When is it time for new props?

[DroningOnAndOn]

This is something I've been wondering of late.

Do you replace props when they get damaged (trees, roll over on landing etc) or at a certain interval?

I haven't clocked up enough flights where my props seem to 'need' replacing. i.e. no cracks or they aren't super bendy etc.

In my heli days, I replaced them when I crashed. That could be 500 flights or 5.

Any science on when is appropriate for a Phantom?

 

[Erised]

Ouch at 5 flights that hurts the wallet. If damaged of course, it also will depend how hard you fly. I changed mine (P4) at one year and for me that was about 5M feet and something like 200 flights. Check the bore of the props (P4) that fits on your motors, mine were getting lose and that will cause unbalance, also for wear on the lock tabs, apart from that they looked like new. I was still getting the same flight time so 5M feet did not affect the props performance.

 

[DroningOnAndOn]

Yeah the heli stuff was generally self inflicted (tricks and stunt flying) so it was part of the experience unfortunately! it was always moderately expensive at least in repair time anyway (a couple of evenings pulling them apart and rebuilding them from the ground up).

Thanks for the reply!

I'll check the bore and keep an eye on when they seem to have more movement. So far they are nice and tight. I tend to give them a mild flex and check the smoothness of the motors before/after flying. That seems to be it for maintenance with the Phantoms and Sparks. Helis were a lot of work with opening things up and checking grub screws and Loctite and bearing smoothness and gear/belt mesh and how hot servos and ESCs got etc. They are extremely reliable but you had a bit of a pre-flight and monthly checks etc as they were pretty dangerous and I never wanted one to fail right in front of me (especially the 700 class with their 1.5 metre blade span spinning at 2200 rpm - magnum .44 bullet energy in the blade tips).

 

[Florida Drone Supply]

Our opinion is that the operator should set a time frame for replacement depending on usage. Are you flying in higher temps above 90°F and below 32°F? If so maybe you should change them out more frequently than someone who lives in a more consistent temperature environment. Are you flying in a salty environment along the ocean or along fresh water around the Great Lakes? Are you an aggressive flyer or more like a me mild and lazy flyer

Phantom props are relatively inexpensive, even for the new quiet props, priced at $20 a set. Set a time limit for your props whether it be every 25 hours or 50 hours or less depending on your individual operating parameters. I think one of the more unpredictable cases would be where someone has 10-15 hours on a set of props but they are 16 months old, replace those props! There is no general rule for replacement values, please do not wait till you see cracks or distortions, it may be to late by then.

You do not need to buy from us (we would appreciate it) but please buy from a reputable dealer who stands behind their product.

 

[DroningOnAndOn]

That is a good point. I fly for video so it's smooth and sedate; very little stress though I have flown in decent wind which obviously does stress them. I do sometimes fly in warm conditions but not snow or approaching freezing temps.

I have the spare set of unused new props the P4P came with so I can easily swap to them as well. Maybe the fancy new 'stealth' props are in my P4P's future!

 

[AeroMirage]

One way to see if you need new ones it to put on a new one and see if it fits any different than the old ones.
Look for slop in the mount. With prop on, hold rotor and see if there is any back and forth movement.
Personally, I only change them when they start to rattle. Spin rotor by hand and listen. If you hear any rattle that is an indication of slop and wobble.

 

[ryantrax]

Good pointers above. If you mount and un-mount your props a lot is also another factor, that is often the weak point of the system. I replace mine yearly in the Spring whether they need it or not, as mentioned above $20 a year is cheap insurance.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Replace whenever an upgraded prop becomes available! The new Quiet Noise P4P props are an excellent excuse to replace your existing props on a P4/P4P/P4P+, no matter how old or used!

 

[MotorCycle-Man]

))))) Quiet Props (((((( ? I like the high pitch whine that my stock props put off / out.....its a nice warning sound that these props can inflect dangerous cuts and injury's So Please Be-aware !

 

[ralphel21]

Basicaly here is the rule that I follow. Every 6 months UNLESS you have has an event that causes a foreign body to hit the props while spinning

 

[GadgetGuy]

))))) Quiet Props (((((( ? I like the high pitch whine that my stock props put off / out.....its a nice warning sound that these props can inflect dangerous cuts and injury's So Please Be-aware !

Indeed! The new ones are by no means stealth props. They are a little less noisy, but they are also more efficient, and deliver a little more speed (1-2mph) with less battery consumption, increasing total distance covered per battery. Nice $20 upgrade for an original P4P/P4!

 

[lmmavrick]

unless damaged i see no reason why you can't get thousands of flights .

 

[GadgetGuy]

unless damaged i see no reason why you can't get thousands of flights .

It also helps to occasionally clean off the insect splatter!

 

[TomThompson]

If your drone doesn't hover as stabily as it used to it could be because of an imbalance in prop deflection angle.