Checked your props?

[Deleted member 109934]

My theory is the mini has really weak front arms that twist easily and can cause a prop strike
Just grab the motor and you can see it will twist without any effort, they put that stupid foam filler piece in order to save weight , but it does nothing structurally.
You'll notice the rear arms have plastic inserts to improve the stiffness.

With many flight cycles the plastic on the front arms will weaken further and your prop strikes could get worse.
Have you also checked the props for any deformity

Were you flying in high winds, have you crashed before ?

This is how some people have remedy the issue

DJI Mavic Mini Arm Stiffener by redpiyaya

This is to make the arms sturdier, thus less motor vibrations. I got this idea from Lindsay White but made my own model from scratch. Printed 0.4mm PETG 100% infill. Removed foam and super glued the part.

www.thingiverse.com

I just try my MM, I would break the front arms before my props touch the body... Are your props bend for some reason? How close to the body are they when not in flight?

 

[GaryDoug]

After about 50 flights, no chips on mine but there are a lot of scuffs, especially on the rears. So far I haven't kept it in a case.

 

[lannes]

I just try my MM, I would break the front arms before my props touch the body... Are your props bend for some reason? How close to the body are they when not in flight?

Mine do not hit, as I don't fly in Sport mode or high winds

 

[TDZHDTV]

I’ll confirm with new fitted props, my Mini made a plastic on plastic clicking noise earlier this week in strong winds, there was no damage or evidence/ marks on the body, and the props certainly aren’t bent.

 

[Starz]

This is not a prop deformity issue.

 

[netsonic]

I did not see it on mine yet. Will continue to monitor.

 

[Starz]

I did not see it on mine yet. Will continue to monitor.

The first prop damage on mine was very, very small. That’s why I missed it.
The other piece of the puzzle is the very faint mark it leaves on the arm.

 

[old man mavic]

i am still waiting for a dry day to try my stiffening mod out ,i think it is a combination of arm flex and prop flex that is causing the issue of the props contacting the body of the drone,i mostly fly in c mode,have never tried sport mode, in all other aspects of flight the drone responds well to the stick inputs,and it is great for flying close up to things and for walking behind and flying in between trees and tight places,to get unusual shots

 

[Starz]

I will agree to the flexibility of the props being a part of this dilemma. The flexibility of the arms is also a factor. Once I receive the mini back from DJI, I’ll decide what route I’ll take on what to do with it. My mavic air for small and portability is looking better every day!

 

[Deleted member 109934]

i am still waiting for a dry day to try my stiffening mod out ,i think it is a combination of arm flex and prop flex that is causing the issue of the props contacting the body of the drone,i mostly fly in c mode,have never tried sport mode, in all other aspects of flight the drone responds well to the stick inputs,and it is great for flying close up to things and for walking behind and flying in between trees and tight places,to get unusual shots

If you have a chance, can you check how much "play" does your prop in question have when you gently move it by the tip up and down, without forcing just to check the play? Also, would you be able to take a photo showing prop over how far it is from the body? Here are my front props, lately, I was flying really hard in S mode and strong winds, I didn't notice anything, but I really would like to understand this problem. I have noticed props after 10-12h of flight sound and behave a bit differently. I can't explain it, but they do behave differently in my case.

 

[OregonEd]

If you have a chance, can you check how much "play" does your prop in question have when you gently move it by the tip up and down, without forcing just to check the play? Also, would you be able to take a photo showing prop over how far it is from the body? Here are my front props, lately, I was flying really hard in S mode and strong winds, I didn't notice anything, but I really would like to understand this problem. I have noticed props after 10-12h of flight sound and behave a bit differently. I can't explain it, but they do behave differently in my case.

 

[OregonEd]

I have gently moved the tips of my props up and down. I think the hole in the props is too big or the diameter of the screws shaft is too small. I fly mostly in S and only avoid strong winds. No prop strikes yet. The MM props are far from high quality, my personal opinion.
If DJI acts responsibly, at some point in time the bad propeller molds will be replaced with better molds or better machining with closer tolerances. Also some props will be with a better or a worse fit, For now it seems to be the luck of the draw.
I think my first flight was quieter than my 30th

Everyone who has a prop that strikes should post the casting number here to see if a pattern develops - my props are A2, A3, B1 and B3. All of my props are 4726 F. All have a loose fit but no strikes.

 

[mnpaslay]

No strikes for me with lots of sport mode and flying in wind. The clearance for my props seems substantial so I’m interested in the root cause for this...

