At the moment, I have a Yomega Hotshot, which has proven to be a pretty good yoyo to use for basic string tricks, but I’m starting to outgrow it. I’m looking to get a metal yoyo, and I just don’t know which brand, let alone which model, to go for.
I want to get one that’s decent, but I also don’t want to spend over $100. That kind of price is a little hard for my fiancee to understand. Any advice?
Not fully metal, but for an intermediate throw, go with Dark Magic 2.
i agree dark magic 2 is a great yoyo for the price.
A used Genesis off the BST. Should be able to pick one up for around $50 or less.
Depends what you like as far as preferences are concerned and what you want to pay.
I could recommend some “brands we don’t talk about here” to save money. I got this one metal for like $15 and it’s freakin’ amazing!
But let’s focus on YYE stock.
I think the Popstar is to small for a first.
The Duncan Maverick I hear good things about. At $40, it’s decent.
The dv888 is nice too. I like mine, but nothing amazing. The Shinwoo Zen series I’d like to get into.
Really, having a budget helps a lot. In general, I do really like and recommend the YYJ DM2. I know it’s not full metal. It’s still a massive upgrade over what you have in my opinion. At under $45, it’s an amazing yoyo. I have two, and I’m looking to get a few more. It’s my yoyo of choice that I always go to, despite having higher cost stuff.
And seeing a range of $100, that helps a lot. The Code 1, 54, MMN and Burnside are all great choices. I’d actually say go for the Burnside. It does lack the ability to use side effects, but for now, you don’t necessarily need it, but if you have to, the jump up is the Code 1 since the Code 2 will be too expensive.
For $80, the ILYY, I recently got this. Freakin’ amazing. Wow. Really impressive.
The C3Yoyo’s Dibase is really great and is super affordable, making this an amazing value! But keep in mind I love V-shapes. It have many others on my “wants list”, and in your budget is the Winning Bird and Dark Star.
The YYJ Meteor is something I like, but I recommend swapping the bearing for a KK, at least that’s what I liked. I also like the Hiroyuki Suzuki signature yoyos. I recommend against the JD Signature throw, the ENEME, only from the position of if you’re not dead on, it works against you, but if you’re clean and straight, it rewards you nicely, but the same thing can be said for the XCon Pro, which is a metal/plastic. I do like these two because they force me to improve.
I have the YYF Genesis+ and Superstar and G5 on my wants list. This was all started by me trying a SuperStar, but I’m gonna bump up to the Made in USA blue Superstar as the leader for $15 more. I’m kinda on a stacks binge right now. I can’t use stacks, but I want the option!
Another amazing NEWCOMER is the Square Wheels Royale. At at estimated price in your budget for a solid color one(which I will try to get ASAP), it’s a really nice H-shaped player.
If you can part with $10 more, you can get a lot more. I got a Duncan Momentum. Amazing player, seriously surprised at it. But when you make that jump, a lot more comes into your price range.
There’s lots under $100, fantastic and amazing stuff.
If you’re near Sacramento, you can try out my stuff. Nothing better than getting hands on experience with this stuff or at least SOME stuff.
Then again, I may not be the best person to ask. I like darn near everything and I want a very broad and varied collection of working, functional, playable yoyos.
If you want your fiance to understand, get her a nice yoyo that you can pop the caps out and decorate them and put them back. A ONE is nice for that. Even though it’s $10, it shows you care. Who knows, maybe you can tie the knot someday without having to remove a knot! A couple that can throw together should be able to stay together.
I have personal experience with the Yomega Maverick, Yomega Xbrain, The Yoyofactory Northstar and the Yoyofactory dv888.
Those are all less than $60. The dv888 and the Maverick are the only all metal ones there. The dv888 MURDERS the Maverick in every way. The Northstar is great and is probably the cheapest awesome yoyo available.
I have a Northstar and my friend has a dv888. I am very jealous of his dv888 and he is not jealous of my Northstar.
I’m shopping for a new throw in the $100 range as well (because I need to find something that’s sexier than my friends dv888) and the top contenders I’m looking at are the Sppy Ronin, the Onedrop 54 and the Yoyofactory DNA. You should probably read the yye pages on all 3 of these and then watch a lot of youtube videos.
Well… I’ll try to give different approach on this, that I’ve been doing for some time…
Everyone (especially studio42) has been pointing you to the right direction of choosing your first metal yoyo.
100 bucks is plenty to spend for modern yoyo standard, even if you don’t want to spend any beyond that, you still be able to pick a yoyo that has been used to won nats.
More over, you use a hotshot, so I think an awkward shape that has monster rim weight is no problem. Because a hotshot basically has modern step straight shape.
I say get everything on general way…
For shape, I guess it won’t be hard to chose what you like
For diameter, I guess 54-55mm is a great start, because as you’re preference grow, you would know what you like more, full size or under size
Same as weight, 65-66 grams I’d say, same as above, as you’re preference grow, easier to decide whether you like lighter or heavier throw.
Bearings? I’d say get one with C size bearing, because many option on this size is readily available, if you don’t like the standard bearing, its easy to buy another kind of bearing of the same size. Concave, ceramic, center track, ten ball and so on.
Response system? A flow grove or flow able silicone is best IMO, many choice on its size, I guess its easier to find your preference this way…
Good luck then…
Anyway, after some time, my finance is finally understand my hobby.
It may take time I guess, but if she see how determined you are, she’ll understand…
It’s not to late! Get a new fiancee! ;D (Just kidding. Wait… or am I? lol)
I’m going to have to go with the Dark Magic 2 here too. It’s a great YoYo to learn with, it can be used for any style except 2A, (although for learning 4A I found it a little too hard to catch), it can pull off any trick you throw at it and if you’re following the tutorials on YYE, Andre uses an original Dark Magic so it’ll be easy to relate to.
My first full metal was the Duncan echo and I really love it. It plays great. I also hove a dm2 and the thing that is nice about that is that it comes with a responsive and unresponsive bearing. But like I said the echo is a great full metal throw and not to expensive either.
First metal for me was Dv888!