My girlfriend randomly bought me a Duncan Imperial for no serious reason and threw it in with my Christmas present a while back.
I started playing around with it a while ago and managed to snap the string after a few days. I don’t really know how to do anything of any real importance, and knowing myself, I doubt I’ll get into it enough to justify buying anything too expensive, but I’d like to buy a bit nicer yoyo to play around with.
Ideally I’d like something that comes with 2 bearings to change between responsive and unresponsive so that I can learn. I’ve been looking at stuff, and I would probably buy the YYJ Dark Magic II if I knew I’d stick with it but I don’t think I can justify that kind of money at least yet.
I’m kind of looking toward the couple of starter kits that come with cheap yoyos and upgrade kits like the YYF One, but I’m a bit off put by how cheap it looks.
What other good options do I have if I don’t want to invest too much money but want the option between responsive and unresponsive?
You could buy a cheaper Yoyojam yoyo with a stock “C” bearing, then purchase the Yoyojam thin bearing at the same time for responsive play. For that matter, any brand yoyo that uses the stock “C” bearing can also use the Yoyojam thin bearing.
I was looking through YYJ’s cheaper yoyos and browsing a bit and the two that caught my eye are the Legacy III and the Centripetal Force. Both of these actually mention having bearings for responsive and unresponsive play (though the Centripetal force doesn’t mention it in the specs section like the Legacy III does which is a bit weird?) and both seem like good options.
Does anyone have any insight on either of the two, or a suggestion on an alternative?
Edit: If I’m going to end up buying extra strings and such that bump up the price, would I potentially be better off buying something like the DV888 starter set? Hadn’t seen this until now.
Both the Legacy and the Centripetal Force come with both bearings. I have a legacy I and II and they both play pretty much the same so I’m going to say that the III probably is the same. They’ve just been tweaked along the way.
I have never tried the ones that you are talking about but the yoyo jam classic is a great yoyo coming in at only $10. It has a responsive bearing in it already so you can learn the basics first, then for a few more dollars you could upgrade that later. Just a thought…
How much of a difference does having some/all metal really make? I could definitely buy do the YYJ Classic and get a bearing, but at that point it’s only a few dollars less than the (presumably) nicer yoyos that also come with the extra bearings. I’m a bit conflicted really, as I can only really assume that the Centripetal Force is a nicer yoyo seeing as it was previously priced at ~$50, but I also can’t really any real information on people who’ve had them.
I’ll just say this. Whatever you buy I would presume you will be happy with. A yoyo jam classic can handle whatever I can throw at it, I bet a c-force could as well. It’s your first actual yoyo and whether you have the best yoyo for your money or a so so one, you won’t know much the difference since you haven’t tried many/ aren’t highly skilled yet. If I was you, I would buy whichever looks the coolest to you and be pickier when it comes to choosing a different yoyo later on in your journey. Any of the ones you listed will do you well.
After a bit of thought, I think I’m going to go with the Centripetal Force.
Any advice on what else to buy with it? I definitely want to buy some strings, and I’m not really sure what to buy as far as they go (I was thinking the Slick 6 ones if I buy a good few, but that was mostly arbitrary) and how long I can expect them to last to decide how many I want to buy. How long do other things like the pads last?
String usage is highly dependent on how much you play. Some people go through one a day, others use one a week or better. I’d get at least a 25 pack ($5), maybe a 100 bundle ($11). You might as well also get a set of silicone response pads: YoYoJam – YoYoExpert ($3). Mine have lasted quite a long time but some people seem to go through them faster. Mine probably last because I have a fairly good collection and play different yoyos frequently.
I would second the classic, since it is a low walled yoyo, which would make learning tricks easier. Also, I would recommend polyester strings, since they last longer.
The C-Force would be a great choice since it’s basically half off the regular price and comes with a narrow bearing for responsive play. The metal rims make the yoyo spin longer than an all plastic throw.