 

[Deleted member 109934]

I have gently moved the tips of my props up and down. I think the hole in the props is too big or the diameter of the screws shaft is too small. I fly mostly in S and only avoid strong winds. No prop strikes yet. The MM props are far from high quality, my personal opinion.
If DJI acts responsibly, at some point in time the bad propeller molds will be replaced with better molds or better machining with closer tolerances. Also some props will be with a better or a worse fit, For now it seems to be the luck of the draw.
I think my first flight was quieter than my 30th

Everyone who has a prop that strikes should post the casting number here to see if a pattern develops - my props are A2, A3, B1 and B3. All of my props are 4726 F. All have a loose fit but no strikes.

MM Props are consumables, I did a few tests and replace my props every 10 hours of flight, you can do 20 but they will have way more play and be noisier and less stable.

 

[Deleted member 109934]

I have gently moved the tips of my props up and down. I think the hole in the props is too big or the diameter of the screws shaft is too small. I fly mostly in S and only avoid strong winds. No prop strikes yet. The MM props are far from high quality, my personal opinion.
If DJI acts responsibly, at some point in time the bad propeller molds will be replaced with better molds or better machining with closer tolerances. Also some props will be with a better or a worse fit, For now it seems to be the luck of the draw.
I think my first flight was quieter than my 30th

Everyone who has a prop that strikes should post the casting number here to see if a pattern develops - my props are A2, A3, B1 and B3. All of my props are 4726 F. All have a loose fit but no strikes.

I think everyone has the same numbers, but I wonder what the E3,D3 means and how it affects the props, do we have to match it somehow?
Does anyone know if we should be paying attention to those numbers, besides the fact we should be changing both props on the motor?

I have new set from single pack
FR(front right) F2
FL -E3
RR - E3
RL F2


Old original set was:
FR-E3
FL-E2 (at one point I replaced it with D3 spare that came in the fly more combo and it was flying ok)
RR- E2
Rl-E3

 

[TDZHDTV]

I think everyone has the same numbers, but I wonder what the E3,D3 means and how it affects the props, do we have to match it somehow?
Does anyone know if we should be paying attention to those numbers, besides the fact we should be changing both props on the motor?

I have new set from single pack
FR(front right) F2
FL -E3
RR - E3
RL F2


Old original set was:
FR-E3
FL-E2 (at one point I replaced it with D3 spare that came in the fly more combo and it was flying ok)
RR- E2
Rl-E3

It’s probably identification for which injection moulding tool was used

 

[mnpaslay]

MM Props are consumables, I did a few tests and replace my props every 10 hours of flight, you can do 20 but they will have way more play and be noisier and less stable.

What Tests? According to DJI Fly I have 54 hours flight time on original props and everything seems the same as the first flight...

 

[OregonEd]

I think everyone has the same numbers, but I wonder what the E3,D3 means and how it affects the props, do we have to match it somehow?
Does anyone know if we should be paying attention to those numbers, besides the fact we should be changing both props on the motor?

I have new set from single pack
FR(front right) F2
FL -E3
RR - E3
RL F2


Old original set was:
FR-E3
FL-E2 (at one point I replaced it with D3 spare that came in the fly more combo and it was flying ok)
RR- E2
Rl-E3

The F2 or E2 or D3 normally indicates the mold that the prop was made in. For example, if the F2 props were with a defect that appeared after production, then that mold would not be used anymore because it would be producing a defective prop.
My props are all A and B. They all fit “very loose”.
If they had a nice precision fit when new, maybe they would be “very loose” after 30 hours or 50 hours or 100 hours or more!

 

[Deleted member 109934]

What Tests? According to DJI Fly I have 54 hours flight time on original props and everything seems the same as the first flight...

54 hours of flight and everything is the same as new, not bad I'm jealous.

After 20 hours when I changed my props MM became way more stable, hovered better and was less noisy. The more aggressive you fly in S mode and higher winds, and less attention you pay to the storage and transport the more pronounced noise and hover shake will be.
I have over 40 hours and already changed the props once and will be changing it again this weekend.

not scientific but I was able to register the difference in noise level, I did this because I heard the difference initially.

 

[atsphenomenon]

Other than the

54 hours of flight and everything is the same as new, not bad I'm jealous.

After 20 hours when I changed my props MM became way more stable, hovered better and was less noisy. The more aggressive you fly in S mode and higher winds, and less attention you pay to the storage and transport the more pronounced noise and hover shake will be.
I have over 40 hours and already changed the props once and will be changing it again this weekend.

not scientific but I was able to register the difference in noise level, I did this because I heard the difference initially.

Other than the sound level, what other differences do you see, if any? Is the mm as/more stable on the after market props than the stock ones?