Cheap Drum Sets Under $300

You’ve probably dreamt of being on the throne, behind a drum set and having the freedom to drum to your heart’s content while enjoying the music.

But, before you can get there, you’ll first need to learn to drum.

And you don’t even have access to a drum kit.

So, here you are looking for a cheap drum set to start jamming around with.

Well, you are in the right place!

Because we’ll be giving you the low down to 5 cheap drum sets you can get for less than $300 here:

Cheap Drum Sets Under $300

	Cheap Drum Sets Under $300	My Thoughts	Latest Price
	Alesis Nitro Electronic Drumkit	Best deal ever You get a full range, complete electronic drum kit that is quieter. Plus, it comes with useful functions like the metronome and drumming exercises.
	Ludwig Pocket Kit	Best sounding drum set, under $300 Small and compact, might not be comfortable for tall adults though.
	Full Size Complete Adult drum kit	Okay sounding cheap drum set for adults, under $300 As long as you are willing to change the cymbal immediately
	Mendini Complete Full Size Adult Drum Set (MDS80-BL)	Cheap. Not the best sounding kit in town.
	Lagrima Complete Full Size Adult Drum Set	Cheapest Drum Set You get what you are willing to pay for with this drum set. It's functional but not the option for beginners who are serious about mastering drumming.

Click on the name of the drum set to read our thoughts and comments on that drum kit 🙂

Now before we take a closer look at these drum kits, you should read this disclaimer:

I urge you to read to the end. Because before you actually decide if you should get any of these cheap drum sets, I’ll want to put forth a pre-warning to you as a fellow drummer. You should have the right expectations when you are purchasing cheap drum sets under $300.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s take a look at the cheap drum sets that you can get for less than $300:

1) Alesis Nitro Electronic Drum Set

*Best deal ever*

If you are looking for a cheap drum set below $300, you will want to grab this deal fast.

The Alesis Nitro is an electronic drum set that comes complete with 4 drum pads, 3 cymbal pads and 2 pedals.

It works out to be a mid level drum set, available to you at a entry level price tag.

With its drum module, you also have metronome function, coaching function and the ability to select between different drum set sounds to trigger.

It is a valuable deal that you should not miss, especially when it is on offer at this price.

Check Alesis Nitro latest price here now

What you get with the Alesis Nitro?

• Alesis Nitro Drum Module
• 1 x 8″ Snare Drum Pad (Rubber pad, 2 zones)
• 3 x 8″ Tom Drum Pads (Rubber pads, single zone)
• 3 x 10″ Cymbal Pads (all single zone, only crash cymbal has choke zone)
• Hi-hat Pedal (open/close/half-open/splash)
• Kick drum pad with Pedal
• Drum key
• Drum Sticks

You can read our in depth Alesis Nitro Kit Review here too

Here’s a video introduction to the Alesis Nitro electronic drum kit:

Or, if you’d like to explore electronic drum kits, check out our best beginner e-drums list here.

2) BCP Percussion drum set with cymbals

*Best sounding drum set for adults, under $300*

If you prefer an acoustic drum set, the Gammon Percussion complete drum set is a budget drum set under $300 that I think has the most 2nd most acceptable sound.

Plus, it is built for adults. This means that it would most likely suit your height, unless you are above 6.5ft.

You might want to check out our compilation of the best beginner drum kits for adults to widen your options.

What you get with this Percussion drum set:

• Full Size Real Wood Drums
  • 22″ Bass Drum
  • 14″ Snare Drum
  • 12″ Small Tom
  • 13″ Mid Tom
  • 16″ Floor Tom
• 12″ Hi-Hat Cymbals + Pedal
• 14″ Crash or Ride Cymbal
• All required stands
• Drum Stool/Throne
• Bass Drum Pedal
• Drum Sticks
• Drum Key

3) Ludwig Pocket Kit – Junior drum set

*Best sounding drum set*

The Ludwig Pocket Kit was designed for junior drummers and have also been widely accepted by drummers who have to travel often.

If you want a relatively good sounding drum set for under $300, and don’t mind a smaller drum kit, this is a good option.

With that said, the cymbals on the Pocket Kit could be better.

You can read our detailed review of the Ludwig Pocket Kit here (+ comparison with the Ludwig Breakbeats).

