A new set of props?

RPP

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I have had my DJI Phantom 4 Pro v2 for just over a year and it has seen extensive use. Visual and touch inspection of all the 4 original props shows them to be in fine condition. However, it is impossible to know of any internal structural weaknesses that may have developed. Is it time to change to a new set of props (OEM, of course)?
 
Visual and touch inspection of all the 4 original props shows them to be in fine condition
No visible damage or hairline cracks? You're good to go then.

If you want to donate money to DJI though... then have at it ;)
 
I have had my DJI Phantom 4 Pro v2 for just over a year and it has seen extensive use. Visual and touch inspection of all the 4 original props shows them to be in fine condition. However, it is impossible to know of any internal structural weaknesses that may have developed. Is it time to change to a new set of props (OEM, of course)?
No visable hairline cracks or damage does not mean they ok ,a year of flight is hard on any props,bending and flexing,,if you want to change you change for piece of mind,,,as post number 2 mention is ridiculous from so called phantom help,,I would never fly a year and not change,I think reply above is a shocking one,,
 
as post number 2 mention is ridiculous from so called phantom help,,I would never fly a year and not change,I think reply above is a shocking one
Shocking? Not at all.

Recommending people change their props after a year or any other specific amount of time is bad advice. Props should be changed out when they become damaged. You're over thinking this one.
 
No visable hairline cracks or damage does not mean they ok
With these props, most likely no issue.

as post number 2 mention is ridiculous from so called phantom help,,I would never fly a year and not change,
Really? I have two sets....been flying them both for almost 4 years....No visable issues with any 8. Changing props is completely unneccessary....unless they are chiped, visably damaged, or completely un-balanceable. Other than that they are Good....
 
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4 years,,omg,,,those poor lock tabs,,can I shout you some new ones,4 years is asking for trouble....do you remember my WHITE POWDER post a while back,,that was worn lock tabs,,these old spring clip but shows wear can happen,,the new p4p ones with center spring do also get play in tabs or do I just fly to much
Screenshot_20191020-173933_Chrome.jpg
Screenshot_20191020-173918_Chrome.jpg
 
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Shocking? Not at all.

Recommending people change their props after a year or any other specific amount of time is bad advice. Props should be changed out when they become damaged. You're over thinking this one.
Bad advice ay,, I personally think that just to long,,we ain't got xray eyes to see into plastic or locking tabs,if I brought a drone with year old blades,,they would be first to go,,you do want to stay airborne without thinking about old props,,not know why I cant get this picture here,is this punishment,,that's just great
 
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I have had my DJI Phantom 4 Pro v2 for just over a year and it has seen extensive use. Visual and touch inspection of all the 4 original props shows them to be in fine condition. However, it is impossible to know of any internal structural weaknesses that may have developed. Is it time to change to a new set of props (OEM, of course)?
Ok i cant send you picture either of broken prop,,up to you,,,change or meet the ground,,,easy choice
 
Hey you know what ,,it seems my advise is crap , like my life,like this forum ,we all think we know it all but I speak from my experience,,if you doubt this info your in the wrong place and should fly a syma ,,bad days for me and probably lasts days,,see you on the other side
 
Not sure why there is such resistance in changing out props. Unless your one of the same type of person that only change the oil in your car when the low oil light comes on. A good way to keep up on regular maintenance is to keep a log of the hours you have put on your bird. If you fly less than 20-30 hours a year you could get by, but if you are a frequent flyer (every week/weekend) you may need to change out props quarterly. I have owned my birds less than a year. I have changed props on the P3P once and the P2 once. My Spark and Pro are still on the originals, but they have less hours than the Phantoms. It will always fall back on the pilot when you start to have issues. Changing out props is one of the cheapest upgrade/maintenance you can do. If you have an older P2 or P3 series you will start getting Jello or worse. Then you will be guessing if you need to change out the dampers, reset motors, and it all could be props that have become unbalance with wear. If is a P4 series then you will be stuck with dealing with DJI repair trying to play the guessing game replacing parts (like dealing with a bad mechcanic).
 
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I posted my original query to get a feel for what people who have flown regularly do with regards props replacement. Clearly, the responses have been a mixed bag.

It seems to me the cost/benefit equation is asymmetrical: that is, the loss due to a props failure is far more costly (both in terms of money and in time lost due to the bird being out of operation) than the cost of swapping new props as a precautionary measure ("best practices in preventive maintenance").

Thanks, all, for your thoughts.
 
Not to sound like "I told ya so." or anything, but this whole discussion highlights ANOTHER reason why I still have my trusty little 3Adv when I could easily trot out and buy a 4xx.

1. Propellars are attached as though they are necessary. IE: Screwed on with self-tightening thread direction. You should see Mercruiser's method for attaching props
Lock ring, lock tab and Lock Nut
2. Battery does not fall out in mid-air. IE: Look at how your car's fuel tank is attached
3. If I really truly do need a picture of something, I will get up there somehow with my Nikon. So the 3's camera suffices for my needs
 
4 years,,omg,,,those poor lock tabs,,can I shout you some new ones,4 years is asking for trouble.
I was referring to the props themselves, not the tabs. And also a P3 which do not have tabs. ;)
 
If you think about replacing them then do it. Just for better confidence.
But here we come to the core of the problem. There is no 100% guarantee that the new ones are perfect. They may have some structural anomalies that could be seen only with X-ray or maybe ultrasound.
By my opinion there is always a chance of some issue to happen. It is only up to us to decide between the old props which have been doing their job well for a year or the new ones which you believe to be absolutely perfect. We will always live with some level of uncertainty and we must always decide in our every day activities (consciously or reflexively) which way we chose.
 
If you think about replacing them then do it. Just for better confidence.
But here we come to the core of the problem. There is no 100% guarantee that the new ones are perfect. They may have some structural anomalies that could be seen only with X-ray or maybe ultrasound.
By my opinion there is always a chance of some issue to happen. It is only up to us to decide between the old props which have been doing their job well for a year or the new ones which you believe to be absolutely perfect. We will always live with some level of uncertainty and we must always decide in our every day activities (consciously or reflexively) which way we chose.


Indeed, yes. There are no guarantees in life. All we can do is estimate probabilities. Sure, a new set of props could have a defective specimen that slipped through QC.
 
Jeezo weezo - tempest in a teapot over a $25 set of props? C’mon guys, if you’re concerned your props are not mechanically sound buy new ones and rest easy. It’s not like you’re gonna blow your mortgage payment.

Like most of you I surf drone forums and have yet to see empirical evidence or specific parameters detailing when an undamaged set of props should be retired.

Personally, I’m far more worried about my birds being done in by a surprise battery failure, pilot error (my error), EMI, or drone magnets.

It’s hard to run out of things to be concerned about. Props are WAAAY down my list
 
It’s hard to run out of things to be concerned about. Props are WAAAY down my list
Unless it is part of your own pre-flight checklist. Ignoring certain varibles can be detrimental....Never take your aircraft for flight without checking integrity of any part of the aircraft. As long as you do that, your chances of an incident reduce. Granted there are certain things you cannot check before flight, but that is one of the easy ones. Along with Visual compass allignment, that is a big deal that many miss.
 
New props...about $20.00...or less
New Drone...$1,000+
You can adjust the price of the drone or the props but at the end of the day its about 50 times less expensive to get new blades. Also the issue of a lost or crashed drone.....
 

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