So, I have thrown nothing but “Responsive” Yoyos all my life, and most of the “modern” yoyos that I have in my bag are Doc Pop Bolt 2, Doc Pop Weekender Multicolor, Throw Revolution Neo, Rain CIty Skills Dollar Tree Yoyo Special Edition and 2 Duncan Pulse light-up yoyos(my daughter’s yoyos). So, out of all of those, I know that can make the Doc Pop Bolt2 play “unresponsive” by switching out the bearings and axles, which were included with it as well the Rain City Skills Dollar Tree Yoyo by just switching out the bearings and axel. And I think the Throw Revolution Neo can be made “unresponsive” by switching out the bearings and axles as well.
So, my questions to everyone on here is these:
So long as the Yoyo that I have bought allows for swapping out the axles and bearings, I can theoretically change it back and forth from Responsive to Unresponsive? RIght or am I wrong?
Do I change the response pads out when I am switching back and forth from Responsive to Unresponsive? What companies make the best Pads?
How can you buy better bearings for your Yoyo’s? I have checked a lot of websites and everyone seems to be running out of them or is’nt regularly stocking them! What companies make the best all-around bearings for yoyos? And is it worth all of the money to buy ceramic bearings for yoyo? And where can you buy these, i can’t find any online to reference.
Is there anything else that I should know? Let me know! Thanks, everyone for your advice and help with this!!
you might even be able to do it with just a larger bearing and some lube which is usually an easy switch , changing out axles too much isn’t a great idea although you can do it
The answer to that is yes, but… So the but, not all throws make good unresponsive throws. I converted a Butterfly XT into an unresponsive throw, but it isn’t the best; however, I learned unresponsive on a Metal racer I converted. Sorry, off topic. Long story short, yes
You do not need to change the response pads unless you think the throw is snagging. For your purposes, I would recommend these pads and the variety pack so you can see what you like:
Better bearings. YoyoExpert carries all your needs. I prefer KonKave, but any bearing will do. Here is the link:
Happy throwing, and let me know if you have any more questions
Of the yoyos you’ve listed, the only ones I would bother to turn unresponsive are the Bolt 2 and the Neo. The others just don’t lend themselves to unresponsive play, IMO.
The best pads, IMO, are One Drop pads. If you get some, be sure to get the 19mm “slim” version, not the standard flow groove pads. As for bearings, just about any Center-Trac or Konkave style bearing you find on YYE will server your purposes perfectly.
However, you don’t need to swap out the pads if you’re happy with the ones that are already in those yoyos. I would only swap pads if you are having trouble binding the yoyo.
Pads are pads. I made my Replay into a Replay Pro by putting in a wider bearing. Not all yoyos use the same diameter pads but most use 19mm. I’d say keep your responsives, responsive. The Weekender was designed specifically to be responsive just enjoy it as such. A lot of the time axles that come in responsive yoyos are too short to accomodate a larger bearing and too much switching of axles may lead to damage with the threads inside the yoyo body.
I had trouble binding a Replay Pro when I was first learning unresponsive play. It has standard pads and a very wide gap. A real nightmare for a beginner. I think I would have been better off using a converted Replay instead of a Replay Pro because it comes with pads that stick out of the response groove pretty significantly, and that would have made binding so much easier.
I ripped out the stock pads in the Replay and put in thin pads with the wider bearing and I only use Kitty Fat strings and it is one of my favorite yoyos and binds like a dream.
I could never warm up to the Replay Pro. I like the Replay for responsive, but there are other plastic responsives I reach for first (First Base, Sage, Neo, Spinfactor X).
Hey guys, I’m wondering about special manufacturer’s products, like bearing and pads, mainly.
So Yoyofactory has their Response pads, as well as Mowl and Yoyorecreation with HKMT, one drop flow groove pads… we have YYF center trac bearing, DS bearings, OneDrop10ball bearing… You got the idea.
Okay, my question is: is it possible to interchange all of them?? I tested a YYF NSK precision bearing on One drop yoyo, and it works, but if I want to be very thorough in this argument, I would say yes, it fits, but it is not a perfect marriage, there is a very small gap between the bearing and the yoyo, and when swinging the yoyo, it is possible to hear the loose bearing inside it, but when using the yoyo, no vibration is noticeable … so it works, and it was good (for me that I don’t have much experience), so the same for the pads, can I use HKMT pads on a YYF shutter (for example)?
It seems to me that when I put this on the table, a multitude of combination can be done.
Any C bearing should fit into any One Drop that is designed for a C bearing, which is nearly all of them.
Most One Drops use their standard flow groove pads which are not the same size as standard 19mm slim pads, while a few of their yoyos take 19mm slim pads (and any 19mm slim pad of your choice would work fine in them).
Finding bearings and response pads that you like is just like finding a string that you like: you have to try lots of them before you can really decide.
I almost always switch out One Drop stock flat bearings with any old concave bearings and they work perfectly fine. It can be confusing with One Drop pads. I’ve been throwing my Top Deck for 19 months and still have the original pads in it. Stores usually mention pad specs.
Bearings first- There are two main sizes of bearings size A and size C (there are others like size D and weird other ones, but for the moment let’s talk in the basics. Size C is the most common on modern responsive throws and size A is more on classic throws. Within these sizes, there are half specs. This is a bearing that is half the size. This is good at making responsive throws on a Size C bearing (without adding a bunch of thick or "looping oil). Now, you can add any bearing you want, as long as the size is correct. This means a yoyo with a Size C bearing can take any Size C bearing. That being said, you may need to elongate or shorten the axel to make everything fit and minimize the chances of stripping the threads.
Response pads-These days, just about every throw Size C bearing uses 19mm response pads. I have attached a picture of the throws in my collection that have pads to demonstrate. What makes the pads different is the grippyness or the feel. On a yoyo with a wide gap (like the Atlas), it can be beneficial to use a pad with more grip. On a Velocity or Metal Racer (assuming you wanted them unresponsive) you would want a thinner and less grippy pad. If you want a throw to be responsive, you can use thicker pads too. So in a nutshell, you can use any company pad you want if it fits. In the below image, I have a YYF white pad in a Metal Racer, Velocity, and Shutter, a Duncan Red Pad in the Windrunner, Barracuda X, and Pandamonium. And a blue pad in an Atlas. I just base it off feel.
If you look at the specs for a throw on a review, spec sheet of wherever you buy, the internet, or the owners, they should be able to give exact or near-exact recommendations for the throw
Now, I cannot speak for One Drop, so I will not try. I would ask @da5id or @The_Machinist, as they can provide a way better response on One Drop throws.
