The “Slow” speed is perfectly tuned for beginner pilots and safe for indoor flight.

Outdoor, by default (slow rate)  the quad is easily taken even by lowest wind. When I switched to “Fast” rate the quad gained power and I recovered the control allowing to fight against the wind.

I crash it few times just for the fun and to see how durable it is. The Eachine E010 survived all my test crashes so it is absolutely recommended for first time pilots. Anyway it can be easily repaired because spare parts are widely available.

Short outdoor flight video with the Eachine E010 Mini

After about 5 minutes of flight when the battery was near empty, the LEDs started to flash notifying me that it is time to land and recharge.

If you are a newbie and decided to start you journey in the word of quadcopters with this affordable mini quad, you should know that it can be found here with free shipping for $15.99. If you need more play time you can additionally purchase 5 extra batteries with multi-plug charging cable for extra $ 12.99.

Pros

• Dual speed rates;
• About 5 minutes of play time;
• Almost indestructible;
• Removable battery;
• Decent control range;
• Stable self-level mode;
• Spare part availability.

Cons

• Small transmitter;
• Poor wind tolerance.

Although this product review is sponsored, all the impressions are my own !!!

Eachine E010 Mini review – Photo gallery