The number one use for commercial drones today is for inspection services. These machines fly over power lines, rail lines, under bridges and so much more to accomplish tasks such as preventative maintenance, documentation of work, and records for insurance claims.

Add an infrared camera and you can use these powerful drones to inspect pipelines, buildings and more for leaks — this makes for ideal search and rescue drones as well, but we’ll talk about that another day. For now, these are some of the best retail drones that make ideal inspection drones.

Inspection drones

DJI Matrice 300 series: Best inspection drone

The DJI Matrice 300 RTK is the culmination of DJI’s best inspection drone efforts. For those familiar with the previous M200 series platform, the Matrice 300 takes all of the best features from all of those drones, and crams them into this one airframe. That is to say, the Matrice 300 can do it all.

Small business drone operators can benefit the most from a drone like this, purchasing one platform to perform a variety of tasks. However, if you have a single, specialized task in mind, do consider the M200 series drones, as they may be more cost affective for your task. For example, you can hang a couple payloads on the bottom, and one on the top of the Matrice 300, you may not need the top mount, and you may not need RTK.

Why we fly the DJI Matrice 300

For the most versatility in a commercial platform, it’s tough to beat the Matrice 300 series. Being able to choose from, and swap between different payloads is the most important aspect of an inspection drone, and the M300 delivers.

Aside from that, the Matrice 300 enjoys the best flight features that DJI has developed over the years. The M300 is actually pretty easy to fly, and with the RTK GPS connection, one of the smoothest drones around.

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DJI Matrice 200 series: Last gen modular system

The DJI Matrice 200 series includes the M200, M210 and M210 RTK. The M200 can handle two bottom mounted payloads, including infrared cameras, lights, cameras and more. The M210 adds a top mount for upward facing payloads.

Finally, the M210 RTK is the M210, plus RTK GPS positioning systems. You can pick and choose the level of equipment necessary for your operations.

Please note, the M200 series is officially discontinued by DJI, they recommend the M300 instead.

Why we fly the DJI Matrice 200 series

If the M200 drone of your choice meets your needs, it’s still worth the price to put into your fleet. However, as a discontinued drone, you’ll be purchasing a used drone.

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Yuneec H520: Hexacopter reliability

The Yuneec H520 hit the market as a lower-cost alternative to a DJI Matrice series drone, except that it offers six propellers for added stability and reliability. Multiple payloads and configurations have been available, allowing you to equip the H520 as needed for your operation.

Entities like the Nevada Highway patrol have equipped the H520 for accident reconstruction photos, and we’ve heard good things about energy services using the H520 to inspect power lines and poles.

Why we fly the Yuneec H520

If the age of an airframe bothers you, the H520 is pretty old now, but newer payloads keep the craft running smooth, and viable for your operations today.

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DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise: Search & Rescue drone

The DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise is an updated consumer Mavic drone, made to be more secure, and to accept one of a number of accessories on top. Spotlights, speakers, beacons, and more quickly attach to make the most of your search and rescue or other similar flight tasks.

Why we fly the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise

The Mavic 2 Enterprise is a viable drone, but is still a member of the aging Mavic 2 series aircraft. Considering that the Mavic 2 drones remain some of our favorites, and some of the safest aircraft in the sky, we think there’s a good argument to purchase the Mavic 2 Enterprise today.

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DJI Inspire 2: Professional camera drone

The DJI Inspire 2 is an older airframe, but still one of the very best camera drones in the sky today. Interchangeable cameras give it new life and new purpose for different operations, and the solid flight time and high speeds make it a viable drone for many operations.

While this drone is not specifically made for inspection tasks, it can be very useful as a high-speed eye-in-the-sky. Certainly not as capable as a police helicopter, for example, but more than enough to keep eyes on a speeding car in a city.

Why we fly the DJI Inspire 2

If your primary goal is to capture amazing photos and video from the sky, with your specific inspections tasks being limited to RGB camera capabilities, the Inspire 2 is certainly worth consideration.

Personally, we fly the Inspire 2 because it acts and fells just like our other DJI drones, with smooth flight and reliable flight features. It’s familiar and comfortable to fly, but also rocks some of the best cameras around. The interchangeable lenses really help when you have different things to inspect.

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Parrot Anafi: Can look up

The Parrot Anafi began as a consumer drone with a unique and powerful ability, it can point the camera upwards. For most aerial camera tasks, looking up into the sky is a niche requirement, but for the task of inspecting the bottom of a bridge, for example, looking up is invaluable. Parrot figure this out, continuing to sell the consumer version, but also upgrading the Anafi into a few commercial versions as well.

Why we fly the Parrot Anafi

As far as consumer drones are concerned, the Anafi is a dated and altogether average aircraft. It is, however, the least expensive viable camera drone that we know of that can point its camera upwards, if you need that ability and have a tight budget.

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