Getting started in the FPV Drone racing hobby can be a bit daunting if you don’t know how all the parts work, what goes well together and have little/no soldering experience. Historically the ready to fly (RTF) racers have been low quality and simply not worth the money. Could the Eachine Wizard X220 be the RTF FPV Racing Drone to change that? My review gives you all the information about this budget FPV Racing Drone. If you are interested in drone racing, but don’t have the time or ability to build your own drone, the Wizard 220 is a fantastic option! It provides you with all the features of a top end racing drone, without the associated cost. I think the Eachine Wizard is something a little special, but is it the best first FPV drone option out there? Read on to find out why I think it could be!

The Eachine Wizard X220 is available in two configurations:

I’ll start with an overview of the features, pros and cons, but if you want to understand more about what this all means and my thoughts, skip down to read my in-depth review.

Eachine Wizard X220 – Features, Pros and Cons

The Eachine Wizard X220 has an incredible feature list, which almost speaks for itself.

Features

Motors: 2205 2300 kV

ESC: 20A BLHeli_s

Frame: Carbon Fibre “X” Frame with 4mm arms

Motor-to-motor: 220mm

Props: 5″ Tri-blade props (5040)

FC: SP Racing F3 (clone)

VTX: 200mW 48 Channel 5.8 GHz

Camera: 700 TVL CMOS

(RTF version) 1500 mAh 3S Battery and charger

(RTF version) FlySky I6 2.4G 6CH remote control

(RTF version) Flysky 2.4G 6CH FS-iA6B Receiver

Pros

Pre-soldered FC and Matek PDB for a clean build

ARF version comes with cable ready to easily plug into your receiver

Rubber grommets protect both VTX antenna connection and power cables

LEDs under motors for orientation

Neoprene bumpers on bottom of arms

Protective side plates

Comes with spare props

XT-60 battery connector (vast majority of batteries now use this)

Durable

Cons

VTX has dip switches for channel selection

No spare parts provided

Motor bearings not the best

FC is a clone, with potential reliability issues

No battery voltage monitoring built in (grab a LiPo buzzer)

Linear antenna for VTX

No OSD

Eachine Wizard X220 – Initial impression

The Wizard ticks all the right boxes in terms of motor size, carbon fibre “X” frame and Cleanflight/Betaflight compatibility. There is a good specification all round, having the features of a good FPV racing drone.

The included tri bladed 5″ props mean you get a locked in feel when flying, without sacrificing top speed. These are my go-to props and although there are more aggressive props out there, these still give you enough power to be able to carry a GoPro or other action cam. This is great and means that you will be able to use the Eachine Wizard to capture your racing! Overall, my first impression is that the Eachine Wizard X220 would be great for for both racing and aerial acrobatics.

Eachine Wizard X220 – In depth analysis

This is a well thought out design and provides ease of access for repairs, whilst still offering good protection to the internal components. The carbon fibre frame with 4mm arms means that you have a solid foundation to build upon and the frame will withstand crashes reasonably well without requiring any repairs. The side plates are a nice feature and help to protect the internals without adding too much weight. When you need to open the drone up, it’s just a case of removing six screws from the top plate. Once you have to top plate off, you can also easily remove the side plates if you prefer not to use them.

The frame uses the popular “X” configuration, providing good pitch and roll control and predictable flight characteristics. I think this is particularly important for new pilots, as it makes the learning process that little bit easier. The frame configuration makes the Wizard good for tight turns in races or acrobatics if you just want a fun flight.

Motor protectors come installed as standard, but can be removed if you want to same a little bit of weight. I recommend leaving them on (I have them installed on my quads) as they reduce the chance of filling up with mud in a crash and also minimise the impact of a hard landing. In my early days of flying I had to abandon flying sessions because my motors were so full of dirt after a crash. With motor protectors installed, I’ve not had this problem in a long time and now install them on all my quads.

The Motors themselves don’t provide quite as much power as more expensive alternatives, but when buying an entire drone for the same price as some sets of motors, this is understandable! Eachine have made the Wizard easy to upgrade and repair as you improve or newer components come out. This means that if you do decide to take the plunge and swap out the stock motors with something more powerful, it’s very easy. The same goes for the other components like the ESCs, camera and VTX, which are all modular.

Feedback on the stock PIDs is a bit disappointing. For an FPV Racer that is being mass-produced, I would expect the default PIDs to be spot on. Normally PIDs are considered to be specific to each drone, as any slight change in configuration could mean that changes are needed. Since each Wizard has the same setup, I would have liked to see some refinement in this area. That’s not to say the drone flies badly, just that it needs some tweaks to be perfect. My recommendation when you get the drone and have evaluated it after a first flight, is to install Betaflight. The latest releases have incredibly good stock PIDs and most people find they can leave them at stock settings.

Rubberised grommets are used to protect both the power cables and VTX antenna connection. This is a nice touch and means that the connections are secure and won’t be easily damaged in a crash. The antenna connection is particularly well designed, as it protects the VTX in a crash. With most RTF racers, the VTX is left exposed or the antenna simply pokes out of the back of the quad. On the Wizard, the antenna is secured to the frame, meaning it won’t break the connection to the VTX in a crash.

One thing that I would like to see included in the package is spares. Whilst there are some spare props, you will quickly get through these as you learn to fly. A replacement ESC, motor and battery strap would have been a good addition, particularly as they are all available from Eachine. Spares can take a long time to be delivered from China, so I recommend you get the below components with your drone:

I would include a spare arm in this list, but at the time of writing they are not available. Keep an eye here for when they are released.

Eachine Wizard X220 – Verdict

For the money this is as good (if not better) than what you can build yourself, without any of the hassle or risk! The ease of access and ability to quickly replace or upgrade components is great. The overall design is solid and proven, limiting the chances of anything other than props breaking. Whether you are a complete beginner or are looking at an upgrade from old hardware, I recommend the Eachine Wizard X220. I suggest the ARF version (from Amazon or Banggood). Pair this with the X4R-SB and FrSky Taranis Q X7 for a great, low cost package. If you need goggles to go with the Wizard, I recommend the Eachine VR D2 from Amazon or Banggood (you can check out my Eachine VR D2 review here).

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