Why are non-Walkera owners such haters? :-(

[gabeoravitz]

<rant>

I like Walkera helis. I can only assume others here do too, probably for the same reasons. No, they're not the best out there, but they offer an awesome value (depending on the model you get, at least). It seems like everywhere I go, I'm told to get a "real helicopter" and to get rid of my "toy". Why is it such a crime to not want to spend $400 on a 250 size heli, and still need to buy a $300 RX and a $400 TX?

I was thinking of getting a Mini CP with a Devo 6S TX because it's only $279 from Wow. That's a screaming deal IMO. I'd also like to covert my D02S to Devo, and then possibly use Devo RX's in the future for any Align clones I may build, or future Walkera's I may get.

To me, it makes the hobby even more fun to not spend as much but still build and fly awesome machines that are a blast.

I don't even open my mouth anymore in hobby stores.

</endrant>

[vronny]

Originally Posted by gabeoravitz

<rant>

I like Walkera helis. I can only assume others here do too, probably for the same reasons. No, they're not the best out there, but they offer an awesome value (depending on the model you get, at least). It seems like everywhere I go, I'm told to get a "real helicopter" and to get rid of my "toy". Why is it such a crime to not want to spend $400 on a 250 size heli, and still need to buy a $300 RX and a $400 TX?

I was thinking of getting a Mini CP with a Devo 6S TX because it's only $279 from Wow. That's a screaming deal IMO. I'd also like to covert my D02S to Devo, and then possibly use Devo RX's in the future for any Align clones I may build, or future Walkera's I may get.

To me, it makes the hobby even more fun to not spend as much but still build and fly awesome machines that are a blast.

I don't even open my mouth anymore in hobby stores.

</endrant>

Don't worry what other people say or think just Have fun Vronny. I enjoy my Walkera Heli my newest 2 are LB & V200D03. I spend my money on what I enjoy but my next heli will probably be the blade 300X which I will need a new Tx.

[Heli-opolis]

Some people are under the mistaken impression that their choice being correct, which of course it is for them, means that anyone else's choice that is different must obviously be bad.

Or, they're just jealous.

In the words of Bobby heli-flyin' McFarrin, "Don't worry, fly happy.".

[BHChieftain]

Hey, I fly Walkera and hate them at the same time...

I can't stand the spotty quality control and flakey electronics. They only reason I fly one is they currently make the only 120size CP which is the perfect size for backyard flying IMHO. I really don't like the proprietary electronics for the RX, TX, and Servos.

I do think the *design* of the V120D02S is very good, but still spotty QA...

Glad to see the Blade 130 coming soon.

I've always told people that for anything above micro or 120, there are much better choices out there...

Chief

[Heli-opolis]

I agree, to a greater or lesser degree, Chief.

Spotty QA is a big detractor.

On the other hand, for me, I've not seen the same level of engineering come out of any other design house so I'll stick with Walkera, mainly because of their engineering and maybe more so, I've invested too much into getting someone's ear to listen to go elsewhere.

There does seem hope for the future though. Walkera accepting toasted RX's back for repair/replacement is a big step forward and will hopefully prove to them, via the hole in their bank account that will result, that their production and quality levels need improvement for them to survive and thrive in the long term.

Besides, I like to fix stuff and Walkera birds give me plenty of opportunities to do that.

[zadaw]

There are mainly 3 groups of people who hate Walkera

1. Those who fly larger helis who will look down on RTF and Micro helis from any brand.
2. Those who fly Blade helis and are active fanboys and who just want to attack any potential competitor. I have owned 4 MCPx and I just cannot see how the quality of Blade helis can be considered as much better than that of Walkera.
3. Those who have owned one of the earlier problematic Walkeras and got so badly burnt that they will not give Walkera a second chance. Examples include the 4G3, 4G6 and 4#3b, I would also put the 4F200 and M120d01 in that category.

