Do prop guards work?

[mduehmig]

Good afternoon,

Do prop guards do a decent job of protecting the props and preventing some damaging collisions? Or are they nice in theory but not really worth the money/effort?

Any thoughts appreciated!

 

[Mosleyh]

I haven't collided with anything yet, put they've saved me burying a prop several times due to tipping on takeoff/landing.

 

[Jax Quad]

They work very well. And they also make the Phantom seem much bigger in the air. I can see my Phantoms much farther away with the prop guards on. I don't notice a major difference in flying characterisitcs. I just can't fit my Phantom in the case any longer with the prop guards on.

 

[mediaguru]

I have some but haven't put them on yet. I wonder if they'll be an issue as far as being in the picture of photos/video.

 

[mduehmig]

Good question Media. At least on shots looking up.

Jax- I figured they won't fit in my nice pelican case now. I wish they could snap on and off....

 

[JustJames]

Good afternoon,

Do prop guards do a decent job of protecting the props and preventing some damaging collisions? Or are they nice in theory but not really worth the money/effort?

Any thoughts appreciated!

I have some and like the peace of mind when I'm around kids. Or have that potential. Or if I am trying my hand at technical FPV flying..that has saved my bacon a couple of times.

They are not going to help much if you bash into something at speed but they do a good job if you are flying slow and controlled. I have flown indoors with them and it will just glance off the wall with no issues. Like I said though up the speed and you will brake a prop. They will flex and even break if there is too much speed.

James

 

[ladykate]

They do get in the scene for upward shots. However, I put them on because I was new and I saved the props twice on the first day. First time I had to get the Phantom down (lost orientation) and it landed on a curb and tilted over - would have fungled up the props for sure but the guards saved it. Bumped the truck on another takeoff and same result (as in... no result). I'm better at controlling it now but they give me confidence to move close to things since I know I won't chop them into salad if I screw up.

 

[mikeboruta]

Where is a good place to buy prop guards for the P2V?

 

[Count]

I like mine. I bought a pair on eBay for $20+/-. There are 2 red and 2 white, and are intended for a P1. They are 1" smaller in diameter that those intended for the P2, and the prop tips just hang over the edge. However, if it tilts over, the guard, not the prop hits the ground. I also have a white pair intended for the P2V, and they are larger and heavier, and accomplish the same thing. The red helps in the day keeping oriented. You are supposed to tie a string between the corners of the 4 guards. I used braided fishing line. It is supposed to prevent getting the props from getting entangled in tree limbs and such. I have not battle tested that yet...

 

[Pull_Up]

Just a note of caution for those intending to fit prop guards, and sorry if you are already aware of this...

The guards come with elongated screws that you use to mount them to the bottom of the motors in lieu of the stock DJI motor mounting screws. Keep the stock screws somewhere safe, and if you ever decide to take the guards off DO NOT refit the longer screws, use the stock shorter screws. There are many reports of people forgetting this and messing up their motor windings as these longer screws will go straight on up into the motors and in all likelihood kill them.

 

[JustJames]

Just a note of caution for those intending to fit prop guards, and sorry if you are already aware of this...

The guards come with elongated screws that you use to mount them to the bottom of the motors in lieu of the stock DJI motor mounting screws. Keep the stock screws somewhere safe, and if you ever decide to take the guards off DO NOT refit the longer screws, use the stock shorter screws. There are many reports of people forgetting this and messing up their motor windings as these longer screws will go straight on up into the motors and in all likelihood kill them.

Good heads up for the new folks for sure..good post.

 

[OI Photography]

Although T-Motor would prefer you ignore Pull-Up's warning above, don't disregard it unless you just need a good reason to convince your significant other that you have to buy new motors now

On the topic of this thread, I think prop-guards are a good idea for most new flyers, at least until they have some more confidence and skill in avoiding avoidable collisions. I used them during my first weeks and I'm very glad I did. In that space I had two hard crashes due to stupid mistakes (forgot to check a prop nut once, and forgot to turn off the wifi on my go pro once. Never again for either!). In both crashes, the propguards saved the rest of the airframe by working like a car bumper and absorbing much of the force. The price of two shattered guards is well worth what they saved me.

