Welcome to our review of the best drones for carrying weight.
Recently, I have been fascinated by drones that can deliver payloads or lift heavy stuff, as has been the trend in the drone industry for the past few years.
I have had the chance to improvise with some enterprise drones to carry small payloads for mapping or when having fun outdoors, but did you know that there are drones designed specifically for lifting heavy objects?
Whether you want to lift a flashlight, a can of beer, extra cameras, or objects that weigh several pounds, read on to find out the drones I would go for.
To help, we’ve identified and reviewed the best drone courses for beginners and professionals.
Brief Overview
Before we go into the detailed review, below is a summary of my top picks of drones for carrying weight and what they are best for:
- DJI FlyCart 30 – Best drone for lifting heavy loads and short-distance delivery.
- DJI Agras T40 – Best drone for carrying heavy payloads for agricultural spraying and spreading tasks.
- DJI M300 RTK and M350 RTK – Best drones for carrying heavy equipment and payloads in industrial applications.
- Freefly Astro – Best drone for lifting weight in industries requiring precise aerial mapping and geotagged image capture.
- Freefly Alta X – Best drone for professionals needing to carry heavy equipment and payloads across various industries, including cinematography, mapping, and inspection.
DJI FlyCart 30
Key Features
- 30 kg payload capacity
- 18 minutes flight time
- IP55 rating for durability
- Intelligent all-round obstacle avoidance
- DJI Delivery Hub software for efficient delivery management
- 20m/s max speed
- 10-mile range when carrying a 30 kg payload
✅ Pros
- Huge payload capacity for lifting heavy loads.
- Extended range and flight time for a multirotor.
- Easy to fly. Operates just like any other DJI drone.
❌ Cons
- Limited range and flight time for long-distance deliveries.
Product Overview
Drone delivery is getting very popular these days. And the DJI FlyCart 30 is DJI’s attempt at a delivery drone.
DJI is quite famous for making high-quality consumer and enterprise drones, which would make some users inclined to trust them, but does their prowess extend to the drones-for-carrying-weight side? We’ll find out.
For starters, several delivery drones are eVtols and fixed-wing drones that need special approvals and runways and can be quite expensive. The DJI Flycart 30 provides a more accessible entry point, and you can use it to deliver a wide range of products.
However, being a multirotor, battery limitations allow it to deliver products for short distances, although this still works for last-mile delivery.
» MORE: Can DJI Avata Carry GoPro (Explained)
Review
When you want to create a drone that can carry weight, most users have had to customize or build one from scratch.
Even the most experienced engineers have made mistakes when doing this, which ends up costing a lot of money and consuming a lot of time.
DJI simplifies the whole process by creating a heavy-lifting drone that comes with all the features you could look for, from safety features to software features that can help you create a whole drone delivery business.
To give a good use case where this drone would be applicable, imagine a rural area locked in due to natural disasters like earthquakes or floods. Or islands far from the shore that need immediate deliveries.
The DJI FlyCart 30 makes sense in this scenario since it can take off from anywhere and doesn’t need a runway; it can lift up to 30 kg and can fly up to 10 miles. Obstacle avoidance and automatic RTH will help protect the drone in case of a crash.
Other users have also managed to customize it to carry a heavy wooden spike to clear snow off of power lines, a risky job that would need choppers, and people would have to be at very high altitudes, risking their lives.
Positioning
Many other drones that can carry weight can only lift and hold the weight while in flight. If you also want to drop the weight at a different location without modifying the drone, the DJI FlyCart 30 is your best bet.
Benefits & Drawbacks
- The payload capacity is large enough for most activities.
- Easily customizable to lift different products.
- The SDK capability allows you to customize applications for the drone, expanding what you can do with it.
- Advanced safety features make it easy to use and allow it to adhere to regulations from most regions.
- Being a multirotor, you can take off from anywhere as long as you can find a small, flat surface.
The only issue with this drone is that you would have difficulty carrying objects for long distances since it has a relatively short flight time.
Verdict
If you are looking for a multirotor drone to lift heavy objects and fly them within a 5 to 10-mile radius, the DJI FlyCart 30 would be a good option.
You can use the carrying compartment it comes with or customize it to lift different objects.
» MORE: Can Drones Carry Things? (Explained for Beginners)
DJI Agras T40
Key Features
- 50kg spreading capacity and 40kg spraying capacity
- Active Phased Radar and Binocular Vision for obstacle sensing and avoidance
- Flight spraying and spreading
- RC mapping
- IPX6K rating
- Coaxial twin rotor design
- Foldable design
- Real-time weighing
- Ultra-fast charging generator
- Intelligent cloud
✅ Pros
- Huge payload capacity
- Easy to use, even for beginners
- Foldable design that makes it easy to transport
- Compatibility with DJI Terra and multispectral data for precision farming
❌ Cons
- Too large and expensive for some applications
- Not ideal for long-distance travel
Product Overview
The DJI Agras T40 is the latest agricultural marvel from DJI. It’s a drone designed for spraying and spreading agricultural products and is actually an upgrade.
