Let us inspect. Let us replace. Let Us Drone. So you've had your Mavic for a few months and notice that there is a chip on one of the props. You ask yourself “is it worth the risk”, while slowly running your thumb over the once perfectly streamlined piece of plastic.

DJI does not state how often you should change the props on your drone in their manuals, but they recommend doing so every 200 flights. Let's talk about signs you should look for that would inticate a prop change, the dangers of third-party props, and how to properly care for your props.

How often should you inspect the props?

I strongly recommend that you inspect the props before and after every flight. This is one of the items on my Pre-Flight Checklist that I definitely don't skip.

How to inspect the props

Look, listen, and feel. Feels like you're in a CPR class, eh?

Look: Visually inspect the props for signs of damage. This may include but is not limited to chips, dings, scratches, warping, and holes. If you notice any signs of damage, I would recommend immediately replacing the prop.

Listen: If you have been flying for some time, you probably know the sound of your drone. Would you ignore a loud clunking noise coming from underneath your car as you drove down the road? I hope not. If you notice that your drone is making an unusual sound, there is a chance that your prop(s) are the cause. Land ASAP and inspect the drone.

Feel: Your tactile sense is sometimes better than your sight and hearing. Run your fingers over the props to feel for any abnormalities.

In adition to the above methods of inspectin the props, I would advise you to keep an eye on your battery life. If you just bought a brand new battery and your flight time still isn't what it used to be, there is a chance that your props have too much flex to them.

The integrity of the plastic will be compromised over time with use, and the flight dynamics will be altered, forcing the drone to use more battery to compensate for the changes.

Replace just the damaged prop, or all of them?

Should you just replace the one damage prop? This is a tricky question, as there are some factors that we should consider.

First off, I would never mix and match props of different types. If one of your brand new low-noise props gets damaged, resist the urge to throw on one of your regular props that came with the Mavic Pro. This would be a compatibility error for sure.

Next, I would ask myself how old the props are. If the props are brand new or only have a couple of hours of flight time on them, there's no harm in just replacing the one dameged prop. Now, if all four props have 10+ hours on them, I would just replace the entire set.

For the relatively low price of four new props, I would say that it's just not worth the risk. Why push the envelope and risk crashing your $800+ drone?

Care for your props

Your drone doesn't just need one, two, or three props to be in good working order. It needs all four of those suckers, so let's talk about how you can properly care for your props.

Is there a service period for props?

DJI does not include a service period for props in their manuals. I believe this is for liability reasons. If they stated that you should replace your props every 30 hours, and a prop failed at 27 hours, they could be on the hook for repairing your crashed drone.

While browsing through the DJI forums, I saw that one of the DJI moderators recommended changing the props every 200 flights.

Now, some people launch their drone for 5 minutes to get a specific shot that they want, while others usually fly until the battery dies. I mention this because saying that you should change your props every “x” amount of flights isn't the best advice IMO.

Rather, I would recommend replacing them every “X” amount of hours. Now, how many hours is “X”? Well, this is subjective, but I change mine about every 20 hours. You will see some people say that you should change them as often as every flight to as little as “once you crash”.

Let me also bring up the drone model and what you're using it for.

If you have a Spark that you use on the weekends to get video of your kids at the park, then it's likely not going to be a tragedy if you fly the drone with 25 hours on the props.

On the other hand, if you have an Inspire 2 with one of the top cameras on it, are you really going to want to risk crashing your $10k drone because you were too cheap to buy new $40 props?

Is there a warranty on props?

There is no warranty on props. I wrote an article on how to know if your drone or gimbal is under warranty, and the props are one of the items that get no love from DJI.

Is it ok to use third-party props?

While looking for new props on the internet, you likely came across some props that were half the price of the ones at the online DJI store. These would be third-party props.

And for the million-dollar question, “are they ok to use”? Eh, maybe, but again I have to say why risk it? Props are not that expensive, but they are such an integral part of what makes the drone fly.

Furthermore, when we dive into the after-sales service policy, DJI has something to say about third-party products.

When discussing what will void the warranty on DJI products, this is what they have to say:

Damage caused by reliability or compatibility issues when using unauthorized third-party parts.

-DJI

In the same list of what will void your warranty, DJI also says this:

Failure of, or damage caused by, any third-party products, including those that DJI may provide or integrate into the DJI product at your request.

-DJI

Ouch. DJI is a business. The general idea of a business is to make money. DJI is going to use whatever they can to try to get out of replacing or repairing your damaged drone. I say, why give them another reason to not repair my drone if it gets damaged?

If you haven't felt my vibe about third-party props after reading the above paragraph, let me say it in plain English. I would advise only using props that are made by DJI.

Where to buy new props?

Well, you can obviously buy them at the online DJI store. If you buy them from a local store, just ensure that they are an authorized DJI retail store.

I'm an Amazon prime member, so I get free shipping. Just make sure that the props are sold by DJI. The seller will be displayed under the product description. Here is what that looks like.

Trevor's Take

If you've read this post and you still find yourself wondering if you should replace the props on your drone, I'm going to borrow a slogan from a company you may have heard of. Just do it! It just isn't worth the risk.

How often do you change your props? Do you have any tips for us? Comment below!