Reviewing my Collection

[Blieske]

I want to try to review all the yoyos in my collection. I will keep the reviews here and will include a tier list.

This is my Tierlist. I will only have S, A, B, and C. Companies really don’t release yoyos below C tier to me. If I get something that warrants below a C, I will add an F Tier.

S Tier

Alter Ego, Recognition, Next Journey, Torino

A Tier

Klondike, Top Deck, Loadout, Tenma, Honey lemon, Council, Galaxy Driver, Blend 01, Pound, Mercy 4 7075, Mist, Samurai, Hypocrisy SE, Conpanna, Honey Badger 2024, Copperhead, Flank, Vector, Journey, Brass Don, Vigilancia, Legato 2, Lynx 2023, Mercy 3, Ethereal, Cent, Ray Hai ia, Sine//Saw, v11, Dang 2, FTP

B Tier

Free Solo, Shine, Flow, Hidra NXG, Mirage 2020, Rooster, VHS, T1 2020, Code #2, Re Pinecone, Cadence, Mod 44, Fyfo, Linear, Null, Prestige, Legato, Re master Galaxy, Dopamine, Pure 2, Icarus 7075, Leaf, Krown Fingerspin, Puff Adder, Movement, Kenshin, Icaria, Light, Neo Silenus, boreas pro, Emotion, V13 Deepspin

C Tier

Particle, Deeper State, Culprit, Ezspin 7068, Dema, Antidote, Freehand nextgen, Evangelion, Time Jacker, Eragon, Skyva, Spark, Drumbeat, Siege, Dune, Boy,

Before I do so, I want to share a few things about myself to help anyone who reads these reviews to understand how I perceive yoyos.

I have been yoyoing for over 10 years and have played over 100 yoyos. I have decent skill but I have only competed in amateur divisions in online tournaments. I am working to improve my abilities through learning more modern tricks, but I do not intend to grow to the level of a real competitor. I do not currently know any horizontal tricks, so my reviews will not be addressing horizontal.

I am used to yoyos that are between 45-48 mm in diameter with good spin times. Because of this, I may have a bias against yoyos that do not fit within these parameters.

I have experienced two yoyoers of equal skill level use the same yoyo and describe its play completely different, so you may disagree with my conclusions. That being said, I will try to include both objective and subjective information.

My reviews will include the following categories:

Performance: I rate performance based on four things, spintime, stability, binds, and catchability.

Fit and Finish: I will share my feelings on the quality control of the yoyo. Things like smoothness, finish, colorways, and unboxing experience may be included in this section. I don’t normally purchase multiple of the same yoyo so my experience may be different than others. I also buy secondhand frequently so that may affect my experience as well.

Tendencies: I will share how a yoyo feels to me in terms of speed, and weight. I will compare the yoyo to other yoyos I have to try to make this objective, but this is where I feel like most people differ when evaluating a yoyo.

Personal Opinion: I will share intangible characteristics about the yoyo, and share what I like or dislike about a specific design.

conclusion: I will share why someone may want to buy or may want to skip a specific yoyo.

[Blieske]

G2 Loadout:

The G2 loadout is G2s flagship monometal. It is described as the best all around yoyo by the company itself, and is made to appeal to the majority of yoyoers, while being the most accessible design from the company. The G2 Loadout has a release every Tuesday at 12pm eastern time give or take a few minutes. This makes the loadout the easiest yoyo to buy new from G2. It is also fairly accessible through the BST. The price ranges from 85-125 depending on colorway and can be bought secondhand from 75-110.

Diameter: 55.75
Width: 46.65
Weight: 64.4

Performance: The loadout fits within the accepted range of popular, competition models allowing it to be reasonably catchable. I don’t notice having a more difficult or an easier time landing tricks when I compare the loadout to other competition models. The loadout has good spin times but you may be searching for a little extra spin in situations where you make mistakes during a combo. That being said, I feel comfortable completing my longer combos on the loadout. Binds on the loadout are good to great. I don’t experience snag with the yoyo, and difficult binds are easier to execute than many other yoyos. Regens from those binds tend to be pretty consistent as well. I do occasionally experience slipped binds on the loadout though. The stability is good but I would not put it at the top tier of yoyos. When the yoyo is at the end of its spin, it tends to tilt more often than other competition models.

Fit and Finish: G2 is known for their quality control. I have owned three yoyos from G2 and all have been in the top tier of smoothness. That being said, I can detect the most miniscule amount of vibe on the Loadout. The colorways on the loadout are diverse and beautiful, you should not have to search hard to find one that blows you away. The finish is very smooth and great for grinds. G2 has a great unboxing experience including multiple stickers, a highend string, and a manly smelling air freshener.

