Yo I got these Newts and they’re fantastic! I used them all the time for 3a and 5a in the house. TPU or thermoplastic polyurethane is any of a class of polyurethane with many properties, including elasticity, transparency, and resistance to oil, grease, and abrasion. Basically, it feels like rubber rims. They bend and bounce.
They’re fantastic for 3a because there is no sound when I send them into each other at mach 50. They’re also great for 5a because there isn’t a loud clatter when you drop the yoyo and maybe they’re less likely to break something or put a hole in the wall or ceiling if you send the yoyo flying. I also have used them for 1a when practicing horizontals bc I was scared about sending the yoyo straight into my face but with these, you can (I have) and it didn’t hurt at all.
Also, they don’t ding at all! They look mint, even though they’ve crashed into the floor and each other a ton of times.
Some of the negatives for fairness is that the yoyos might have slight vibe due to the nature of the materials and construction. It is also possible to warp the rings if you leave a heavy object on them for an extended period of time or leave them out in the hot sun all day.
All and all, I’ve had them for months now and I appreciate them even more than when I first got them. My question is—WHY ARE THERE NOT MORE YOYOS LIKE THIS??? I would absolutely love a pair that are slightly narrower and heavier and maybe a bit more diameter. I know they used to make offstring yoyos like this but those had the tendency to burnout and roll away when dropped instead of bouncing. I don’t know…it just seems like these are fantastic at doing what they are supposed to do and I would love for more options for yoyos like this and for them to be more accessible. Right now the only way to get a pair is order them from Japan and that is a hassle, plus then I can’t support my favorite retailer—YYE.
Would you like to see more yoyos with TPU wings? Are they dumb and you hate the idea? Designers—is there a reason y’all wouldn’t want to try to make something like this? Thanks for reading and let me know any and all thoughts!
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fradiger
(the world is a beautiful cat and i must meow meow meow)
2
I tried a newt out, the main thing I actually didn’t like about it was that the TPU rims were pretty sticky on the string, and so lots of times I’d go to reject a string and it would snag on the TPU rim and like, get sucked into the gap of the yoyo rather than reject. For everything else, it was super fun.
Hmmmm interesting! I haven’t noticed that at all but I also know they’ve rerun them a few times and maybe some of the rings are stickier than others? Or maybe it’s the strings I’ve been using…hmmm I will experiment and thanks for sharing your experience fr yo!
Nice find! I might look into somwthing like this when I am ready to learn horizontal play, my main reason for not even trying it is the high likelyhood ill smash my yoyo into my face .
I’ve wondered about this as well. Setting the rings to minimal vibe must be a problem, but shouldn’t be.
All the kinks in the PU casting process have been sorted out by skate wheel manufacturers. From my experience it’s easy to cast an even density piece, eliminating bubbles is just a matter of practice.
When buying wheels for skateboards and in-lines you go into the shop looking for the size and HARDNESS you prefer, then choose from the brands that are making what you want.
If these become standard you should be able to choose interchangeable rims with different hardness/grip and have a yoyo suitable for 1A with hard rims, 4A with soft and 5A somewhere between.
For reference, my hockey wheels were just slightly harder than an eraser, and the inner wheels on my street skates felt like the HDPC used to make riot shields and helmets.
None of the woodwind makers I talk with have the problems with Delrin that I’ve heard about here. But if it’s such a hassle to turn, then PU seems like the best replacement. Also not sure why the choice of Delrin as a brand compared to Tusq (synthetic mammoth tusk) or the Bio-Res used by Yamaha.
