So, here’s the story… I came across a thread on another site where someone modded a Peterfish Luminator, which struck my curiosity about their line as I had read you can get them pretty cheap. Soon, I found out they are available at Walgreens. My yo-yo desire was tingling again when I saw the Dominator loopers. Down the street is a Walgreens store. No, they did not have them in stock. Today, we went to another Walgreens out of randomness/luck that did stock these. At $2.49, I could not resist a bearing looper. It was actually cheaper than their basic Duncan Imperials (and there’s a reason why, which you’ll find out at the end of the review). I ended up leaving with a pair of them.
Looks: It looks like a slightly fatter version of the Duncan Professional (which I dearly miss). It has a black body, clear green caps, and a shiny metallic green pog underneath. Graphics are simple, has a Fish logo on 1 side, and YoTricks.com logo on the other.
Tech: Not sure what the exact weight is on this, it’s about the weight and size of my ProYo’s. Inside it has a bearing and a foam response system…Yes, foam. Made of the same material as the foam kiddie pads used for outdoor play. Under the caps are grooves you can actually pump some sili into for more weight, or stuff weight rings in (which is a plus). The cap has a thin metal ring inside of it but doesn’t feel like it does much.
Play:
Response-wise is a little slippy for a looper. I ended up tripling my loop around the axle for a less slippy grab. It still had it’s misses though. Not sure if it was my throw or not but this thing kept tilting. Perhaps it was the slim gap and I need to be more precise with my throws. I finally was able to manage a few loops. Total play with this was maybe an hour’s worth if I counted only the time I was actually using it. And here’s why.
Surfing their site, I found some tricks they posted on there. I attempted a regeneration when suddenly SMACK on our laminate floor. After winding it up, the yo-yo halves looked crooked. Unfortunately, the hub had cracked completely. Yes, is unusable now. Maybe I’ll try some superglue to fix this but part of the bearing wall (divides bearing seat and recess) is missing a chunk. In conclusion, you get you pay for. But I’d stay away from this if you’re learning 2A. Someone new to 2A is bound to have several yo-yo smacks happening and are going to be frustrated when they find their new throw is already useless due to a nasty crack and chip. Like I said, fortunately I got this for under $3. Had I spent the full $6 for each, I would have been more let down. If you’re going to 2A, just go with a ProYo instead. Sure it has no bearing but will definitely take on a few smacks.
Maybe I’ll try to repair one of these and try siliconing this but the other one I bought will live as a ‘collecter’ item (or as a painful reminder not to use it, lol).
Overall, I’d give this a 4/10. (would have been an 8/10 if it were not for the sever damage it faced from hitting the ground. I had hopes of trying some silicone and more weight rings in it. But due to damage, I’m afraid to even throw it now.) I’ll get pictures up as soon as I can get a new SD card for my camera.