Discontinued parts for the H920 ?

[Thomas Sitek Sr]

I purchased my h920 about six months ago. it is not what I expected it is very large and cumbersome .it takes three batteries to fly with the camera attached.it is not totally bad it does take amazing pictures and very stable in flight.
My problem began when I required some replacement parts for my unit, I found the normal props and batteries all at considerable price increases over the other drones I own ( type H and Q500 ) parts I tried my normal outlets Horizon and Amain they all said that these parts are obsolete and they had no parts to offer. I called Yuneec In southern California I ordered the parts I needed or so I thought it appears they thought I said 520 instead of 920.
during my conversation the yuneec rep said when the parts they had dried up there would be no more available, it seems unbelievable that I purchased a very expensive drone package 6 months ago that the maker no longer makes parts for.

Has any else had the same results I just experienced or is there some where that I don't know about to purchase parts that I need ?

 

[PatR]

I think most understand that purchasing an aircraft much larger and heavier than the usual gamut of consumer drones means they will pay more for parts. Not to be demeaning but I can't understand how someone used to buying and flying 480mm and 500mm machines like the H and Q-500 would not recognize a 920mm aircraft will be considerably larger than what they had become accustomed to.

I know this forum is well populated with posts going back well over a year that describe the 920 and 920 Plus, covering size, weight, power requirements, functionality, Yuneec's discontinuation of both products, and parts availability for those that elected to buy one despite it's production and support status. mention of discontinued status was referenced in November 2017, so that info was available to anyone that was considering a 920 or 920 Plus from that point forward. My apologies for being blunt, but what's unbelievable is that someone would buy a large and expensive machine without first thoroughly researching the product. Had they done so they would have known long before purchase the 920 series had been discontinued, with discussions about that discontinuation open to review on Facebook and several Yuneec specific user forums.

Yuneec still carries most of the parts for the 920 Plus, which mostly interchange with the 920. Autopilots, landing gear actuators, ST-24's and various 920 gimbals are no longer available but most everything else is. You need to know the part number when you call Yuneec as their employees have little exposure to the 920 series. It might require a little effort to obtain part numbers but many can be found in the 920 forums using the site search function. Yuneec will still provide parts and labor service for the 920 Plus but you may want to be a bit leery of how well such work will be performed. There has been a report of some pretty shoddy 920 repair workmanship being performed at the KAV facility.

As with any other multirotor product, once a model has been discontinued the availability of model specific parts diminishes over time. When they discontinue a model they also discontinue manufacturing of the parts that make up that model. What was on the shelf when it was discontinued is all that will be availble later. As those are consumed no more will be made available.

 

[Grumpy]

I think most understand that purchasing an aircraft much larger and heavier than the usual gamut of consumer drones means they will pay more for parts. Not to be demeaning but I can't understand how someone used to buying and flying 480mm and 500mm machines like the H and Q-500 would not recognize a 920mm aircraft will be considerably larger than what they had become accustomed to.

I know this forum is well populated with posts going back well over a year that describe the 920 and 920 Plus, covering size, weight, power requirements, functionality, Yuneec's discontinuation of both products, and parts availability for those that elected to buy one despite it's production and support status. mention of discontinued status was referenced in November 2017, so that info was available to anyone that was considering a 920 or 920 Plus from that point forward. My apologies for being blunt, but what's unbelievable is that someone would buy a large and expensive machine without first thoroughly researching the product. Had they done so they would have known long before purchase the 920 series had been discontinued, with discussions about that discontinuation open to review on Facebook and several Yuneec specific user forums.

Yuneec still carries most of the parts for the 920 Plus, which mostly interchange with the 920. Autopilots, landing gear actuators, ST-24's and various 920 gimbals are no longer available but most everything else is. You need to know the part number when you call Yuneec as their employees have little exposure to the 920 series. It might require a little effort to obtain part numbers but many can be found in the 920 forums using the site search function. Yuneec will still provide parts and labor service for the 920 Plus but you may want to be a bit leery of how well such work will be performed. There has been a report of some pretty shoddy 920 repair workmanship being performed at the KAV facility.

As with any other multirotor product, once a model has been discontinued the availability of model specific parts diminishes over time. When they discontinue a model they also discontinue manufacturing of the parts that make up that model. What was on the shelf when it was discontinued is all that will be availble later. As those are consumed no more will be made available.

Any idea as to why they discontinued the H920? Seemed to me to be a reliable and stable platform. I was seriously considering getting one but, with parts availability going away, I guess not.

 

[PatR]

Several ideas but none of them can be validated. We can be pretty sure money was a primary factor involved in the decision. Whether the money involved cost of production, sales quantities, profit lost or generated, or payments to vendors we'll probably never know.

 

[Grumpy]

Several ideas but none of them can be validated. We can be pretty sure money was a primary factor involved in the decision. Whether the money involved cost of production, sales quantities, profit lost or generated, or payments to vendors we'll probably never know.

I know you have one already, would you get one now knowing the parts situation?

 

[PatR]

Yes, if the price was right, for all the same reasons I originally bought one. I knew it was discontinued when the purchase was made in 2017. The current parts situation is not much different now as it was then.

