Goooood I really loved the idea to protect the e-motor with tape. Me I cut the propeller with cutting pliers and then turned the screw with needle nose pliers (DJI Mini 3 pro) Thanks a lot for this video
LOL! Maybe a little. 👍 If the Dremel hadn't of done the work for me, once I had a bit more plastic off, I'm sure I would have been able to grab it with the pliers. Cheers Bob!
Great job Steve! Like I said the drill method works well too! I can see the frustration in your eyes! Believe it or not this video will be very helpful to the DJI community! This is pretty common issue! Bravo.
Thanks! I weighed a few options, including the one you suggested before starting. I just felt more confident with my Dremel than my drill - haha! Now that I'm thinking about it though, I do have a tiny drill bit for my Dremel. Hmmm... maybe next time. 😀 Anyhow, I appreciate the support and the kind words, cheers!
Congratulations Doctor! Operation successful. Seriously, that is good info. I was even thinking how about a drop of superglue on another mini 3 screw and put it upside down on the stuck screw. Wait till it dries and then grab the threads that are sticking upward with longnose and hope the bond will hold to twist out the screw.
Thanks Henry, I appreciate it! I had a number of different suggestions from folks and the superglue idea was one of them. My trusty Dremel has got me out of a number of sticky situations (no pun intended) and I was confident using it, so I stuck with the original plan. Cheers!
Ah yes... i knew you would pull it off, and you did! Pull it off, that is! Good work bro! 👏 Thanks for posting the process, this is one of those "oh s4it" moments we all dread. Glad it worked out so well.
Good job, Steve. Those tiny screws are an atrocity. Cheap-ass DJI should revert to the old push/twist lock system. I'd willingly pay more for the convenience and security. I damaged a screw like you did, but I managed to recover by securely supporting the prop arm with a block of wood. Made a huge difference to the amount of axial force I could apply. Greetings from over the hump in Creston! :)
Thanks! I completely agree. I have been grumbling about these screw-on propellers since the first Mini. I too would happily pay extra for quick-release propellers. I'm sure if DJI put some effort in to it they could get the weight down enough to make them work. The screw-on ones are too fussy and problematic. Glad to hear you worked through it as well, with a less invasive procedure - haha!. Nice to hear from you, cheers!
Not at all (knock on wood). You're not supposed to reuse screws but I do it all the time mostly due to testing third-party propellers. I have to do a lot of swapping back and forth between different sets during evaluation and I have to re-use screws. Cheers!
I have a DJI mini 2 se, so I can't speak for your drone but I would say that your problem all started with that screwdriver that comes with the drone. I use a small (5") Phillips screwdriver with alloy #0 on it and it works perfectly.
Yeah, I don't disagree with you, the included DJI screwdriver is kind of terrible. However, tight factory screws aside, screws are only ever meant to be used once. You should not re-use them. The DJI screwdriver, as crappy as it is, is sufficient for that. This was my first stripped screw EVER and I own a Mini, Mini 2, Mini 3 Pro and Mini 4 Pro. I got in to trouble (finally) because I re-use screws all the time while testing third-party propellers for videos. I kind of have no choice to re-use them because I swap propellers a lot during testing. A better quality screwdriver, which I do have, may have avoided the issue. Regardless, I don't think it's too bad that it was my first time wrecking a screw. 😀 Happy, safe flying!
@@SteveCoutts You never reuse the old screws because when you remove them you remove the loctite that was on them and the new ones have loctite to keep them in place better, so I would think that using the old screws would make it easier to remove the second time, or why not just use the old ones?
@@Frank-uf2vn @Frank-uf2vn It is DJI's recommendation to not re-use the screws. I'm not sure if that is because of the thread lock or because the screws are not sufficient quality, especially when used with the included screwdriver, to handle repeated use. I have never had an issue (knock on wood) with the screws coming loose after I re-use them. If anything, the thread lock seems to gum things up and make it harder to get the screws in. That's where threading an old screw in and out a few times to remove some excess comes in handy. Happy flying!
I tried something different and used a x-acto knife heated up from the gas stove (with a heat resistant glove) and whittled away until I had two opposing sides cut and it worked too. It took a while. Then grabbed the top of the screw with a needle nose pliers...and why are these screws not made any better?
Cool. That's a good solution too. Yeah, I am not a fan of screw on propellers and wish DJI would put in some engineering muscle to find a way to make quick release props light enough to work on sub-250g drones. I am just going by what I read in the comments but it seems a lot of screws are coming too tight from the factory and the screwdriver provided is not sufficient enough to remove them. Then, the screw gets destroyed because as you point out, they are of suspect quality. I keep hoping that DJI will get rid of the screw on propellers but I'm not holding my breath. Cheers!
