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If you are in the market for a drone/quadcopter and you are trying to figure out how long the motors last to try and determine if it is worth spending the money then you are in the right place.
Knowing how long a quadcopter motor will last is important not only to your wallet but also to your peace of mind. After all, the last thing that you want is your drone falling out of the sky because the motor failed while you were flying it!
How long your quadcopter motors will last depends on the type of motors you have. Brushed motors will typically last 50-100 flights before beginning to have issues while brushless motors will last almost forever!
Of course how expensive the motor is and how well you take care of it will have a lot to do with how long it will last as well. If you have a super cheap quadcopter then it is going to have really cheap brushed motors which will not last as long as more expensive brushed motors.
Breaking in your drone motors properly will also allow you to get more use out of them no matter whether you have brushed or brushless ones.
If you want to know how to properly clean your quadcopter motors to help them last as long as possible then you will want to check out the video below.
How long do DJI motors last?
When we talk about DJI motors we are talking about the best of the best when it comes to quadcopters/drones. DJI is a household name when it comes to drones and the quality of their motors lives up to these expectations.
DJI motors will typically last for thousands of hours of flight time and normally they will never have to be replaced as people will end up destroying the drone in other ways before the motors ever stop running.
This is because DJI motors are brushless and are made with quality materials as DJI has a reputation to uphold. If their motors only lasted for a few months or even a year people would never buy a DJI drone again!
By making good quality drones with good quality motors DJI keeps people coming back for the latest models.
If you own a DJI drone and take care of the motors they should last you for many years to come.
What is the lifespan of a drone?
A drones lifespan has a lot of different variables that go into it. If you crash your drone into a tree or pond on the first time that you take it up the lifespan was quite short but it wasn’t exactly the drones fault!
If a drone is well taken care of and not crashed they can last for many many years. This is because drones are designed for parr’s to be replaced so if a propeller breaks or a motor dies you can easily replace them and keep your drone going.
Often the lifespan of a drone has more to do when it becomes obsolete than when it actually stops working. Drone manufacturers are constantly adding new features and as technology advances that is likely to continue.
So often people will upgrade to a new drone long before the old one actually dies.
All of that to say a drone’s lifespan is virtually unlimited as you can continually replace the parts until they stop making them. Drones are very similar to cars in that it comes to a point where buying a new drone is a better option than fixing your old one even though the old one could still be fixed.
How do I know if my drone motor is bad?
The easiest way to tell if your drone motor is going bad is you will notice that something is a little “off”. Maybe your drone has been flying at an odd angle or doesn’t respond to commands like it used to. This is likely a sign that one of your motors is going bad.
The easiest way to check if a motor is bad or going bad is to spin the propeller by hand. If all the propellers feel the same then the motors should all be fine.
If one is harder to turn than the others or if you smell something burning from one of the motors after running the drone then you likely have a motor issue.
Often people think they have issues with their motors but it is actually an issue with a solder breaking or an electrical issue.
The best way to check if a motor is causing the issue is to swap it with a different one (if you have a spare) or mark the motor you think is bad and move it to a different spot. If the problem moves to where you moved the motor then you know it is a motor issue.
Drone motors are actually quite inexpensive so buying replacement motors is often far cheaper than buying a new drone. You can find a four pack of replacement motors on Amazon here.
Of course when buying replacement motors you will need to make sure that they are the right size for the drone model that you have.
Drone brushed motor lifespan
If you are buying a drone that has a brushed motor or already have a drone that has a brushed motor you might be wondering about how long you can expect the motors to last.
The lifespan of brushed motors varies depending on how well you take care of them but in general they will last for 50-100 hours of flight time.
Not only will that vary based on how well you care for your brushed drone motor but it will also vary by brand. Some brands of motors are simply made better and will last much longer than cheaper motors that are cared for in an identical fashion.
In general when it comes to drone motors, you get what you pay for!
Do brushless motors ever wear out?
If you have a brushless motor on your quadcopter or even RC car you may wonder if they ever truly wear out. Since there are no brushes to get worn down then does that mean the motor will last forever?
Brushless motors will last a very long time but they will eventually wear out. Normally the issues that cause them to break are dirt, water, bad bearings, overheating, etc.
If you can avoid getting dirt or debris in your brushless motor and never overheat it or drop it into water then your brushless motor will last until the bearings go bad which should be in the thousands of hours!
Brushless motors last a very long time in general but especially when compared to brushed ones!
Conclusion
Hopefully this article has been helpful in answering your questions about quadcopters/drones and how long they and their motors will last.
Typically brushless motors will last much longer than the rest of the drone will and you will likely want to upgrade to a new drone with more advanced features a long time before your brushless motor will die.
If you are looking at drones and trying to decide between one with a brushed or brushless motor the brushless motor is always worth the additional cost!