Propellers: How damaged is too damaged?

[Riverbravo]

I have had my drone about 8 months. I am new to the Hobby and early on I was having too much fun with sport mode and crashed into Grandma's house slightly. At the time I thought the Drone was completely fine and have continued to fly it with no issue. Fast forward to now I have been exploring other propeller options. My researche has lead me to many horror stories about flying with damaged propellers Etc.I decided to examine my propellers closely. I noticed that several of them have a slight burr at the edge of the tips. Just enough enough to catch your finger nail if you run it against the underside. There is absolutely no damage to the leading or trailing edges of the blades. There are also no chips, cracks, bends, or signs of warping. The Drone runs exactly how it did when it was out of the box and has had many hours of flight since the crash. Am I in the clear or could something happen suddenly? Money is tight these days and if possible I would like to get the maximum use of these propellers. After all the horror stories OEM is all I will be putting on this drone. They are significantly more pricey and I don't want to spend the money until I absolutely have to. Thank you for any and all help.

 

[Rich QR]

The safe answer is, "replace as soon as there is any damage that you can notice". But a little damage to the tip alone is probably not significant. A little damage to the leading edge, especially near the root, is cause for immediate retirement of that prop.

 

[Recoveryone]

Don't take what I'm about to say a condescending, but this is the rule I follow. If you cannot afford to keep up with the maintenance of your hobby, vehicle, home...etc, then maybe you are over your head. 10-20 dollar set of props is a breaking point! you really have to think what happens if you need another battery or something that will cost you hundreds to replace or repair?

 

[hiflyer201]

To begin with you should have more than one set of props and props are about the cheapest thing you can buy for a drone. Any damage to a prop is too much. What did Grandma's house look like after the crash?
Most of that "feathering" on the tips is caused by taking off and landing in high grass or something similiar.

 

[hiflyer201]

P.S. welcome to the forum from Sunny Socal
You'll be answering these same questions soon.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

If you have a stable hover you should be fine , I have had my cats chew on the blades and have tested them and there still running , nothing of concern yet. What you do not want is a Crack in the blade .

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the Rain and Land on the Water.

 

[THE CYBORG]

I wouldn’t like to say what is too damaged but I will say the props are what keeps your drone in the air, prop fail = crash = expense

 

[Riverbravo]

Don't take what I'm about to say a condescending, but this is the rule I follow. If you cannot afford to keep up with the maintenance of your hobby, vehicle, home...etc, then maybe you are over your head. 10-20 dollar set of props is a breaking point! you really have to think what happens if you need another battery or something that will cost you hundreds to replace or repair?

I have plenty of batteries and could easily replace the Drone or the propellers. I simply do not like spending money needlessly. In my view this is kind of like an oil change. You certainly do it when the manufacturer recommends, but most would probably direct those funds elsewhere if it's not necessary.

 

[Riverbravo]

To begin with you should have more than one set of props and props are about the cheapest thing you can buy for a drone. Any damage to a prop is too much. What did Grandma's house look like after the crash?
Most of that "feathering" on the tips is caused by taking off and landing in high grass or something similiar.

Grandma's house is just fine. It happened at a slow speed. I overshot the space I needed for the Drone to slow to a complete stop. It happened just as it was about to stop. Feathering is a great way to describe what I have on the propellers. Tall grass would make sense. I have lifted off in areas where the propellers have made contact. It is almost unavoidable in some of the areas I fly in. Here in Florida the options are typically grass or the patches of sand in between the clumps of grass. Grass always seems preferable to having the Drone sandblasted. Given what you just said about Feathering would you consider it damaged or simple wear and tear?

 

[Riverbravo]

P.S. welcome to the forum from Sunny Socal
You'll be answering these same questions soon.

Thank you for the welcome. Hopefully I'll be able to do my part someday soon.

