I played a lot in 2010, and had a reasonably large youtube channel called “Runez4lyf”… Oh the good old days.
Anyway, I’m just getting back into the swing of things and was wondering the best brands and yo-yos around at the moment. My budget is $200, so most will be okay! Currently using my 888x.
One of the big differences between 2016 and 2010 is how good the budget market has gotten. You don’t to spend $150 or even $80 to get great performance anymore. I’d recommend holding off on a big splurge until you’re back into the hobby for a little while and know what’s out there and what you really want better.
Until then I’d recommend getting a $10 or $20 plastic like a YoyoJam Classic (plus silicone pads and a wide bearing to make it play unresponsive) or a C3 Speedaholic or a YoYoFactory Replay Pro. Or else a $45-50 budget metal like a One Drop Vanguard or a YYF Too HOT. You could even get an ultra budget metal like a $10 Magic YoYo N12 Shark Honor because they play great and get the job done too.
P.S. - Yes, that Chief is a great yoyo. Expensive, but great.
Bi-metals tend to sleep longer and be more stable. You can run the risk of them feeling a bit heavy and having a bit of a thud at the end of the string (I only have one bi-metal, the YYR Valkyrie, and it doesn’t have this problem). I think bi-metals are really good if you want a high performance yoyo so you should try one if you get the chance.
I got the 2sick Knight in yesterday its my only bimetal and at 63g it feels fantastic not to heavy on the string but still good spin times and stability. My only complaint is the bearing is insanely loud i swapped it out and have tried to clean and lube with no luck.
Basically, because of the different densities of the metals used in a bi-metal yoyo, you can get the spin time and stability due to the extreme weight around the rims of a bi-metal of a much heavier mono-metal yoyo without having to increase the weight. Most of the frenzy you’ll see around bi-metals is just hype in my opinion. The yoyos I listed for you can already perform virtually any trick out there.
I agree with old yoer on this. No need to go out and spend a ton. There are some great yoyos out there for a great price (under $50). Yoyofficer and yoyo factory both have many nice options in this price range. Even just a replay pro for $13 can do about any trick you can throw at it.