# Most revolutionary yoyos

**URL:** <https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882>\
**Category:** General Yo-Yo\
**Created:** [April 17, 2024, 11:16pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882 "2024-04-17T23:16:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GoTouchGrass](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/gotouchgrass/32/274677_2.png) [@GoTouchGrass](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/GoTouchGrass)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 11:16pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/1 "2024-04-17T23:16:15Z")

</div>

Heres my list of the top 5 most revolutionary yoyos, but make sure to also share yours too!

1. Draupnir, revolutionized bimetal design
2. Shutter, all rounded budget yoyo that won Worlds
3. Sleipnir, yoyo ahead of its time
4. Protostar, arguably the best plastic yoyo
5. Patriot, first yoyo to use the modern size C bearing

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sleeper1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/sleeper1/32/281445_2.png) [@sleeper1](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/sleeper1)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 11:26pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/2 "2024-04-17T23:26:59Z")

</div>

Duncan freehand from 2001. Was the first yoyo made to come with a counterweight and to be designed for freehand as well.

Yomega fireball. introduced the Transaxle which made yoyos spin longer, and kinda sorta paved the path for bearings to be introduced

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![yogurt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/yogurt/32/643588_2.png) [@yogurt](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/yogurt)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 11:30pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/3 "2024-04-17T23:30:31Z")

</div>

The Door Knob from A/RT and SF, allowing us to open doors.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SR1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/sr1/32/104603_2.png) [@SR1](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SR1)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 11:35pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/4 "2024-04-17T23:35:54Z")

</div>

One Drop 54 always gets missed in these discussions - it’s the first side effect yoyo, and SE’s are truly one of the most unique and important innovations in yoyo history. Allowing the yoyo to be very easily modded aesthetically and/or for weight just by quickly swapping out parts is a crazy awesome and revolutionary. Not to mention, you can’t really strip the yoyo either if it has SE’s. And obviously SE’s aren’t only a One Drop thing at this point, countless other brands have incorporated SE’s in their yoyos, which is cool.

Also, another One Drop mention (they don’t get enough credit for their contributions to yoyo history tbh)… the M1. This yoyo absolutely disrupted the industry due to its low price, and pretty much forced every other yoyo company to start either manufacturing a cheaper metal yoyo or lowering the price of their existing ones. Major win for the yoyo consuming public in a time when it was hard to get a capable metal yoyo for less than $80-90.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![oops](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/oops/32/683976_2.png) [@oops](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/oops)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 12:18am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/5 "2024-04-18T00:18:00Z")

</div>

This is a really great video that discusses some of the ones I’m about to mention: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXBXb3xdCAw&ab\_channel=GentryStein](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXBXb3xdCAw&ab_channel=GentryStein)

1. Early Flores one piece designs from the 20s that required players to put the string on the yoyo. This resulted in yoyos being able to sleep instead of just going up and down like they did previously (see the monstrosity Hans shows first in the video)

2. The SKF yoyo Hans shows next in the video, being the first yoyo to feature both a ball bearing and take apart design.

3. Playmaxx Turbo Bumble Bee. Arguably the yoyo responsible for the late 90s yoyo boom, but more notably, the first mainstream yoyo with replaceable response instead of a starburst system that would wear down over time.

4. Duncan Freehand 1. Everyone had their favorite between the TBB GT, Renegade or Tigershark, but the FH1 just felt like it was a level above. In retrospect, it landed right where modern yoyos do in weight. Playing the yoyo with 1 worn down friction sticker let the yoyo spin and do string tricks for what felt like forever. There’s a reason this yoyo got a 20th anniversary remake along with a machined polycarb, delrin, aluminum and titanium version and that other companies takes on the design are some of their most beloved yoyos.

5. YYF Grind Machine. The first out of the box unresponsive yoyo.

6. YYF 888. The yoyo that made metal yoyos the norm.

7. YYR Draupnir. The yoyo community barely even knew what a bimetal was and YYR hit us with one of the finest yoyos ever made right out of the gate

8. YYF Protostar. Paved the way to showing the community how good a plastic yoyo could be and likely encouraged tons of other companies to explore plastic as an option

9. YYF Shutter. While YYF has regularly put out exceptional yoyos at below the rest of the industry prices, the Shutter was the first one that players seemed to truly take note of as an exceptional performer at an exceptional price.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JeiCheetah](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jeicheetah/32/612192_2.png) [@JeiCheetah](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/JeiCheetah)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 12:43am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/6 "2024-04-18T00:43:14Z")

</div>

[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/e/7/4/e747d3566f2d0cf2e4c7ed56316ddd4c081725bb.jpeg "Top 10 Countdown! - Most LEGENDARY and influential yoyos") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1aKRHvX7ZE)

I actually dived deep into this topic a bit ago! Give it a watch if you’re interested 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Des](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/des/32/701367_2.png) [@Des](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Des)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 1:02am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/7 "2024-04-18T01:02:38Z")

</div>

1. YYF Superstar
2. YYF Shutter
3. C3 Flawless
4. CLYW Peak
5. YYF Miracle

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Blaidd\_Drwg](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/blaidd_drwg/32/53190_2.png) [@Blaidd\_Drwg](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Blaidd_Drwg)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 1:21am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/8 "2024-04-18T01:21:23Z")

