Mini 2 Propellor protectors - Worth getting for a beginner?

[HomeBod]

Hi

New Drone user here. I just got the Mini 2 Fly More Combo. I'm wondering if it's worth getting the Propeller Protectors (that is, the cage-like ones you can put over for flight)? Also, I've seen ones for sale that are advertised as being for the original Mini. Do these also fit the Mini 2? Thanks

 

[A.O.]

Seems like an un needed crutch, unless you are wanting to fly inside.. otherwise I vote no , just my opinion though.

 

[old man mavic]

@HomeBod i have a set that came with my MM fly more, tried them once when i started flying forests and woodland through the tree cover, they do protect the props from damage if you hit a tree trunk ,and they are really for indoor use more than anything, as they put the drone into payload mode, which severely restricts the flight envelope,after i realised how easy it was to fly in tree cover,i removed them and have not used them since

 

[Rich QR]

They bring the weight up over 250g, so consider the regulatory implications of that in your country.

The extra weight puts the drone into "payload mode", which limits altitude and range. Max altitude is reduced to approx 100 ft, IIRC.

I have them, and have used them when flying close to obstacles. I intentionally flew into a wall (slowly) to test them, and they kept the wall, propellers, and drone free from damage, and the drone remained under control.

Small twigs and sticks could penetrate them, I believe, so they aren't perfect armour against trees.

If you fly in close quarters, consider the cost of replacing damaged propellers vs the cost of the guards. If you fly near expensive things, consider the damage your props may inflict. If you fly near people, you should stop it, but at least get the guards.

 

[Richard1970]

NO prop proctors
It's a simply easy drone to fly,just find a big field and practice the higher you are the easier it is to fly no obstacles around your RTH is you failsafe

 

[Deleted member 103366]

Indoors I would say they have their uses, they offer protection in really confined spaces (but should you be flying in really confined spaces, especially as a newbie?) and in general against indelicate indoor use of the joysticks for another. The mini 2 has an optical position sensor that is most likely excellent PROVIDING there is enough light for it to work.
During the last flight that I flew indoors I doubt the drift of my Mavic Mini was more than 1-2cm and I would say 3-4cm would be the upper limits for my normal indoor flights. NOTE there must be sufficient light for the sensors to work. Without GPS (which is likely indoors) and insufficient light the drone will revert to ATTI mode and NOT attempt to hold lateral position, a crash would be almost inevitable.
There are a few things you have to watch out for,
1) turning a Mini 2 in motion is unlikely to stop the original motion which would result in side-slip. So if, for instance, the drone was heading for a wall and you just turned the drone to avoid the wall whilst continuing with the same speed, there is a fair chance the drone would side-slip into the wall. What you need to do is release the joysticks and the drone will brake. This assumes you are flying slowly enough for the braking to stop the drone etc..
2) left and right are reversed when the drone if facing you!
If you have kids or G.Kids that are going to be experimenting with this then yes I would get some.

Out of doors I would suggest they have much less value in that they are likely to increase the sail area of the drone (making it more susceptable to wind) and may trigger payload modes (which introduces height and rnage limits and possibly speed as well) .

Oh one other thing comes to mind read,

A heads up for MM pilots, C & P mode flight speeds vs gimbal angle

It has recently "come to light" in here Mini 2 has the pitch angle limited when the camera is pointing straight down that, when the camera is pointing significantly downwards, the Mini 2 limits (reduces) the maximum tilt of the drone when the drone is in C and P flight modes. The drone's tilt...

mavicpilots.com

Will Mavic Mini guards fit the Mini 2? Apparently so but they are a tight fit. Mini 2 arms are apparently stiffer than Mavic Mini arms, so there may be slight dimension differences.

I flew only a few flights with guards on.

 

[old man mavic]

i think that the reason that DJI included a set of prop guards in the original MM when it was first released was two fold, firstly to improve the value of the MM fly more package ,compared to the basic version ,and second in light of the fact that there are no sensors on the drone, apart from the bottom ones ,and they wanted to help people avoid the danger of the spinning props, when it was being flown close to others indoors, those props although small and quite flimsy ,can still inflict a nasty cut or bad facial damage if they hit you ,it would seem that after a year they decided that they did not need to supply them on the new Mini 2 i wonder why

 

[Yeunglings]

