The Cheerson CX-10 (now being sold as the CX-10A with headless mode) remained as the world’s smallest available quadcopter drone for a long time, more so than any other quadcopter has been so far. A few weeks back, a newcomer in the form of the DHD Drone D1 (read its review here) made its claim to fame as the new smallest quadcopter drone. The DHD Drone D1 is a seriously small quadcopter drone. It’s smaller than it appears in photos and the fact that something as small as the Drone D1 flies in itself is quite astounding.
The Drone D1 is also sold as the Cheerson CX-Stars and as the Floureon FX-10. In this article, we shall attempt to compare the DHD Drone D1 to the Cheerson CX-10, which happen to be two of the smallest quadcopter drones in the world.
Cheerson CX-10 vs DHD Drone D1: Size
We all know the Drone D1 is smaller than the Cheerson CX-10. But by how much? Quite a bit, relatively speaking. If you’re a sucker for numbers, here’s how they stack up: the DHD Drone D1 is 2.0 x 2.3 x 2.3cm, as opposed to the 4.0 x 4.0 x 2.2cm of the Cheerson CX-10!
Take a look at a few pictures comparing the two small quadcopters.
Quite clearly, there’s a noticeable difference in the sizes. I honestly didn’t expect the difference to be as significant as it is!
There’s a lot of things that the difference in size can be attributed to. The DHD Drone D1 has a smaller frame (duh), tinier props, and of course, a smaller-capacity battery.
Cheerson CX-10 vs DHD Drone D1: Flight Characteristics
The Cheerson CX-10, being a slightly larger unit than the DHD Drone D1, is a little more stable in the air. It is also a little more faster (and thus, more maneuverable) than the DHD Drone D1. Headless mode on both quadcopters is almost equally good, with the DHD Drone D1 doing a slightly better job than the Cheerson CX-10.
Both quadcopters are primarily made to be flown indoors, so outdoor flights are pretty much out of question. But if you still want to know which one’s better outdoors, I’d say it’s the CX-10.
Cheerson CX-10 vs DHD Drone D1: Battery
The DHD Drone D1 being the smaller of the two naturally has the lower capacity battery. But the difference isn’t as significant as you may think it would be. The DHD Drone D1 has an 80mAh battery while the CX-10 features a 100mAh one. But the CX-10’s 100mAh battery has to power bigger motors (which take more power) and carry more weight, which close to nullifies the advantage of the extra 20mAh battery.
However, the CX-10 still does manage around 30-40 extra seconds of flight time over the DHD Drone D1.
Cheerson CX-10 vs DHD Drone D1: Transmitter
Funnily enough, the despite the CX-10 being the bigger of the two, it has a smaller controller. The reason why it is that way is because the DHD Drone D1 is a ‘drone-in-a-controller’ thing; this means that the controller has to be big enough to make room for the quadcopter to sit inside.
This makes the Drone D1 controller much easier to use than the CX-10’s controller, which can sometimes have a bit of a learning curve associated with it.
Cheerson CX-10 vs DHD Drone D1: Other
If the CX-10 or the Drone D1 is going to be your first quadcopter, you will want to keep in mind the fact that there are no prop guards (blade guards) available for the D1 yet (but I’m sure there will be soon). On the other hand, there’s tonnes of prop guards available for the CX-10. In fact, you could also purchase a Bayang Toys X6 which is essentially a Cheerson CX-10 but with pre-built prop guards.
Carrying the CX-10 around can be a bit of a problem. That’s one aspect where the DHD Drone D1 scores way higher; the quadcopter fits right in its own controller! Not only it is convenient, it also makes carrying a quadcopter in your pocket possible (without breaking the props, that is).
Cheerson CX-10 vs DHD Drone D1: Verdict
Both quadcopters are insane fun, but if you’re only going to buy one out of the two, I’d suggest you go with the CX-10. Reasons why:
- It’s a little bigger than the DHD Drone D1, easier to spot
- Slightly better flight times
- Loads of accessories and community support
- Easily available spares
In the end, it is of course your choice. If you’ve owned and flown a CX-10 to your hearts content, the DHD Drone D1 is something you should definitely try.
Pricing:
- The DHD Drone D1 is $17.99 shipped on GearBest and $16.99 shipped via GeekBuying.
- The Cheerson CX-10A is $16.59 shipped via GearBest and Banggood.
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