I was want to buy grooved bearings but don’t know if they’re worth their price. I have twenty dollars and buying one (i.e. konkave/ trifecta/center trac) will pretty much use it all. so I wanted to know if they’re worth it and which would be better for their price if they are.
Yeah, it’s pretty much “Buy the bearing, we’ll throw in the yoyo and box for free”.
Mind you, this Whip configuration plays better than the stock Whip.
But, before you go spending your money, it helps to know why you want to get a bearing(or two or 7 or whatever):
1: Do you want to experiment? Then by all means, DO get it.
2: Are you trying to address a mechanical problem such as a crooked or weak throw? In this case, skip it for now and work on your throw. No bearing will help this.
3: Are you trying to replace a bad bearing or not getting enough spin time? Well, it never hurts to clean a bearing, so go clean the bearing you have. That may be all you need to do.
I find matching the bearing to the yoyo can be a bit of a challenge. While anything using a C bearing will fit any of the available C bearings, it doesn’t always mean that this bearing/yoyo combination is best for you. For example, I popped a KK in my Meteor and Speeder 2: Amazing improvement. I popped a KK in my Chaser, I wasn’t so pleased. Put a Crucial Grooved in my Half & Half and it really came to life. I have a friend who puts Crucial Grooved in all his yoyos. I mostly use and like flats though. Your results may vary.
As far as the Trifecta, yeah, it’s great. I have a bit of everything, so I can experiment. I have KK’s, CenterTracs, Crucial Grooved, Trifectas, OD 10-Ball, YYJ Speed, YYF Spec, various Terrapin X and many other bearings ready to go at a moment’s notice. I do recommend having a stash of bearings so you can experiment. What I don’t generally recommend are the ceramic bearings, but only from the standpoint that I cannot justify myself spending the money. I do have 2 ceramic Terrapin X S/C bearings and they are nothing short of amazing. I also have a ceramic KK in my MVP that came that way from the guy I bought it from on BST.
So, one last question: what yoyo are you planning to put this in?
I agree with Trace, matching bearings to yoyos can be interesting. KKs especially can be mind-blowing in one yoyo and awful in another. I tend to find that flat bearings are both cheapest and most versatile, though - they work in just about any yoyo, and I’ve seen them for as cheap as $2 apiece. I’ll use a special bearing if I get it in a sale or trade, but I generally won’t go out of my way to replace them with the same thing when they wear out. In my humble opinion, they’re nice to have but not necessary and thus not worth the price new. Of course, that last statement is entirely up to opinion and preference. YMMV.
Personally I’d go for the Twisted Trifecta. It’s my favorite, and I’ve tried a lot of various bearings. Are KKs still $15? Since a TT is $12, it’s kind of a no-brainer for me. Used to love KKs, but you’re getting more for less.
I agree. I always hear everyone hating on the “knock-off” Chinese bearings, but guess where Centertracks are from? China. I’m willing to bet that most mainstream bearings are Chinese, so I see no reason not to just jump on the Chinese concaves.