[Magooch]

I fully believe walkera owners are true hobbiests. These heli's are smaller and require more work to get to perform correctly. Some people want perfection with little to no work involved. Everyone has a different idea of what a hobby is. I enjoy the tinkering and trouble shooting, my 500 clone and x7 are boring compared to the walkeras I own as far as tinkering goes. I still really enjoy my 4g6 and my v120d02. You can put new parts on them and still have to work it to fly right, but you can get them to fly right. You don't see other companies making heli's of this size with this kind of performance (mcpx excluded). I think walkera is trying to break free of their past reputation and is really taking some positive steps. There will always be a walkera in my fleet.

Edit
Just to clarify, I am not calling the owners of any other brand of heli a non hobbiest. Just stating walkera takes more work and tinkering... To each their own.

[gabeoravitz]

I like all the responses here. You are all correct. Chief, I do agree with you to an extent. They do have spotty QA issues, and a proprietary nature. But you get what you pay for. I'm willing to get a little less quality if the price is right. The Blade 130 looks like an AWESOME bird...but for $279 with NO tx...come on. That heli is the same sh***y plastic that everything else is made of.

[BHChieftain]

Originally Posted by zadaw

There are mainly 3 groups of people who hate Walkera

1. Those who fly larger helis who will look down on RTF and Micro helis from any brand.
2. Those who fly Blade helis and are active fanboys and who just want to attack any potential competitor. I have owned 4 MCPx and I just cannot see how the quality of Blade helis can be considered as much better than that of Walkera.
3. Those who have owned one of the earlier problematic Walkeras and got so badly burnt that they will not give Walkera a second chance. Examples include the 4G3, 4G6 and 4#3b, I would also put the 4F200 and M120d01 in that category.

I've owned 2 MCPx helis. I have to say I was very impressed with the ruggedness of that bird, but the V120D02S flies SOOOO much better (when it works).

Chief

[BHChieftain]

Originally Posted by Magooch

I fully believe walkera owners are true hobbiests. These heli's are smaller and require more work to get to perform correctly. Some people want perfection with little to no work involved. Everyone has a different idea of what a hobby is. I enjoy the tinkering and trouble shooting, my 500 clone and x7 are boring compared to the walkeras I own as far as tinkering goes. I still really enjoy my 4g6 and my v120d02. You can put new parts on them and still have to work it to fly right, but you can get them to fly right. You don't see other companies making heli's of this size with this kind of performance (mcpx excluded). I think walkera is trying to break free of their past reputation and is really taking some positive steps. There will always be a walkera in my fleet.

Edit
Just to clarify, I am not calling the owners of any other brand of heli a non hobbiest. Just stating walkera takes more work and tinkering... To each their own.

Still, that is no excuse for selling parts that don't work.

Chief

[raptorddd]

you should see what others are sayng about walkera specially in a mexican forumam a member of.... when you mentioned walkera their reply is always.. its trash,stay away from it..
i really love walkera.. what i love about it is their prices and how they fly...

[gabeoravitz]

Me too. They may not be insane as a T-Rex, but I think they're great for a budget minded hobbyist like myself. Especially since I'm newer to the hobby.

[Magooch]

Originally Posted by BHChieftain

Still, that is no excuse for selling parts that don't work.

Chief

This is true...

[zvok]

Originally Posted by Magooch

This is true...

Very nice discussion.

The Walkeras have a a well deserved bad reputation.

My first was a 4#3b which is extremely difficult to fly and very durable. Once you mastered the 4#3b you could fly at the same level any other helicopter.

The 4G6 was good as long as you did not crash it.

The Genius is a fantastic helicopter.Some say that the MiniCP is even better.

I have a modified V120D02S 2S motor with Xtreme frame which is very good.

The key is to long life like with any machine is not crash it.

Just think what happens if you crash a large helicopter a Trex 500 or 600. You do not just go wipe the dust and fly it in five minutes as you do a Genius or V120d02S.

[raptorddd]

Originally Posted by zvok

Very nice discussion.

The Walkeras have a a well deserved bad reputation.

My first was a 4#3b which is extremely difficult to fly and very durable. Once you mastered the 4#3b you could fly at the same level any other helicopter.

The 4G6 was good as long as you did not crash it.

The Genius is a fantastic helicopter.Some say that the MiniCP is even better.

