I am one of Crucial’s 2a players, and am here to discuss with you the modern competitive looper. The loopers I would like to discuss today are(in no order):
a. yoyofactory loop 1080
b. yoyo monster crook
c. yomega raider
d. yoyojoker vortex
e. duncan hornet
note all yoyos are modded with appropriate spacers and lubricant to ensure the yoyo is being played at it’s full potential.
The points we will look at are:
I. Loop Feel
II. Wraps and Worlds
III. Maintenance
IV. Conclusion
I. Loop Feel
A. The loop 1080 has the lightest, therefore the fastest feeling loops out of the whole pack. Each loop is somewhat consistent and is extremely snappy. It tends to feel full when you’re playing them(in the way that the yoyo is filled, and not hollow.) The yoyo does not tend to stall. I recommend these for all around play.
B. The crook loops the slowest. It is the heaviest, but this does not mean it is a bad thing. It loops very consistently and provides so much stability that even a beginner can loop with these easily. I would recommend these to people learning to develop and perfect their form. The yoyo feels full when you’re playing them.
C. The raider loops slightly slower than the loop 1080. It is the most consistent looper out of any of the yoyos, yet provides a sense of stability close to the crook. I recommend these for full on performance usage.
D. The vortex loops somewhere between the raider and the crook. Although it is heavier, than the rest (disregarding the crook) it still loops at a decent pace. The loops do sometimes stall. I recommend these for slower players.
E. The hornets loop extremely quickly despite the heavier weight. It is up there with the loop 1080 in speed, but it feels hollow when you loop. The loops do sometimes stall. I recommend these for faster players.
II. Wraps and Worlds
A. The loop 1080 plays at a moderately fast pace with decent stability. It has a good spin but is easily affected by off axis movement. I recommend these for people who have mastered wraps.
B. The crook plays at an extremely slow pace with superb stability It has a powerful spin and is not easily affected by off axis movement. I recommend these for beginners learning to wrap.
C. The raider plays at a moderate pace with superb stability. It has an extremely great spin that moderately gets affected by off axis movement. I recommend these for all around play at any skill level.
D. The vortex plays at a moderately slow pace with great stability. It has a powerful spin but is easily affected by off axis movement. This is due to its more streamline shape. I recommend these for people who have a moderate concept of wraps and want to perfect them.
E. The hornet plays at an extremely fast pace with poor stability. It has a moderate spin and is moderately affected by off axis movement. I recommend these for people who wish to play super fast and have perfected their wraps.
III. Maintenance
A. The loop 1080 uses a nylon spacer system with a size K bearing. This has proved time after time to be a great performing system, and does not cut your string if set up correctly. It is moderately hard to find a good loop 1080 setup
B. The crook uses a metal spacer system with a bearing that is the same OD and ID as a size K bearing, but not the same W. This is a new system that has yet to prove itself. I have found that no matter what, there will always be with small cutting string sounds during loops. It does not affect play though. It is extremely easy to find a good crook setup.
C. The raider uses the nylon spacer system with a size E bearing(almost identical to the size K bearing.) Once again, this is the bearing system pervasive in most looping yoyos. It is hard to find a good setup for the yomega raider.
D. THe vortex uses a different type of metal spacer with a size K bearing. This spacer goes further into the yoyo than the other spacers. This leads to better durability and stability. It is extremely easy to find a good setup on the yoyojoker vortex.
E. The hornet uses a nylon spacer system but with the addition of washers below the spacers. This does not actually do much but open up the gap to an acceptable level. It is extremely easy to find a good setup on the hornet, but it is annoying to deal with all the parts.
IV. Conclusion
All of these 2a yoyos serve a purpose, but I believe that the loop 1080 or the raider is the best, followed by vortex, crook, then the hornet(for competitive purposes.) However, my opinion may differ from yours. Try these yoyos out and tell me what you think
If you have any questions, I will try my best to promptly answer them.
(All tested with poly 6 white with half thin half thick lube with custom spacers when applicable)