What you get with the Ludwig Pocket Kit

• 16″ Bass Drum + Pedal
• 13″ Floor Tom
• 10″ Rack Tom (aka Tom Tom
• 12″ Snare Drum
• 12″ Crash / Ride Cymbal
• 10″ Hi Hat + Pedal
• Drum Throne (the seat)
• Drum Sticks (7A Ludwig wood drumsticks)
• Drum Key
• All required drum hardware (the racks, stands, etc)

4) Mendini Complete Full Size 5-Piece Adult Drum Set

The Mendini complete drum set comes with a similar drum shell pack as the Gammon Percussion drum set (see above), however it is paired with larger crash cymbal and hi-hat.

Unfortunately the sound of the cymbals ain’t the best, so the larger size really doesn’t translate to any real advantage.

The Mendini starter drum set is also slightly more expensive than the Gammon Percussion.

What you get with the Mendini complete drum set

• 22″ bass drum
• 12″ and 13″ tom toms
• 14″ snare drum
• 16″ floor tom
• 14.5″ hi-hat
• 16″ crash/ride cymbal
• Drum throne
• Drum sticks
• Bass drum pedal
• Hi-Hat stand and pedal
• Cymbal stands

5) Lagrima Full Sized 5 piece drum set

*Cheapest Drum Set*

The Lagrima full sized drum set is definitely the cheapest option you can find that provides a 5 piece drum kit with cymbals and hardware included!

I was shocked with I first discovered that you can own a drum set for its price tag!

Upon further research, this drum set appears to be one of those OEM products commonly mass produced in unnamed factories from distant lands.

But hey, if you are not chasing after brands and don’t mind a cheap drum set that functions, this is it.

I mean the company selling this drum kit doesn’t even bother to repackage itself or paste a logo on the bass drum.

And, we’d never know which other cheap drum set out there are actually using this very same drum set, marketed in another brand at a way higher price right?

For being honest about its quality and being sold at a fair price, it has garnered a ton of positive reviews from new drummers like yourself too.

You can read reviews of the Lagrima drum set here.

If you just want to own a drum kit and start drumming fast without fuss, this drum kit is your go to choice.

And at its price point, I’m pretty sure you will not hesitate on upgrading to a new drum kit once you have developed your drumming skills.

I’m also pretty sure that the Lagrima complete kit is also great as a gift for a kid who is curious about drumming.

What you get with the Lagrima full size complete drum set

• 22″ bass drum
• 12″ and 13″ toms
• 14″ snare drum
• 16″ floor tom
• Drum hardware
• Drum throne

Our ‘Warning’ to you.

A price tag of $300 and below looks very attractive, especially for a complete drum kit.

But you before you spend that, you should always keep in mind that you are getting a super budget drum set.

So, don’t expect it to sound like what you have been imagining nor like the drum kits that you hear at concerts.

Instead, you should have the right expectations when it comes to this category of drum sets:

2 Key Weaknesses of Cheap Drum Sets Under $300

i) Their Cymbals Suck

More often than not, this will be the case.

At that price point, manufacturers can only afford to package lower tier equipment.

Hence, you’ll usually immediately notice that the cymbals sound like plastic, or sounds like super cheap metal with no body or depth in sound.

You have 2 options here, either:

• choose a drum set that is between $500 to $800, or
• get a cheap drum set under $300 and upgrade the crash cymbal. This will cost you between $50 to $70.

ii) Inconsistency in Drum Head Quality

This is a hit or miss most of the time.

These drum sets are usually mass produced in factories and often are sent out with little to no quality control.

You can minimise getting a ‘bad quality’ drum head by testing out the drum set before your purchase.

Or, listening to video reviews of the drum set to get an idea of how it sounds.

The downside is that most places wouldn’t have test kits available for these cheap drum sets.

Then again, don’t expect to get the best drum heads with great resonance or sound at this price point.

Again, you have two choices here;

1. save a little more and get a drum set from a trustworthy drum manufacturer (Yamaha, Pearl, etc) that is between $500 to $800.
2. Or get a cheap drum set under $300 and upgrade the drum heads.This will cost you between $30 to $45 for a set of drum heads for the snare and 2 toms.

If you are not sure what to go with, choose something from Evans or Remo.

You should not go wrong with those brands.

Make sure you get drum heads of the suitable diameter for your drum shells.

Conclusion

If you can look pass the weaknesses of these cheap drum sets, you’ll find that these drum sets can be suitable for brand new drummers who just want an affordable drum set to start jamming and drumming on.

You’ll probably find the drum sets listed here very useful in helping kickstart your drumming journey.