I have a modified V120D02S 2S motor with Xtreme frame which is very good.

The key is to long life like with any machine is not crash it.

Just think what happens if you crash a large helicopter a Trex 500 or 600. You do not just go wipe the dust and fly it in five minutes as you do a Genius or V120d02S.

exactly..... the quality has been better later this days....

[BHChieftain]

Originally Posted by zvok

Very nice discussion.

The Walkeras have a a well deserved bad reputation.

My first was a 4#3b which is extremely difficult to fly and very durable. Once you mastered the 4#3b you could fly at the same level any other helicopter.

The 4G6 was good as long as you did not crash it.

The Genius is a fantastic helicopter.Some say that the MiniCP is even better.

I have a modified V120D02S 2S motor with Xtreme frame which is very good.

The key is to long life like with any machine is not crash it.

Just think what happens if you crash a large helicopter a Trex 500 or 600. You do not just go wipe the dust and fly it in five minutes as you do a Genius or V120d02S.

My complaint isn't with the durability, it is with new parts that are faulty.

Chief

[zadaw]

Originally Posted by BHChieftain

My complaint isn't with the durability, it is with new parts that are faulty.

Chief

I wonder which particular parts are involved? From the 3 months period from Dec to Feb, it is quite possible that I was the top consumer of V120D02S parts in the world. I have only found one non-functional part during that period. It was when a tail rocker came with different sized links. I took it back to my vendor and exchanged it and that was it.

[Magooch]

Originally Posted by zadaw

I wonder which particular parts are involved? From the 3 months period from Dec to Feb, it is quite possible that I was the top consumer of V120D02S parts in the world. I have only found one non-functional part during that period. It was when a tail rocker came with different sized links. I took it back to my vendor and exchanged it and that was it.

I thought I was just lucky, I have not run into very many defective parts either. I too was a huge consumer of v120d02 parts. All that comes to mind is an out of round main gear. I don't think I even bothered to send it back.

[Mikey2]

Originally Posted by BHChieftain

My complaint isn't with the durability, it is with new parts that are faulty.

Chief

I've been flying Walkera stuff since late 2009 (I "think"........could be the dementia!) and if I think about the issues and opinions expressed since that time, nothing much has changed except the names of the people who post. People have pretty much commented on the same things and issues from the beginning. Camps were always divided between "These Walkeras are really cleverly designed, cost effective to own and operate, I own 144 of 'em and I love 'em" to "These Walkeras are cleverly designed, I can't keep up with all the model changes, I can't buy enough parts to keep one in the air, I hate 'em and I'll never buy another one".

It's really only since the advent of the V120D02S that there's been gen'l agreement that Walkera has finally introduced a more refined and reliable heli...............and even then opinions vary widely. There's even been at least some evidence (at the dealer level) that Walkera has actually began to empathize with its customers and respond accordingly. People in the States here are more or less used to "truth in advertising" and at least "some" level of quality control and customer service so Walkera at least seems to have forced broader interpretations of those requirements. For instance, we now know that "RTF" really means "WTF"....................."What The......??"

[hjns]

I am with you here, Mikey....

Originally Posted by Mikey2

I've been flying Walkera stuff since late 2009 (I "think"........could be the dementia!) and if I think about the issues and opinions expressed since that time, nothing much has changed except the names of the people who post. People have pretty much commented on the same things and issues from the beginning. Camps were always divided between "These Walkeras are really cleverly designed, cost effective to own and operate, I own 144 of 'em and I love 'em" to "These Walkeras are cleverly designed, I can't keep up with all the model changes, I can't buy enough parts to keep one in the air, I hate 'em and I'll never buy another one".

It's really only since the advent of the V120D02S that there's been gen'l agreement that Walkera has finally introduced a more refined and reliable heli...............and even then opinions vary widely. There's even been at least some evidence (at the dealer level) that Walkera has actually began to empathize with its customers and respond accordingly. People in the States here are more or less used to "truth in advertising" and at least "some" level of quality control and customer service so Walkera at least seems to have forced broader interpretations of those requirements. For instance, we now know that "RTF" really means "WTF"....................."What The......??"