Hello! If you’re reading this, you either have a “messed up” yoyo, or are just curious about what I’ve decided to write this morning. (Golly, 12:18, it’s the afternoon already!)
Anyway, what I’m setting up here is a cute little fix-it guide for those of you having trouble with your yoyo. Let’s look at some common ailments:
1. My yoyo is not coming up.
This happens to the best of us.
- Take your yoyo and have a look inside. Does your yoyo use Pad or Silicone response? If so, it’s probably time to change the pads or silicone. This happens all the time. Normally, a regular response pad should last about two months. Also, if your yoyo only has one response pad installed, put in another on the other side.
If your yoyo uses O-Rings, try pulling them out a little bit. Don’t do it so much that they fall out, but just enough so you get some extra grip. - If your yoyo has an adjustable gap, try to tighten it more. Beware: Over-tightening can seriously damage your yoyo. A good rule of thumb is to tighten it until you have to force it to tighten. Once it gets to that point, stop.
- Lube. If you really need a kick in the response of your yoyo, use some Yoyojam Thick Lube, that you can find here. If you don’t know how to apply this lube, check this out:
Note about making your yoyo more responsive: If you’re just starting out playing, try some of these methods. If you’re a more advanced player, I recommend learning the move binding.
2. I have the opposite problem. My yoyo is too responsive!
Once again, this is a common occurrence.
- Is your yoyo very new? If so, this is very normal. Yoyos often play responsive straight out of the package. Usually you have to “break in” the bearing. A week or two of solid play should handle this.
- If you’re using pads or silicone, try taking out one side. If you already have only one side in, leave it and continue to other solutions.
- If your yoyo has an adjustable gap, try loosening out the gap a little bit. This makes for less friction on the string, and lowers the response.
- Your bearing may be gunkified. Yes, it happens to the best of us. You need a good cleaning. Please refer to this thread.
- Pop in a shim. This makes the gap larger, and reduces friction.
3. My yoyo vibrates.
This is a very common thing in yoyos. Almost every yoyo has a small vibe. If your yoyo is vibrating extremely obnoxiously, there might be some help for you.
- Remove and put the axle back in. I’ve done this a few times and it does help on occasion.
- Check to see if there is a bend in the axle or the yoyo. If so, contact the manufacturer.
- Clean your bearing. There might be some gunk in there that’s making it act funky.
4. My yoyo is extremely loud.
Personally, I like loud yoyos. I think it gives them character. However, if you don’t, apply some Thin Lube to the bearing and it should quiet down a tad.
Those are all of the issues I could think of at the moment. If you have more, and I can solve them, or you can solve them, post em and I’d be glad to add them.
