Out of the loop, need some help.

Hi, I’m not new to yoyoing. I’ve been yoyoing since 2008 off/on, given some years I barely picked it up for 5 minutes a month. I’ve recently really started to enjoy it again, and have decided I’d like to put some more time in it. Problem? My yoyo’s are outdated, I haven’t replaced or lubed a bearing in years, and I’m pretty sure my Lyn Fury and Protostar aren’t going to hold out for that much longer.

Here’s the problem, I’ve been “Out of the loop” for awhile now.

I’ve come back and there’s many, many, more yoyo’s and manufacturers then I remembered. Names that I remembered now have dozens of models to choose from instead of 5 or 6.

So I’m asking, what’s good? What’s bad? What’s preference?

I honestly don’t know where to start looking in terms of buying a new Yoyo.

That’s a pretty big question you’re asking there. I’d probably look around and narrow it down a bit. What we might be able to say with some certainty:

One Drop seems to be the player’s choice for a solid, vibe-less, excellent player. I’m not saying every person loves every One Drop, but their machining has really facilitated the growth of the small throw companies, and the same skill that they employ in all those cases also goes into their own throws…usually at a better price too. Hard to go wrong.

CLYW has also made a huge push. Their throws are considered pretty pricey, but they are also fantastic by and large. Probably the most liked (maybe also the most controversial?) company out there. Definitely gotta give the Chief and Arctic Circle a look, they’re making a splash.

Besides that…so many more great throws. Spyy’s Pro and Solaris are top tier, X cubed is excellent for unique designs, YYF’s Genesis seems to be the go to full size on a budget, this could go on forever.

Well, I would take a look at a OD Burnside if I were you. A bit larger than the protostar (as it is a full-size throw), it has a decent price of $85, which seems to be a medium price, comparing it to a lot of the prices of the new yoyos. It comes with a 10-ball bearing, which I LOVE, it is super super smooth, and I think you will just love the shape. I know I do.

Why not something cheaper? Maybe a Pgm?

You could, but he said he already had a protostar, so I thought he wanted something more expensive, better, and all metal

I say go with a metal that’s not super expensive since you are just getting back into it. I’ve never played these, but I’ve heard great things about the C3 Di Base and Capless.

I was away for a bit too. At least from the boards and shopping. It is an overwhelming market out there. And everything looks so good.