Aftermarket Props

[Zer0 6]

Anyone ordered any of the non-DJI props for the Spark? I saw a few on amazon that had good ratings. Just wanted to know if anyone had any experience with them as they are quite a bit cheaper than the DJI units, 11.99 for 8 vs $20 for 4 for the DJI.

 

[DJ_EYE]

What is the claimed benefits? The factory blades are VERY robust, I can't see them breaking easily or needing replacing.
Are the aftermarket claiming any additional benefits over stock blades?

 

[Bubbles!!!]

Most aftermarket blades are just a bit more brittle, you pay for quality in these, minimal profit from DJI. Though that being said, if you don't crash into things very often (or make your drone trip on a root and cartwheel into a bush) then you should be fine using the highly rated ones, there's a lot that go with skins now, makes the Spark quite fashionable

 

[clouseau]

From what I know In having built and experimented with many drones...
DJI props are very well engineered for optimal performance in regards to mainly the drones photography and video capabilities. Changing to a different material propeller like carbon fiber which cosmetically look better and are stronger, usually lead to camera performance issues witn very little benefit in either flight performance and or flight time. Usually it always plays out where you end up either sacrificing some of your video and photo quality for flight performance. Its very rare on any drone that you can have the best of both worlds without you putting a great amount of effort, time, and experimenting with different gimball dampening materials to have both camera and flight performance.

Also using propellers with either higher pitch or surface area on DJI drones can cause motor load issues, or make the flight controller think its flying in higher wind conditions than you actually are. Unless your doing aftermarket propellers for cosmetic appeal, FPV, or racing with the understanding that you may be giving up camera performance to do these things is there a benefit.

Now if someone built some engineered quieter propellers for the Spark that are like the new ones on the Mavic Platnium, it might be a worth while upgrade on a Spark since its only a change in the timing of when the blades leading edge vs the tips edge cuts through the air that makes these new blades much quieter.

 

[Zoran]

This is what keeps your spark in the air...for the sake of a few dollars I certainly wouldn't risk using after market props..

 

[NC_Spark_3D]

I've just had my Spark for a little over a week, but I've been flying it a couple of times a day. Longest flight was 1.2 miles. After a few days the props were getting chips and cracks. I was fixing them with super glue every day. I bought these props on Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B075QBNX7G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

After a couple of days of flying, including landing on grass, the props are in perfect condition. No chips, no cracks. It seemed like these are more flexible where the DJI props seemed to be very brittle.

 

[NC_Spark_3D]

Since I posted earlier today I flew my Spark. On the way down I was trying to maneuver it to land on a concrete block. I missed. The props hit the concrete and the drone hit the ground. It didn't get hurt. But I wanted to show you the result of the Anbee prop hitting the concrete. Look really close.

 

[JimboBeamish]

Since I posted earlier today I flew my Spark. On the way down I was trying to maneuver it to land on a concrete block. I missed. The props hit the concrete and the drone hit the ground. It didn't get hurt. But I wanted to show you the result of the Anbee prop hitting the concrete. Look really close.

Why were your DJI blades cracking before ? - that's never happened to me in normal use without solid obstacles finding their way in to the flight path ...?

 

[NC_Spark_3D]

Why were your DJI blades cracking before ? - that's never happened to me in normal use without solid obstacles finding their way in to the flight path ...?

Just landing on the grass. There were more cracks and chips every time it landed. I should have saved them, but I threw them away.

 

[NC_Spark_3D]

I found a set that I hadn't thrown out. I had glued these at least twice. You can see the cracks are on the trailing edges. I should probably have contacted DJI, but it was easier just to buy more.

 

[JimboBeamish]

Weird. I had that happen after I made light contact with some dangling branches for the first time - I can't say the collision and the break were simultaneous though because I didn't notice it for a couple of days. I've clocked a good 20 flights since with a new set of blades in sun, snow and some windy conditions without the same issue cropping up. I'd say you got a dodgy one there !

 

[NC_Spark_3D]

Weird. I had that happen after I made light contact with some dangling branches for the first time - I can't say the collision and the break were simultaneous though because I didn't notice it for a couple of days. I've clocked a good 20 flights since with a new set of blades in sun, snow and some windy conditions without the same issue cropping up. I'd say you got a dodgy one there !

All the props that came with my Spark did the same thing.

 

[JimboBeamish]

Did you always fly from the ground ? I usually launch from a flat surface and catch-land the Spark - so no grass or twigs to touch the blades. Otherwise you got a **** batch, or I'd be wearing a gas mask with local air quality that bad !! :'-))

 

[NC_Spark_3D]

Did you always fly from the ground ? I usually launch from a flat surface and catch-land the Spark - so no grass or twigs to touch the blades. Otherwise you got a **** batch, or I'd be wearing a gas mask with local air quality that bad !! :'-))

I always take off from a solid surface. Landing I try to get back on the same surface. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I miss. =) But yeah, I think I got a bad batch. At least I *hope* I did otherwise DJI blades are crap.

 

[JimboBeamish]

I always take off from a solid surface. Landing I try to get back on the same surface. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I miss. =) But yeah, I think I got a bad batch. At least I *hope* I did otherwise DJI blades are crap.

Sorry to harp on and on, for some reason my mind is still churning out possibilities lol. Have you changed how you store the spark since the problem stopped ? Just occurred to me that I bought prop covers a while back but before that the blades were always snagging inside my Fly-More carry case. I guess I just don't want to believe DJI shafted you lol. I mean, minor customer service issues aside [I believe that topic is addresses on a small no. of other threads] I don't want to stop believing in the awesomeness of their products [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

[Milos]

I purchase on ALIEXPRESS some clear white props and they are more flexible than the originals. Looks good.
I haven't fly with the new ones but I wander is it better to be more flexible or more stiffer> Any expirience?
Thanks

 

[NC_Spark_3D]

Weird. I had that happen after I made light contact with some dangling branches for the first time - I can't say the collision and the break were simultaneous though because I didn't notice it for a couple of days. I've clocked a good 20 flights since with a new set of blades in sun, snow and some windy conditions without the same issue cropping up. I'd say you got a dodgy one there !

I haven't changed anything. If you felt the Anbee blades you'd see for yourself. The difference is night and day. Where the DJI blades seem stiff and brittle, the Anbee blades are flexible seem slightly thicker than the DJI blades. They are made from a different kind of plastic than the DJI blades.

 

[NC_Spark_3D]

It's been about three weeks since I last posted about the Anbee blades. I'm still using the same set. They have a few grass stains, but have survived about three tree landings (trying to maneuver around the yard) and a(nother) strike against a block I was trying to land on. They are holding up great. (By the way, I have no connection to the company. I just happened to pick them up on Amazon because they cheap and I wanted to share about them.)

 

[OldBlueHeron]

I have been using two white Anbee and two factory black DJI's with no ill effects. Really only like the way it looks, but haven't noticed any difference in quality of flight....

 

[Spark-PK77]

Ordered some of these today going to give them a try, I have one of those cross shaped plastic shaped devices that hold the blades in place when the drones stored in a bag but I think this has actually caused slight damage to the edge of the blades.