Motor/Prop Wrench

KingDad1985 · Dec 25, 2016

Do you guys use the white Wrench to help with getting the props on and off? Just curious if not using it might attribute to more stress cracks?

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msinger · Dec 25, 2016

You shouldn't need to use the prop wrench. Try holding the motor with one hand and turning the prop with the other hand. After spinning the prop on and it comes to a stop, you only need to turn it about 1/4 of a turn to hand tighten it. Anything tighter than that could damage your props and/or make it hard to remove them.

alokbhargava · Dec 25, 2016

No we don't need it unless there is a crash and prop gets stuck.

White tightening use one index finger, similarly while removing hold the motor and unscrew with little force. You don't need heavy torques to unscrew them.

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NoBiffBetter · Dec 25, 2016

I can turn mine off with my Fingers.. Holding the motor with one hand and turning the prop with the other.. I had one that was real snug one time and I did use the "wrench" it came with and it works nice.. Taking props on and off isn't gonna make the shell crack.. Tightening the motor screws/bolts too tight will crack it, crashing will crack it.. Or just getting a bad shell from dji from the start will crack it lol

EDIT: I have never tightened my props by hand.. I just spin them on and where they stop they stop.. They will auto tighten as you fly. And I havnt ever had a prop come off on me "knock on wood"

I didn't think you HAD to tighten them by hand.. Some ppl do. It's not gonna hurt anything, just gonna be harder to take off when you do

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KingDad1985 · Dec 25, 2016

msinger said:
You shouldn't need to use the prop wrench. Try holding the motor with one hand and turning the prop with the other hand. After spinning the prop on and it comes to a stop, you only need to turn it about 1/4 of a turn to hand tighten it. Anything tighter than that could damage your props and/or make it hard to remove them.

Thank you. I never know how tight to tighten them. Don't want to under tighten and a prop flies off, Don't want to over tighten and strip the prop threads. Thanks for the info. I'll use that method.

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KingDad1985 · Dec 25, 2016

alokbhargava said:
No we don't need it unless there is a crash and prop gets stuck.

White tightening use one index finger, similarly while removing hold the motor and unscrew with little force. You don't need heavy torques to unscrew them.

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Thank you sir.

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KingDad1985 · Dec 25, 2016

NoBiffBetter said:
I can turn mine off with my Fingers.. Holding the motor with one hand and turning the prop with the other.. I had one that was real snug one time and I did use the "wrench" it came with and it works nice.. Taking props on and off isn't gonna make the shell crack.. Tightening the motor screws/bolts too tight will crack it, crashing will crack it.. Or just getting a bad shell from dji from the start will crack it lol

EDIT: I have never tightened my props by hand.. I just spin them on and where they stop they stop.. They will auto tighten as you fly. And I havnt ever had a prop come off on me "knock on wood"

I didn't think you HAD to tighten them by hand.. Some ppl do. It's not gonna hurt anything, just gonna be harder to take off when you do

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Yeah when they spin they will tighten. Nice. Good advice.

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KingDad1985 · Dec 25, 2016

I appreciate all the answers. I bought a P3A to hold me over until my P4P is swapped. It's been performing flawlessly which I want it to continue doing. These things are alot of fun. I did get a abnormal compass warning today, tried calibrating the compass but didn't fix it. I moved 20 feet down the street and no more warning. Perfect flight after that.

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msinger · Dec 25, 2016

KingDad1985 said:
Yeah when they spin they will tighten. Nice. Good advice.

You should hand tighten them about 1/4 of a turn after spinning them on. Just spinning them on and assuming they will tighten during startup could result in the loss of a prop mid-flight.

KingDad1985 · Dec 25, 2016

msinger said:
You should hand tighten them about 1/4 of a turn after spinning them on. Just spinning them on and assuming they will tighten during startup could result in the loss of a prop mid-flight.

Yeah that is what I'm going to do. I will feel alot more comfortable making sure they are on. My problem is I tighten them too much. I need to remember the 1/4th trick.

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NoBiffBetter · Dec 25, 2016

You gotta learn how to feel it out.. Turn easily and lightly until the turning stops or gets snug, then stop. Don't keep going

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KingDad1985 · Dec 25, 2016

NoBiffBetter said:
You gotta learn how to feel it out.. Turn easily and lightly until the turning stops or gets snug, then stop. Don't keep going

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I figure over tightening is just as bad as under tightening?

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NoBiffBetter · Dec 25, 2016

Not really.. Unless your REALLY reefing on the thing lol.. All over tight would really do is make it tough to get back off.. Like I said just don't reef on the thing.. Give it just a touch more turn after it has stopped spinning on its own and that will be GOOD.. As I said, I never even tighten it after , I just spin it and when it stops, I go fly.. And havnt had an issue with coming off.. So that being said.. You DO not have to tighten very hard or much at all.. Just lightly snug it up and your good to go

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KingDad1985 · Dec 25, 2016

NoBiffBetter said:
Not really.. Unless your REALLY reefing on the thing lol.. All over tight would really do is make it tough to get back off.. Like I said just don't reef on the thing.. Give it just a touch more turn after it has stopped spinning on its own and that will be GOOD.. As I said, I never even tighten it after , I just spin it and when it stops, I go fly.. And havnt had an issue with coming off.. So that being said.. You DO not have to tighten very hard or much at all.. Just lightly snug it up and your good to go

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Right on. Thank you. How many flights/ hours on your P3A/P3P? Not sure which model you have. Just curious?

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HWCM · Dec 26, 2016

I use the wrench every time to install and remove the props. My hands are way to big to hold the motors and try to tighten or remove the props. I have been flying for many years and always tighten them down pretty tight then a little more. I have never had problems.

flowrider · Dec 26, 2016

I had to use the wrench for the first time today but it was also the first crash I've ever had!

t2adze · Dec 26, 2016

When i was a beginner i used to over tighten the props with the wrench all the time. After time i noticed a lot of coatingpaint coming off, and staying inside of the propeller hub.
That scared me. I thought i had damaged prop threads at first. Changed a lot of props after that, until i realized what was wrong.
Now, i NEVER use the wrench tool.
What i do is, i rotate them until they stop. After that i do 1/4 snug a tad, as mentioned above and thats it. Coating still appears sometimes in the prop hub, but no issues so far. But i still prefer to change props once every couple of months.
You can find users here that are using the same props since the day one without any issues. But i think its better be safe than sorry.

Mark The Droner · Dec 26, 2016

It would be helpful if DJI removed "self-tightening" from their prop descriptions because it misleads people. You must snug them up firmly, and you must do it not only during first installation but also before each flight. If you don't, you'll be okay for most flights, and you might even give advice to others - assuring them they only need to spin on the props. But eventually fate will catch up to you and your AC will fall. If/When you find it, it'll be a mess of broken plastic and electronics, and it'll have 2-3 broken props - but one motor shaft will be bare. And you'll scratch your head and wonder, "Gosh, this prop is missing, I wonder what happened to it...?"

Neon Euc · Dec 26, 2016

I use the wrench but like most said on here... I spin the props till it stops then hold the wrench and slightly tighten it. I use it as it makes me look more technical so hopefully a sexy man will see it and say "ooooo that looks important, I must sleep with you"

So far hasn't happened... Which is just as well as I'm not gay and my girlfriend will kill me

Neon Euc