Earlier versions include the Agras T10, T16, T20, and the T30. I highlighted the T40 because it has the largest capacity, but the previous models are still on the market, so if you want to lift smaller weights, you can consider the previous versions.
Either way, the Agras series is perfect for farming applications, but you can also remove the tank and use these drones to lift other objects.
» MORE: How Much Weight Can a Drone Carry? (lb & kg)
Review
Large agricultural fields have been using planes for spraying and spreading for as long as I can remember. But this is expensive and sometimes not very environmentally friendly, especially when the materials being sprayed end up beyond the farm.
Agricultural drones were introduced to help curb this, and the DJI Agras T40 is the latest drone in that series. It offers more capacity for spraying and enhances precision by being able to fly low and allowing a user to automate the spraying and spreading process.
The coaxial twin rotor design allows it to carry more weight, while the obstacle sensing and avoiding design will enable it to fly autonomously for the most part.
The cloud also allows you to integrate DJI Phantom 4 Multispectral data, allowing you to spray the required amount depending on the health of each crop. This minimizes the pesticide used, enhances efficiency, and enhances yield output.
You could build and customize a drone that sprays, but why reinvent the wheel when DJI has designed a whole system for you to utilize? However, if you want to lift camera rigs, there may be better options; read on to find out what other options there are.
There are also other brands out there, but DJI is the easiest to use and one for which you can find many applications.
Besides lifting the spraying and spreading materials, users have also customized these drones to carry farm products from the farm to where a vehicle can pick them up. Recently, we were also able to customize an Agras T30 to help move power lines from one pole to the next in a local power transmission project.
If the propellers can lift weight, you can customize the drone to lift anything you want. And after completing your tasks, you can fold this drone into a smaller size, making it easier to transport.
» MORE: Benefits of Drone Technology in Agriculture
Benefits and drawbacks summary
It may not travel as far as some fixed-wing drones, but for short distances within a farm, this drone is a beast.
However, it works best on farms or industrial settings; it is sometimes too large and even expensive for people who only want to lift smaller weights or cameras and sensors that need to be operated remotely.
Verdict
If you are a farmer or work in an industry setting, the DJI Agras drone can be useful when you want to lift stuff. Their compatibility with mapping platforms also makes them more versatile.
» MORE: Why Do Drones Have 4 Propellers? (Explained for Beginners)
DJI M300 RTK and M350 RTK
Key Features
- 9kg maximum take-off weight and 2.7 kg payload capacity
- Long flight times
- RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) technology for precise positioning
- Advanced flight performance and safety features
- Compatibility with various payloads and accessories
✅ Pros
- Outstanding payload capacity, making it suitable for carrying heavy equipment and payloads.
- RTK technology ensures highly accurate positioning, which is crucial for precision tasks like mapping and surveying.
- Robust build quality and advanced flight features enhance reliability and safety during operations.
❌ Cons
- Higher price point compared to some other drones in its class.
- It requires a certain level of expertise to operate effectively due to its advanced features.
Product Overview
The DJI M300 RTK is one of the most versatile drones. It’s popular in the surveying world due to its ability to work with different mapping platforms and the RTK capability that ensures precise positioning for data collection. It can be helpful in carrying other payloads, too.
The DJI M350 RTK is an upgrade to the M300 and features better performance, a longer range, and a better controller, but some features, such as the payload capacity, are similar. That’s why I placed them together.
» MORE: Fixed-Wing or Multi-Rotor Drones (Which Should You Choose?)
Review
Drone manufacturers like DJI have worked hard to make sensors small to fit in drones. This has made tasks like aerial mapping, previously done with airplanes, now able to be done with drones.
However, not all sensors can be reduced to fit in a drone. Besides, sometimes you need more than one sensor. This necessitated a drone that could carry extra sensors while allowing the user to control all the sensors or payloads onboard the aircraft.
The M300 RTK is one such drone that comes as a platform, and you can purchase any payload to use on your drone, depending on the task at hand.
Thanks to the dual-gimbal system, you can even carry two payloads simultaneously. During a recent surveying project, the drone’s payload capacity allowed me to carry a high-resolution camera and LiDAR system simultaneously, resulting in comprehensive and accurate data collection.
Besides adding mapping payloads, users have also been able to add configurations that allow them to use the M300 for painting, washing the sides of storied buildings, or carrying power lines. And the 50-minute flight time is sufficient for these applications.