Hey Steve, thanks for this great video explaining an effective way to get that screw out...i was just a hair from having to do that as i also rounded out the screw with the faulty screwdriver that DJI provides... best to get a quality PH00 screwdriver i found out...but the way they made this prop system i still may need to use the dremel method yet as it is kinda a tricky process...wish they would improve that sys on any new minis in future :) thanks again my new friend for the advise i pray i never need...lol🤪 may God bless you and loved ones i pray as well...
Thanks for the comment and the kind words! 😀 In theory, the DJI screwdriver *should* be enough because you really only install and remove the screws completely one time (screws should NOT be re-used) with a little bit of occasional checking for tightness. But you're right a quality PH00 is best. I have also been wishing for years that DJI would get rid of the ridiculous screw-in propellers. Here's hoping DJI puts some engineering muscle behind it and gets us a better system. Cheers!
Dji did me dirty most of the screeŵs were solid but i got them out except one that was basically welded in haha. Used a hot stanley knife and plywrs but sorted it. Thanks.
Happy to hear you got them out. What drone was it? The Mini 3 Pro seemed especially bad for screws coming too tight from the factory. I haven't heard much buzz regarding screw issues with the Mini 4 Pro so I'm curious. Thanks.
All real men and women have a Dremel!!! I also appreciate the time you took to protect the Drone from flying bits of plastic to a broken cut off wheel . Qapla!!!!!
Now that you've decided to sacrifice the propeller, it's much easier to just use sharp wire cutters to cut the propeller off and use the wire cutters to remove the screw head.
I thought about using something sharp to cut or snip the propeller but the plastic is quite tough and rigid so you would need a very good tool and I didn't think it would be an easy task to perform. I am quite handy with my Dremel, it's an excellent, precise tool and I thought it was the right one for the job. As shown in the video, it was the right choice and it made the extraction simple. Cheers!
It's exactly what I said at the beginning of the video. There are a lot of methods to achieve the same thing, I just went with a technique I felt comfortable trying. Cheers!
Steve, great video about this🙏👍👏Did you already made a few flights with the Mini 4 Pro? It's a awesome drone with fantastic 4K video quality . After my first testflight video I made a new and longer Mini 4 Pro dronevideo from a trip to Germany. If you are interested I uploaded it to my YT channel a few hours ago. A lot of succes with your Mini 4 Pro!, greetings from 🇳🇱
Thanks Geert! I haven't flown it outside yet, which is kind of crazy really. It's just been a combination of crappy weather and competing priorities. I hope to do a night flight tomorrow evening for my first flight. Should be fun. I will definitely come have a look when I get a chance. Cheers!
I jinxed myself in my Mini 4 Pro unboxing video. I said something like "I've always been able to get screws out with the DJI screwdriver". This one happened the very next day. I bought a Klein Tools driver a while ago and it's primarily what I use. This screw was probably damaged over time. I do an unusual amount of prop swapping and I end up reusing screws, which is a no-no but a necessity for me, Oh well, it all worked out. Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!
I have and do use a couple of different and better screwdrivers but have used the DJI primarily in the past. It probably has more to do with the amount of propeller swapping I do for testing. The screws should only be used once but I have to re-use them or I would run out. I am a bit of an edge case in that regard. Oh well, it all worked out. 😀Cheers!
To me, DJI’s choice of that particular screw head is a fundamentally poor design decision. While I’m no mechanical engineer, surely a hex head or something with more “bite” would have made more sense. I’ve purchased a couple of premium screwdrivers on the recommendation of other UA-camrs, and I still encountered problems removing the screws.
I 100% agree. Same for the "premium screwdrivers". The screws are poorly made and Phillips-head is a bad choice. I have been hoping for years that DJI would put some engineering muscle in to some quick-release props for the Mini line. Not holding my breath on that one though. Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!
Goooood I really loved the idea to protect the e-motor with tape. Me I cut the propeller with cutting pliers and then turned the screw with needle nose pliers (DJI Mini 3 pro) Thanks a lot for this video
Thanks! Cutting pliers is a good idea too. Cheers!
Hello Steve. Methinks that you got lucky with that one.😃
LOL! Maybe a little. 👍 If the Dremel hadn't of done the work for me, once I had a bit more plastic off, I'm sure I would have been able to grab it with the pliers. Cheers Bob!
Great job Steve! Like I said the drill method works well too! I can see the frustration in your eyes! Believe it or not this video will be very helpful to the DJI community! This is pretty common issue! Bravo.
Thanks! I weighed a few options, including the one you suggested before starting. I just felt more confident with my Dremel than my drill - haha! Now that I'm thinking about it though, I do have a tiny drill bit for my Dremel. Hmmm... maybe next time. 😀 Anyhow, I appreciate the support and the kind words, cheers!
