I know for the most part unresponsive yoyos use a C-size bearing, but that’s not a rule and isn’t always the case.
I’m curious to know the benefits and drawbacks of other sizes of bearings… not because I have a specific need but because I’m simply curious. For example, do smaller bearings typically cause a slower but faster-spinning throw along with fast (too fast for some people, so this is the drawback) binds? (totally making that up, but just as an example of the kind of answer I’m hoping for)
theoretically:
-Bigger bearing means the string will be closer to the rim than smaller bearing, which means it has “light-outward” feeling than small bearing, but it will “drop” in the end of the string farther. Actually it’s more about the diameter of the inner response area rather than the bearing itself.
-Since the “drop” is farther in bigger bearings, binds are safer and less snaggy, however you need big loop of bind to make the yoyo return. If you’re using smaller bearing, you need less loop of bind. If you’re used with big bearings, chance is you’ll get snags when binding on small bearing because you used to use bigger loop of bind.
-Smaller bearing should has less friction, but it doesn’t really affect yoyoing nearly at all.
the string wraps more times around a smaller bearing and it has to unwrap more times in the same amount of space when thrown making spin faster and is initially more stable and long spinning than its larger bearing counterpart
Sadly, A bearings are a dying breed. They offer a unique feeling for yoyos, it’s difficult to describe just how the impact play, but they certainly do. One of my all time favorite yoyos was a small bearing lunatic.
I think that the mayham is still made with an A bearing. Definitely a yoyo worth checking out. Also, the FreeHand is a cheap small bearing yoyo that is tons of fun.
Smaller bearing yoyos just feel more solid and respond to movements better for me. That, and I really like a tight gap with zero slip. C Bearing yoyos usually feel slippy to me and thud at the end of the string. A and D bearing yoyos are usually my favorites. It’s kinda crummy that they’re going the way of the dodo.
I have a small bearing Hectic that I really like. I’ve never played a large bearing model so I can’t compare it. At one time I had a a Buzzon SPR with a large bearing in a spintastics revolver. I can’t say that it played better or worse than the stock small bearing, but it did have a different feel.