I’ve been kinda wondering this for a while. I’ve tried a lot of ILYY throws, and I feel they match the quality and playability of both One Drop and CLYW yoyos, yet, they are not nearly as popular, why is that? I personally think it has to do with the fact that ILYY uses the Metric bearing. That seems to turn people away from ILYY from what I’ve seen and heard.
That along with the fact that they don’t use a standard pad size
Funny thing, I have actually found CLYW Snow Tires fit quite nicely.
If a yoyo can take silicone, then I could care less about the pad.
If the yoyo performs great, then I could care less about the bearing size as well. I will say I prefer C-sized bearings, and Euro-C is fine with me as well. With A and D bearings, I have trouble with them due to issues regarding my sloppy technique. I don’t play A and D bearing as much as a result.
All I have from ILYY is a VOID. I like the shape and I like how it performs.
I may have a few other Euro-C bearings. I know my H-Spin Corli prototype is a Euro-C, but can take a regular C as well. This is weighted more center and I prefer more weight at the rim. It’s still a good playing yoyo. I know my preferences. It’s not the bearing. I have been playing it a lot lately though.
Don’t judge a yoyo by anything other than how it performs.
Frankly, I like that size bearing.
It’s never bothered me that ILYY using a metric bearing. But, I’m biased, since ILYY is my favorite yoyo company by far and I have every model they make except the Verve which never made it to the production stage. It’s a little more difficult finding metric bearings here in the States, so I’ve had to order them from Europe at times which adds a little to the shipping (about $10), but if you take care of the one that comes with the yoyo, you’re in pretty good shape. Also, some ILYY throws come with an additional bearing. My Nile did. So did my Enigma that I got from YYE. And I always sili my own throws anyway, so when the response wears out, I just re-silicone it myself. I’ve never tried a standard sized pad.
Frank and Dominik make some amazing throws. I wish more people had interest in their work.