Know someone wanting a thermal imaging drone, for their own business or to get into thermal drone contract work? Or someone who wants to upgrade from a basic model, eg DJI’s first Mavic Enterprise model? I’ve got a Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced, in great condition, for sale.
I love DJI’s Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced (M2EA); so hate to sell it. But owning four is too many & this is the most under-utilised! (I have to do a cull at least once a year, as the collection does get out of control. Most are simply sold to locals via Facebook groups but this is a particularly specialised beast.)
This ‘Enterprise’ drone has had a cushy life, producing pics for the thermal section in my drone workshops, plus the odd demo flight for participants. No dirty job sites, locked up in a roasting vehicle or bouncing around in the back of a ute. In fact it’s lived the equivalent life of a Toyota Landcruiser just drived a few k’s on the multi lane bitumen to the supermarket every week or two. Which means it’s in excellent condition – especially for what is designed to be a sturdy money-making workhorse – and likely one of the best if not the best secondhand drone of it’s kind that you’ll find on offer.
The Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced is a top quality thermal imaging drone, also with an ordinary RGB camera; ideal for all kinds of commercial grade inspections, search & rescue, stock/feral animal locating – a million and one income earning uses. Not just outdoor jobs, but also indoors – the thermal camera results are that good it can be handheld and used inside a building.
M2EA thermal image resolution is the same as the M30T (640×512); & vast improvement on the original Mavic Enterprise. (It’s important not to confuse the specs and costs of these different models.) These Enterprise drones have industrial grade security features such as password protection plus 24GB inbuilt storage, SDK support (for 3rd party apps). It’s super quick to launch; from turning it on to airborne (a vital S & R feature), and has a top speed of 72kph.
All software up to date (drone, batteries, controller, fly safe database). It uses the DJI Pilot app, which is based on the much better Go4 app not the dumbed-down Fly app. (So it’s possible to adjust the battery discharge times etc).
ITEMS INCLUDED & COST:
Standard bundle items plus a stack of extras:
• DJI hardcase with a great seal (made to measure & quality foam, not fall-apart foam)
• DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced aircraft & props
• Flight battery & charger
• Drone battery to USB plug (for charging other devices eg phone; useful for drone battery discharge before storage)
• Gimbal protector
• M2EA Smart Controller
• DJI charger plug especially suited to the RC (very fast charging; well suited to S & R work or stock mustering)
• M2EA accessories: speaker, spotlight, beacon (some of these are extra add-on cost items for other Enterprise models; and the M3T doesn’t have a spotlight accessory at all)
• All of the original info booklets. If the drone is sold to someone living a fair way out of town, I can get a copy of the 60+ page manual printed & bound, to send (FOC). DJI drone manuals are full of vital info.
• Spare: 2 pairs of remote control sticks, accessory port cover
• Plus – 3 extra batteries (replacement cost $867); car charger ($139); 2 pod cases ($59); fluoro orange skin for increased visibility ($55, custom made); silicon caps for protecting motor prongs when props are off ($14), lipo bag for 3 batteries ($30) – IE more than $1164.
Total replacement cost if bought new today $9403 plus the extras of $1164 – $10,500+
So the sale cost of $7,250 saves more than $3,000 compared to the new price. Even if you don’t want the extra do-dads, you still save around $2,000. I’ve priced this to sell rather than faff around.
Postage/freight:
The sale price also includes postage Australia-wide, registered & insured, up to a value of $100. $100 will be taken off the total price if sold to someone who picks it up in person. The sale price is negotiable for the right person.
Comparison with other drone models, new & secondhand:
Because I don’t like stuffing around when selling anything I put a lot of upfront work into calculating a fair price. Based on:
- Recent sales prices for the identical drone model
- Condition comparison, as well as accessories
- Comparison with other models (newer and older)
Two challenges for buyers that I also struggled with when new:
- Differences between models – accurate comparisons is nigh on impossible for anyone not super familiar with drones generally, or particular types. Which features are real improvements, and which features are talked up to sound great but in fact make diddly squat difference to the usability or quality of the work the drone does? (One of the reasons why I run workshops, to demystify snake oil seller speak!). Transmission range is one of the best examples of that. And a good alternative tech comparison is mobile phones. When a new phone model comes out, are the features spruiked really something that matter to you? Or nice to have but so incremental or non-essential they’re not worth shelling out extra dollars for? I can explain the difference between the M2EA, M3T & M2ED so you’ll know which is best for you.
- What accessories/extras do you really need? Comparing apples with apples, re the extras included in a sale and determining what you need and what you don’t, is difficult. Are you just buying a drone, or are you buying a drone plus all the other things you’ll need to actually work with it (top of the list being extra batteries)? Or are you being sold a stack of irrelevant accessories that you don’t need/won’t use? (I still have the screen shade that came with my first drone, in 2016 – still in its packet!) Buying a drone is a bit like buying a boat for fishing. There’s a whole lot of additional and unavoidable expenses required, in order to go fishing – starting with choosing the right motor to bolt onto it, plus a trailer to cart it around – not to mention rods etc! But what you don’t want is a box full of expensive lures that aren’t suited to the fish you’re trying to catch. Drones are similar. What do you need for the job you want your drone to do? What is a waste of money? What is being included that you may or may not end up using, and is it actually adding to the purchase price – or being included at no extra charge, so doesn’t really matter, like my screen shade? There’s very few retailers of new drones who won’t try to sell you stuff you don’t need. If you’re buying a drone from me for a purpose it isn’t suited to, or accessories that aren’t relevant, I will tell you upfront.
FREE TRAINING/PRO DRONE TIPS INCLUDED:
The optional extra at no charge; unique with this purchase – that you won’t get from any other seller: if you’re unfamiliar with using thermal cameras and/or the many income-earning jobs it can undertake, I can provide valuable foundation information and advanced tips, which includes knowledge from cert 1 thermography training. The buyer can also be emailed a summary of the thermal drone section from my drone workshop presentations.
WHAT ARE THERMAL DRONES USED FOR?
Thermal cameras record light wavelengths that aren’t visible to the human eye.
Thermal is the new frontier in industry – image quality has vastly improved and the cost greatly reduced, over the last few years. In terms of drones, DJI’s Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced is a massive improvement on the first model, the Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual. In fact I decided to buy an M2ED because the price was so discounted when the M2EA was released. But when I saw the difference in image quality, no way I could buy the super cheap model; I had to have the one with great detail, the Advanced! The M3T is the latest model but here’s the vital thing: the thermal image quality is the same. And if you’re buying a flying camera, what matters most is that it is capturing the detail you need.
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
All my gear is well looked after. I’m self employed and often working/visiting very remote areas, and being super careful with gear increases reliability as well as saleability.
If you are considering purchase, sing out via the website contact page, social media or the phone, if you have any queries.
I have many other images of the drone and other items included, and images that the drone has taken.
These Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced drones don’t come up for sale very often, so if it’s something you’re considering, best not to hesitate.
