Up until now, I only knew that counterweights existed but now they have bearings too? D: I really want to get started in 5A but dunno what to get. What do you guys recommend? Pros and cons of bearing vs non-bearing counterweights? Any tips? Thanks!
You don’t need anything fancy to start. A Duncan dice is as good as anything but I do prefer the bouncy ball. The Takeshi dice are great but it’s not needed for starting out.
If you want to start out, the best one I can recommend is the YYJ Pinnacle. The bearing may need to be cleaned though, but other than that, everything you need is in the package.
The Duncan FH2, Freakhand and Metal Drifter will all require a minimum of a bearing cleaning to be unresponsive, at least that’s been my experience. The FHZ needs a cleaning and maybe a sticker removed.
If you want to start even cheaper, I’d say the YYF Stackless grind machine and your choice of the Duncan Counterweight package or the Takeshi dice would be a good way to go. Other DIY options include the PSG and Lyn Fury. However, I’d recommend if you go Lyn Fury, yank the rings and silicone it and clean out the bearing and you’re gold. The DieNasty and regular Grind Machines are also good shapes for 5A as well, but for a few bucks more than Protostar and Northstar are suitable. Even the DM2 and Legacy II are great for 5A.
Saving money is great. Learning on plastic is fine. Maybe all you do is add a CW to something you already have. It’s a start. It might not be perfect but it won’t be bad either.