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Hello Yo Frrrreaaaaks! What’s going on in your neck of the woods today???
I’d like to begin by saying that this comparison is not wholly fair in my opinion because there are certain nuances that make the yoyos different Therefore the ONLY REAL REASON to even bother with such a comparison is because they are at least, both the same stock weight and relatively close in price: The Raptor is $39.99 and the Dv888 is $44.99. Hopefully the following observations may help some people who have not tried these yoyos yet and are not sure.
SPECS:
RAPTOR: 2011 DV888:
Style: String Trick (1a, 3a. 5a) (1a, 3a, 5a)
Diameter: 54mm/ 2.13 inches 50.04 mm/ 1.97 inches
Width: 39.6mm/ 1.56 inches 40.58mm/ 1.6 inches
Gap Width: 4.4mm/ .17 inches 4.67mm/ .18 inches
Weight: 66 grams (caps off) / 2.33 Oz. 66 grams 2.33 Oz.
Bearing: Size C Size C
Response: Duncan Silicone Pad K-Pad
Trapeze Width: 38mm/ 1.50 Inches 27mm/ 1.06 inches
Designed in : USA USA
Made in: China China
Ages: 12+ 8+
The Raptor is an exciting budget yoyo that is a great example of what Duncan can do when they want to. And here they are flexing a bit of muscle: Included are two clear plastic side caps which add 5 grams more to the yoyo making it weigh 71 grams and 2 extra sets of silicone pads. Just this alone makes it an irresistible impulse buy. And with a name like the Raptor which is a predator, it sounds really cool. Plus the wing shape of it is rather aggressive, and kind of looks like a Raptor claw. COOL!!
The Raptor has incredible looking finishes. The colors are so deep, rich and vibrant. When I saw them the first time in the sun light, I was blown away. They just glow! And the finish on this is superb. Feels like glass, super slick.
The handling of the Raptor is very very good . It is comfortable to hold as well as on returns. It is very lofty with the caps off, and has fairly decent speed. It has good stability and is very smooth. The Raptor has a catch zone making for easy catches and it’s slick surface reduces string friction meaning no snags and no drag… The 4.4mm gap easily accepts multiple string layers, and binds are nice and tight.
Grinding on the Raptor is excellent for finger, palm and arm only. It’s inner rim leaves much to be desired if you like to do IRG’s. Aside from this, the Raptor can handle any trick you throw at it. Whether you’re just starting out or are an advanced player, you can do it all.
The Raptor does have a couple items I don’t like though. At 66 grams (caps off) I feel it doesn’t spin as long as it could. I get more spin from other throws I have at 66 grams such as the YYF Chaotic, OD 54(with brass domes), the YYJ SFX and YYF Dv888 (the latter two revolving around the $40 mark). From the pics below, you can see how the Raptor’s inner rim is cut off to accept the caps. I prefer the rim to extend fully out to the edge to give it more natural stability and increased spin. You need to play with the caps on for the design to play up to it’s full potential. The point there, is it plays a lot slower and more sluggish. Personally, I dont like the caps as they make the yoyo look less appealing. The Caps are also made of very cheap and brittle plastic. You must be cautious when taking them off.
I feel that there is room for improvement with the Raptor as Duncan could have made a thicker inner rim so there’d be greater spin time, better balance and we could do Irgs! But hey, you can’t have everything at $39.99. (Yet).
YYF Dv888:
The boast about the Dv888 is that it’s the best full metal budget yoyo on the market so why wouldn’t you want to buy one? Well if you’re an undersized lover, it’s a no brainer, but if you don’t have size preferences and don’t take the extras into consideration, then it’s really about performance.
The Dv888 has an appealing compact look. It’s form is a combination of the Round and H Shape with very visible thick rim weight on it’s flat rims. There are letters printed on the sides of the rims which give the yoyo a racing tire look. It really looks cool, no doubt. It currently comes in 3 finishes, Blue, Red and Gun Metal Grey. I bought the grey one since they don’t have Black yet.
The feel of the yoyo is also very comfortable. It’s different from the Raptor, but equally comfortable. It’s dimensions offer really good torque on the throw too. Moreso than the Raptor in my opinion. The Dv888 comes to you totally unresponsive and is an excellent, excellent performer. For an entry level YYF budget throw, it lives up to it’s boast and plays as good as higher priced throws. I’m not kidding either. I’ve bought 9 other undersized throws from various brands, including, the 2011 Yuuksta, (2) YYF 888x’s, YYFChaotic, SPYY Supra, SPYY Stryker, ST Quark, ST Singularity, and Hspin Pyro 3. The Dv888 can definitely keep up with them, just do a simple sleeper test and you’ll see (I got 5:12). For $44.99, it gives you a lot of bang with high end performance.
It has excellent balance and stability and carries momentum to great lengths throughout play. It has very good float, and has more speed than I originally thought. It has a nice wide catch zone making catches easy. It has a wide gap for easy layering of string and there is also no string snag or drag. Grinding on the Dv888 is excellent! I find it’s surface to be juwt excellent for finger, palm, arm grinds and IRGS too! I got it to grind for 8 sec edging out the Raptor’s 5.5 sec grind. Also, you can reach master level tricks with it absolutely with no problems.
As of this writing I’ve not found any shortcomings with this design in relation to it’s price point.
Conclusion:
In Terms of Value, the Raptor beats the Dv888 because of the extra sili stickers and caps and costs less.
In Terms of Color ,the Raptor edges out the Dv888 as it offers more vibrant colors to choose from. (Of course this issue may be very subjective).
In Terms of Weight, the Raptor beats the Dv888 as it offers up to 3 different weights that you can play and experiment with.
In Terms of Surface Finish, the Raptor is smoother to the touch.
In Terms of Smoothness, At 66 grams, I find both very comparable. After doing several fingernail tests on both, I can’t put one above the other as both are equally smooth!!!
In Terms of Speed, I find them both comparable.
In Terms of Comfort, they are both very comfortable despite being different shapes!
Finally, after running the string trick gauntlet with both yoyos, through repetitious observation, trial and Strictly comparing both throws stock at 66 grams, I consider the Dv888 to be the winner by close margin,on the following points:
The Dv888
1. Spins longer than the Raptor during combo sleep time as well as undisturbed sleepers.
2. Carries more power and momentum.
3. Is even more stable from beginning to end.
4. Can do IRGs (Raptor Can’t).
5. Can fit into tighter string segments and spaces.
6. Has better balance throughout play.
(The Raptor is not too far behind the Dv888 but the diff. is there).
BUT things Change favorably when you put the Caps on the Raptor. At 71 grams, the playing field becomes more level between the two. But then this comparison is not fair to the Dv888. The added weight improves spin, stability, momentum, balance and smoothness on the Raptor. But the extra weight does make it play slower and more sluggish than the Dv888, and there is still no IRG on the Raptor. If I were to grade these 2 in relation to each other in gym class, performance wise, the Dv888 would get an A and the Raptor a B+…The Raptor is a beast for sure, but the Dv888 is more Beast!
Bottom Line: Every player may have diff needs and perspectives you know?? Size and weight preferences, etc. Both yoyos have great appeal, assets and benefits as you can see. There are several reasons to choose the Raptor over the Dv888 despite the 6 points listed above Such as price, value, colors and weights. so If you do get one, you’ll be satisfied with it guaranteed.
BUT if you are very, very demanding and a real nit picker that can spend the extra $5 bucks, then I’d recommend the Dv888!!! As you’d be getting a stream lined powerhouse with even more high end performance that you’d expect to find in some higher priced throws…