Hi everyone! I have been throwing a couple duncans for the past few months after learning how to yoyo again. I had a Metal Drifter and a Freakhand. I learned all the basics and a majority of the intermediates and sadly I dont have enough money to maintain these yo-yos. The friction stickers would wear out in no more than 2 days and I get frustrated when I can’t return it. Is there a particular yoyo that’s almost maintenance free and responsive enough for someone who is not that good at binding but less responsive enough to have fun with string tricks? I have been reading about the YYF Velocity but I would definitely like some input from everyone here since i’m sure most of you guys would know a LOT more than I do! haha! Thanks in advance!
No yoyo is maintenance free. But if you want control, get a YYJ Classic, silicone it and get the C bearing of your choice to go with it. It’s an excellent and cost effective player. You can control your costs and keep this under $25. You can also get replacement pads if you want a pre-made response pad. A YoYoJam Speed bearing is an ideal choice for a bearing. You can also stick with the stock rubber rings if you want. I just prefer to silicone mine.
If you want a pre-packaged yoyo that you can also silicone(but can also buy pads), the Legacy II will be a great choice. It already comes with 2 bearing.
The big question is: can you bind? Both those yoyos that you have can be anywhere from responsive to unresponsive.
Studio, I might have to disagree with you on something. He said he wants his maintenance free. I hardly consider siliconing and replacing a bearing “maintenance free”. But, I think he should get one of your other favorites. A Dark Magic II. It’s a great yoyo for going from beginner to intermediate level, or even farther.
Well, no yoyo is maintenance free. The way I see it, I do agree with what you’re saying. I’m guessing budget is limited, so I’m recommending the Legacy II. Pads wear out and have to be replaced. How long that takes varies. Swapping out a bearing isn’t a big deal, especially if it’s a “one time” thing. Best we can do is minimize the maintenance.
Would I recommend the DM2? Yes, in a second. And for the reasons mentioned. It can be low maintenance, comes with 2 bearings, the pads last a long time, and as stated, can take you from nothing to laying down some serious hurt at competitions with ease.
We agree, yet kinda disagree. More agree than disagree.
I’m sorry for posting this in the wrong section. I’m new to the forum and I’m not familiar with all the sections yet. Thanks for the advice from both of you! It helped a lot. I’m still learning binds but about 50% are successful. I have been hearing so much the Dark Magic 2 and it seems like it’s definitely the player’s choice. I just have to save up the money is all. I don’t mind that.
No apologies needed. The moderators will move it soon.
Yes, the DM2 is great. Despite all I have, I find myself constantly coming back to this one. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It’s worth saving up for.
In this case, my recommendation would be to go with the Dark Magic II. Once that response wears down (which will be months longer than friction stickers) then you can put flowable silicon in the response grove.
A good silicon job can last a long time, and you can keep doing it from the same tube. You can Google a video or two on how to do this. It’s pretty easy.
Also, there is another option. This may be more trouble than you want to go to, but if you don’t mind googling a couple of videos on how to mod a yoyo for a silicon groove, you might consider moding the Freakhand yoyo to accept flowable silicone, or having someone do it for around $5 -10 plus shipping.
The Freakhand mod is definitely being considered for the future. After purchasing the DM2, the Freakhand will be expendable and I can definitely try it out! Thanks!
Here’s a possibly silly question. What is in the DM2 that makes the response last longer?
The DM2 response, like most YYJ yoyos, uses a silicone pad. it just lasts longer than the stickers in the Duncans. The Duncan silicone stickers do last a very long time though. The friction stickers, I can burn through a pair in an afternoon.
A Metal Drifter and Freakhand, with a properly cleaned bearing, can be completely unresponsive.