Hello
I am new to yoyoing and I am looking at several options for my A1 yoyo. I want something not very expensive, and cheap in maintenance.
I would prefer responsive yoyo.
I do have at the momeny Duncan freehand zero, but frictions stickers get worn out very quickly, I play like 2 hours and they are gone.
Maybe I am doing something wrong? Please advice me and if not hard tell me why aswell.
If any yoyo listed is that bad that I should not have added it please leave your comment.
If there’s any option that I did not include, than most probably I dont like it, but if you fell like its better then the one’s I listed feel free to add it in thread.
Cheers
If you can bind, go for a onestar. If you dont mind vibe, grab a velocity. I hear the classic is also a good one.
Hi and welcome to the forums! Just a few things, next time, please post these kinds of questions in the “Looking for Help/ Recommendations” section. Also, the style of yoyoing is called 1A, not A1. It’s okay though, just some beginner mistakes!
On to the question. Of the throws you listed, the Whip and ONEstar are unresponsive, but can play responsive with a bit of thick lube. To me, it comes down to the One and the Classic. I say go for the Classic. While the One comes with two bearings, one for responsive and one for unresponsive, I still would recommend the Classic. It has more rim weight, and based on my observations, outstrips the One in terms of spin time. When you step up to unresponsive play, a new bearing and response will do you good, as will a C3yoyo Alpha Crash.
Definitely don’t get the FAST 201. It sounds like a buzz saw, and is a bit outdated. Like the above post said, the Velocity is a great throw, and I wouldn’t worry too much about vibe. Basically all of these throws vibe a tiny bit, some more than others.
If you can master a bind return, the C3 Alpha Crash is one of the best yoyos you can get, at a low pricepoint. Don’t forget some extra string and bearing lubricant! Good luck on your yoyoing journey! 
Hmmm… Well first, my very brief rant about people wanting responsive throws:
Hello. I am here to rant about people NOT KNOWING HOW TO MAKE AN UNRESPONSIVE YOYO RESPONSIVE. It is not difficult. All you need to do is quadruple loop the string around the axle. This makes it play perfect responsive. So, saying that you want a responsive throw is a bad thing. It excludes many good yoyos from being considered. Also, it doesn't work backwards. Responsive yoyos won't magically become unresponsive (well, most won't). So, completely ignore the whole UNRESPONSIVE IS NOT FOR BEGINNERS nonsense. It's just... Bad.
That wasn’t as brief as planned. Anyway, the Alpha Crash is awesome. Get it. GET IT.
I’m going to recommend the Ann connoly whip, since its only ten dollars and comes with a center track bearing! It comes unresponsive, but a bit of thick lube will make the bearing responsive for you. But that aside, if you’re looking for a nice out of the box responsive throw, look to yomega for their “yo mods” which come in Three favors, beginner, advanced, and expert; which are color coded at green, blue, and black. They retail 20 a piece, and don’t use the friction stickers like you’re wearing out, and also have a deep enough recess to fill with silicone once you’re ready to go unresponsive. Also the great thing about them is all of their parts are interchangeable!
get a classic but if you can bind get that new surge that just came out or even better get a legacy 2 which has has a responsive and unresponsive bearing.
I wrote a perfectly good rant and no one even bothered to read it. sigh
Yoyojam Classic is what i use to teach new yoyoers how to yoyo and i have been very successful with it so far. No need to start out unresponsive, the classic will get for to about advanced part 2 (I mean i can do most of the yye tricks on it with a slim bearing classic but maybe an upgrade would be needed at advanced 2)
I wrote a well written response and then the second before I clicked “post”, my ISP went down for 4 hours. When calling them up, they denied there was an issue and refused to help.
I’m desperately trying to find a new provider, and Comcast is NOT an option, nor is Frontier, as both would be suicide to my business.
Let me try again:
I think the Classic is the best choice. It’s good good weight, balance and shape. It’s on the larger side to allow for the better weight. Stock it’s responsive, but if you replace the response with a YYJ silicone o-ring response pad set or use flowable and a C sized bearing(YYJ Speed Bearing), your total investment is right around $20 and you can choose when to go unresponsive. The surface is also good for finger and arm grinds.
While the YYF ONE, WHIP and ONEStar are all really good yoyos, I feel they are just too light for now, since the topic is a NEW player, and new players want more spin time and more spin time means more weight and perhaps a bit more size. The ONE with two bearings gives you the option to go from responsive to unresponsive with a bearing change. The WHIP and ONEStar are all unresponsive only yoyos.
The Fast201 I just don’t care for. If you want adjustable gap, get the Velocity.
Based on your 2 hours a day playing, I would estimate you’ll need new response pads every 90 days or so. Duncan Friction stickers don’t last very long at all.
The only other suggestions I would make would be the YoYoJam Legacy II(an all plastic DM2) or the YYJ Chaser, as both come with 2 bearings for responsive/unresponsive play.
If you’re more into unresponsive and want to stay cheap, there is the new YYJ Surge, the AdegleYoyo PSG and Asteroid as well as the C3 Alpha Crash. Even the YYJ Trigger would be an option, as well as the Stackless Grind Machine, Grind Machine and DieNasty. Nothing I mentioned here is over $30.