One exciting project that happened in my local area was delivering four beers for a commercial. The drone used was the M300 RTK, and the delivery process involved a custom-made delivery system that worked well with the drone.
» MORE: Top Budget-friendly Drones that Can Carry a GoPro
Benefits & addressing objections
- High payload capacity for carrying heavy equipment and payloads.
- RTK technology ensures precise positioning for accurate data collection.
- Advanced flight features enhance safety and reliability during operations.
While the Matrice 300 RTK comes at a higher price point and requires expertise to operate effectively, its exceptional performance and reliability justify the investment for professionals needing a heavy-lift drone.
Verdict
The M300 RTK or the M350 RTK are the perfect options for professionals looking for a heavy-lifting drone.
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Freefly Astro
Key Features
- Mapping payload features a 61MP Sony a7R IVA camera body and Sigma 24mm f/3.5 lens
- Pilot Pro Controller with an integrated 8″ Samsung ActiveTab3 tablet
- Modular design makes it easy to customize and integrate payloads
- Multiband RTK system and u-blox (F9P) GNSS for precise mapping
- Travel case for easy storage and transportation
✅ Pros
- Easily customizable, making it applicable in varying industries.
- Precise data collection suits industries like utilities, construction, and surveying.
- The Pilot Pro controller is intuitive and easy to use.
❌ Cons
- Limited availability in the market compared to the M300 RTK.
Product Overview
Freefly is known for making drones that can carry expensive cinematography payloads, but the Freefly Astro shows their attempt at a drone designed for mapping and other industrial applications.
Thanks to the high-precision mapping, intuitive controls, and modular design, it is ideal for professionals and industries seeking a reliable and customizable platform for high-resolution aerial mapping and geotagged image capture.
Review
While you could customize the DJI M300 RTK, you are often limited in the payloads you can use, and DJI even has its own software for image capture and processing, though you could use other software thanks to the SDK capabilities.
Still, the Freefly Astro offers more room for customization and is also a suitable replacement for those who are anti-DJI or in industries where DJI drones have been banned.
The Multiband RTK allows you to achieve almost the same level of accuracy as with a DJI drone, and the Pilot Pro controller achieves the same ergonomics as the DJI Pilot 2 controller.
However, you get a smaller payload capacity with the Astro than with the DJI M300 RTK or the M350.
Verdict
While the Astro drone may have limited availability and a smaller payload capacity, its benefits in terms of mapping precision, intuitive piloting, and modular design outweigh these considerations for professionals seeking a comprehensive aerial mapping solution or an alternative to DJI that can achieve the same results as far as mapping and third-party integrations are concerned.
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Freefly Alta X
Key Features
- Modular design allows for quick reconfiguration and customization to suit various tasks and payloads.
- Folding arms and propellers for easy transportation and storage.
- Payload capacity of up to 35 pounds.
- Advanced flight control system with multiple flight modes for precise and stable performance.
- Compatibility with a wide range of cameras, sensors, and accessories for diverse applications.
✅ Pros
- High payload capacity enables carrying heavy equipment and payloads.
- It is highly versatile due to its modular design.
- The foldable design makes it easy to store and transport.
❌ Cons
- Higher initial investment than other drones due to its advanced features and capabilities.
- It requires some level of expertise to fully utilize its modular design and customization options effectively.
Product Overview
Earlier, I mentioned that Freefly is known for designing drones for carrying cinematography payloads, so it was only fair to include one such drone.
They have a few models in the market with varying payloads, but the Freefly Alta X is the most versatile. While the Freefly Astro is inclined to mapping tasks, the Freefly Alta X can support cinematography, mapping, and inspection payloads, and you can also customize it to lift other types of loads.
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Review
Have you ever visited a movie scene or watched their BTS videos and come across drones carrying huge camera rigs? These drones may have been from Freefly. With a payload capacity of 35 pounds, imagine what you could do with it!
To give you some context, the average weight of a camera is 1.7 pounds. With 35 pounds, you can add several cameras or add a whole setup that includes high-end lenses and gimbals.
Filming also involves more flying skills, and the advanced flight control system allows you to adapt depending on the type of videos you want to create. You can fly it as an FPV drone or as a camera drone.
» MORE: Best Drones for Wildlife Photography
Benefits & addressing objections
- High versatility and adaptability due to its modular design.
- High payload capacity enables carrying heavy equipment and payloads.
- Foldable arms and propellers enhance portability and convenience.
While the Alta X may require a higher initial investment and some expertise to fully utilize its capabilities, its versatility, and performance make it worthwhile for professionals seeking a versatile and reliable drone platform.
