How many people fly with Prop Guards?

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As the title says.

Do you find any advantages besides the protection of your props? How about disadvantages?

Never used them, but have thought about it.

Thanks
 
I use them on mine just to protect it a bit if it tilted on land or that (never has) sometimes it can cause a wobble on descent but only if you descent too quick, wind may also catch them slightly and they are visable in videos like on mine here -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-bBJhE0J9s
 
I have them on my phantom 1 and 2.
They saved me a few times in tip over landing and mini crashes.
They have paid for themselves in those incidents.
A lot of people seem to not like them but I think they really work.
 
I was using them to protect my phantom 2 while practicing weaving in and out of trees. Saved my props a couple of times. Didn't bother to take them off when I was about 350 feet up here one day during, during a rapid descent I got into the wobble and could not get back out of it, crashed in the trees. Luckily it was only about 20 feet off the road 6 feet off the ground.
Tried another experiment with it, got about 40 feet off the ground, one into a fast descent, it did the same wobble. Pull them off not going to use them again.


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I flew with them for a while. Took them off eventually. Never noticed any difference in flying. Wobble on descent is caused by descending into dirty air too fast. WHich is why DJI now limits how fast you can come down. I took mine off because I did not like how they looked.
 
I bought them as I was new at this and thought they might give extra protection. But a week later I realized I needed a carrying case more, and since my flying got better, never installed them. I would probably use them if someone would come up with an easy way to clip them on and off.
 
I think they're pretty handy for beginners, as well as for those who find themselves flying around (or into) bushes and trees a lot.
or for indoor flying.

But they do add 75g of weight, .and will shave over a minute of flight time.

Once you're an experienced flyer, and know how to avoid trees, prop guards are far less necessary.
 
I know some who use them when documenting events and if there are people around. I also used them when I began flying and it saved props twice. Don't regularly use them now but if I fly around people (which I do occasionally) I put them back on.
 
SilentAV8R said:
I flew with them for a while. Took them off eventually. Never noticed any difference in flying. Wobble on descent is caused by descending into dirty air too fast. WHich is why DJI now limits how fast you can come down. I took mine off because I did not like how they looked.
Both my decants were not straight down, but at an angle. Made sure of this because of things I'd read up on on this very subject.
Once it started wobbling there was no controlling it.
 
Khudson7 said:
I bought them as I was new at this and thought they might give extra protection. But a week later I realized I needed a carrying case more, and since my flying got better, never installed them. I would probably use them if someone would come up with an easy way to clip them on and off.

A good hex driver and you can easily attach and remove them in a minute or so. Not too bad if you like using them. I still use them because I fly in close quarters of buildings and tress, and it can just take a strong gust of wind to push you that extra 3 inches over and bump a wall.
 
Had them on and took them off. After 2 crashes I decided they only made things worse in that when the guard breaks the prop has something close by to strike. One crash was into a pole at a slow speed. Once the guard broke the piece of plastic came into contact with the blade which was broken in several pieces. Second crash at a rather slow speed was into a tree branch at which time a guard broke and the blades then impacted the dangling plastic once again. I decided the guards aren't sturdy enough and second, I believe there is more wobble when descending and when flying in windy conditions, then there is then added weight. I have two sets I will sell cheap.
 
nammac said:
I have two sets I will sell cheap.

Sounds like the sets you have are poorly made if they break at the slightest impact. I have had some pretty rough bumps with mine, and they have held up quite well.
 
The Dji guards are the best. There are a ton of knock offs. But if you are trying to protect your phantom spend the extra dollars and get the dji guards.
 
I think of them as training wheels for the Phantom. I put them on first day. I use the DJI brand, and even then I did break one very early on in my flight training. (It was my second flight). It was easily repaired with glue. As I gain confidence I will remove them for flights that have a low risk of sideswipes. If I fly near lots of people, I will probably use them, as I think they will give me some little buffer for reduced injury of "collateral damage" to innocent bystanders. :mrgreen:

I do think they must degrade the flight performance though, so for long distance or long duration, I will remove them.

... and of course to put the thing in a case. I haven't seen a decent case yet that is designed to pack it with them still attached.
d86
 
I'll never use them. I think they create more danger than they prevent. IMHO

-slinger
 
gunslinger said:
I'll never use them. I think they create more danger than they prevent. IMHO

-slinger

Care to elaborate? Seems to be a pretty broad statement. I know prop guards have saved me from outright crashes on several occasions, and have yet to cause one, or any damage to my quad, or anything else for that matter. That being said, as others have noted, it all really comes down to what you are flying for. If I was flying in wide open areas, or if it wasn't windy here, then I would take them off. But it's rare to have a day here without wind, and I fly in very close proximity to trees and homes to get the shots that I need.
 
I have used them since I started flying. I could care less how they look, if I wanted a cool looking 'copter there's a heck of a lot better or "cool looking" on the market to buy.
As for flying into a pole or tree limb and having the guard break causing it to hit the props all I can say is that crash was highly likely going to happen no matter if there were guards on or not since the prop would have then hit the object probably disabling said prop.

I look at them as zone protection, makes you and others remember where not to put your body parts. :shock: If you're flying without them and hit someone or if someone happens to get a bit too close you can bet the conversation will center around why you did not have an available safety device installed.
Just my thoughts...
 
jodaddy23 said:
THIS SITE REALLY NEEDS a poll link . so we can actually do POLLS .

ps : don't use them .

+1

As active as this board is. That would be a nice bonus.
 

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