</div>

Until your video the Yomega Raider wasn’t even on my radar.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![L0v3Machine](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/l0v3machine/32/247148_2.png) [@L0v3Machine](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/L0v3Machine)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 1:25am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/9 "2024-04-18T01:25:25Z")

</div>

Awesome video, you just got another sub.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![oops](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/oops/32/683976_2.png) [@oops](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/oops)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 1:31am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/10 "2024-04-18T01:31:48Z")

</div>

I forgot about the Raider, woulda included that, the Viper and the Butterfly if I had remembered something other than 1A existed. For reference, here are the winning yoyos for 2A in the WYYC. Yomega Raider is the most dominant yoyo of all time, and all the YYF Loop models are effectively just progressively better modded Raiders

1998 - Yomega Raider  
1999 - Yomega Raider  
2000 - Yomega Raider  
2001 - Spintastics Spintega  
2002 - Yomega Fireball  
2003 - Yomega Raider  
2004 - Yomega Raider  
2005 - Yomega Raider  
2006 - Yomega Raider  
2007 - Yomega Raider  
2008 - Yomega Raider  
2009 - Yomega Raider  
2010 - YYJ Sunset Trajectory  
2011 - Yomega Raider  
2012 - YYF Loop 900  
2013 - Yomega Raider  
2014 - Yomega Raider  
2015 - Yomega Raider  
2016 - YYF Loop 1080  
2017 - YYF Loop 2020  
2018 - YYF Loop 2020  
2019 - JPL Loop Up  
\*2021 Online - YYF Loop 720  
\*2022 Online - Yomega Raider  
2023 - Duncan Hornet

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tempura](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/tempura/32/246135_2.png) [@Tempura](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Tempura)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 2:42am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/11 "2024-04-18T02:42:59Z")

</div>

I agree with a lot of the picks here, but i think the most revolutionary thing about the Shutter was its marketing.

I think Yoyojam deserves more mention. If nothing else for C bearings and 19mm response grooves.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GoTouchGrass](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/gotouchgrass/32/274677_2.png) [@GoTouchGrass](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/GoTouchGrass)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 2:44am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/12 "2024-04-18T02:44:50Z")

</div>

Agreed, Gentry and YYF put a lot of work into advertising the Shutter.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![teabag](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/teabag/32/598719_2.png) [@teabag](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/teabag)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 12:22pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/13 "2024-04-18T12:22:23Z")

</div>

There should be hspin envy and pyro.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Slestak75](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/slestak75/32/212315_2.png) [@Slestak75](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Slestak75)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 12:57pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/14 "2024-04-18T12:57:59Z")

</div>

We can’t forget the yo-yo that started it all….from 400 BC:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/2/3/6/23652513c0a2bfe1997756b3c6966d163c28edb2.jpeg)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Slestak75](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/slestak75/32/212315_2.png) [@Slestak75](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Slestak75)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 1:00pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/15 "2024-04-18T13:00:09Z")

</div>

And here’s a medieval attempt at a wide gap yo-yo.

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/c/c/0/cc04ead72c13917f6b91ef3473fb4a2343218cbe.jpeg)  
As you can see…these actually hold up rather well…🤣  
 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/3/1/1/3113ead4eb034a4f2ca7e9dac2272a06bda190e2.jpeg)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rickyyR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/rickyyr/32/246358_2.png) [@rickyyR](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/rickyyR)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 1:15pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/16 "2024-04-18T13:15:00Z")

</div>

Bottom pic says they are double sided buttons probably used for closing tents

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Slestak75](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/slestak75/32/212315_2.png) [@Slestak75](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Slestak75)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 1:26pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/17 "2024-04-18T13:26:20Z")

</div>

After reading the article more closely I see that’s how these are described by the museum. The article starts with a description of an old artist rendering of a Dutch boy playing with one of these as a yo-yo. I can totally see these being buttons for assembling large tent sections too though. Many were found at Roman Army camp sights so this seems to reinforce the tent fastener use.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rickyyR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/rickyyr/32/246358_2.png) [@rickyyR](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/rickyyR)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 1:53pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/19 "2024-04-18T13:53:37Z")

</div>

I love the idea of some bored roman soldiers using them as throws :joy:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Billipo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/billipo/32/162446_2.png) [@Billipo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Billipo)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 2:10pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/20 "2024-04-18T14:10:52Z")

</div>

I’d add to list Duncan **Imperial** & Duncan **Butterfly**. They led the way to all Yo-Yos that followed. If that’s not enough, **the’ve got Yo-Yo shapes named after them**!

 ![respect elders](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/0/6/6/066e8354c314f862d5df7c1bdfb0fca1357c8889.jpeg)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![megachicken289](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/megachicken289/32/260130_2.png) [@megachicken289](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/megachicken289)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 6:23pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882/21 "2024-04-18T18:23:54Z")

</div>

Not many people know this, but until The Door Knob throw was created, people used to open doors by breaking them open with their shoulders or feet and then replace it with a spare door from a bulk spare door replacement kit from Sears. It was pretty expensive, what with all the spare door kits that need to be bought as well as all the medical attention.

Friends would prank their friends by using prank steel doors.

Thankfully The Door Knob throw was invented, allowing people to just buy one, really nice yet expensive door that could be reused multiple times over. Unfortunately, friends had to get more creative with their pranks since nobody breaks down doors anymore.

[Next page](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/most-revolutionary-yoyos/398882.md?page=2)