I think that the decision really has a bunch of factors only you can answer because at $25-40 US its not exactly a cheap pair of training wheels. Do you plan on flying indoors much or at all? Then yes, get them. Flying from 1 room to the next with different lighting can confuse the sensors and make it wander. Same goes for certain floors and fabrics. Thats how my MM ended up in the shop. Lighting conditions changed quickly and a multicolored bedsheet fluttered under the drone causing it to go hogwild. Do you know, maybe from having other RC equipment, that your hand eye coordination and reaction times are top notch? If yes then maybe you don't need them but that's your call. Do you plan on letting others, even under your awesome supervision, take her out for a spin or teach them the right way to fly? If yes then get them. Nothing worse then letting someone else crash and damage your bird and then knowing, or suspecting, that $40 could have saved you 2 weeks of downtime and over a hundred dollars in repairs.
Personally I only flew with them a handful of times myself but kept them in my gear bag for about at least 6 months so I could teach others.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

They are £19 + carriage in the UK that's from DJI.

 

[Barbara]

I agree with the majority of the responses here. Flying inside, they are useful in protecting people, furniture and your drone, particularly if you are a new pilot.

Outdoors, better to fly in an open area until you develop your piloting skills. No need for the guards.

 

[Yeunglings]

They are £19 + carriage in the UK that's from DJI.

That's a pretty good price for the dji models. Puts them neck and neck with the cheapo third party ones. Assuming the carriage( shipping?) Isn't high

 

[bob_r]

They have saved me on more than one occasion. There is a stream behind my house I like to fly over and video. There are trees on both sides, and some branches and vines that are low over the stream and sometimes hard to detect. With the guards on, a hit against a thick vine merely caused the drone to spin and then continue on its way. Without the prop guards, at least one prop destroyed.

 

[hiflyer201]

I would say that they could protect animals and other people and they're fine indoors if you don't mind the hassle of putting them on and taking them off, but they're terrible outdoors in anything but the lightest winds

 

[Tomk_]

I'm not sure where the $40 is coming from. As far as I know they have always been $19 from DJI.

Buy DJI Mini 2 360° Propeller Guard - DJI Store

Shop for DJI Mini 2 360° Propeller Guard on the official DJI Online Store. Find great deals and buy DJI products online with quick and convenient delivery!

m.dji.com

 

[jarnie]

I purchased prop protectors for my MA2 and have never used them but then again so far I have only flown outdoors and no where near trees or other obstacles.

 

[Yeunglings]

I'm not sure where the $40 is coming from. As far as I know they have always been $19 from DJI.

Buy DJI Mini 2 360° Propeller Guard - DJI Store

Shop for DJI Mini 2 360° Propeller Guard on the official DJI Online Store. Find great deals and buy DJI products online with quick and convenient delivery!

m.dji.com

I think you're right about the official price always being $20 but there were instances when they were out of stock and the only way to get them was through Amazon so I tend to use that price when discussing it. Kinda like the official price for the Mini2 battery being $55 but it wasn't available for awhile so you had to pay up to $80 on amazon, Alibaba and such. Better to give worse case scenario prices and they're happy when it's cheaper.

 

[HomeBod]

Thanks everyone for these really helpful answers!

 

[RobertR]

As I found out with a cheap “toy” drone, propeller guards are very good indeed at getting hung up on tree branches/twigs...

 

[Bongo52]

My son got a Mini 2 for Christmas four days ago....with prop protectors. Decided he didn't like payload mode...too limiting....and wanted to show his friend the new drone in a nearby park. Hit a tree, drone plummeted, and now it's in a box waiting to be shipped back to DJI for repairs.

I'd say use them until you don't need them. Nothing worse than the look on my son's face when he brought the unflyable drone home today.

 

[KennethH]

Hi

New Drone user here. I just got the Mini 2 Fly More Combo. I'm wondering if it's worth getting the Propeller Protectors (that is, the cage-like ones you can put over for flight)? Also, I've seen ones for sale that are advertised as being for the original Mini. Do these also fit the Mini 2? Thanks

I learned the hard way that 1) they are a must for flying inside 2) Outside I find that with trees all around, trees can be rough on the props. But even with the propeller guard, little branches can get in there and either nick the blades, or tangle in the props. A lot of fun getting my Mini 2 out of the flowering Mulberry tree.

I weighed my Mini 2 on an accurate gram scale, and it came in just over the limit. I stated all this to the powers that be, and still got my lanyard and stickers. One problem with the guard is that the clips that hold it on break easily. I have the two on my guard taped together with transparent tape.

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