Hi everyone, I experienced a pretty bad crash (carnage below) on my Inspire 1 and have gotten a quote that it'll be about $1000 to repair all the damage. I've found a repair shop that says they'd be able to offer me a new unit for $1200. I'm just wondering if anyone else has been in a similar situation and has any advice on the best path forward. It seems to me like both camera and aircraft models quickly become outdated, potentially an argument for scrapping it for cash and starting over with a newer model. I've also heard that it's best to avoid DJI's in-house repair service because of bad customer service and wondering if anyone could corroborate this.
Thanks for all your help in advance!

With both the bird and the camera appearing to have damage, I would go with the new one and keep the old bird for odd parts.

While DJI has had some issues with Service, I would suggest saving yourself the wait and aggravation if the only difference is $200.

Good Luck!

I have sent in for repairs with DJI 3 times now (two crashes and one hardware failure due to a manufacturing defect) and have only good things to say about them. You can estimate the cost of the repair based on a listing of the part costs here: https://repair.dji.com/en/SelfRepair/PriceQuery

Your cost is probably under $1000 but you have to make a judgement call about investing in a new aircraft.

Don't believe what you hear about DJI service from these forum pages. In many instances the rants are written by people with unrealistic expectations or sometimes genuinely unfortunate experiences.

If you can get a new unit for only $200 more than a repair, I would get the new one. Then piece out the remains to recover the difference and possibly a little more. I see the Ncore units selling for $200+ all the time on eBay. Landing gear, motors with ESCs, Landing gear motor / assembly are all regular sellers.
My $.02.

If it's only a $200 difference between a repair and a new one, the new one would be the better course of action. This is under the impression that it was a user induced crash. If you feel that the incident was due to an issue with the aircraft, then it would be best to get in contact with the North American Support Center for a potential warranty claim.

I'd send it in for an estimate and play it by ear after knowing if it is covered or not and how much its going to cost verses a new one.. prices are falling with the new I2  hitting the streets (not literally)

I had the unfortunate experience of having to have a crash repaired last year on my Inspire. The DJI repair folks were awesome and the turn-around was completely within a reasonable two weeks from shipping it to receiving it. They were prompt and concise with email notifications about receiving the unit, then providing a written estimate, then when repairs were completed and the bird shipped back.  I was apprehensive because of the forum chatter, but they were really good.  

Mike-the-cat Posted at 2017-1-17 15:56
I have sent in for repairs with DJI 3 times now (two crashes and one hardware failure due to a manufacturing defect) and have only good things to say about them. You can estimate the cost of the repair based on a listing of the part costs here: https://repair.dji.com/en/SelfRepair/PriceQuery

Your cost is probably under $1000 but you have to make a judgement call about investing in a new aircraft.

Thank you for the feedback, much appreciated. Can I ask how much it cost to ship it to DJI? Did you ship it in the case they provide for you?

artsybro Posted at 2017-1-22 14:05
Thank you for the feedback, much appreciated. Can I ask how much it cost to ship it to DJI? Did you ship it in the case they provide for you?

Depends where you are and how quickly you want to ship it. From Singapore to Hong Kong (international cost me USD 100 or so by express for the aircraft in its box; far less ~30 bucks when it was a gimbal alone). Return express delivery is paid for by DJI. They did a superb job, cost less than I expected. Their comms has improved a lot. Turn around is around 2 weeks. Like I said, don't listen to most of the complainers on this forum. Its the nature of such forums to be negatively biased.

Sorry about your crash damage.
I have had great experiences using the DJI repair service!  I would trust them to evaluate your Inspire 1 damage and provide you with the best answers needed. DJI lately has also reduced the costs for repairs and parts in most cases.
If the repair cost turns out to be too high, you can always buy a new Inspire...

All the best and hope this helps you decide
Rich