G-3D gimbal: Repair versus replacement

ruouttaurmind thought this was worth mentioning said Mon, Jun 8th 2015 at 4:19pm ET

I'm looking for viewpoints that maybe I've not considered.

I already have about $30 in parts on hand to repair the G-3D gimbal. I need at least another $40 in parts. Possibly another $20 if I can't straighten a motor shaft without damaging the stator.

So at this moment I know I will have a minimum of $70 into a repair, possibly as much as $90.

I can order a new one for $130.

Dilemma: Liquidate the parts I have on hand, plus scavenge reusable parts from the damaged gimbal? After eBay fees and shipping I might wind up with $50 net?

Or repair the damaged one? Roll the dice and hope that motor won't need to be replaced? I won't know the answer until I have the other repair parts installed so I can verify the motor is doing it's thing.

Point out the flaws in my thought process please!

3 comments, 4 replies
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djslack said Mon, Jun 8th 2015 at 4:38pm ET:

Did you buy it with the same credit card as the quad? Can you claim it in the crash damages?

If not, dilemma. I'd probably choose to buy a new one to get going quickly then never quite get around to parting out the old one, resulting in more junk.

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DJMajickMan said Mon, Jun 8th 2015 at 4:39pm ET:

Or you could order a new one and keep everything you have that you think can be reused for if/when you damage the new one.

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- @DJMajickMan Now there's a bit of wisdom that must have escaped me. Thank you. That's exactly the sort of useful suggestion I was after. Keep the parts, scavenge anything usable, order a new one. I hate to have my money tied up in spare parts, but it beats the heck out of waiting "3 to 10 weeks" for the sampan from China. Unfortunately I did not order the gimbal on the same credit card. I paid for that one with PayPal.
  
  ruouttaurmind said Mon, Jun 8th 2015 at 5:09pm ET
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- @DJMajickMan Plus there's the added insurance against crashing. I never need a tool if I have my toolbox in the trunk. I never need a bicycle innertube if I have a spare in my backpack. Maybe I won't need gimbal parts if I keep all the bits on standby! :-)
  
  ruouttaurmind said Mon, Jun 8th 2015 at 5:10pm ET
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- @ruouttaurmind
  Buy a new one and keep that one for parts.......you know you'll crash again.
  
  nltownsend843 said Mon, Jun 8th 2015 at 6:06pm ET
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- @nltownsend843 Now that's some positive reinforcement right there! LMAO!
  
  ruouttaurmind said Mon, Jun 8th 2015 at 6:22pm ET
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ruouttaurmind said Tue, Jun 9th 2015 at 11:35pm ET:

So it occurred to me at work today... I already have all the parts I need to repair the G-3D gimbal.

@garyhgaryh and I ordered G-2D gimbals from Amazon (advertised as G-3D). Gary sent his back, but I accepted the seller's offer to keep it for $65.

I did some part number cross-referencing and discovered most of the parts are interchangeable between Walkera G-2D(aluminum, not plastic) and G-3D. So I can scavenge everything I need from the brand new G-2D, add the new G-3D yaw axis arm and motor mount I already have on hand.

Plus, I'll still have some parts leftover from the G-2D like the anti-jello mounts, mounting rail, gyro sensor, main controller, cables, etc. I can probably list the balance of the G-2D on eBay and recoup at least $20 or $30 back.

Looks like the total repair cost will be in the neighborhood of $40 versus $130 for a new one. Definitely the way to go.

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