 

[old man mavic]

@Riverbravo firstly welcome to the forum
the MM is very low to the ground and a takeoff/landing pad will assist in keeping the props clear of grass etc ,and landing leg extenders will also help as well
as far as the props are concerned then as long as you check them for any damage before and after each flight then they should last for many flights ,this check for the mini also includes checking the screws for tightness as well ,if you have any doubts about the props integrity ,then just change out the whole set ,its cheaper in the long run than having the drone fall from the sky and being badly damaged

 

[Dawnvt]

I have had my drone about 8 months. I am new to the Hobby and early on I was having too much fun with sport mode and crashed into Grandma's house slightly. At the time I thought the Drone was completely fine and have continued to fly it with no issue. Fast forward to now I have been exploring other propeller options. My researche has lead me to many horror stories about flying with damaged propellers Etc.I decided to examine my propellers closely. I noticed that several of them have a slight burr at the edge of the tips. Just enough enough to catch your finger nail if you run it against the underside. There is absolutely no damage to the leading or trailing edges of the blades. There are also no chips, cracks, bends, or signs of warping. The Drone runs exactly how it did when it was out of the box and has had many hours of flight since the crash. Am I in the clear or could something happen suddenly? Money is tight these days and if possible I would like to get the maximum use of these propellers. After all the horror stories OEM is all I will be putting on this drone. They are significantly more pricey and I don't want to spend the money until I absolutely have to. Thank you for any and all help.

Hi, In my opinion...
I consider having my drone return from each flight as a priority, so I keep several sets of propellers.
They are so inexpensive compared to a replacement drone. Fly safe.

 

[BigAl07]

WELCOME to the forum

First off we ALL crash from time to time! It's not a matter of IF but WHEN! The only way to not crash is to not fly and that's not an option.

Keep in mind that the props are a Single Failure Point meaning that if there is a failure you have minimal odds (at best) to be able to recover and have controlled flight back home. I wouldn't call a "burr" an issue as long as it's minimal. My concern with any "impact" with the blades would be hidden damage. Due to the blades rotating very quickly a small issue can become a catastrophic one very quickly. A missed crack, chip, etc could have a total in-flight failure leaving your UAS tumbling to the ground like a shot duck.

If there is ANY doubt/concern swap em all out!!

 

[Dawnvt]

IMO - Propellers - Wisdom is learned.

 

[Riverbravo]

@Riverbravo firstly welcome to the forum
the MM is very low to the ground and a takeoff/landing pad will assist in keeping the props clear of grass etc ,and landing leg extenders will also help as well
as far as the props are concerned then as long as you check them for any damage before and after each flight then they should last for many flights ,this check for the mini also includes checking the screws for tightness as well ,if you have any doubts about the props integrity ,then just change out the whole set ,its cheaper in the long run than having the drone fall from the sky and being badly damaged

Thanks for the welcome. I actually did invest in a landing gear. It certainly has helped reduce impacts. I did this because I'm one particular occasion the Drone wound up looking like some piece of lawn equipment. Don't know what was in the grass but I can still find traces of green stuff on the side. It is probably what caused the feathering on the propeller. A landing pad of some sort is not a bad idea. I am sure I could improvise something or just use my case. As for checking the screws I do make it a point to do that. Before the mini I had a cheap toy drone I was learning the basics with and they loved to come loose. DJ I on the other hand must use some kind of threadlocker because they haven't budged. I am not looking forward to the day when I do replace the props. All the materials are so lightweight I'm afraid of cracking something if I use any sort of pressure.

 

[old man mavic]

@Riverbravo yes there is some thread lock on the screws and when you do come to change them use the new screws provided that come with the thread lock already attached it is a job best done in a clean well lit environment use the supplied driver and be very careful not to cross thread the screw only tighten down till the shoulder of the screw locks against the motor do each pair of props on one motor at a time matching the props as you go they have different markings on their tips

 

[Riverbravo]

WELCOME to the forum

First off we ALL crash from time to time! It's not a matter of IF but WHEN! The only way to not crash is to not fly and that's not an option.

Keep in mind that the props are a Single Failure Point meaning that if there is a failure you have minimal odds (at best) to be able to recover and have controlled flight back home. I wouldn't call a "burr" an issue as long as it's minimal. My concern with any "impact" with the blades would be hidden damage. Due to the blades rotating very quickly a small issue can become a catastrophic one very quickly. A missed crack, chip, etc could have a total in-flight failure leaving your UAS tumbling to the ground like a shot duck.

If there is ANY doubt/concern swap em all out!!

