Hello all,
I was fooling around with a yo-yo at a party last night and really found it really interesting. So here I am posting today. I have watched a few of the video and yo-yoing looks pretty awesome. I think I am going to like a yo yo that has a lot of sleep time.
So what yo yo would you guys and gals recommend?
I don’t want to buy 5 yo yo’s. Can I buy a better yo yo from the begining which I can grow into?
Thanks in advance everyone!
Geo
A Dark Magic is great because it has an adjustable gap. This means that you can play responsive or unresponsive. It is a great yoyo and Andre even uses it in the videos. Of course, there are a lot of other good choices, but this will last you a long time.
For you, I would get the Dark Magic if you don’t mind spending 40 dollars. The width is adjustable so you can adjust to your skill level. Also, it has a great sleep time but that counts on how good your sleeper is.
YoYoFactory Velocity: http://yoyoexpert.com/product/yoyofactory/velocity/
YoYoJam Legacy: http://yoyoexpert.com/product/yoyojam/legacy/
YoYoJam Dark Magic or: http://yoyoexpert.com/product/yoyojam/dark-magic/
YoYoJam X-Convict or: http://yoyoexpert.com/product/yoyojam/x-convict/
YoYoJam Hitman: http://yoyoexpert.com/product/yoyojam/hitman/
One-Drop M1 or
Caribou Lodge YoYo Works Bear Vs. Man or Peak
YoYoFactory 888 or Skyline: http://yoyoexpert.com/product/yoyofactory/888/
I recommend
YYF Velocity : http://yoyoexpert.com/product/yoyofactory/velocity/
YYF Speed Dial: http://yoyoexpert.com/product/yoyofactory/speed-dial/
Most yyjs come responsive out of the box, but some of them won’t, and if you’re unlucky, it will come unresponsive. Thats why i recommend these, because you can adjust the response. So it will last you a long time, because you can use them for unresponsive play, and responsive play.
PS! I use velocity for looping!
PSS! I was just kidding! But you can!
Wow.
What a great forum. Can’t believe how active this forum is!
I like that Dark Magic but also like the Speed Dial from what I see.
Unfortunately, it says the Dark Magic has “0” in stock. Is this true? I mean, is this website pretty much up to date because I’ll buy it right now?
Also, “rsmod123” also stated that he recommends the Speed Dial because this one will be either unresponsive or responsive right out of the box. I am not sure of what this means exactly but I don’t want to get a lemon of a yo yo. (lol)
Both can do that. What he means is that you can change the responsive setting by the tightness of your yoyo. Also, the stock is being ordered right now so you can count on it coming soon.
The Dark Magic is a great yoyo. A diamond in the rough, to say the least. Just about everyone has one in their collections, whether they throw it regularly or not.
This particular website is run by Mr. Andre Boulay. The Dark Magic is his signature piece, and you’ll see him using it exclusively in the learning videos on this very site. Good stuff all around!
The Speed Dial, by YoYoFactory, is an excellent choice as well. So you understand, the SD has dials on either side which are used to adjust the response system inside the yoyo. This allows one to make the yoyo very responsive, completely unresponsive, or just about anywhere in between. If you’re looking for a less expensive option, YoYoFactory also makes the Velocity, which uses the same dial system.
Of course, there are a lot of good options out there, and you should look at them all. How about the Hitman, X-Convict, 888, Mini Mo-Tu, Speeder, Lyn Fury, Kickside, or Freehand Zero? 
All are great yoyos and will perform admirably for you. It comes down to personal preference. What do YOU like in a yoyo? Of course, one has to explore their options to answer such a question.
We will help you every step of the way if you’d like. We’re good like that.
Thanks DocRobot and all of you for your being so generous here at YYE.
I have to say. I NEVER thought yo yoing was this big? Is it really that popular of a sport?!?!
Yoyoing is an extremely popular sport. It is just that in some places, it is not a common or accepted.