If I was in the market for a new platform I would not be looking at Yuneec or DJI though. The focus would be on open platforms with extreme flexibility. I won’t buy another system from any manufacturer that makes it a practice to repeatedly replace older models with new ones having minimal improvements over the previous versions. To me they are running a form of bait and switch.

The two critical 920 items no longer available are the flight controller and landing gear actuators. If the gear actuators break my gear will become 100% down and locked. The 920 is quite nice to pan using yaw alone.

If the flight controller fails it generates the incentive to move forward with a plan to convert the aircraft to a true Pixhawk system. The airframe allows for a lot of flexibility. I’d lose the ST-16 but gain in other areas despite not having a display on the transmitter. Having the ability to send 1080 imagery wherever I want as it is being generated is quite attractive.

Props, motors, prop adaptors, gear legs, and GPS units are still plentiful but I bought spares in some of those in anticipation of inventories being depleted.

 

[Thomas Sitek Sr]

H920 being discontinued.

I read the reply's concerning my h 920 replacement parts, one opinion was I should have relized that a bigger drone meant more cost involved this is certainly the truth but to what degree?

I was given pricing on the newest drone 520 from yuneec the motor arm and landing gear support would of cost me 30.00 with shipping, the same parts for the h 920 would cost 180.00 without shipping that is a ball park figure of 150.00 more for the h920 parts that's quite a difference.

Also the question as presented by the same person, why i did not do my research on this H920 prior to purchase. The answer is I did I contacted Amain they replied they were not going to handle the yuneec line any more nothing about the h 920 becoming discontinued. I also contacted Horizon basically there reply was the same. next i contacted vertigo in new york basically all with held information on concerning the tornado H 920 being discontinued some how I think that this was done so they could sell of there remaining stock.

And finally yuneec H 920 are still being sold with no mention of the item being discontinued some how this just doesn't sound like a firm I want to do business again with.

 

[PatR]

I won’t debate pricing with you. The fact is, whenever someone has something somebody else wants or needs and they are the only place to get it, they can charge whatever they want. That’s called a seller’s market. Price some equivalent T-Motor 18” props and 340Kv motors. You’ll find the pricing even higher.

You do need to become a better shopper. I paid much, much less for the parts you mentioned but I did not use a dealer with a middle man mark up. If you do a forum search for 920 parts pricing you night find you paid too much.

Neither AMain nor Horizon manufactures Yuneec products. They only sell them. Had you called other Yuneec dealers or Yuneec themselves you might have been a lot better informed. Had you perused this forum over a year ago you would have been better informed. It’s called performing due diligence and you only completed a small part of yours.

Don’t blame others for your over sights and mistakes, which is exactly what you are doing. We can’t go though life making excuses, sooner or later we have to accept responsibility for our failures. Once that’s done we’ll have learned from our mistakes and not repeat them.

 

[Thomas Sitek Sr]

I won’t debate pricing with you. The fact is, whenever someone has something somebody else wants or needs and they are the only place to get it, they can charge whatever they want. That’s called a seller’s market. Price some equivalent T-Motor 18” props and 340Kv motors. You’ll find the pricing even higher.

You do need to become a better shopper. I paid much, much less for the parts you mentioned but I did not use a dealer with a middle man mark up. If you do a forum search for 920 parts pricing you night find you paid too much.

Neither AMain nor Horizon manufactures Yuneec products. They only sell them. Had you called other Yuneec dealers or Yuneec themselves you might have been a lot better informed. Had you perused this forum over a year ago you would have been better informed. It’s called performing due diligence and you only completed a small part of yours.

Don’t blame others for your mistakes. We can’t go though life making excuses, sooner or later we have to accept responsibility for our failures.

 

[Thomas Sitek Sr]

I 'am sorry I offended you how would I knew you worked for Yuneec ?

 

[PatR]

I am not at all offended and I do not work for anyone. I just call things as I see them.

 

[terrence davidson]

pat when you change the 920 to a pixhawk system. I bet you aready got the replacement esc's, motors, gps , new landing gear support equipment and props all worked out to get the bird back in the air the way that suit your needs best.

 

[PatR]

The existing motors can be retained.

 

[Mrgs1]

I am not at all offended and I do not work for anyone. I just call things as I see them.

Not even the wife?

 

[PatR]

Not even the wife?

I see that more as being a slave to rather than working for...[emoji33]

Used to be a solid and regular paycheck was most of what it took to make her happy. Post retirement I’m not sure anything now can[emoji848]

 

[AH-1G]

I see that more as being a slave to rather than working for...[emoji33]

Used to be a solid and regular paycheck was most of what it took to make her happy. Post retirement I’m not sure anything now can[emoji848]

What's her email, I'll forward this to her!?

 

[PatR]

Do that and I’d likely experience a sudden termination of my “at will” self indenture agreement and suffer a very negative severance package.

 

[AH-1G]

yea, we definitely don't want that to happen, starvation is devastating.?

 

[Mrgs1]

Do that and I’d likely experience a sudden termination of my “at will” self indenture agreement and suffer a very negative severance package.

Just say your account was hacked!