 

[ElGuano]

This is going to sound curmudgeonly, but one thing to keep in mind is that prop guards are VERY heavy. The dji ones weigh north of 80g and the 9.5" ones are even more. The phantom is a very stable flier so I would think very carefully whether you actually need them, or if the benefits outweigh the 1-2 min decrease in flight time they'll take. A lot of people getting 5-6 flights on their phantoms are loading up on accessories like prop guards that they probably wouldn't need with just a bit more flight time practice.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[OI Photography]

This is going to sound curmudgeonly, but one thing to keep in mind is that prop guards are VERY heavy. The dji ones weigh north of 80g and the 9.5" ones are even more. The phantom is a very stable flier so I would think very carefully whether you actually need them, or if the benefits outweigh the 1-2 min decrease in flight time they'll take. A lot of people getting 5-6 flights on their phantoms are loading up on accessories like prop guards that they probably wouldn't need with just a bit more flight time practice.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Excellent point. Once the pilot has enough skill they can come off, and they'll limit flight times at the very least while they're on.

 

[BenDronePilot]

I have some but haven't put them on yet. I wonder if they'll be an issue as far as being in the picture of photos/video.

Yes when doing large format pictures with the camera anywhere near the level position the prop guards will be clearly visible in the photo.

 

[BenDronePilot]

This is going to sound curmudgeonly, but one thing to keep in mind is that prop guards are VERY heavy. The dji ones weigh north of 80g and the 9.5" ones are even more. The phantom is a very stable flier so I would think very carefully whether you actually need them, or if the benefits outweigh the 1-2 min decrease in flight time they'll take. A lot of people getting 5-6 flights on their phantoms are loading up on accessories like prop guards that they probably wouldn't need with just a bit more flight time practice.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

The main useful purpose of prop guards in my opinion are if you plan to fly your Phantom in more enclosed or tight areas or near trees or other obstacles. No matter how good you get, **** happens sometimes, and the prop guard in those instances can make the difference between bumping off said obstacle, or crash and burn. The prop guards can also help to a certain degree with an accidental flip over while landing. I took my guards off though as I didn't like them getting into the frame of my pictures with the camera at certain angles. And I felt like they were adding a tiny bit of extra drag.

 

[Ksc]

I agree with ben. I've been able to literally slide my phantom along a wall in a tight space with the prop guards. If I didn't have them, crash. I only fly with prop guards when I know I'll be flying in tight spaces. If I fly indoors, I always use them. Flying through a door way or narrow passage is a key time for them.

 

[ElGuano]

I don't have many opportunities to fly indoors, for those cases I'm either testing in a large room (hovering) or flying the nano qx. I think most people using prop guards are flying outside in the open, which is where I would most question their utility. But it's all cost-benefit. I'm sure there are cases where the benefits outweigh the cost, I just think most people aren't using them in those fairly specialized situations.

 

[Knighthawk]

This is going to sound curmudgeonly, but one thing to keep in mind is that prop guards are VERY heavy. The dji ones weigh north of 80g and the 9.5" ones are even more. The phantom is a very stable flier so I would think very carefully whether you actually need them, or if the benefits outweigh the 1-2 min decrease in flight time they'll take. A lot of people getting 5-6 flights on their phantoms are loading up on accessories like prop guards that they probably wouldn't need with just a bit more flight time practice.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

I bought the prop guards, but probably will not install them. My main consideration is the fact that, with prop guards on, the PV will no longer fit in my brand new $200.00 (rounded up) case. I like the secure storage and transporting of the PV and I think it will do better in protecting my PV while NOT flying than the prop guards will do WHILE flying. IMHO

 

[mduehmig]

Lots of pros and cons on these things. The real difference would be if they snapped on and off easily. Then I could use them when I thought they'd help and take them off to fit in my pelican case.

Are you listening product developers? Carbon fiber guards that snap on and off easily!