It comes and goes. If you think it’s big now, wait until you see the “upswing” of the yoyo cycle. About every 5-7 years you’ll see a big boom of new people coming in and a craze that follows it.
During the “downtime” though, you’ll find a core group of people who are more or less permanently dedicated to the hobby, this group seems to be getting bigger and bigger every cycle.
Welcome aboard.
I would recommend a Velocity or a Speed Dial as well because they have the ability to adjust the response to the needs of the user. Both of them will grow with you.
To answer your question about what response means. The more responsive a yo-yo is the easier it is to recall back to your hand. A responsive yo-yo is the traditional yo-yo that people think of when they hear the word. It comes back to the hand when you pull up on the string. An unresponsive yo-yo will not come back with a pull, in fact it will just flop about at the bottom of the string if you try. This is how a lot people play their yo-yos today. In order to make the yo-yo come back you just need to perform what is called a bind; a trick where you force some string into the gap of the yo-yo in order to make it return to your hand. It sounds complicated, and when I started really working with unresponsive play about three weeks ago I would have agreed. It is something that is easily picked up and then you will never want to go back, at least I didn’t. 
Here is a video of some binds so that you can see what I am talking about. Watch as he loops some string into the gap of the yo-yo.
Um. Saintrobyn the Dm also has the adjustability.
Norway is a good example of a really bad yoyocountry. We have no contests at all and if you yoyo, people will eventually say that you are a nerd or have spare time problems. The positive thing about living in a country like norway is that it’s easy to impress people. So my final advice is: Stay away from Norway, it’s cold.
So I have heard, I just have never used a DM and really would not want to recommend something I have never thrown. It’s that whole not wanting to give bad information thing.
Yeah I know what you mean. I have not thrown a Dark Magic but it is adjustable and is used for the tutorials so it is a good choice because if it doesn’t work, you know its something you are doing wrong.
Thanks for all the responses everyone.
I can see where having a non responsive yo yo would be a great benefit. So are you all saying that DM, Velocity and the Speed Dial will allow me to make them responsive or non responsive?
Yes. But I would go for DM because it is the yoyo in the tutorials and also, it can be used for grinds. I bet the others can but the DM is customized for it.
I’d recommend getting a Velocity, because it has adjustable response so it will last you for some time. Also this early in your yo-yoing “career,” I think it would be wise to spend minimal amounts of money. At this stage, a Velocity will suit you just as well as say a Dark Magic and you’ll be happy with either.
The two yo-yos, the Velocity and Speed Dial, both had dials on the side of the yo-yo. When you turn the dials on them, depending on which way you turn them, rings in the gap of the yo-yo either recede or push out. By the rings receding it causes less string friction thus making the yo-yo unresponsive. When the rings are pushed out, it makes the yo-yo more responsive.
In the case of the Dark Magic, the yo-yo halves can be loosened to a certain extent, thus widening the gap, and the vice versa. Over time though, you’ll break in the bearing, aka the lube in the bearing will wear out, and the yo-yo will sleep longer because there is less friction in the bearing without the lube, but the yo-yo will be less responsive.
I would recommend a plastic yo-yo, like one of YoYoJam’s…Kickside, Speedmaker, Lyn Fury, or Journey. They all are responsive out of the box, but can eventually be made unresponsive. Then…a Velocity and/or Speed Dial would be a good idea, since they can be easily turned from responsive to unresponsive in a twist. THEN don’t forget, the other stuff you need…I’d suggest getting Yoyojam thick and thin lube and the most important of all: string. You’ll use string reaaaally fast. Most yoyoers buy string in packs of 100, for about $10. I don’t think YYE has string in packs bigger than 5 though. Then I’d pick out a metal-rimmed yo-yo, a Dark Magic, X-convict (my personal favorite), Hitman or a Black Knight. Full metal yo-yos are expensive…and won’t make you a better yoyoer more than a plastic Yoyojam.
~yo! shi!