I live in a place where yoyo/yoyo culture doesn’t exists, and 100% of my knowledge has been acquired via internet (thats’s why i spend so much time on reddit/IG). When i finally got my first yoyo, i had no idea strings were consumable goods, i thought they last forever. So i kinda got used to play them util they broke.
When i got more into participating online, and i discovered that people used one kitty string for like hours or max one day, i was like wtf why, what a waste of string. (getting anything yoyo related is expemsive and takes a long time where i live).
Nowadays, some of my beater yoyos have had the same string for like over a month and those are the ones i play the most (talking standard poly like kitty or 84string, zipline lasts way longer, airetic even more).
Basically, i change them until they phisically stop working (slacks can’t hold at all or doesn’t bind at all). Thats normally 2 - 3 weeks on a yoyo i use everyday. I have some yoyos with spoolthread (rip) thats over a year old lol.
Well, snapping a string is a big worry for me so I replace it the minute it looks “tired”. with kitty strings this seems to happens pretty quick. I usually replace my edc throw strings (which has kitty strings on it) every 3 to 5 days. At that point the string looks frayed and discolored. With my nice throws that have ziplines on them this seems to takes much longer. Granted these items dont get as much play but the strings seem to hold up longer (purely anecdotal). Eventually the ziplines will exhibit the same “tired” look; at which point i replace them. If i were to guess I’d say they get replaced monthly or bimonthly depending on how much i use them.
-just my experiece but I hope it helps.
Note: I have never had a string break. I attribute that to my anxiety and paranoia
I usually get 24-48 hours of play out of one of my homebrew strings (nylon poly blend) before they get “soggy”. 1-2 days does NOT mean consecutive days either. That’s like 1 to 2 hours a day over the course of weeks.
I change my strings on average about once a month. I only use my own strings, unless someone trades with me. I don’t buy boutique or bulk string.
Also, I had a yomega brain when I was a kid for like almost a whole year (late 90s), and I’m pretty sure I never once changed the string on it.
The way I see it, it is kind of like car tires. CAN you drive on them after the wear gets down to the wear bars? Sure, but at this point you lose performance and risk accidents or blowouts. I actually like the phrase “tired” that Jedillama used, and replace my strings at the same point that he does. Just like I don’t wait until my tires are completely bald, I dont wait until the string absolutely and utterly needs replacing. A new string costs much less than potentially damaging a yoyo, random objects, yourself, or other people.
To be honest, when I was a kid I never bought replacement strings, so basically I was out of a yoyo whenever my string broke. I was too oblivious to realize that strings should be regularly replaced.
As I like to use thicker strings, I usually play them until they fray and the binds become unpredictable (typically 2-3 days over the course of a couple of weeks)… Or until I hit myself in the face
I know a lot, that’s all that I can remember, I got it in 7th grade when I was yoyoing and used it a lot.
And when I got back into it 9th grade i used it for about 3 months
I have Angel Hair string that’s over 10 years old with I don’t know how many hours of play. I think I’ve only had one finally get frayed enough to discard.
I used to pretty much use it exclusively, but rarely do now. As I started learning some of the laceration type binds, I found it quite frustratingly would fail at them.
I do use them on my Flea and Big Deal though. I put worn ones out, so I didn’t have to break them in. I bought the string on the Big Deal in 2007 and used it on my YYF 555 until I came back here in 2016!
It’s still going strong, and an excellent match for the Flea and Big Deal. I’ve washed it many times.
Poly strings I switch out all the time, but nylon is a completely different animal. I’ve had the same wooly nylon string on one of my main throws for at least 6 months and it’s juuuust starting to fray a little.
I got a Topdeck from @Jettfiery and he included a Nylon string he made. It is wonderful, soft and smooth. Looks and feels like it did almost a month ago and I use it everyday. I would love to get some more like it.
If anyone is making and selling some, I suppose it is wooly nylon, please let me know. This is the fist time I had nylon, it is about as thick as Kitty Fat. It is really soft and silky smooth. I believe it is nylon/nylon blend.
Sounds like the string @Kieran makes. I think I’ve got the right person. I got an unresponsive Spinworthy with some on it. It is just like what you described.
@Dust makes “The White” which is an excellent string, but not as soft.
