MJX Bugs 3: A Fun, Fast and Affordable Brushless Motor Drone

The MJX Bugs 3 is an awesome and versatile drone. You can fly it fast like a racer, or you can add a gimbal or even a 360° camera for awesome footage. If you don’t like the “Bugs” look then check out the Force1 F100. It’s the same under the hood but has a sleeker look to it.

What is the Bugs 3?

The MJX Bugs 3 is a fun and affordable brushless motor drone. Strangely, MJX skipped the Bugs 1 and 2 models and went straight for #3. The brushless motors are powerful and efficient and a definite upgrade from the masses of brushed motor drones.

The Bugs 3 is our top pick for a no-frills brushless drone and you will definitely be satisfied if you are looking for long flight time and high speeds at an affordable price.

Brushless motor? What is the difference? Why is that important? Without getting too technical, brushless motors are more efficient, more powerful and last much longer than traditional brushed motors. They also are more expensive.

The bigger and more expensive fully featured drones like the DJI Phantoms, Autel X-Star or the Yuneec Typhoon all use brushless motors. High-end racing drones use brushless as well. Most smaller drones and entry-level drones like the Hubsan X4 or the Syma X8 use brushed motors to keep the cost down.

The MJX Bugs 3 feels solid. It doesn’t feel like a lightweight toy like the Syma X5.  The Bugs 3 looks fun, almost mean without the big propeller guards or leg extensions.  You can see how this would be a fun drone to fly right out of the box.

Check out our flight test of the MJX Bugs 3

The MJX Bugs 3 is a fun flyer. We could immediately tell this was not just a toy in just the first few seconds of flight. Unlike less powerful drones, which are not always responsive because they don’t have much thrust, the Bugs 3 does what you tell it to, and it does it quickly. It was designed to carry a high-quality action camera OR be flown as an FPV drone.

The Bugs 3 is one of the most versatile drones we have flown. For use with an action camera, you can screw on the included leg extensions and the camera holder. Alternatively, you can leave the leg extensions off and fly this quad like a quick racer. The powerful and efficient brushless motors allow it to do both. Like many drones, it has a dedicated flip button as well as high and low-speed modes. It can easily carry a GoPro or other action camera or it can be used with an FPV camera. The high-powered brushless motors make this a quick drone, but it is also surprisingly quiet.

Upgrade Your Bugs

We love flying the Bugs 3 with a Walkera gimbal. By putting on some extended wide legs the action camera mounted on the MJX Bugs 3 has plenty of room to land but also stay out of the camera’s view. The Bugs 3 has more than enough power for carrying the Walkera gimbal and an action camera.

We even added a second battery to the payload to power the gimbal, but if you really like the setup we would recommend adding a connector straight from the drone’s primary battery to reduce weight and get rid of another battery that needs to be charged. At around $50 you won’t find a better, lighter gimbal.  Add your own action camera and you are in for some excellent and inexpensive high-quality aerial photography.  

Watch us fly the Bugs 3 in Mexico with the Walkera gimbal

The Phantom 3 Standard is a great deal under $500, but this setup can be done for less than $200. We even were able to add an MJX 4018 FPV camera that we had lying around. It attached seamlessly and we were able to stream video to our smartphone. This really is one awesome and versatile drone. 

You can get everything to easily create the most inexpensive brushless aerial photography drone out there right here.

Check the price of the Walkera G-2D Brushless Gimbal

Check the price of action cameras

Bugs 3 Specs

The MJX Bugs 3 has some impressive specs for a drone at its price point. It has a better than expected flight time and range. Check it out below.

Flight Time: 18 minutes
Range: 300-500 meters
Battery: 7.4v 1800mAh (2s)
Motors: MT1806 1800kv brushless motors
Size: 310mm (diagonal)

Bugs 3 Features

There are some other nice features to the Bugs 3. It has 4 independent ESCs or electronic speed controllers. The motors have built in lock protection to help keep you and your motors safe. The remote transmitter also has built-in sensors and buzzers that tell you if Bugs 3 battery is low or the drone is out of range.

The LEDs on the MJX Bugs 3 are very bright, some of the brightest we’ve seen. It essentially has a LED headlight.  That is helpful for orientation or flying in darker situations. 

Below you’ll see we’ve added an inexpensive FPV camera so that we can see what the Bugs sees. FPV flying is a blast. You can use a monitor or even some FPV goggles for a more immersive experience.

The Bugs 3 does not come with a camera or altitude hold. Those are the two biggest knocks on the drone, but we suspect this was done to keep the price down on this brushless motor drone. It does come with an action camera holder that will easily hold a GoPro or similar camera. MJX plans on releasing cameras and accessories specifically for the Bugs 3. Expect an FPV camera, a panoramic camera, and an FPV kit to be released in the near future.

Should I Buy a Bugs 3?

We probably wouldn’t recommend the MJX Bugs 3 as your first drone. It is pretty powerful, and brushless motor drones are better suited for intermediate pilots. Something like the Syma X8 would be a safer place to start. If the goofy “Bugs” name or look aren’t for you then take a look at the Force1 F100. It has the same performance as the Bugs 3 but looks a lot better. Learn more about the Bugs 3 here.

But if you’ve flown less powerful drones before, then you will find this big bug to be an absolute blast. We would recommend picking one up. It is a great alternative to the JJRC X1 and JJPRO X2, the other two affordable brushless motor drones we like.

Check the price of the MJX Bugs 3

We even fly the Bugs 3 with a 360° Camera

Upcoming Bugs

MJX has been hard at work adding new models to the Bugs lineup. You can expect to see the Bugs 2, Bugs 8 and Bugs 9 soon. No, I don’t understand the numbering system, but if I had to pick a new Bugs to check out I’d recommend the Bugs 2 with GPS.

Not sure what is the best drone for you???

No worries, Half Chrome Drones has you covered. Maybe you want an aerial photography drone, or maybe you want a fun toy. Want FPV? We’ve developed an advanced system to match you to the right drone. We call it our Half Chrome Drone Cipher™, go check it out. We also are constantly updating our Best Drones Now page to help you stay current.

Best Drones Now

Maybe you want us to do the work for you???

We’ve flown, crashed and taken pictures with a ton of drones. You want to know which one we think is best? Sure. Are you on a budget? Of course. We have three great articles breaking down the best drones in your budget. Check them out.

Best Drone Under $50

Best Drone Under $100

Best Drone Under $500

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