Mini 3 discontinued?

[richiebee709]

Hate to be that person, especially since this is my first post, but just wondering if anyone knows if the Mini 3 has been discontinued. Seems like its out of stock most places, which seems like a bit of a clue, and while I'd love to pick one up as my first drone, I don't want to be stranded, unable to buy extra batteries or whatever, a few months down the road.

If you don't know, but have experience about buying DJI parts (batteries, propeller blades etc), for discontinued models, how long are they typically available after the drone has been discontinued?

The price of the Mini 3 is significantly less than the Mini 4 Pro (less than half), and it is a good entry price as long as its not abandoned after a month.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

The mini 3 seems to be available in the UK. It may be a regional thing.
Props are I think common across the mini 3 series and mini 4 pro so I don't think there's much chance of them becoming permanently unavailable for several years yet.
That said, if you fly with care a 2 or 3 sets of spare props will probably out last the drone.
I think there is some compatibility between the batteries of the mini 3 and mini 4 series drones but you'd have to google it to check if it is 2 way. I also recollect that there can be a weight issue in that one series batteries out the other over 250g, again youd need to google it ....... unless someone claifies the point here.

 

[Cafguy]

Seems like its out of stock most places,

Yet I bet they have plenty of mini 4 pros lol

If you don't know, but have experience about buying DJI parts (batteries, propeller blades etc), for discontinued models, how long are they typically available after the drone has been discontinued?

I can still get everything I need for my Mavic 1's You will be able to get parts for it for years, No problem.

The price of the Mini 3 is significantly less than the Mini 4 Pro (less than half), and it is a good entry price as long as its not abandoned after a month.

GET IT...It will be flying until you crash it or sell it.

 

[richiebee709]

Apparently (according to Google ) the Mini 3 batteries work in the Mini 4 Pro, but the Mini 4 Pro batteries do not work in the Mini 3. Similarly, it seems that the propellers used on the Mini 3 are different to those on the Mini 3 Pro and Mini 4 Pro.

 

[Cafguy]

yes the screws for the mini are different length and DJI does not recommend re-using the screw so get the right props .
Have you shopped at CamFuse on Ebay yet? They are actually DJI New York and you can buy Drones there dirt cheap with full DJI warranties and such! Check out the prices there Great place to do business with.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Apparently (according to Google ) the Mini 3 batteries work in the Mini 4 Pro, but the Mini 4 Pro batteries do not work in the Mini 3. Similarly, it seems that the propellers used on the Mini 3 are different to those on the Mini 3 Pro and Mini 4 Pro.

Dji props seem to have a model number and mould number cast into the top of each blade near the root. It would be interesting if some one with a mini 3 would post the number on one of their blades and some one with a mini 3 pro /mini 4 pro would do the same. According to the dji webpages both props have. Diameter and pitch of 6 x 3 inches and a weight of 0.9g.
I suspect the blades are the same but the screws differ.

 

[msinger]

wondering if anyone knows if the Mini 3 has been discontinued

It definitely has not been discontinued.

It's currently in stock for an October 17th delivery date in the US DJI Store.

 

[Bad Santa]

My local hobby store had two Mini 3's in stock. They didn't have any 4s and didn't know when they'd get one.
That's why I bought mine on Amazon.

You can get blades for the 3. Maybe even try some aftermarket ones.
For screws, there's more than one place to buy screws. Just need the right specs.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

With regards to screws from other non-drone sources.
The manual shows that the screws for the mini 3 are shouldered, taking that to be true both the diameter and length of the shoulder are critical.

a) if the shoulder is too long the blade will be free to move up and down the shoulder, not a good idea for several reasons.
b) if the shoulders are too short then the screw's head will CLAMP the blade to the of the motor and the blade will not be able to freely rotate about the shoulder.
It is vital that the blade can freely rotate about the screw's shoulder. Failure to do so can result in the blade not taking up the correct position, causing centrifugal imbalance and therefore vibration and possible damage. You also run the risk that any forced movement of the bade will cause the screw to undo.

c) If the shoulder diameter is too big then the screw will not fit through the bore of the blade's hub. If the screw is forced through then similar considerations to b) apply.
d) if the diameter is too small the blade will be free to flop about, again not a good idea.

Whilst you might be able to find screws of the correct thread pitch and diameter I suspect that the combination of correct thread and correct shoulder sizes will be impossible to find in hardware etc. stores.

I would not even consider blades from any other manufacturer except, perhaps, Master AirScrew.
But all my Mavic style drones use ONLY DJI blades.

I would not consider blades sold by "OEM" manufacturers. Whilst the firm might be a DJI supplier there is no guarantee that those "after market blades" are made to DJI standards.

 

[msinger]

I would not consider blades sold by "OEM" manufacturers

Maybe this is just a US thing, but a lot of sellers advertise "genuine" DJI products as "OEM" DJI products. And then they show photos of the products in actual DJI packaging just like you'd buy from a DJI dealer like Best Buy. I've purchasing many "OEM DJI" products in the US and have always received products in original DJI packaging.