Thank you for the welcome and the support. Definitely accurate advice in regards to the only way to avoid crashes. I used to have to tell that to myself all the time. I still have to from time to time. I have almost gotten to the point where I can completely relax and enjoy the flight. Knock on wood my crashes with this drone have been limited to just two crashes. The one I mentioned and a very low speed run in with a tree. Early on I was mixing up the sticks. I was hovering and wanted to rotate, but hit the right stick. Fortunately both crashes were less than 3 ft off the ground. I think it definitely helped that I spent quite a bit of time flying various toy drones prior to the mini. Sky vipers maybe toys but they are very durable which is something I definitely needed starting out. You are right though it is a matter of when not if. That's why I am looking into insurance. After your comment as well as some others I am inclined to believe that burr will not be an issue.

 

[Riverbravo]

@Riverbravo yes there is some thread lock on the screws and when you do come to change them use the new screws provided that come with the thread lock already attached it is a job best done in a clean well lit environment use the supplied driver and be very careful not to cross thread the screw only tighten down till the shoulder of the screw locks against the motor do each pair of props on one motor at a time matching the props as you go they have different markings on their tips

Thanks for the information. I've got a couple questions. When you mention the shoulder of the screw locking against the motor. Do you mean when it is flush with the propeller or something related to the metal housing of the motor? As far as matching the propellers go is it just a matter of matching the stripes at the tips or is there more to it? Just want to make sure I have all the facts straight.

 

[Repaid1]

Thanks for the information. I've got a couple questions. When you mention the shoulder of the screw locking against the motor. Do you mean when it is flush with the propeller or something related to the metal housing of the motor? As far as matching the propellers go is it just a matter of matching the stripes at the tips or is there more to it? Just want to make sure I have all the facts straight.

See Picture, it is when threads stop and shoulder touches the housing, yes on the props, but make sure your putting the right ones on right motors...IF you have taken all props off and get lost, simply arm it with props off and denote rotation, then put one prop on with leading edge correct...from there it is easy as other side is opposite as is prop to the rear or front of one installed.

In short "X" pattern once you have established one.

 

[Crouching Leopard]

Thanks for the welcome. I actually did invest in a landing gear. It certainly has helped reduce impacts. I did this because I'm one particular occasion the Drone wound up looking like some piece of lawn equipment. Don't know what was in the grass but I can still find traces of green stuff on the side. It is probably what caused the feathering on the propeller. A landing pad of some sort is not a bad idea. I am sure I could improvise something or just use my case. As for checking the screws I do make it a point to do that. Before the mini I had a cheap toy drone I was learning the basics with and they loved to come loose. DJ I on the other hand must use some kind of threadlocker because they haven't budged. I am not looking forward to the day when I do replace the props. All the materials are so lightweight I'm afraid of cracking something if I use any sort of pressure.

DJI does a cheap, foldable landing pad.

The next bit is slightly off-topic but here goes. When I started out in this hobby, I had a small case containing a Tello, spare props, spare mobile, and a wifi range extender. Now, I have a backpack containing a Mavic 2 Pro, seperate Drone bag, extra batteries, flying dedicated iPad mini 5, landing pad, DSLR and tele lens for ground shots, 2 emergency style collapsible cones, mobile device adaptor, and a plastic tub containing spare props for 2 different drones (I also have a mini) spare memory cards, screws, etc, lens cloths, connector leads, landing extenders, polarised sunnies, different adaptors and a few explanatory leaflets for inquisitive passers bye outlining drone laws (but never had a problem)! Clipped to the side is good quality foldable wet weather gear and a "headlamp. Oh and headphones for listening to rock music. " On the odd occasion, I have even carried my laptop. My routine is to go out for a long walk, stop part way through at my favorite coffee shop for a coffee and cake ( hence the exercise), then carry on with my walk. Halfway through fly a battery or two, then finish my walk. All that weight then becomes an exercise aid! Sometimes when not intending to fly, I just carry the pack for the exercise.

When iI fly over water or at the beach, I also take a Kayak, wetsuit (for me), wet bag, and drone water rescue gear plus drone rain jacket. I want to get my monies worth out of this hobby?, also you never know what (legal and safe) opportunities might pop up?

This routine has also led to my being asked if I want to go filming for 2 months at Everest base camp next year with a pro pilot for his media company, Don't know if I will (I kind of have this heights thing) but you never know where this hobby will take you.