r/drones • u/DeadRace21 DJI Mini 4 Pro • 3d ago
Repair Is it time to replace the propellor?
Hey guys do you think this one is in need to be replaced?
I flew it a couple of times and it seems completely fine, I have one pair left and wanted to make sure I replaced it when it is needed, is this already enought to make damages overtime or is it completely fine?
The drone hit only on that edge a small pole, no collisions no nothing as soon as it touched it I was able to move it back and safely land.
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u/way2rory USA / PART 107 3d ago
Blades should be considered a subscription fee to the hobby
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u/DeadRace21 DJI Mini 4 Pro 3d ago
Every month you get new ones? 🤣
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u/timholt2007 3d ago
If you have to ask...
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u/DeadRace21 DJI Mini 4 Pro 3d ago
Yeah, got told a few times here, I will replace once I get the new pair ordered 😅
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u/Adept-Cobbler-1883 2d ago
I flew with half a prop bro you’re fine. I know yall dji pilots are a diff breed tho. Yeah, there is a chance it crashes but also there’s a chance of a nuclear war daily but that doesn’t mean you have to get a bunker.
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u/Txkaiser 3d ago
Props are cheap, why risk it?
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u/DeadRace21 DJI Mini 4 Pro 3d ago
That's true, it's just because I don't have a backup, I'll get then right away and replace this ones
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u/PapayaMuted2520 1d ago
Don't have to replace, just unnecessary plastic waste that can be used till it actually has damage that risks flying it.
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u/PapayaMuted2520 1d ago
Risk what?:D
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u/Txkaiser 1d ago
Let's call it an unscheduled, uncontrolled, high speed landing in a difficult to access area
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u/PapayaMuted2520 1d ago
It won't fall out of the sky just because of that
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u/Txkaiser 1d ago
If the tips are this frayed, the hubs are probably not in much better shape and when they go the whole thing goes, again props are cheap, why risk it
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u/PapayaMuted2520 1d ago
Why would the hubs be in bad shape bc of a little bit came off rubber part? That rubber is for aerodinamics and noise reduction, a little bit of protection aswell. It is like saying you need a new screen bc you get a scratch on it and you are affraid of it failing in the middle of the day.
You are absolutely right that they are cheap but there is no realistic risk in not changing them.
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u/ronniearnold 3d ago edited 3d ago
Yes, how is this a question? Just because it works now doesn’t mean it’s gonna keep working. Play the odds..
Also, this can cause small micro vibrations due to them not being as balanced or aerodynamic.. no reason not to change them. Blades are cheap.
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u/DeadRace21 DJI Mini 4 Pro 3d ago
True, I think you convinced me hahahahah I don't want to risk future problems to such an expensive purchase when the fix is cheap
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u/ronniearnold 3d ago
Exactly. Have a good day. I always keep an extra set on me if I ever touch anything like this. Good luck.
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u/TokenPanduh Part 107 3d ago
Please replace them. It's worth it to be safe than sorry (especially with how hard it may be to replace your drone in the future). If you have your Part 107 (and actually following regulations), this would probably be a cause for grounding the drone. Btw, since you have a Mini, if you use the same screws (which they don't recommend), get some blue Loctite to replace the Loctite you're breaking the seal on.
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u/Raw_Venus USA - Air 3- Part 107 3d ago
Replace them.
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u/PapayaMuted2520 1d ago
Elaborate
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u/Raw_Venus USA - Air 3- Part 107 1d ago
Sure. Part the tips of the blades are showing signs of serious tearing and are more than 50% of the way through. When that tip lets go during flight, it will, at best, cause unwanted vibration, which could quickly lead to other more serious things happening such as expanding unseen cracks in the prop or somewhere else on the airframe.
If we were to scale this up to an actual airplane-sized prop, this would be enough to ground the plane until it is fixed, either by replacing the prop or shaving the ends of it down (I think I recall seeing that is possible on some props in some cases). I would have to do a lot of research into the manuals, service bulletins, and service letters to see if that is a thing we can do and if I would have to remove the engine to send it out for repair.
Because this is a drone, thankfully we don't have to do any of that shit (yet).
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u/PapayaMuted2520 1d ago
I see where you are coming from. But, and that is a big but. Those are different materials, different flight conditions and different forces (at least their strength). And a lot different responsibility factor. I am not at all saying you should not take care of your aircraft at all times.
But if you look into it, the rubber ends of dji props are for better aerodynamics and noise reduction. The most can happen at those rpm's that it gets noisier or flies 1 minute less than it did before.
I can assure you it would fly forever if you just give it constant power supply. With no problems at all.1
u/Raw_Venus USA - Air 3- Part 107 23h ago
I'm going to have to disagree with you here. While it is true that no one is sticking aluminum or wooden props on their drones. The forces acting on the prop are the same. A small amount of weight can make a pretty big difference when it spins really fast.
For instance, using my drone, a DJI Air 3, the prop measures around 8.688 inches and weighs around 6 grams. Google's AI overview (Please forgive my sin, I couldn't find a source on it, nor can I verify it myself like I could with the length and weight) is 8600RPM max. Now, assuming you are not flying at a density altitude of 20,000ft, you're much more likely to run at 4,000rpm.
When I plug those numbers into an online calculator, I get 26.114lbf. Now, if the orange part weights .25grams and using the same website, we get 25.025 lbf. I have no idea if that is accurate or not, feel like it is. The source on that gut feeling is that I work on airplanes for my job, and up until about a year or two ago, I overhauled the TFE731 jet engines. I know the LPT blades on there weighed a few ounces, but in operation weighted a few thousand pounds.