Tendencies: The loadout has a medium light feeling on the string, but you can still detect some power in play. I prefer playing the loadout at a medium speed despite its lightness. It has a pleasing float that makes it less desirable for extreme speeds.

Personal Opinion: I quite enjoy the loadout. It feels very premium and performs quite well. I love the colorway and will probably keep the loadout in my collection for the forseeable future. That being said, it has not moved its way into being one of my favorite yoyos of all time. It lacks an intangible satisfying feeling for me that would catapult it to that level.

Conclusion: If you want to try a G2, or if you are looking for something premium, with great colorways that can handle competition tricks, this is a great yoyo to get. Also, if you are a fan of the free solo, you may also like the loadout. They have very similar shapes. The Loadout is lighter, faster, and smoother while the free solo has a slightly heavier, old school feeling.

[Blieske]

Yoyofriends Shine

The Yoyofriends shine is a monometal design from Yoyofriends. This yoyo is the signature model for Drake Bogataj. Yoyofriends has released quite a few yoyos in the last year and the shine seems to have gone under the radar. It has a very simple looking design with common specs. A new shine costs $45-50 depending on colorway. You can find a used shine for $20-35.

Diameter:	55.96 mm / 2.2 inches
Width:	45.96 mm / 1.81 inches
Gap Width:	4.50 mm / 0.18 inches
Weight:	64.8 grams

Performance: The shine is a performance yoyo. It is made to be used in competition and it can be felt. The yoyo, though simple in design, has very impressive performance. It spins long enough for me to complete my longest combos even if I make mistakes. Though it has a great spin time, there are other yoyos that spin longer than it. The yoyo also maintains stability even when the yoyo is at the end of its spin. The Shine has incredible binds. Though I feel like I execute binds just as frequently with other yoyos, the difference is how perfect the binds feal. This allows me to more confidently complete regens off of difficult binds.

Fit and Finish: Yoyofriends may be the best in the business at producing inexpensive smooth yoyos. I received this yoyo as part of their new years mystery monometal sale. The shine cost me $23 dollars including shipping, and I don’t think I have experienced a better value. The yoyo is very smooth and the finish feels nice. Colorways are all very simple though.

Tendencies: The Shine has a medium feeling weight on the string, and plays at a medium speed. This makes the shine very predictable and very controllable.

Personal Opinion: The shine is a very good option for an inexpensive, competition monometal. It is extremely consistent and controllable in play making it easier to focus on trick execution. That being said, it is not an extremely unique yoyo. I have quite a few other yoyos that do almost the exact same thing so the shine doesn’t add that much variety to my collection.

Conclusion: If you are looking for a top tier performer at a cheap price, the shine fits the bill. If you are wanting to experiment with interesting and risky binds, the shine is a great option. That being said, if you have yoyos like a recognition, an emotion, a cadence, or many others that fit in the category of reliable, monometal competition designs, then you may want to save your money for something a little more unique.

[Blieske]

Iyoyo Hydra NXG:

The Hidra NXG is an updated version of the popular Hidra. The Hidra was released in 2016 and was one of Iyoyos most popular models. It was labeled as one of the best designs for maximizing an H-shaped monometal. The Hidra NXG combines modern trends with older trends by making a wide competition Monometal while including some mid-weight. The price is $54.99 new regardless of colorway. I have not seen very many being sold secondhand so I can’t comment on exact price, but I would assume you could find one between $35-45.

Diameter:	55.90 mm / 2.2 inches
Width:	46.00 mm / 1.81 inches
Gap Width:	4.50 mm / 0.18 inches
Weight:	65.3 grams

Performance: The Hydra NXG has great performance. It has a very strong spin with great stability. I am able to make it through all of my combos without worry even if I am playing sloppy. Binds are good but sometimes unpredictable. It is more likely to snag on binds then slip but due to this, I don’t have complete confidence when performing binds. That being said, I would say that my binds perform the way I want 80% of the time.

Fit and Finish: The packaging is forgettable, So I don’t recall what that was like. The yoyo is really smooth. There is slight fingernail vibe but definitely in the top tier of quality. The finish is nice. It is very matte and is almost chalky in feeling.

Tendencies: The Hidra NXG has a heavier feel in play. Because of this its a tad slower than other performance monometals. It does not feel sluggish to me though and does not diminish my joy while playing with it.

Personal Opinion: I enjoy this yoyo, and I love the design. The shape, cuts, and weight distribution contribute to a very aesthetically pleasing look. The performance is quite good, and the yoyo has a slight nostalgic feeling to it. I hope to see more and more yoyos with modern specs that include mid-weight soon. It is not, however, one of my favorite yoyos. It feels just a tad heavier than what I prefer, so I do not grab it as much as other yoyos and I do not crave its play feel.

