I’ve been meaning to write a small review for this yoyo for a while now; The guys over at Square Wheels ran a promotion/giveaway a few weeks back, and I was lucky enough to win this Rockefeller. I finally decided to sit down tonight and write something up, so without further ado:
The Square Wheels Yo-Yo Company: The Rockefeller
Specs
- Diameter: 55mm
- Width: 45mm
- Weight: 66g
- Bearing: C-Size OD 10 Ball
- Response: Square Wheels Pad
First Impressions/Construction
The Rockefeller was shipped to me unassembled in a small flat rate priority USPS box. Each half was fitted in a cut foam insert that was placed in the box, with the axle and bearing in a separate bag. It was fun to unbox- there’s something cool about putting it it together for the first time. Included was a black carrying pouch, a string, and the Rockefeller box. I’m a fan of the Square Wheels box, the embossed logo looks really great!
The ano job is superb - This is the “Gulf Coast” colorway, a blue/black swirl that looks even more amazing in person. Its finish is very nice, giving a soft feel in the hand.
The Rockefeller has an aggressive V shape; the catch zone is very open, with the V shape ending at a set of rounded rims. (Stray observation: even though this is a full-sized 55mm throw, the V shape makes it feel a lot smaller in the hand.) In the cup you are greeted with a fairly sharp center spike, a pronounced inner ring, and a ridge halfway in the cup. An IGR is also present.
During Play
This is a fairly quick yoyo. On the string, the Rockefeller is stable, and can easily be pushed to a quick pace. Although it can be played fast, it doesn’t make me feel as though I have to “catch up” to it (I’m looking at you, Phenom), so playing at a more relaxed pace is more than possible. It has a nice presence on the string- not too heavy or light feeling, but you know it’s there. It also has a small amount of float to it. The catch zone is huge, which makes hitting tricks a breeze, and the generous gap allows for multiple string wraps/layers. I don’t grind much during my throw sessions, but grinding with the Rockefeller is easy - the catch zone is great for finger grinds, and the IGR is well-defined and easy to hit. The Rockefeller also gets extra points for the spikes, which are sharp enough to pull-start and grab during play for matador-style tricks. In terms of horizontal play, the shape of the Rockefeller is well-suited for it, and I had no trouble doing the whopping 3 horizontal combos/tricks I know.
The response is their new pad response, which I found to be very similar to the white Snow Tires/C3 response, only slightly less gummy and a little more snappy, which I liked. The stock bearing that shipped with it was the OD 10 ball, which needs no explanation. I ended up switching it out for a Terrapin X bearing, as I’ve been using the Terrapin bearings in more of my throws lately.
Bottom Line
Great, solid yoyo from the guys at Square Wheels. It plays just as awesome as it looks. I definitely recommend picking one up when they officially release.
Other Stuff
Profile comparison: Royale, REX, Rockefeller
Video of me using it the weekend I got it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TijNxZ9_JAU
If you have any questions, feel free to ask! This is the first I’ve written a review for a yoyo, so if there’s anything I forgot to mention, feel free to point it out to me.