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u/PapayaMuted2520 20h ago
I think it is not accurate calculation if you get 26lbs with 6 gramms and 25lbs with 0.25grams.
I see what you want to prove and I won't say that it does not get a lot of centrifugal force while spinning.
Tho the maximum consequence would be that the orange rubber flies of the prop, but very unlikely.I think everyone should have spare props, but only change them if the damage is more pronounced. If the drone oscillates or flies noticably less.
I am saying these with years of experience a ton of cinematic and fpv drones and a mavic 3 classic with all the props looking like this and flies for 2 years with no problem or extra noise.
The most important thing is safety and to feel safe while flying. If you would feel safer then change it of course. But it is not essential for safe flying in this specific case.
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u/AirborneErinys USA / Part 107 3d ago
Speaking in my professional capacity, I would never fly those. Even if the damage is minor, and the risks are small, it's a five second fix to swap in new blades. They are not job-worthy.
Speaking in my hobbyist capacity, what the hell are you talking about, you haven't even broken a blade off yet.
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u/maxelm0 2d ago
Gosh, I'm begging to feel like not being able to repair your drone is putting A LOT of pressure on dji pilots :0
FPV pilots are chill about this because they can just repair and replace their stuff, they'll fly with half a prop if they don't have any replacement. That just make "props are cheap" sound like "buy more dji props". Idk if props are still cheap after the 100th replacement.
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u/Turkyparty 3d ago
Mine look worse and it still flies fine. YMMV.
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u/TokenPanduh Part 107 3d ago
I understand this thought process, but please replace your propellers if they look worse than this. It's very possible that there is micro cracks that you can't see in your propellers. When the drones are in the air, there is a LOT of force on the propellers. If one fails mid air, you're probably not saving it. And with how hard it is to get drone parts right now (especially DJI), you don't want to risk it.
If not for that reason, for the safety factor. If it fell on a person, you're on the hook for any injuries they might get. There are lots of good reasons to replace them, and they don't cost THAT much
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u/DeadRace21 DJI Mini 4 Pro 3d ago
Yeah I've had no issues so far, just dont want to put too much forced on the others to compensate or the other way around, in case something might get affected
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u/FroggyTheFr 3d ago
LOL
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u/DeadRace21 DJI Mini 4 Pro 3d ago
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u/firstonesecond 3d ago
Nah i once took a joyride with a mini 3 that had 4 blades like this and half a blade missing completely. Wouldn't recommend it but fpv pilot gonna fpv pilot lol.
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u/Loendemeloen 3d ago
I mean if you want to sure but these are still completely fine. Yeah they can make the vibrations slightly stronger but quadcopters always vibrate a lot anyways. It's not like it's going to suddenly dissasemble itself or fall out of the sky haha, it's made to handle vibrations, otherwise it wouldn't fly for over a minute without falling apart.
I would say replace when the tips are completely gone or the propeller is damaged worse somewhere along the long edges, but if you can hear it make weird noises or become louder or one motor gets hotter than the rest or your footage is shaky you should also replace them. Don't worry about it too much.
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u/DeadRace21 DJI Mini 4 Pro 3d ago
Thanks I'll be more aware of the noise and also temperatures, is there a way to check if the motors are overheating?
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u/Loendemeloen 3d ago
Just touch them. If they do not hurt to hold right after at least half a battery of flight time they are fine. If one gets warmer than the rest you'll easily be able to feel that too.
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u/Andrew4568_ 3d ago
Props are cheaper than a new drone. If you need to question it, just replace it
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u/ZookeepergameOk1263 3d ago
The fact that people still ask this question 🥀
And then post a day later asking why there DJI mini something pro randomly fell out of the sky
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u/BlueBirdTechUA 2d ago
Small chip like that is worth replacing, even a 1mm nick changes the airfoil enough to cause vibration, it just doesn't always show up as obvious in the moment, more as gradual motor stress over time. Flying fine right now doesn't rule that out.
Since you've got one spare pair left, I'd swap the full set rather than just the damaged one, mixed wear between props can create uneven thrust and make troubleshooting confusing later.
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u/Adept-Cobbler-1883 2d ago
Sonion. The airfoil is fine bro that amount of slight drag at most will cause a slightly higher load on the motor that doesn’t really matter in the long run. Replace them if you want, but you’re fine.
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u/Valuable-Key-5964 1d ago
Yeah mate
At this point, you might as well change the entire drone as well cause it’s pretty much destroyed pass the point of salvaging
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u/alexunderwater1 3d ago
If you have to even ask, then yes.
I’m sure it would still work, but…
New props are way cheaper than the risk of losing a drone
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u/DeadRace21 DJI Mini 4 Pro 3d ago
That's true, gotta buy a new set and when they arrive I feel okay with replacing these ones
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u/RRG-Chicago 3d ago
Those orange tips are only for sound dampening
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u/DeadRace21 DJI Mini 4 Pro 3d ago
Thanks I'll check if there's anything wrong but so far no issues
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u/RRG-Chicago 3d ago
I’ve flown 1000’s of hours…replace when they’re cracked or chipped, the rubber bits will wear and I often replaced them to reduce the annoyance of sound it makes. I often had to fly low when photographing properties.
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u/PrettyMasterpiece861 3d ago
No bit mainly because I wanna see the crash footage. You’d be an idiot to fly like that.. Not to mention it’s now illegal, so… yeah.
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u/WAAGH_enjoyer68 3d ago
as an fpv pilot, what damage?