3Yo3 AL5
Reviwed By: Julian Grunauer
2/27/13
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image by juliang22, on Flickr
Introduction:
I saw the TI5 get released a couple moths back and remember thinking, “Wow that looks incredible. If only it was less expensive”. Landon must have read my mind because that was exactly what he did. He produced a wallet friendly yoyo with absolutely incredible anodization for the yoyo community to enjoy. I must admit I was a little apprehensive purchasing the AL5 but after seeing the crazy anodization and the price tag; well I didn’t hesitate to buy. Let’s see how it holds up.
• Diameter: 53.85mm
• Width: 43.23mm
• Weight: 65.2g
• Bearing: C
• Gap: 4.02mm
• Response: Flowable Silicone
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image by juliang22, on Flickr
Look and Feel:
I was delighted to see a little brown package waiting on my doorstep. I quickly snatched it up and tore it open. Inside I found a glass container with a crazy sticker on it saying “AL5”. I gently unearthed the container from the packing peanuts and delicately held it up. Inside was the AL5 along with a personal note to the buyer (Picture of it at the end of the review). The AL5 contained some of the most beautiful anodization work I have ever seen. I examined it closely and wrote down my thoughts: “The AL5 is extremely wide V shaped yoyo. Its rims are moderately sized and lead straight to the steep slightly concave catch zone. The wall is extremely small and leads straight to the pads. I am very impressed by the hub design. The rims slightly extend outward past the initial beginning of the hub area. The design is reminiscent of the Yoyorecreation Acrophobia where the rim extend outward then moves to a second inner widened rim. This design produces more rim weight and better distribution. I found this to be an extremely smart move made by Landon because it allows better weight distribution and play. The part below the extended rim has a slight upward slope making a deeper IGR area for better thumb grinds. After this area there is a sharp drop into the hub where there is 2 slight cuts leading to a concave center. The axle begins looking like a spike then flattens out at the end. It reminds me of a mini volcano about to erupt. Overall I think this is a killer design and I can’t wait to try it out!”
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8528/8513435683_1b1bdde653_b.jpg
image by juliang22, on Flickr
Weight:
At 65 grams this yoyo plays very solid yet maneuverable. It plays very fast and extremely stable. The way the weight is distributed is incredible because the AL5 has a moderately small rim while still being heavily rim weighted.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8095/8513435591_f0c7a36542_b.jpg
image by juliang22, on Flickr
Response and Bearing:
The AL5 came with a standard 8 ball flat. I really didn’t expect much from the bearing and I found it was quite loud and gritty. I am a huge fan of concaves and I use them in all of my yoyos so I quickly switched it out for one. Wow, did this improve its performance; it played quiet and super smooth.
The response used for the AL5 was hand poured flowable silicone. It was quite grabby straight out of the box. On multiple string wraps it would bind back up and hurt my hand. After about an hour of play the response broke in and it played amazing. Binds were smooth and snappy and the AL5 could handle multiple string wraps with ease.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8228/8514823848_04deb45691_b.jpg
image by juliang22, on Flickr
Smoothness and Grind ability:
Straight out of the box the AL5 was dead smooth but I noticed after I unscrewed it had slight vibe. It can be easily tuned out by unscrewing it and screwing it back together. The vibe was so small that it really didn’t affect the play at all. It cannot be felt on the string and is barely felt on a finger test.
When I first got the AL5 I couldn’t help noticing how fine the beadblast was. It was incredibly small and very very smooth. The AL5 feels like velvet in your hand. My first grind on it amazed me. It stood on my finger perfectly still and just kept spinning…and spinning… and spinning. I couldn’t believe it. I tried again and clocked a 10 second finger grind. I think the best grinder in the world, the Monkeyfinger Evil Yo, has been finally caught up to. The AL5 grinds as good as if not better than it.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8512/8514885910_22605c7ed8_b.jpg
image by juliang22, on Flickr
Playability:
Due to the expertly placed weight, the AL5 has OUTSTANDING spin times. It handles long technical combos with ease. Learning new tricks are fantastic with it because of the long spin times. After the response is worn in multiple string wraps are not a problem. The AL5 is extremely competition friendly and breezes through tech tricks. It is very fast and extremely powerful. I am amazed at how fun this throw is. The IGR works perfectly even though there is no lip to catch your thumb on. I assume it works so well because of how deep it is. It handles horizontal easily and stays perfectly balanced. The AI5 really came through and set great expectations for what is to come in 3yo3’s future
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/8514888288_e696aab759_b.jpg
image by juliang22, on Flickr
Conclusion:
Landon Balk is an award winning yoyo maker, World mod contest champion, and owner of 3yo3. Among all these things, he is a genius. Thats the only explanation for making a throw this good. Then he threw some crazy anodization on it and decided to sell it for only 85$. Thank you Landon for making such an incredible throw. Good luck trying to find one of these cause for the price these are selling at, they wont last long.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8102/8513762485_845cb8c123_b.jpg
image by juliang22, on Flickr
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8088/8513762509_511acacb6c_b.jpg
image by juliang22, on Flickr
~85$~
Review By: Julian Grunauer