Verdict
If you are a professional looking for a versatile heavy-lift drone that can handle a wide range of industrial payloads, the Freefly Alta X checks most of the boxes.
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Buying Guide
There are several drones for carrying weight out there, and in this roundup, I have highlighted the top picks.
However, if you come across other models that would be top contenders for the best drones for carrying weight, below are some factors to consider.
» MORE: Drone Buying Guide: Read This Before Buying Your First Drone
Payload Capacity
Payload capacity refers to how much weight a drone can carry. This should not be mistaken for the maximum take-off weight, which accounts for the drone’s weight.
The weight you want to lift should help determine the drone you choose.
However, it’s important to note that a drone cannot always lift the advertised weight. Issues like propeller, motor, or battery health can reduce the maximum payload capacity.
If you want to lift a 30-pound payload, look for a drone with a payload capacity of 40 pounds or more.
» MORE: What Is Payload Mode on a DJI Mini 2? (Explained)
Nature of Use
You must be clear on what you will do once you lift the weight. For filming, the payload has to be on the drone until the filming task is done; for spraying, the drone has to hold the weight until the tank is empty, etc.
If it’s a sensor or camera, you must be able to control it remotely. The nature of the payload and the task you need it for should help you narrow down to the specific drone models that will work best.
Type of Payload
Whether you want to lift a camera, a bait-dropping mechanism, or agricultural products, you must look for a drone suited for the type of payload you want to lift.
Cameras, sensors, and other electric payloads often need a specific mounting option, so if that’s what you want to lift, ensure the drone is compatible with your payload.
Flight time
Flight time is crucial, especially when carrying the payload over a distance. You wouldn’t want the drone’s battery getting depleted along the way, destroying both your payload and the drone.
Adding a payload also reduces the drone’s maximum flight time, so pay attention to the telemetry data when flying and ensure the drone has proper battery power management for carrying heavy loads.
» MORE: Flight Time of All DJI Drones (Explained)
Regulatory Compliance
Before getting any drone, check if it adheres to local regulations.
There are regulations based on the drone’s weight, how you will be using it (recreational or commercial), and regulations governing carrying payloads and delivering them.
If you need to modify your drone, you may also need approval from the relevant civil aviation authority.
Flight Modes and Safety Features
Since carrying heavy loads may involve flying in areas with obstacles or within industrial complexes, look for a drone with flight modes that support flying in such environments and flight safety features such as obstacle avoidance, altitude hold, position hold, and ADS-B for detecting manned aircraft, among others.
» MORE: 5 Essential Safety Rules You Need to Consider When Filming with a Drone
Durability
Regardless of the weight you will be lifting, always ensure the drone can handle it. The motors, propellers, and the overall drone’s build work harder when lifting weight, which takes a toll on them.
Regular maintenance is also essential to ensure the drone is functioning optimally.
Conclusion
After thoroughly reviewing and comparing some of the best drones for carrying weight, it’s evident that each model offers unique strengths and capabilities tailored to specific needs and applications.
For those seeking a reliable solution for drone delivery or lifting heavy objects within a short distance, the DJI FlyCart 30 stands out with its impressive payload capacity, intuitive controls, and advanced obstacle avoidance features.
Its ability to lift up to 30 kg and fly up to 10 miles makes it ideal for last-mile delivery or emergency response scenarios, where swift and efficient transport is essential.
Suppose agricultural tasks like spraying and spreading are your focus. In that case, the DJI Agras T40 presents a robust solution with its large payload capacity, precision spraying capabilities, and compatibility with DJI Terra for precision farming.
Its ability to automate spraying processes while minimizing pesticide usage and enhancing crop yield makes it a valuable asset for farmers and agricultural professionals.
For professionals needing a heavy-lift drone capable of carrying advanced payloads and accessories, the DJI M300 RTK and M350 RTK offer exceptional performance, reliability, and versatility.
With their high payload capacity, long flight times, and RTK technology for precise positioning, these drones are ideal for various industrial applications, including aerial mapping, surveying, and inspection.
In industries where mapping and geotagged image capture are paramount, the Freefly Astro provides a customizable and precise solution with its high-resolution mapping payload and intuitive Pilot Pro controller.
Its modular design and multiband RTK system ensure accurate data collection, making it suitable for utilities, construction, and surveying industries.
Finally, for professionals seeking versatility and adaptability in a heavy-lift drone, the Freefly Alta X offers a modular design and high payload capacity, making it suitable for various industrial payloads, including cinematography, mapping, and inspection.
Its foldable design and advanced flight control system further enhance its convenience and performance in various applications.
If you come across other models that are not on this list, check their payload capacity, flight time, battery performance, flight modes, your nature of use, and how they comply with local regulations when selecting one.