Excellent surgical skills there steve
Haha! Thanks Alan! 😀
Congratulations Doctor! Operation successful. Seriously, that is good info. I was even thinking how about a drop of superglue on another mini 3 screw and put it upside down on the stuck screw. Wait till it dries and then grab the threads that are sticking upward with longnose and hope the bond will hold to twist out the screw.
Thanks Henry, I appreciate it! I had a number of different suggestions from folks and the superglue idea was one of them. My trusty Dremel has got me out of a number of sticky situations (no pun intended) and I was confident using it, so I stuck with the original plan. Cheers!
Very creative solution to removing a stuck prop, I will save this video, just in case I have similar issue. Great video, and thanks for sharing Steve.
Thanks Ron! It worked much better than I expected. 😀
Ah yes... i knew you would pull it off, and you did! Pull it off, that is! Good work bro! 👏 Thanks for posting the process, this is one of those "oh s4it" moments we all dread. Glad it worked out so well.
Thanks John! Easier than I expected and I'm quite happy it worked out so well too. 👍
good job...
Thanks!
Whew! Glad your method worked.
Haha! Yeah, me too! I honestly thought it was going to put up more of a fight. Happen it didn't. Cheers!
Good job, Steve. Those tiny screws are an atrocity. Cheap-ass DJI should revert to the old push/twist lock system. I'd willingly pay more for the convenience and security.
I damaged a screw like you did, but I managed to recover by securely supporting the prop arm with a block of wood. Made a huge difference to the amount of axial force I could apply.
Greetings from over the hump in Creston! :)
Thanks! I completely agree. I have been grumbling about these screw-on propellers since the first Mini. I too would happily pay extra for quick-release propellers. I'm sure if DJI put some effort in to it they could get the weight down enough to make them work. The screw-on ones are too fussy and problematic.
Glad to hear you worked through it as well, with a less invasive procedure - haha!. Nice to hear from you, cheers!
It's all about the weight. Yes, those grams add up quickly...
Hi steve, have you had any trouble with loose screws during or after flying with reusing old screws?
Not at all (knock on wood). You're not supposed to reuse screws but I do it all the time mostly due to testing third-party propellers. I have to do a lot of swapping back and forth between different sets during evaluation and I have to re-use screws. Cheers!
Great use of the bag to protect the drone
Thanks! I wasn't taking any chances. 😀
I have a DJI mini 2 se, so I can't speak for your drone but I would say that your problem all started with that screwdriver that comes with the drone. I use a small (5") Phillips screwdriver with alloy #0 on it and it works perfectly.
Yeah, I don't disagree with you, the included DJI screwdriver is kind of terrible. However, tight factory screws aside, screws are only ever meant to be used once. You should not re-use them. The DJI screwdriver, as crappy as it is, is sufficient for that.
This was my first stripped screw EVER and I own a Mini, Mini 2, Mini 3 Pro and Mini 4 Pro. I got in to trouble (finally) because I re-use screws all the time while testing third-party propellers for videos. I kind of have no choice to re-use them because I swap propellers a lot during testing.
A better quality screwdriver, which I do have, may have avoided the issue. Regardless, I don't think it's too bad that it was my first time wrecking a screw. 😀
Happy, safe flying!
@@SteveCoutts You never reuse the old screws because when you remove them you remove the loctite that was on them and the new ones have loctite to keep them in place better, so I would think that using the old screws would make it easier to remove the second time, or why not just use the old ones?
@@Frank-uf2vn @Frank-uf2vn It is DJI's recommendation to not re-use the screws. I'm not sure if that is because of the thread lock or because the screws are not sufficient quality, especially when used with the included screwdriver, to handle repeated use. I have never had an issue (knock on wood) with the screws coming loose after I re-use them. If anything, the thread lock seems to gum things up and make it harder to get the screws in. That's where threading an old screw in and out a few times to remove some excess comes in handy. Happy flying!
I tried something different and used a x-acto knife heated up from the gas stove (with a heat resistant glove) and whittled away until I had two opposing sides cut and it worked too. It took a while. Then grabbed the top of the screw with a needle nose pliers...and why are these screws not made any better?
Cool. That's a good solution too. Yeah, I am not a fan of screw on propellers and wish DJI would put in some engineering muscle to find a way to make quick release props light enough to work on sub-250g drones.
I am just going by what I read in the comments but it seems a lot of screws are coming too tight from the factory and the screwdriver provided is not sufficient enough to remove them. Then, the screw gets destroyed because as you point out, they are of suspect quality.
I keep hoping that DJI will get rid of the screw on propellers but I'm not holding my breath. Cheers!
