what is the difference between a bearing with it’s shields on or one with it’s sheilds off? Witch will be more smooth\unresponsive. I would love to know.
Really, none.
No shield there might have a risk of something getting in it but easier to lube and clean.
Nothing will be more responsive or what not.
I personally think it is smoother without the shields.
Well, if your like me, then you aren't very skilled in the modding world. If it is difficult to for you to remove the shields, which you must do everytime you clean the bearing (cleaning your bearing is necessary for most 1A yoyos,) than i would leave the shields.
Now is there a slightly better chance that you will get dirt in your bearing if it is always deshielded? Yes. But, can that be prevented by simply thin lubing and taking good care of your yoyo? Yes.
I leave the shields off of my yoyo, but the power is in your hands (i love that saying,) and it just depends on how protective you are over your yoyo/bearing.
Hope this helps!!!
-AtlyoyohitmanWithout shields can let dirt/other particles into it easier, and having to clean it more frequently that with shields.
With shields, you have to remove, and do this/that, the whole 9-yards. It doesn’t matter, but I think without shields is better, and it looks cool.
OR: You can have one shield in and one out so you can clean the bearing on one side, but either way, you’d have to take it out of the Yo-Yo. 
LOL, until u get alot of dirt in it, really just keep the shields on
I prefer no shields.
I never get dirt in my deshielded bearings.
I personally think that companies put shields on their bearings for a reason. With or without shields, I don’t find it to be performance changing, which means I find it better to just keep the shields in.
You actually do, but you don’t realize it. I do too. If you play a new cleaned bearing without shields, then about a week or two later, you take a needle and scrape in the outer ring in the inside, there will be a lot of dirt.
I don’t have any problems with my Spec Unshielded bearing.
Yeah, I kind of meant I don’t get enough dirt that it can affect the play.
I know I do get dirt in it.
Oh I see.
To the ones that keep their bearings deshielded:
Do you keep your yo-yo in your pocket? If you don’t, do you notice a big difference in performance if you do?
Also, if it’s easier to get dirt in your bearings if they’re deshielded, can’t you just swish them around in some mineral spirits again? The frustrating part of the cleaning process (taking the shields off) is already done with.
But you can’t clean your bearings too much or it will die much faster.
Taking the shields off isn’t really a lot of work. After you’ve done it a couple of times it works easily. When I lube my yoyos, I just leave the bearing in the seat while deshielding one side of it and then I put the shield back in when I’m done lubing it. Not really that much work. And I don’t clean my bearings that often.
Thank you!
Finally, somebody made a point! 
Hmm, I kinda doubt that. However, cleaning them and running them dry (unlubed) will make them die faster - maybe that’s what you meant?
Well the actual cleaning process isn’t good on the bearing. Sure, it would take many many many cleanings to do anything to it but cleaning does affect it slightly negatively. However, the general positive outcome of being clean is greater than that negativity.
IF you deshield a yo-yo the bearing is more likley to get dirty but plays better
If you leave the shields on the bearing will play the same, just have less chances of getting dirty