What should I use to take off bearings that are wedged in the yoyo really well? I’ve heard of peeople using pliers, but won’t that kill the bearing?
Nope. Needle nose pliers are the way to go.
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I like the curved pliers, that go around the bearing, to prevent slipping.
They can damage the bearing, if you have a really cheap sheet-metal one made in (some random country).
But, if you have a regular yoyo bearing like YYF or YYJ, the bearing should be very resilient, and pliers are the way to go.
As far as technique goes, I like to fold a paper towel or napkin to go between the pliers and bearing, because my pliers have teeth. I try to wiggle the bearing in a circular motion, gently, to try to loosen it before pulling firmly to remove it. It may feel like loosening it doesn’t even move the bearing, try it for a minute or two. You can also use string for hubstack bearings. Get the string to loop around the bearing and pull it off in a circular motion (the string should be going around the bearing as you pull).
put the yoyo half with the bearing on it in the freezer for like 15 minutes then use pliers to wiggle them off if the wont come off with just pliers alone
Please don’t expose your yoyo to any harsh temperature like the freezer IF it contains plastic, because your yoyo may crack.
IF it’s metal, then you can try freezing your yoyo. But be careful, it may stick to your hand.
If you told us which yoyo you have, we could probably give better advice.
Channel lock pliers work well for really stuck ones.