Hey Steve, thanks for this great video explaining an effective way to get that screw out...i was just a hair from having to do that as i also rounded out the screw with the faulty screwdriver that DJI provides... best to get a quality PH00 screwdriver i found out...but the way they made this prop system i still may need to use the dremel method yet as it is kinda a tricky process...wish they would improve that sys on any new minis in future :) thanks again my new friend for the advise i pray i never need...lol🤪 may God bless you and loved ones i pray as well...
Thanks for the comment and the kind words! 😀 In theory, the DJI screwdriver *should* be enough because you really only install and remove the screws completely one time (screws should NOT be re-used) with a little bit of occasional checking for tightness. But you're right a quality PH00 is best. I have also been wishing for years that DJI would get rid of the ridiculous screw-in propellers. Here's hoping DJI puts some engineering muscle behind it and gets us a better system. Cheers!
I bought a proper JIS driver set for install, and removal. I hope never to have to go through that.
Dji did me dirty most of the screeŵs were solid but i got them out except one that was basically welded in haha. Used a hot stanley knife and plywrs but sorted it. Thanks.
Happy to hear you got them out. What drone was it? The Mini 3 Pro seemed especially bad for screws coming too tight from the factory. I haven't heard much buzz regarding screw issues with the Mini 4 Pro so I'm curious. Thanks.
@SteveCoutts hiya it was just the regular mini 3
@@DNero13 Thanks!
The screw broke in the post trying to get mine out, can just the post be changed out or am I going to have to change the whole arm?
Oh man, that is crappy. I believe you have to replace the whole motor not the arm. Good luck!
All real men and women have a Dremel!!!
I also appreciate the time you took to protect the Drone from flying bits of plastic to a broken cut off wheel .
Qapla!!!!!
Haha! For sure! They are just the best!
Thanks! Seemed like a sensible thing to do. 😀 Cheers!
I saw that screw pop.... thats some serious dremel kung fu ....
Hahaha! For sure! 😀
My thinks maybe left hand tread, didn't see you finish it
Now that you've decided to sacrifice the propeller, it's much easier to just use sharp wire cutters to cut the propeller off and use the wire cutters to remove the screw head.
I thought about using something sharp to cut or snip the propeller but the plastic is quite tough and rigid so you would need a very good tool and I didn't think it would be an easy task to perform. I am quite handy with my Dremel, it's an excellent, precise tool and I thought it was the right one for the job. As shown in the video, it was the right choice and it made the extraction simple. Cheers!
Why not Dremel into the screw and create a slit then use a flat head to remove the screw?
It's exactly what I said at the beginning of the video. There are a lot of methods to achieve the same thing, I just went with a technique I felt comfortable trying. Cheers!
Steve, great video about this🙏👍👏Did you already made a few flights with the Mini 4 Pro? It's a awesome drone with fantastic 4K video quality . After my first testflight video I made a new and longer Mini 4 Pro dronevideo from a trip to Germany. If you are interested I uploaded it to my YT channel a few hours ago. A lot of succes with your Mini 4 Pro!, greetings from 🇳🇱
Thanks Geert! I haven't flown it outside yet, which is kind of crazy really. It's just been a combination of crappy weather and competing priorities. I hope to do a night flight tomorrow evening for my first flight. Should be fun. I will definitely come have a look when I get a chance. Cheers!
Yikes😮😮😮
Haha! Turned out to be easy peasy. Cheers!
I avoid using DJI's screwdriver and bought a jewellers screwdriver which is much better
I jinxed myself in my Mini 4 Pro unboxing video. I said something like "I've always been able to get screws out with the DJI screwdriver". This one happened the very next day.
I bought a Klein Tools driver a while ago and it's primarily what I use. This screw was probably damaged over time. I do an unusual amount of prop swapping and I end up reusing screws, which is a no-no but a necessity for me,
Oh well, it all worked out. Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!
Just get a thinner screw driver to avoid such problems. The DJI screw driver is not work properly - it's just too thick.
I have and do use a couple of different and better screwdrivers but have used the DJI primarily in the past. It probably has more to do with the amount of propeller swapping I do for testing. The screws should only be used once but I have to re-use them or I would run out. I am a bit of an edge case in that regard.
Oh well, it all worked out. 😀Cheers!
To me, DJI’s choice of that particular screw head is a fundamentally poor design decision. While I’m no mechanical engineer, surely a hex head or something with more “bite” would have made more sense.
I’ve purchased a couple of premium screwdrivers on the recommendation of other UA-camrs, and I still encountered problems removing the screws.
I 100% agree. Same for the "premium screwdrivers". The screws are poorly made and Phillips-head is a bad choice.
I have been hoping for years that DJI would put some engineering muscle in to some quick-release props for the Mini line. Not holding my breath on that one though.
Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!