Conclusion: If you are looking for a do it all performance monometal, this is a great option. If you want something that feels a little bit nostalgic without compromising on performance, give this a try. If you are constantly thinking that your monometal yoyos feel a little wimpy and you wish they had more power, then this will likely be your jam. If you require super speed bouncy yoyos to be happy, then this yoyo likely isn’t for you. Overall, I feel like this yoyo would make most people happy.

[Blieske]

Sense Fake-Two-Piece (FTP)

Sense yoyo is a lesser known, Chinese company. They started out as yoyopalace, and rebranded to sense yoyo. Their rebrand came from controversy in both the United States and in China. In the US there were allegations that Yoyopalace was using artwork without permission, and players in China were upset that certain yoyos created by a Chinese company weren’t even released in China. They have since focused on creating their own image and have shifted their market more to people in China. Despite controversy, Yoyopalace has released many incredible throws at very reasonable prices. Their quality, in my experience, has also been higher than other budget Chinese brands. Sense is one of the few companies that I have purchased multiple yoyos from without any of their bearings needing to be cleaned or replaced within the first week of use.

The FTP is the monometal version of their Anti-mono yoyo. It takes the same shape and reimagines it for a monometal design. Sense made this design with the idea of creating interest aesthetics, and were pleasantly surprised with the performance. They compared the designs ability to its most performance driven bimetal design. The FTP is $45 new and can be found occasionally secondhand for $25-35.

Diameter:	55.92 mm / 2.2 inches
Width:	45.50 mm / 1.79 inches
Gap Width:	4.50 mm / 0.18 inches
Weight:	65.5 grams

Performance: The FTP is a performance driven monometal. It has a strong spin and great stability. I don’t worry about finishing my combos. Its powerful spin gives me great confidence while using it. Binds are great! They are consistent and tight and rarely snag. Regens are also great due to the good binds and the slightly organic shape. The only knock I have on the performance of the yoyo is its catchability. It has a decent width, but its shape does not maximize its width. It feels like it has the catchabiltiy of a yoyo of 44mm rather than the 45.5. It is still very usable in a competition setting, but I do miss bigger tricks more with this yoyo than other similarly sized competition models.

Fit and Finish: Sense yoyo has interesting and consistent packaging. It comes in a well designed grey box with two high quality strings, The packaging looks nice, but is only slightly better than other companies that use consistent, branded packaging. The FTP has several beautiful colorways that show thoughtfulness and a good eye for design. The finish is smooth and beautiful. As I have mentioned before, Sense yoyo puts care into their bearings. They don’t market them as anything special, but each bearing has been smooth, long spinning, and reliable. This is my experience across the 4 yoyopalace/sense yoyos that I have purchased. The machining is done with care and the yoyo feels incredibly smooth. I do not know who machines Sense yoyos but they are doing an incredible job. I do not feel like I am using budget design when using a Sense yoyo.

Tendencies: The FTP has a medium heavy feel on the string. You know where the yoyo is at all times. The power and weight of the yoyos allow for a very controllable feel. It moves at the pace you push it, slowing down and speeding up according to your desire. I would say it wants to go at a medium speed but is up for any speed you want to use. Pushing it too fast can cause you to lose control because though, as the yoyo seeks to maintain its momentum and isn’t very quick to slow down.

Personal Opinion: The FTP is a very enjoyable yoyo. It is comfortable in the hand, has great power, and is just a reliable yoyo in general. I have enjoyed organic v hybrid yoyos and the FTP may be one of the very best. Its shape is very reminiscent of the fyfo for a fraction of the price, and I may prefer the FTP. It is more powerful and smoother than the fyfo, while the fyfo has a bit more float and feels a bit lighter.

Conclusion: If you are looking for a premium feeling, high performance budget monometal with good colorways the FTP is a wonderful option. If you enjoys yoyos with an organic v shape, like the fyfo or the kappa, then you will almost certainly like the FTP. The FTP is a very safe bet at its price, it is an easy recommendation for anyone.

[Blieske]

Sense Next Journey:

The Sense Next Journey is one of Ahmad Kharisma’s signature yoyos. Ahmad Kharisma has been a part of the competition scene in Asia for a long time and is known for his intricate and innovative tech tricks. The Next journey is a monometal yoyo with a dual rim. It was designed to be more a of a casual yoyo made to have fun and inspire new tricks. The Next journey can be bought new for 40 and can occasionally be found for less secondhand.

