ILOVEYOYO 2WEI
Reviewed by Chris Rhoads
October 16, 2011
Introduction
Sequels are nothing new in this day and age. We see them all the time, especially in the movie and book industry. While some complain that they would like to see something new, I don’t really have a problem with a good sequel as long as it brings something interesting to the table. There in lies the problem, for every Oscar winning Godfather 2 there is a Matrix II: Reloaded waiting in the wings. The yo-yo world is beginning to get loaded with sequels as well, and has its share of detractors clamoring for new designs. Again I will say that sequels are not always a bad thing and most of the time they come at the request of the players. The 2WEI is a perfect example of such a request. Many players loved the original E1NS but wanted something in a larger size. After dusting off the E1NS design and enlarging it the guys set out to tweak every aspect of it in order to give it the level of play we have come to expect from ILOVEYOYO. The question now is whether the 2WEI is ready for the silver screen or if it is a sequel that needed to stay in the can.
Specs
• Diameter: 56.15mm
• Width: 46.30mm
• Weight: 68.80g
• Response: Hot Red SILYYcone
• Bearing: ILYY KMK 6×13x5mm
Construction
Frank and Dom set out to take the E1NS design and max it out… and that is exactly what they did. This IS a maxed out E1NS in both looks and feel. The thing I truly loved about the original E1NS design was all the curves that it had. There were no harsh angles at all on that yo-yo so it just felt right in the hand. The profile of the 2WEI is one continuous curve from the outer rim down into the guts of the yo-yo. The curve lessens towards the gap so there is a little bit of a high wall effect, but the wide gap compensates for any issues that may arise with multiple string wraps. The cup looks exactly like the E1NS cup which is great if you want to thumb grind. There is a small rounded hub in the center that barely protrudes from the floor. This leaves the cup wide open and obstruction free for easy catching on the thumb. The finish on the 2WEI is a riff on ILYY’s Candy Blast finish and Pearl finish called the Pearl 2.0 finish. This new finish has all of the grinding capabilities of the Candy Blast finish coupled with the durability of a military hard coat. As far as looks go, it captures the light almost as well as the standard Candy Blast, I would love to see this finish in a blue or red. I would hazard to say this is one of ILOVEYOYOS best finishes, I smacked the yo-yo against a brick wall on accident during testing and it didn’t even flatten the blast. That being said, it has been posted that this will be the last yo-yo with the Pearl 2.0 finish… a decision I am hoping ILYY decides to reverse.
Weight
Big yo-yos can be quite deceptive in the weight department. This yo-yo is pushing almost 69 grams but it does not feel like it. The 2WEI has a large diameter and width allowing the weight to be spread through out the body. I found that the 2WEI played quick, but not ultra speedy, with a hint of float to it.
Response and Bearing
The SILYYcone makes a comeback in the 2WEI. It still provides snappy binds and lasts forever. About the only thing that I can say negative about it is that if you do not use a sharp knife to remove it, the SILYYcone can be a little bit of a pain to get out of the response groove.
The KMK metric bearing also returns for this new model. I must have gotten one that made it out of the factory dry, mine was loud this time around. After applying a drop of V4M to the bearing it quieted down to the levels that I am use to while still giving me great spin times.
Playability
Smooth and stable, that is the best way to describe this yo-yo. It is one of those that you don’t really feel spinning at the end of the string. At first the only thing that let me know that it was spinning was the noise of the bearing before I lubed it. For this yo-yo’s review session I decided to try to learn horizontal twirly bird. While I am not the best at this trick I did find that the 2WEI stayed in whatever position that I put it in, remaining stable no matter if it was vertical or horizontal. Suicides where a snap even though it has a little bit of a high wall to it, the secret to the loops staying wide open is that the inner catch zone has been expertly masked, keeping the bead blast away from the loops. The Pearl 2.0 finish gives excellent grinds on the hand, arm, and finger. Thumb grinds are also easy to pull off thanks to the unobstructed cup and a well-implemented IGR. I did notice that the finish was coarse enough to file away a little bit of the top of my thumbnail as the yo-yo spun on it. Just about the only thing that I have to say that can be construed as a negative is that this yo-yo is big. I found it to be easy to use and move around but I have large hands. Other players with smaller hands may not find it as comfortable to hold.
Final Thoughts
ILYY has stated that there is only going to be one run of these due to a lack of community interest. That is a shame considering that this is definitely one of the better full to over sized yo-yos on the market today and beats out the Lio as my favorite full size ILYY product. Even if you are on the fence about this yo-yo due to the size I would recommend giving it a throw, it may just surprise you.