# If I don't don't have thin lube . . . **URL:** \ **Category:** Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance\ **Created:** [June 20, 2013, 12:26am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324 "2013-06-20T00:26:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![YoNinja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/2acd7d/32.png) [@YoNinja](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/YoNinja)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 12:26am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/1 "2013-06-20T00:26:17Z")
what could I use instead? ---
**Author:** ![MattE](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/matte/32/90162_2.png) [@MattE](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/MattE)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 12:29am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/2 "2013-06-20T00:29:44Z")
cleaning and then using without lube is okay, and I actually prefer it. ---
**Author:** ![LeftyLink](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/leftylink/32/1321_2.png) [@LeftyLink](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/LeftyLink)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/3 "2013-06-20T01:01:38Z")
Trumpet valve oil is what I use and it works. ---
**Author:** ![Mctron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/mctron/32/1188_2.png) [@Mctron](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Mctron)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 1:50am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/4 "2013-06-20T01:50:16Z")
you can buy sewing machine oil at walmart it is not full thin lube but it works ---
**Author:** ![nkessler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@nkessler](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/nkessler)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 1:55am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/5 "2013-06-20T01:55:45Z")
Trumpet/Baritone/Tuba valve oil works just fine, but doesn’t last nearly as long as actual thin lubricant designed for bearings. I recommend V4M over YYJ and YYF’s offerings, but they all work just fine. If you’re actually in need of lubricant, save yourself a lot of trouble (and money) by just buying lube made for yoyos. Each bearing costs about $10.00, so a $5.00 bottle of lube is much less expensive than the new bearing you’ll need to buy when you fill your current one with some random substance and can’t play it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![northstarrocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/839c29/32.png) [@northstarrocks](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/northstarrocks)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/6 "2013-06-20T02:01:15Z")
buy some 3 in 1 or some gun oil if you dont think you can afford the real stuff ;)… but also lube is needed IMO cause it doesnt mess up the bearing performance and it makes the bearing last wwwaaayyy longer and its much quieter.and a small thing of yyj v4m or yyf lube lasts forever too. ---
**Author:** ![abby1371](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/abby1371/32/1075_2.png) [@abby1371](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/abby1371)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 2:26am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/7 "2013-06-20T02:26:58Z")
> [@YoNinja](#): > > what could I use instead? i use sewing machine oil however the bearing gets noisy however trumpet valve oil has different thicknesses so be careful. ---
**Author:** ![augmentedloyalty](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/augmentedloyalty/32/1218_2.png) [@augmentedloyalty](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/augmentedloyalty)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/8 "2013-06-20T03:05:58Z")
Terrapin’s dry lube or run it dry. ---
**Author:** ![jeffreypang911](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jeffreypang911/32/192496_2.png) [@jeffreypang911](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/jeffreypang911)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 3:21am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/9 "2013-06-20T03:21:43Z")
Old school way was sewing machine oil. Thats what I started out using before I had thin lube! It is thicker stuff, so if you want your bearing unresponsive just take a needle and dip it in the oil. Then touch one ball and give her a spin. ---
**Author:** ![turtleyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@turtleyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/turtleyo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 9:16am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/10 "2013-06-20T09:16:49Z")
Don’t run it dry, it destroys the bearing and isn’t worth it. I use shredder lube from either staples or some store such as. It really works great and you can get a big bottle for nothin’, or at least I did. ---
**Author:** ![anonyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@anonyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/anonyo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/11 "2013-06-20T14:55:20Z")
I heard some people use gun oil. ---
**Author:** ![Yoyo\_Kangaroo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e95f7d/32.png) [@Yoyo\_Kangaroo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Yoyo_Kangaroo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/12 "2013-06-20T15:26:33Z")
Sewing machine or just machine oil. ---
**Author:** ![PlasticWhip](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/plasticwhip/32/896_2.png) [@PlasticWhip](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/PlasticWhip)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/13 "2013-06-20T17:52:09Z")
> [@turtleyo](#): > > Don’t run it dry, it destroys the bearing and isn’t worth it. I use shredder lube from either staples or some store such as. It really works great and you can get a big bottle for nothin’, or at least I did. Please explain. ---
**Author:** ![augmentedloyalty](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/augmentedloyalty/32/1218_2.png) [@augmentedloyalty](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/augmentedloyalty)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/14 "2013-06-20T18:39:43Z")
> [@turtleyo](#): > > Don’t run it dry, it destroys the bearing and isn’t worth it. I use shredder lube from either staples or some store such as. It really works great and you can get a big bottle for nothin’, or at least I did. yea explain how it ruins the bearing, I have a twisted trifecta ran dry for almost a year and it still runs smoothly. ---
**Author:** ![anonyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@anonyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/anonyo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/15 "2013-06-20T18:59:31Z")
> [@augmentedloyalty](#): > > > [@turtleyo](#): > > > > Don’t run it dry, it destroys the bearing and isn’t worth it. I use shredder lube from either staples or some store such as. It really works great and you can get a big bottle for nothin’, or at least I did. > > yea explain how it ruins the bearing, I have a twisted trifecta ran dry for almost a year and it still runs smoothly. I’m not going to explain it. There’s no need to. Bearings are fairly inexpensive. If you want to run them dry, run them dry. Lube won’t reduce friction, it just reduces wear, unless you use Dry Play, which seems to do both reduce friction and reduce wear. I prefer Dry Play. That’s what I like, that’s what I use. If someone likes a touch of lube, then so be it. If they want to run their bearings dry, then hey, if it gives them the performance they want, then who am I to say otherwise? Preferences. Plain and simple. ---
**Author:** ![Noonar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/noonar/32/1244_2.png) [@Noonar](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Noonar)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/16 "2013-06-20T19:08:31Z")
You can do this but it’s not recommended: Did a pin in wd-40 and touch ONLY ONE ball in the bearing. One touch should work. ---
**Author:** ![turtleyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@turtleyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/turtleyo)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 2:27am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/if-i-dont-dont-have-thin-lube/55324/17 "2013-06-21T02:27:19Z")
> [@WildCat23](#): > > > [@turtleyo](#): > > > > Don’t run it dry, it destroys the bearing and isn’t worth it. I use shredder lube from either staples or some store such as. It really works great and you can get a big bottle for nothin’, or at least I did. > > Please explain. Maybe I just have bad luck with bearings, but when i run them dry they turn black and eventually freeze up. Nothing lasts forever, especially if it’s the throw you most use. Bearing are generally inexpensive, but why have to buy new ones when you can just take care of the one you have and put that extra money towards a new throw? It is all preference just do what you like I’m just throwing out my opinion and my past experiences.