To Lube or Not to Lube, That is the Poll

  • I play my unresponsive bearings dry
  • I use the tiniest, perfect amount of thin lube
  • I always overlube and spend hours throwing until it’s spinning freely again

0 voters

2 Likes

I am also curious of those who prefer “dry” if you do so because you prefer a noisy yo-yo?

7 Likes

I prefer dry because most of the time when I try using thin lube, I end up with choice number 3 :sweat_smile:

2 Likes

Compressed air to spin it out, my man. This also breaks in the bearing in the process.

H Y P E R S P I N ™

8 Likes

Most of my bearings aren’t very noisy to begin with, but if they do get unbearably noisy, I’m sure I’ll start lubing. It just hasn’t happened yet.

1 Like

Ive heard that before, matter fact Imma try that tonight

2 Likes

I like bringing my yoyos to work, as my user name might suggest. Early on in my throwing days (a little over a year ago) I started receiving comments from coworkers in nearby cubicles about how much noise my yoyos were making. Since then I make sure only to bring quiet yoyos to work, which are the ones with bearings I’ve cleaned and lubed.

3 Likes

I bought something from YYF I got some dark matter lube for free. That’s all i use now and it works great

2 Likes

I’m not sure if anyone else does this but when I apply lube, I put a drop of lube on the needle of a pin, then apply the leftover lube that’s still attached to the pin into the bearing.

This consistently gives me like a half or a 3rd of a “drop” of lube and it’s just enough to make it quiet and smooth without making it go responsive.

4 Likes

Yea, I see a lot of tutorials suggest the needle point method or whatever, and it has always worked well for me. If you dont lube your bearings they will eventually rust. I dont want that so I lube. Also makes them quieter. I dont care about the extra 5 to 10 seconds of spin time I’d get if I didn’t.

3 Likes

I’m convinced that this is gonna be the name of your sig yoyo

3 Likes

Ditto here. Bearing on a pencil, One drop of One drop and blow it out leaving the perfect ever so slight lube. I try and not over speed it when spinning as I think I’ve killed one or two that way.

Typically renders a very quiet bearing.

1 Like

I find posting on a bearing removal tool to be better at keeping the bearing level and secure while it spins.

2 Likes

Taper part of the pencil and it stays put even at 120 psi if you point the nozzle the right way… moves a lot for me on the bearing tool.

Edit. Been doing it this way long before i had the bearing tool, so whatever style works for you the result is what you want that’s what you should do.

2 Likes

:joy: ceramic with the dry lube- terrapin nice bearing. Ordered a delta™ and it came flat, I contacted them and he sent over the correct bearing expedited shipping and said to keep the flat.

I go with the NSK micro pin drop of lube. But they come pre lubed.

The premise of the post was I think for performance per player needs. So if you’re playing it dry or almost dry just enough for corrosive resistance you want it as unresponsive as it gets.

Everyone is different, but a dry bearing doesn’t always translate into longer spin durations. Thicker the viscosity or the lube the more responsive the yo-yo will play. If you’re a tech player you usually want those wider gaps for more wraps and allowing a worthy string. Also the pads, the more dense the pad the less responsive it will play along with the width and dia of the pad or the response pad seat You can combat this with playing with thinner strings. Guys n gals that regen and have enough room in the gap or beginners usually like that “snappy” response.

Over lube can be a long wait for cleaning it -

Good thread

2 Likes

Early on I made the mistake of over lubing a bearing, a mistake I’ll never make again! I honestly feel that acetone for cleaning followed by the teeniest little bit of thin lube applied with a pin once the acetone has been dried with compressed air is the finest method of bearing maintenance :slight_smile:

2 Likes

Well thank ya, never done a poll before so I thought Id give it a shot, see what happens.

Hey has anyone ever used 3-in-1 oil in place of thin lube?

1 Like

That is thick lube not thin.

2 Likes

Well it’s a good thing I didnt use any yet :slight_smile:

1 Like