With Tier 8 you unlock drones, adding another option alongside trains and trucks to transport your items over long distances. Drones work a little differently and can feel limiting at first, but they absolutely have their place. If you dig into them, they can even outclass the other two vehicles in certain roles. Today we’ll look in detail at how to use drones effectively, how they work and which fuel is best. There are clear differences here too in how fast items get from A to B.
Transporting drones in Satisfactory: setup, Drone Port and use cases
To use a drone for item transport you must first build a Drone Port. A drone can only shuttle between two ports, which is a limitation. There is a home port and a destination port. However, you can run multiple drones on the same route and mix and match ports as you like.
A drone costs:
- 4x Motor
- 10x Alclad Aluminum Sheet
- 1x Radio Control Unit
- 2x AI Limiter
- 1x Portable Miner
A port costs:
- 20x Heavy Modular Frame
- 20x High-Speed Connector
- 50x Alclad Aluminum Sheet
- 50x Aluminum Casing
- 10x Radio Control Unit
A drone has 9 free slots for transporting items. They also need fuel to fly. All of this is managed at the home port. There you’ll find a fuel input as well as input and output for the items being transported. A drone picks up the items, takes off to the destination port, unloads there and flies back. How quickly items load and unload depends on the amount.
You can rename the ports, just like train stations, which makes them easier to find in lists. You can also colour both ports and drones to tell them apart at a glance. The port always draws 100 MW, whether it is in use or not.
Best fuel for Satisfactory drones: speed, range and consumption
For a long time drones could only run on batteries, but since version 1.0 you can use other fuels as well. This gives you more flexibility, letting you choose fuels that match your current progress. In general you can only use packaged fuels, so plan for that from the start.
Your fuel determines how far your drone can fly and how fast it is. The calculations are shown at the home port, and they vary per trip. On the bottom-left you can select different fuels, with the fuel consumption per minute displayed there. Pick your preferred fuel and supply the port accordingly. Further up you’ll see how many units per minute and per trip are consumed. The total round-trip time is also shown.
These Satisfactory fuels can be used for drones:
- Packaged Fuel
- Packaged Turbo Fuel
- Batteries
- Packaged Rocket Fuel
- Packaged Ionized Fuel
- Uranium Fuel Rod
- Plutonium Fuel Rod
A fun little detail: the exhaust colour of the drone depends on the fuel currently in use. So if you want to know what it’s running on, check the exhaust.
Which fuel you use depends on your current stage. Every type is viable — focus on what suits your playstyle. Consumption also depends on the route, not just distance but also the terrain the drone has to cross.
Our top 3 fuels for drones in Satisfactory:
- Batteries: Drones originally only ran on batteries, and they’re still a solid option. Once you’re producing sulphur and aluminum, they’re straightforward to make. At 6,000 MJ they’re efficient and the drone reaches 133 km/h.
- Rocket Fuel: A good all-round choice, even if it’s a bit weaker on drones. It’s often more practical than ionised fuel, which can be too involved for its benefit. Rocket Fuel has 7,200 MJ and also enables 133 km/h. Depending on your setup it can be simpler to produce than batteries.
- Uranium/Plutonium: Nuclear fuels are even more effective, but they only make sense if you already run the relevant production. Advantage: using fuel rods in drones generates no nuclear waste, unlike power plants. Uranium offers about 750,000 MJ at 151 km/h; Plutonium is stronger at around 1.75 million MJ, allowing 162 km/h.
Satisfactory drones compared: pros and cons versus trains and trucks
Drones are exciting and can replace some of your conveyor belts, trains or trucks. They’re not for everyone, though. Ultimately it depends on your playstyle. As a fast transport option they’re strong, but they come at a cost.
Pros:
- No track laying required
- Fast, efficient transport on a direct flight path
- Multiple fuel types supported
- Perfect for handling nuclear fuel
Cons:
- Only 9 slots per flight
- Speed depends on fuel
- Only a single flight route possible
- Setup can be expensive
An overview of all three transport options:
- Trucks are best before you unlock trains. They let you start transporting items and replacing conveyor belts. They’re cost-effective, as there’s no need to lay track. Unlike drones, you can connect multiple stations and plan routes.
- Trains are best for moving large volumes of materials, over both short and long distances. With multiple wagons you can move a lot from A to B. They’re complex, though — especially with several trains and signals.
- Drones are best for long-range transport. Their setup is simple and straightforward. They shine for specialised items that don’t take much space.
Conclusion: using Satisfactory drones for fast item transport
Especially in the late game, where you have to move resources across great distances, drones are a welcome helper. They have limitations, but they’re extremely handy for moving materials from one point to another. In terms of speed they outpace other transport methods, making them very flexible. You can also choose whichever fuel best fits your current progress.
Rent a Satisfactory server from us and push to Tier 8 to unlock drones. Try different fuels and move key items across the entire map!
