Hey all! So I’ve been a bit confused by some of the small differences that happen on the inside of yo-yos
In terms of bearings I love Konkave/center trac bearings. I just picked up two TP throws, love them! And I like the center trac just as much as my konkaves. (What I exclusively used before.) I’m wondering what the differences are in play between the two of them in regards to their shape. (not including how long they spin for.)
I also don’t understand why some people prefer flat bearings, please enlighten me as to why they’re better and worse!
And for response systems, everyone raves about flowable silicone. I like it, I have it in a couple of my yo-yos. I don’t see it as much better than other systems I have. Other than the system that came with my Rally which was definitely too grabby. Is it just that people are really specific as to just how grabby or not their response systems are?
If you have any other related comments please share them! Maybe I didn’t ask a question I should have
Different shaped bearings behave a bit differently in regards to layers of strings in the gap. KK’s forced the string into the center. Centertracs give you a bit of play in the gap but still keep the string away from the sides. Of course, grooved bearings physically keep that string centered. Whatever you like best in a yoyo is what you should use.
I actually prefer flat bearings in most of my yoyos. Why? Because. It’s what I like. That’s all that’s important.
As long as you don’t take the position of “this bearing will help me correct a problem I am having”, experiment and see what you like best.
The same holds true for responses. There may be different pre-made pads for your yoyo or yoyos. Different pads may be more or less grippy or slick. If your yoyo is compatible with flowable silicone, then it may be something you want to try out. What I find is that I generally prefer flowable in my yoyos. I recent siliconed an Avalanche(not Comeback) and an older Gnarwal. They came to me with red silicone inside. I changed it to regular flowable silicone. Now, I did need to re-do the responses in those two yoyos. After the change, I do like flowable better in them.
Again, like with bearings, whatever you feel works best for you is what you should use.
One thing I’d like to add is that if you’re competing, be aware far ahead of time how your yoyo works/performs with your choice of bearings and response. Flowable silicone takes 24 hours to cure, and you’ll want to ensure it’s gonna stay put. Remember, not all yoyos can use an RTV silicone product. You may wish to stick with pre-made pads just for the convenience of it. If they rip out, you can just replace them. Flowable lasts for me as long as a pad does except in celcon off-string yoyos, where it seems to rip out quickly.
The same holds true for bearings. At least with bearings, it’s not as big of a deal to swap them out.
More and more people seem to be realizing that flat bearings are not the way to go. I’ve yet to hear of anyone who dumps out the KK/CT/DS bearings from their high-end yoyos and replaces them with OD 10-balls or something. If that person does exist i’d love to make a trade lol. As far as i can tell One Drop is the last major company holding on to the belief that flat bearings belong in yoyos, and hopefully they correct this soon. Within curved bearings there’s lots of options, they all play pretty similarly, although i don’t like grooved ones, that’s taking centering too far imo, string needs a bit of wiggle room.
^^^ Exactly. “I got a C3 Krown but they put a KK in it stock. I swapped it out for a YYJ Speed Bearing”… not likely.
Not saying it’s unpossible. But even those who love flat (and I do love flat for some yoyos, too!) seem to be moreso “whatever came stock” people than “flat or die!” people with a pile of profiled bearings they’ve harvested.
One real tangible benefit to flat bearings is greater ease with trick binds and also regens. If your style is evolving to use a lot of those things, flat might be a good choice for you.
Well, here’s an example, although it’s not exactly a flat bearing:
The new YYJ H3X comes with a YYJ Speed bearing, which works just fine. I got a Terrapin X 10 Ball wing cut bearing, it may even be a ceramic, I can’t remember. Anyhow, after mucking with other bearings, including KK’s, Trifectas and CenterTracs, I found the Terrapin X just felt best for me for that yoyo. Granted, the wing cut is a slight profiling that helps center the string, but it’s essentially flat.
The YoYoJam Chaser I went through darn near everything and I ended up liking the stock bearing best.
My HH3 and Barracuda bearings needed cleaning due to them being shipped either lubed or greased. After that, they were fine with their stock flat bearings in my opinion.
You could say a lot of it is “just because”, because, well, honestly, it just is. If I’m happy with how the yoyo is performing stock, why change it? Most I am happy with stock.
I also admit I put CenterTracs in my Shutters and I enjoy the difference. I put KK’s in my Meteor and Speeder2’s and can’t play them any other way.
I do recommend people experiment and see what they like best. What my preferences are DO NOT need to be what YOUR preferences are.
