Review: Eachine E010 -The drone everyone should have

The E010 is a small ducted drone that you can pick up on Amazon for less than $25. While it may be an inexpensive drone, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a lot of fun to fly. You won’t find a camera or any advanced features on this little guy, but it is still big on fun. This little quadcopter is excellent for flying indoors when the weather is bad or for learning how to fly. Read on to learn the hidden capabilities of the E010 and what similar drones may be an even better suited for you.

The Eachine E010

The Eachine E010 is probably the most modified drone of all time. If you are a fan of DIY projects then you can join the hoards of people who have made their E010 into a “Whoop.” What’s a Whoop? A whoop is a small ducted quadcopter with a camera that can be flown FPV (first person view). All you need to do is add a low-cost camera. This tiny quad is an excellent starter drone and a perfect gift for kids, even “big kids.” I would argue that everyone should have an E010 in their hangar, whether you are new to drones or a professional drone pilot. It is one of my favorite drones.

The Eachine E010 Design

The ducted design of the E010 is based on the popular Horizon Hobby Inductrix. The ducts around the motors of the E010 help make it both quieter and more efficient. As an added bonus, these propeller guards also serve as bumpers. You can often pinball your way through obstacles without crashing or losing a propeller. While the E010 may be inspired by the Inductrix, the E010 costs a lot less and is actually a better and more durable drone.

E010 Modes

There are a lot of ducted drones, but the E010 is the least expensive of them all.

You won’t get fancy modes with the Eachine E010 other than headless mode and a return-to-home key. Headless mode isn’t something we would recommend, as it changes the sense of orientation of the drone, but it works decently well for beginners. The return-to-home key is a joke. Pushing that button will send it randomly in whichever direction the drone believes is home. Avoid using return-to-home.

There are a lot of solid ducted drones out there, but the E010 is the place to start. It is an excellent drone for beginners. It is an excellent drone for tinkerers. It is an excellent drone for flying indoors. Start with the E010 and work your way up the drone ladder.

E010 Drawbacks

This little quadcopter has some drawbacks. The battery won’t last long, 5 minutes if you are super lucky. The good news is that batteries are inexpensive and easy to find. We recommend picking up a handful.

The Christmas version of the E011 is a great stocking stuffer.

Because it is small and light, the E010 won’t do well in wind. If you want to fly outside make sure you are in high-speed mode so you can fight the breeze. If you want something that can fly outside a little better, then I would recommend taking a look at the Eachine E011. It is basically the same design as the E010 but has larger motors and carries around a Lego man. You get even more power and flight time by taking Santa off the drone to lighten the load. The E011 isn’t as easy to find and will cost somewhere between $10-20 more than the E010.

Converting the Eachine E010 into an FPV flyer

The E010 can be easily converted to a Tiny Whoop FPV flyer. If you want to fly first person view you’ll need to pick up a small camera and have some soldering skills. Adding a camera isn’t tricky, but takes a steady hand. We’d also recommend tri-blade propellers for a little extra punch. More isn’t always better and there is no doubt that these three-bladed props produce more thrust and are more efficient than the stock four-blade props.

The Jumper T8SG unlocks the potential in the E010.

I fly my E010 with a Jumper T8SG remote. It gives me more control and precision. The best part of the Jumper is that in can fly hundreds of different drones. If you want to go crazy you can even upgrade the motors on this little guy. However, at that point, we would recommend picking up the beefier E011.

You’ll also need a pair of goggles to fly FPV. If you are new to FPV we’d recommend an inexpensive box set like these Eachine VR007 goggles. I love my FatSharks but it is hard to justify goggles that cost more than 10 times the price of your drone.

Ready-Made FPV

If you want a Tiny Whoop that includes a camera and is ready to fly then we suggest the E013. It is basically the E010 with a camera, and compatible FPV goggles and remote. Checking in at about $100 it is a pretty solid deal. This is the easiest way to get FPV flying and maybe the only good option under $100. Don’t be fooled by drones that have WiFi FPV. The video feed on all WiFi drones will have too much lag to be able to fly FPV successfully. Learn more about the E013 or order one here.

The E013 is the ready-to-go FPV version of the Eachine E013.

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