I have an M10 with an AIGR bearing.
If I were to replace this with a Buddha Whipple, would this effect the feel of the yoyo (I.e. the smoothness, stability, floatiness, speed of play) or would it just be the spin time and sound of the yoyo that would be effected?
Thank you.
If I remember correctly the whipped is the shaped one?
If so, the main difference you’ll see is the typical straightness of your throws because a curved bearing will actually correct a little bit for a mistake that you make when you throw. Sadly I can’t comment on stability and the stuff you mentioned since I’m not sure ;D don’t want to give you false information
Hope this helps.
No probs - I agree it will certainly be more forgiving on the occasional ;D poor throw (part of the reason I want i!), but I would not want it to change the yoyo actually plays/feels.
I have used a centertrac, a twisted trifecta, and a OD 10 ball in my puffin. All of them have played pretty much the same, it’s just that the throws are more forgiving and the response is less responsive with shaped bearings for obvious reasons 
Thank you - I will try to get a whipple into my M10 in the very near future!
Changing the bearing won’t really affect the main play characteristics. If a yoyo is fast or slow, floaty or not, stable or not, a bearing itself won’t really alter those attributes. Those attributes are the yoyo itself.
A shaped bearing will be more forgiving of bad throws, but keep in mind, a bad throw is a bad throw. Having a shaped bearing doesn’t really address that issue.
Since the string will be kept away from the sides/response of the yoyo, you can often get longer sleep/play times. Your results will vary.
Now, let’s say a bearing was kinda not so good. Any type of bearing can make a difference here, provided it is clean and in good working order. Of course, in this situation I am comparing a potentially bad and/or dirty bearing vs. a clean and properly working bearing. Sometimes a bearing swap can make a yoyo’s vibe vanish or decrease as well.
Keep in mind the general warnings about certain bearings:
Flat bearings can let the string run up against the side, making accidental binds easier as there is no string centering. Flat bearings allow for natural string movement and maximum string layers in the gap.
CenterTracs keep the string away from the response, and with a flat middle portion allows for a great deal of string movement when adding layers of string into the gap.
U-shaped bearings force the string into the center but string layers can get bunched up as a result. V-shaped bearings such as the Whipple can also have this problem, coupled with issues pertaining to grooved bearings.
Grooved bearings hold the string centered, so you don’t want to load layer onto just one side/
Terrapin X Wing-Cut bearings offer curved bearing centering with flat bearing movement.
If you want to mess around with different bearings, all I can say is that I do recommend this practice. Find what bearing works best for you in a particular yoyo. While there’s up-front costs to buy the bearings(different ones), I think if you find what you feel works better for you in a yoyo, then the cost is well justified.
I like the sound of trying out different bearing and as usual, your helpful advice is greatly appreciated.
I did try the Whipple bearing in another of my yoyos and also used thinner strings (which is what I usually use, rather than the thicker one I was using with that throw) and the yoyo does seem to play the same, but spins for longer and it has reduced the yoyos vibe greatly!
It just depends…
Some are good ABEC rated and some are just made in China…
Yes… Yes it will. Some bearings are going to be either tighter or looser on the bearing post. Take a CT for example. CT’s are always a “tighter” fit than say an AIGR, 10 Ball or KK. The tightness of the bearing on the bearing post plays a role in smoothness and also durability (if the bearing is too tight then over time this will wear away the ano and bring on vibe). Every bearing is different. I have had yoyo’s that were dead smooth on the string and on grinds with one bearing and had vibe on both the string and grinds with another.
Some bearings make a yoyo play different as well. Any curved bearing (CT, KK) will add both spin time and stability.
I feel that a flat bearing will help a yoyo be more floaty while a curved bearing will make a yoyo play a bit more solid… Again this is my opinion
With all that said my M10 played best with a KK bearing…
Those are two completely unrelated things.