My 2nd First YOYO...lol

Ok, so i bought a yoyo in 2011 and started learning the basic binds and some intermediate string tricks and then life happened and I put it down for a long time. I’m wanting to get back into it and my question is, is there really an advantage to learning on an intermediate yoyo like the dark magic 2 or is it more to my advantage to just spend the money on something serious like a bi-metal ( i didn’t even know they existed until today)…btw the yoyo i bought in 2011 to learn on was the YYJ ENEM3…it is a little small and light for me and because of the abuse it took when i was learning how to bind it got dinged up pretty good which caused it to be slightly heavier on one side…so i’m in the market for a new first yoyo…lol

There are soooo many great options out there today. First off I would definitely buy it from this website. They have the best customer service I have ever seen. A bimetal really isn’t going to be that overly big of a deal. I did however include one in the list below :wink:
Yoyos that are extremely popluar that I would recommend.
-2016 superstar
-shutter
-too hot

  • one drop has some good cheaper yoyos now
    -yoyofficer has some as well

I personally wouldn’t go out and spend a ton of money a a new yoyo if I was you. $50 can honestly get you an insanely good throw that can do anything you throw at it :slight_smile:

If you ever have questions, let us know :wink:

1 Like

Hi and thanks for the reply, I def plan on buying here, this is where I bought my enem3 in 2011 along with a koncave bearing and string…i also noticed that there are way more bearing options now a days including 10 ball bearings, i’m def excited to get back into this…i have noticed lots of ppl throwing the shutter, that may be one I have to try…to be honest i’ll probably wind up buying 3 or 4 just to make sure I find one I like lol

agreed, maybe pick a plastic as well, just for a spare yoyo.
since you don’t have a preference yet, anything will work fine, just fine one that you like from a reputable brand, and build your preference from there.
and don’t forget strings, a lot of them.

do you have a recommendation for strings? there are LOADS of options

so i’ve decided on the One Drop Vanguard for my first selection…still undecided on a plastic…i’m also thinking on getting a loop 1080 for playing around

Kitty String will do you some good for awhile, I recommend fat to start:

Do you want a quality plastic or cheap plastic?

Replay pro is probably the best way to go on a cheaper plastic IN MY OPINION.

I always prefer quality over price, I would gladly spend more money on a better product, is the dark magic 2 still the cream of the crop in plastics or is there something better now?

I believe i’m going to take your advice, I have already found multiple statements in these forums about kitty string, i wasn’t sure on thickness but I will try the fat, thanks for the input.

Fatter strings will help with binds and whips, but I started out with just bulk poly strings. I’ve been using Blueprints and Regular Kitty lately. Regular Kitty strings are, for me, a nice in-between size. They’re a little thicker than bulk poly strings and a little thinner than Blueprints.

The Vanguard is a great choice. One drop is coming out with a delrin throw called the Cabal, but you can make a YoyoJam Classic unresponsive, and it’s supposed to be great. The Yoyorecreation Diffusion is an astoundingly good plastic yoyo. I think it sets the standard for moderately priced plastic throws.

For bearings I like One Drop 10 Ball bearings. They work great and don’t cost a fortune. You’ll get used to whatever bearing you have, though, be it flat, concave, or grooved.

Dark Magic is not all plastic BTW. A really nice quality full plastic is the Yoyorecreation diffusion (the regular is nice but I’ve heard the POM is better, but it’s out of stock pretty much everywhere) if you want the diffusion, you can’t buy it from yye, so if you’d like that PM me and I’ll shoot you some links :slight_smile:

Hi Andy, thanks for the reply, your comment about the bearings has me wondering, the vanguard comes with a flat bearing, when i bought my enem3 a long time ago I purchased a koncave bearing at the same time and so I’ve never actually thown a yoyo with a flat bearing, should I just go ahead and order a bearing like a koncave or is there not much difference with flat?

I think you’ll be fine to rock on with the bearing in the Vanguard, but there’s no harm in buying a centering bearing to experiment with. If your Konkave is still in good shape, you could always try it in the Vanguard too. It should free spin with a finger flick for at least 10 seconds. If it doesn’t, it’s either worn out or needs cleaning.

No need to spend a lot of money on a bi-metal. There are plenty of quality yoyos in the market for far less money. And yes, the DM II is still a quality yoyo in a good price range.

Sure thing. Lots of folks who are much more skilled than I am like the OD 10 ball bearing. I don’t think you’ll have any problem using one. If money isn’t an issue and you want to try some other bearing, I’d say go for it. Early on, I tinkered with bearings, but now I just use whatever comes in a yoyo. Try not to overthink it. It’s easy to get sucked into the minutiae with any hobby. Just throw the Vanguard as much as possible. I’m an intermediate player, and it isn’t ever the equipment that limits my progress.

I will note that my OD bearings seem to start off quiet, then get loud as they break in. Once they get noisy, I deshield them, clean them in a jar of lighter fluid, dry with a paper towel, spin on a pencil tip to evaporate the lighter fluid, and apply a tiny drop of OD V4M bearing lube (spin to coat bearings). That quiets them down and seems to help them spin smoothly.

The Shutter is a very smooth throw. And also, the Too Hot would be a good buy. They are both pretty different. But both will take anything you can throw at it. The Too Hot is a little wider making it easier to land some string tricks at first. I learned on the Original HOT. But if I were you, I wouldn’t invest in anything much more expensive right off the bat just in case you end up losing interest. A Bi-Metal throw (If that is what you really want) is a good yo-yo. But in my opinion, and only my opinion, the cost of the throw doesn’t always mean the best. It just depends on what feels right in your hand. Good luck, and have fun! :peace_symbol: