When im looking to buy a yoyo I need to know if it’s right for me. Most yoyo reviews are positive which should be good until you find out there was an annoying flaw that was left out. Maybe its just because the yoyo community is so small, but it feels very difficult to gage if you will actually like a yoyo until you buy it. I guess what someone likes about a yoyo is subjective, its just disheartening to spend 60$ on a yoyo and then play it to find out it sucks.
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I’m not going to say anything necessarily bad about a yoyo because the majority of yo-yos are made by 3 manufacturers and they rarely release something that is bad. Instead of a review of good or bad, which I feel is pretty subjective and like you said gives little information if someone else would like it, I try to compare a throw to a shutter and a shutter wide angle. Most people have used them and knows how they play so they can determine if that is what they’re looking for in a yoyo.
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It’d be helpful to post your concrete example(s) instead of vague posting. What’s the throw, what’s the flaw, why does it suck to you?
tbh imho there haven’t been any yo-yos that are outright “bad” since like 2008 or earlier.
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I think he means in general. It’s true, 90% of yoyos can be considered good quality, there’s nothing objectively bad about them. The downside is that there are significant differences in how they feel on the string, in-person aesthetic, as well as certain points of performance that can only be observed in person.
In my own experience, it has made me anxious knowing that my budget only allows for the purchase of one yoyo, when there are hundreds, if not thousands, of options. Pictures and specs can only tell so much.
It’s unfortunate because in the realm of online commerce there is not much in the way of “try before you buy.” Emphasis on before. While yes, if you make a purchase and then decide later that it doesn’t click, you can list it on the BST, but most times, unless it’s a coveted collector’s piece, you will be lucky to break even, if you’re able to sell/trade it at all. This process as a whole also happens over the course of an extended period of time, and can be considered a hassle.
There are some who have made detailed reviews that include potential cons, as well as player experience when using a particular yoyo, from well known players like @KirbyRobot , to less active forum members like @Blieske . I treasure these as their attention to detail shows where they are and are not biased. IMO, the best reviews acknowledge what preferences the reviewer has, and how that will affect their review, while still trying to make objective points about the yoyo in question.
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Sure but they specifically say “flaw” and “suck”; something might not be to a given players preferences but that doesn’t mean it’s “flawed” or “sucks”
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This is why I generally try (some times I don’t though) to compare yoyos to each other in stead of just talking about that one.
In general all yoyos are good yoyos nowadays. But compared to one another some will be better at specific things than others. You can do horizontal tricks or tech tricks with virtually any yoyo. (I’ve done simple zontal on fixed axle yoyos) but some of them will make it easier on the player.
I think @KirbyRobot always tries to do this really well. But he’s pretty critical of yoyos in general.
But I also think a lot of reviewers get sent stuff for free and are then affraid to mention any downsides or weaknesses. And I understand that sentiment.
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how is this different from literally any other purchase you make? if you go to the movies and you decide it sucks because of this one part, are you gonna blast anyone that didnt say “hey this part is gonna suck watch out”? if you buy a $60 video game and everyone’s raving about it and you buy it and you decide it’s not for you because of some feature, is that everyone else’s fault for not warning you that you might not like it?
little tough love honesty but you’re asking other ppl to spend their money buying a yoyo, spend their time putting together a review saying some thoughts on it, just to save you from possibly spending your money on something that isn’t your favorite. no one has to write any reviews or thoughts at all. how then would you make your purchases? it’s not other ppl’s responsibility to hold your hand and make sure every single purchase you make is zero regrets and sure in the heck isn’t on anyone else if you decide you don’t like something that they didn’t mention. of course spending money on something you don’t end up loving sucks, but don’t act like somehow others have failed you. asking for thoughts is one thing. playing the blame game with opinions is just bad form
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2 cents:
I have 20 yoyos, only 2 of them do i have anything really bad to say about that wasnt obvois prior to purchase, they are all pretty good. this is why you dont see many negative remarks
namely i find the smashing yoyos bounce to be pretty low spin power in a dissapointing way compared to my other throws
I found the unprld abduction way too snaggy for 1a and it also is quite sharp rimmed and powerful, this combo hurt my face more than once, I should have realised this though because it was marketed for 3a
all my onedrops with the 10-ball-bearing are a little harder to maintain than other yoyos, they need much less thin lube than a kk or centre track, so if you overlube you will have a snaggy time, but if you use a needle to apply lube like in the brandon vu tutorial (or run dry) then they are all great throws which i enjoy,
(the build quality being top notch really makes them enjoyable to own , i particularly appreciate the precision on tapped threads and side effects allowing for smooth assembly and disassembly)
other stuff is pretty obvious a lot of the time so wont be metioned, e.g. shiny yoyos never grind well if you dont wear a gloves
wide gaps are less snaggy than narrow ones
and sharp rimmed yoyos will be less comfortable to catch etc.
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Just don’t read/watch reviews they are a joke.
Edit: Just wait until you drop 150$ for a yoyo and it sucks lol.
I am half joking and there is value in reviews ig. You can get some slight idea of how it plays or feels. I just think reviews are super subjective and preferences or smt like everyone else said matter. Also trickset of the reviewer and play style matters a lot like are we talking about how well a yoyo gerbils or kwijibos or are we talking abt how well it plays zontally or btb neckstole meta hop combo or does for front of body takeshi slack combos.
Also I seen like a bunch of reviewers talk about response like ppl talking about yoyos being too slippy or grippy when it’s like okay try a different string or switch up the response. I know from experience that I love some yoyos stock. Some I try stock and they suck but if I tweak the setup like swap pads usually, the yoyo will play way better. Even string length matters a ton for how a yoyo feels. Also how hard someone throws like if you throw gently you’re going to have a different opinion on a yoyo vs someone that is absolutely beaming every throw.
I definitely do think some yoyos suck terribly like I think Motif is an absolutely terrible yoyo. It’s also a Daniel Kim sig so he likes it and a bunch of players way way way better than me at my yoyo club love it and think it is great. Ig my point is like just to add more about how subjective reviews are. Gingie is a homie and I love him but his tier list is so garbage TO ME. Mf has the best yoyo ever made in D-Tier and I am salty. There can be value in getting a sense for play characteristics but beyond that idk.
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Unless the person reviewing the yoyo likes exactly the same things as you how can they point out an annoying flaw that might only effect you?
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True.
His post was more emotional, but as you pointed out, he never gave a clear example. Some post are written on the fly without much thought. Perhaps he recently bought a yoyo that he was quite dissatisfied with, despite the price tag.
Yes, if he’s going to be that emotional, you’d think it’d be from a specific yoyo, probably a B grade or a BST transaction and should have been more specific.
We don’t know the full story, and he doesn’t seem to feel obligated to share, so I take it as a post about a problem others have experienced, myself included, but struggled to word it without using emotion.
Honestly there aren’t really “bad” YoYo’s nowadays. Not like early 2000s and before. Vibe is more or less minimal, ano looks fantastic, material and parts are all fairly standardized. Most yo-yos play as good as the player can put into them.
Also shapes and other aspects about every yoyo is very subjective and personal. I like floaty organics but you might like comply v shapes
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A few years ago, yoyo reviews were much more common. These days, it’s rare to come across a full review, even on YoyoExpert.
Most reviewers only have a short time to try the yoyo, usually right before or just after it’s released. That doesn’t always give them enough time to fully understand how it plays, especially over longer use. And since some receive the yoyo for free, there can be a bit of unintentional bias.
When the person reviewing the yoyo is also the one who designed and sells it, they’re unlikely to mention things like it being snaggy or uncomfortable, and for them their product is the absolute best and hype-worthy.
Naturally, every new release is presented as more refined and better performing, that is simply part of how marketing works lol
It’s always good to be careful with marketing and the hype around new yoyos. I’ve bought many thinking they would feel premium or play amazingly as advertised, but I’ve been let down quite a few times.
At the end of the day, a yoyo is just a toy, something to enjoy and have fun with. Don’t let a few flaws stop you from doing what makes you happy.
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you should 100% change response and/or string as Henry suggested. i had a few that i thought were super snaggy and i was gonna sell them but then i changed the response out and now i kept and enjoy them and one is top 5 for me after the response change.
also, i have a pair of titans which have a tight 4.2mm gap for 3a and i LOVE playing them 1a. instead of the usual soft response for 3a i put in my gear oil silicone that i use for 1a throws but i use thinner exec lite string for 1a and thicker zs airs for 3a. allows it to exist in both spaces without it snagging and drilling me in the noggin with a couple wraps
anyway all this is to say it’s worth it to experiment with tweaks before writing one off. you never know when you might be ignoring a potential fav
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This thread has inspired me to create a new YouTube account called “Ray’s Bad Yoyo Reviews”. The concept is that yoyo manufacturers will secretly provide me with cash or products to give vicious takedowns of yoyos from competing companies. I hope to have the account up and running soon. If you run a yoyo company and this interests you, just DM me right here through my forum account. Thanks!
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Or they will pay you to take down the review
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Freehand AL: Axel was stripped immediately after a careful unscrewing. One drop rebirth: The paint started peeling off after doing a thumb grind and the flat bearing feels awful to play with. Emailed the manufacturer about it and they said it can happen with any 7075 metal that was anodized, probably should say that in the description of the yoyo. Arcade yoyo, recess snack yoyo, road runner yoyo: All the bearings went bad after 1 day of play and remained responsive. Despite all efforts to clean the bearings they always go back to being responsive, have to get a new bearing which is more money spent.
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Freehand AL: unfortunately you were unlucky; were it an actual flaw with the design there would be many, many posts about axles stripping. It always sucks when this happens though, I stripped a DNA Ultra a few years back so I feel your pain.
Rebirth anodizing: that is an unfortunate known effect with 7075 anodizing and thumb grinds but is not a flaw with the yo-yo’s design. I agree that information should be more widely known.
Arcade/snack/road runner: again, nothing to do with the yo-yo’s design, you just got unlucky with bearings which is just the reality we all have to deal with; however you could have contacted the manufacturers or shop you bought from and they would almost certainly have sent you a new bearing. Steve from Caribou Lodge addressed this in the discord a bit ago:
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I don’t want to respond to this cause I feel like it’ll just come off offensive to a newer person in the community. I’ve wrote and re wrote and I don’t have a good way to put it so I’m just gonna not.
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Oh I didn’t know that thanks for telling me. Yeah I was definitely wrong, yoyo reviews are objectively subjective, what someone likes I might not.
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