Might be a long time before I can get a new yoyo because the “don’t you have enough yoyos, what’s the difference” is in effect and even though I could buy another I’d rather play it smart and keep my family happy.
Anyway, I figure I should be able to get another throw by around the fourth of July or trade something even sooner and I was wondering about the Duncan Throw Monkey.
How does it play for 1a, 5a, and 4a (I think it’s used for 4a in the Duncan Ninja videos)?
How long do the friction stickers last?
The YYE page says that it has “interchangeable graphic side caps”, does that mean I can change the caps out?
It’s extremely outdated and doesn’t work for any playstyle very well. I would rather get something with O rings or sili pads since they can be replaced with silicone easily. You’re not going to find a yoyo that works for 1a and 5a while still performing well for 4a unless you’re buying a split decision but I bet that’s a little spendy for you. You can do 4a with just about any yoyo though just make sure to do it over grass or carpet and you’ll be fine.
As for your choices I’d take a look at:
Classic
Speedaholic
Surge
Magicyoyo N12
YoyoOfficer Kilter
The only reasonable duncan these days would be the freehand 2 since it comes stock pad recessed but it still can’t compete with the other yoyos I’ve listed. If you’re worried about the counterweight you can easily take a bouncy ball or regular dice and drill a hole in it for the same effect.
I’m really looking for a cheap, but nice, throw that I don’t have to worry about beating up.
I had a speedaholic and loved it, really great throw. Been thinking about getting one of the teal down the road. Not looking for a metal right now and I plan on beating it up any way. I’ll think about the surge or the classic. However, I kind of like the rubber rims on the throw monkey since I’m horrible at 4&5a and will drop it a bunch. The surge seems cool, but if I get one I’d probably take care of it and only use it for 1a.
I’m not worried about counterweights. I have a dice, a ZanNavi ball counterweight, and multiple “homemade” ones from bouncy balls.
I completely disagree with sparhawk; I think the Throw Monkey is an excellent choice for a “beater” throw.
The Throw Monkey is essentially a pad recessed Freehand 2 with rubber rims, so it is slightly heavier, but the feel is similar. The rubber rims are nice to have because if you are just getting into 4A and 5A, you will be dropping the yoyo a lot. The rims will cushion the plastic and make it less likely to crack.
It’s a pretty good throw for 1A and 5A if you have an unresponsive setup (I can do my tricks on it with no problem).
I learned 4A on the old non-recessed Throw Monkeys. I have never used the new version of the Throw Monkey for 4A, but I would suspect that they play similar if not the same. An added bonus for using a Throw Monkey for 4A is that your accuracy will increase because the yoyo is smaller than most offstring yoyos.
The friction stickers that come stock in the Throw Monkey are the old style rubber coated cloth friction stickers. These won’t last very long, so I would suggest picking up an 8 pack of friction stickers or 12mm silicone stickers (if you want less response). I should note also that the 8 and 48 pack of friction stickers are not like the old style. They are completely rubber and last a much longer time than the old style cloth friction stickers. The 4 pack of friction stickers that Yoyoexpert sells are the old style, so I wouldn’t bother with them.
I’ll tell you my setup for 1A and 5A just in case you decide to get one.
1 new style friction sticker
1 worn out old style friction sticker
And a broken-in bearing
I played with it right out of the package until both friction stickers were worn down to the cloth. I removed one of them and put in a new style friction sticker. The yoyo was still not dead unresponsive until I had broken in the bearing. If you don’t want to break in the bearing, clean or thin lube it and you should be fine.
I think the Throw Monkey also comes with a smaller set of spacers. I would suggest using these for 4A instead of the wide spacers.
I was going off of my previous experiences with the non recessed and didn’t realize duncan had also changed the throw monkey to a recessed model. I’m still not a fan of the overall shape of the throw and think something like the surge would be a better choice. It’s plenty durable and the response is easier to replace.
Thanks for the tip about the old vs new friction stickers! I have the old ones on my Mosquito (it was my first ball bearing yoyo and I still like to give it a throw now and then) and that’s why I was worried.
I’m not too worried about it being small for 4a since I learned the basic throw and catch on a Duncan Butterfly.
I agree that the old Throw Monkeys were not the greatest, but I do enjoy playing with the new version. I have never thrown a surge, but from looking at the pictures on the yoyoexpert store I don’t think it would be very good for 4A. The large bearing together with the thin silicone pads might result in loose offstring binds.
Plus, the surge looks too nice to be used as a beater throw.
I know right!? I no way I could ever use that for 5a, I’d feel bad every time I dropped it.
I’d probably just keep using my Griffinwing that is sorta broken because I accidentally overtightened it and broke the part that holds the bolt in place (works fine, just won’t open). Thanks though.
