Drone blade replacement

[Cooner]

Is it worth replacing the blades if they only have a few scraps and a minor nick or two? I have replacement blades and haven't noticed any issues with the used ones. Didn't know if there were any justifiable reasons to replace blades that I wasn't aware of.

 

[FLDave]

Propeller blades are a critical component to remain airborne.
Propeller blades are under extreme centrifugal force when spinning.
Little nicks may be the start of a crack and sudden blade failure.
When in doubt, just replace the blades.

 

[old man mavic]

@Cooner ,a few scrapes and a minor nick or two,really ,any blade damage has concequences ,such as vibration, and ultimately structural failure which, once gravity takes over ,well we all know how that ends
as the PIC, you are responcible for ensuring your drone is structurally sound ,personally i dont care ,if it means grounding my drone ,because i have run out of usable undamaged blades ,then so be it, i dont wish to appear rude ,giving the answer i have to you ,and i meant no offence

 

[rjwmorrell]

Would you rather wait until your aircraft falls out of the sky before replacing them (along with numerous other parts - or writing the whole thing off)? I think that's the question you should be asking.

 

[Cafguy]

A "Nick" can grow into crack and could cause your propeller to come apart mid flight. Best to replace the blade or risk losing the drone. Also do not use cheap propellers only OEM or Master Airscrews not the Amazon specials.

 

[Cooner]

OK, that is what I was wanting to know. The blades really only have some discoloration blemishes and one or two nicks that I have to find with my finger to actually locate. I bought the fly more combo package so I have the blades. Might as well use them. Little by little, learning as I go.

 

[mobilehomer]

Also, nicked blades are louder and less efficient.

 

[rjwmorrell]

OK, that is what I was wanting to know. The blades really only have some discoloration blemishes and one or two nicks that I have to find with my finger to actually locate. I bought the fly more combo package so I have the blades. Might as well use them. Little by little, learning as I go.

I wipe off any grass stains and dust. Anything else I can see or feel warrants a replacement.

I may let my Mini SE go longer with visible scratches, but nlades are cheap. Drones are not.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

BTW if you are talking about any of the Mini series drones and if you need to replace one blade on a given motor you should replace BOTH blades on that motor. They are supplied, by DJI at least, in what are thought to be balanced pairs.

 

[johnnyb57]

Short money, if you were concerned enough to ask, just swap em out, and do all of them, not just the one ?

 

[EssenYVR]

In the aircraft industry, blades can't be swapped out so easily so they basically sand out nicks and cracks to the point where the blade is smooth. (I use the word "sand" very loosely here).

I imagine you could do that with DJI props too, but you need to be very careful about balancing between each pair of blades and the amount of work needed vs. the pretty cheap cost of the blades probably doesn't make it worthwhile.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

In the aircraft industry, blades can't be swapped out so easily so they basically sand out nicks and cracks to the point where the blade is smooth. (I use the word "sand" very loosely here).

I imagine you could do that with DJI props too, but you need to be very careful about balancing between each pair of blades and the amount of work needed vs. the pretty cheap cost of the blades probably doesn't make it worthwhile.

Do they rebalance 'sanded' props?

 

[EssenYVR]

Do they rebalance 'sanded' props?

You betcha!