For example, here on eBay:

 

[Bad Santa]

While it's true your local hardware store won't have the correct screws with the correct shoulder and correct thread pitch, length, size, that doesn't mean they aren't obtainable UNLESS DJI has them manufactured specifically. That IS a possibility. It doesn't make a ton of sense from a cost perspective but then, again, DJI doesn't sell their stuff "cheap".

 

[Cafguy]

The reason DJI does not want you reusing the screws is because the new ones have a coating of loc-tite on them this gets used on the first install so unless you use loc-tite do not re-use the screws or they might come flying out one day lol.
The screws are pretty easy to get if you have an electronics or nut and bolt supply house nearby. apply a tiny amount of LOC-TITE Blue 242 on the screw with a small brush and install.

 

[richiebee709]

Maybe this is just a US thing, but a lot of sellers advertise "genuine" DJI products as "OEM" DJI products. And then they show photos of the products in actual DJI packaging just like you'd buy from a DJI dealer like Best Buy. I've purchasing many "OEM DJI" products in the US and have always received products in original DJI packaging.

For example, here on eBay:

View attachment 178176

OEM = Original Equipment Manufacturer, so I agree with you - OEM would mean DJI products. The props are cheap enough that I could get a couple of spare sets (not really sure what you need to do to make them unusable, other than literally fly into things, which I'm really hoping to avoid). I guess a landing into long grass or something could cause damage???

Anyway, the bigger issue was really batteries. These are about $100 a piece here and I'm not intending to get the Fly More kit to start with, unless the price drops significantly. I think one battery will generally be enough for me, possibly two. But who knows? I would like to think that over the general life of the product, its possible to get a replacement battery, even when that product has been discontinued for some time. It seems that this is likely the case with DJI based on people's previous experience with DJI products.

I do have a bottle of LocTite here actually, but that's certainly good to know about the screws.

Thanks all for your informative responses.


Rich

 

[Max Headroom]

apply a tiny amount of LOC-TITE Blue 242 on the screw with a small brush and install.

Can i remind members this stuff doesn't like plastic and in another thread on the subject someone showed a picture of melted plastic on the drone arm where someone has used too much if you cannot get the screws that already have it on i would use something like a safety pin to put a tiny amount on the thread and leave it 24 hours to dry completely.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Maybe this is just a US thing, but a lot of sellers advertise "genuine" DJI products as "OEM" DJI products. And then they show photos of the products in actual DJI packaging just like you'd buy from a DJI dealer like Best Buy. I've purchasing many "OEM DJI" products in the US and have always received products in original DJI packaging.

For example, here on eBay:

View attachment 178176

I still wouldn't trust them to be made to the same standards as blades sold by DJI or retailers with good reputations.
Afterall, just think of the variety of fake memory cards that are out there and they too are often sold in packaging that is meant to decieve.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

UNLESS DJI has them manufactured specifically.

I would lean towards that being the case.
I have seen a machine shop with one machine dedicated to the production of bits for only one thing and I'd bet the batch size was less that 100. And that shop housed 4 lathes in total with the dedicated lathe being one of them.
DJI probably order these screws in the hundreds of thousands so it wouldnt be surpise me at all to find that they are unique.
I don't have a mini 3 to play with but it could be that these screws are same as mini 2 screws, which would mean reduced set up costs.

 

[Max Headroom]

This is the cost for mine i would rather have the real thing even if it costs a little more.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

OEM would mean DJI products.

Not in my book.
Taken literally it means that the manufacturer supplies parts to DJI and possibly, in this case even propellers. It DOES NOT mean/guarantee that the part supplied is made to DJI standards.

not really sure what you need to do to make them unusable, other than literally fly into things

I assume that impacts with objects will be the primary cause but I have seen dents o the leading edge of props that are tiny and I semi wonder if they could be caused by impacts that the pilot does not recognise as such e.g grass stems and perhaps impacts with hard shelled insects.
Remember that these blades rotate at thousands of RPM at 6000rpm the tip speed of a mini 3 prop is approx 47.9m/s, approx 107mph.
Speed is proportional to both RPM and the radius of rotation of the point being considered i.e. halve the RPM and you halve the speed, halve the distance and you halve the speed.
Halve BOTH and you quarter the speed.
Attached are the CsvView plots for motorRPM, drone pitch and roll for a mini 3 that had a whoopsie. I think it is safe to assume that ther RPM need to be multiplied by 10.

 

[Cafguy]

I will have to say MAX is correct and the loc-tite and screw thing is really for the DIY people out there You can mess stuff up pretty quickly.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Can i remind members this stuff doesn't like plastic and in another thread on the subject someone showed a picture of melted plastic on the drone arm where someone has used too much if you cannot get the screws that already have it on i would use something like a safety pin to put a tiny amount on the thread and leave it 24 hours to dry completely.

One question about that, from memory off using Loctite the fastner had be used whist the Loctite was liquid, it was the setting of the Loctite that secured the fastener.
Is a dry use version now available to the general public?