Diameter:	56.45 mm / 2.22 inches
Width:	46.79 mm / 1.84 inches
Gap Width:	4.50 mm / 0.18 inches
Weight:	65.9 grams

Performance: Though the next journey was not designed for performance, that doesn’t stop it from being extremely usable. It has a very strong spin and is quite stable. I never worry about it losing spin and rarely have it tilt. Its binds, however, are not the greatest. It never snags but it often slips. I have to be very intentional about risky binds or the yoyo will never catch. I use Sochi fat which is a thicker string but still experience this problem. There is a possibility that changing pads or using an even thicker string would help, but I personally have never noticed a big difference between pads in terms of responsiveness and I experience the same sort of binds on a yoyo regardless of the response pads installed. Gap width affects binds way more than response pads. The size of the yoyo makes it plenty catchable. I do not notice myself missing tricks because of the shape of the yoyo.

Fit and Finish: Sense packages all of its yoyos in the same well designed box. I like it and I find the unboxing experience pleasant. The Next Journey comes in multiple different finishes with an emphasis on laser engravings. I have one of the original editions with the somewhat plaid laser engravings. I am a fan of brighter colored yoyos, so I thought that I wouldn’t be a fan of the grey and brown, but it looks quite good in person. The finish is matte and quite pleasant in the hand. The next journey is incredibly smooth and the bearing it comes with is very long spinning and reliable.

Tendencies: The next journey has a medium feeling in play, and prefers to play at a mid-speed. It responds very well to movements, and easily moves from fast to slow, and from slow to fast.

Personal Opinion: This is one of my few S tier yoyos, meaning that it is one of my favorite yoyos of all time. The first time I picked up the Next Journey, I new there was something special about it. It is comfortable in the hand, has an extremely satisfying spin, has a great design, and great performance. I have had this yoyo for over a year, and each time I use it, I think “wow, this is a great yoyo.” I don’t quite know what qualities make it so great to me, but I do know that I would pick this yoyo over anything I have bought within the last 5 years, and it was only $40. If its binds were a little better, it could very well be a perfect yoyo for me.

Conclusion: The Next Journey is an incredible yoyo for a great price. It has great performance, a unique design, feels great in play, and is less than $50. This is a yoyo that I think everyone should have at least one of. I do not often buy multiples of the same yoyo, but I may need to get a second to ensure that I have a well-maintained Next Journey for the rest of my life.

[Jdrabik]

Next Journey is so good! Definitely one of the more underrated yoyos out there. I think that the way the double rims center the mass make it feel more maneuverable than other yoyos of its size imo. It’s just a very comfortable yoyo overall and very easy to get into a throw with. Also, the different colors and engravings are all top-notch.

[Blieske]

Magicyoyo V13 Deepspin:

The Magicyoyo V13 Deepspin is magicyoyos iteration in one of the current mainstream yoyo trends. Led by Mir Kim’s signature models, more and more companies are producing bimaterial yoyos that put plastic on the rims. The plastic rims add an extra element for designers to use to dial in weight distribution. All yoyos that I have tried with this trend have an extra fun element that is sometimes lost when only focusing on performance. Magicyoyo provides possibly the cheapest option of this trend at $28.99

Diameter: 56.2mm
Width: 48.9mm
Weight: 68g

Performance: The V13 follows modern trends of performance by having a wide design with long spins. It is able to complete all of my combos without worry. I do feel it slowing down toward the end of my combos, so if you are just looking for spin time, there are other yoyos that spin longer. Binds are good but not great. They typically go the way I expect, but do not feel overly satisfying. The extra width makes regens a little harder out of binds but they are doable. The stability is less than many competition models, but with clean play, the yoyo will do what you expect. I usually don’t mention this when talking about performance, but the weight distribution is something that I notice in performance. It is floaty. Its floaty to the point that I have to adjust the way I play in order to land the yoyo properly. This may make the yoyo unsuitable for faster competition players.

Fit and Finish: The V13 comes with the extras that are typical of Magicyoyo. The yoyo comes set up with a responsive bearing, but includes an extra axel and a regular c size bearing. It also comes with an individual hard case, a bearing removal tool and extra strings. Magicyoyo is not known for its quality control but modern manufacturing allows for most yoyos to be smooth enough. The V13 is not dead smooth, but I only notice the vibe when i am looking for it.

Tendencies: The V13 is hard to pin down in terms weight. Its weight is not fully placed on the rims making it feel a little lighter than its but its 68g can be felt. This creates a weirdly floaty feeling. Because of the float and weight, it plays at a slower pace. I have to slow down my movements to not mess up my tricks.

Personal Opinions: The V13 is a fun yoyo that can perform quite well. It pretty good for fingerspins and has a unique feeling in play. If you are looking for an inexpensive way to try a bimatarial yoyo, this is a great option. If you are looking for something a little different, you will find that in the V13. If you are looking for a first time unresponsive yoyo, this is a decent option but it would not be my recommendation. Its float, and slight issues with stability make it a yoyo more suitable for someone with a little more experience.