This isn’t necessarily the end-all definition, but if the body is injection molded, I consider it a plastic even if it has weight rings. Any type of machining going on? You are now in hybrid territory my friend. Like I said, that’s just what works for me in my head.
Fair enough.
Now, that says to me that the distinction between “plastic” and “hybrid” is important to you in some sense. I’m just trying to get a sense of whether or not it is important enough (to the community/hobby/industry as a whole) to make an effort to arrive at a consensus over these definitions.
I hear ya, it’s a valid question
I dunno, any opinions here @YoYoExpertGarrett? Should more stuff be tagged “hybrid” like the Protostar?
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I feel like when someone says a yoyo is “plastic” there’s an implication that they are actually saying “cheap plastic for 1A”, which rules out things like the C-Nine:
But still includes the FAST 201, which does actually have metal weight rings:
Also, compare the difference between the “Metal Arrow” which has both metal and plastic, and the “Arrow Pro” which has metal weight rings.
I think main difference between the iCEBERG and the Arrow Pro is that the Arrow Pro is still injection molded. That and about $30.
“Hybrid” seems like it’s a premium designation for plastic + weight rings.
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This is what I think as well. I
Didn’t the original FHs come with an internal metal ring? What about the later ones? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of FHs being referred to as anything but plastic. Of course, if none of them came with metal weight rings (maybe mine’s modded), then never mind on that point!
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Yoyos which should be tagged as hybrid but aren’t:
- SpinFaktor X
- SPiNMASTER X
- ProtoStar
- Northstar Fingerspin
All are currently available in the YYE webstore. It is interesting that these aren’t tagged as hybrids despite being plastic with metal rings. In fact, the Northstar Fingerspin write-up even refers to it using the term “plastic/hybrid” and yet isn’t tagged as such in the store.
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Honestly, I agree with Mark. When I think of hybrid, I’m thinking of really premium plastic yoyos. I still consider the Protostar a plastic.
And honestly, I think the term hybrid became more popular in recent years because of the release of these more expensive, more premium plastic yoyos like the Gamma Crash and POM Draupnir. Pre-2015, hybrid was a term but nobody really debated if a yoyo was a hybrid or a plastic. Everyone just considered the Protostar a plastic. Personally, how I see it is a hybrid IS a plastic. Just because it’s a hybrid doesn’t change the fact that it is a plastic. This is the difference between monometals and bimetals vs. hybrid and plastic. Hybrid and plastic are interchangeable, a hybrid is a plastic but a bimetal isn’t a monometal.
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wait so a bimetal isnt a hybrid? i mean, in my terms, technically it is.
It is still metal, just two types of metal.
Conceptual match on the plastic side would be a dual plastic yoyo, with maybe polycarbonate body and POM rims?
I don’t know if the FH came with an internal metal ring, but the FH2 came with a fat rubber o-ring. Many people modified the FHZ by adding the fat o-ring. Spintastics and Buzzon used fat o-rings to add rim weight, and Spintastics used metal rings as well. The metal ring that Spintastics used also fit nicely in the FH2. And all of these were referred to as plastic yoyos. Even the Buzzon Element X with the metal ring inserts were “plastic”.
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I’m not sure why people seem compelled to classify a yo-yo with as few words as possible? Is somebody in a hurry? What dictates that a yo-yo be tagged with a one word or two word description?
I’ve been at this for over 20 years now. Even if your opinion will differ from mine after you read my view; it will not invalidate my understanding; because I prefer to deal with irrefutable facts instead of various unsubstantiated abstracts.
A plastic yoyo is made of plastic. That would be a plastic yoyo🤔. (Recognize not being over technical about the guts. Axles and bearings are ‘primarily’ metal. So that constant is understood)(so even though a plastic yoyo most likely has a metal axle/bearing; it would still be a plastic yoyo).
A plastic yoyo with metal inserts; is just that… A plastic yoyo with metal inserts.
A plastic body with metal rings is described just that way.
A metal yoyo using more than one type of metal is the sum of its’ component metals: bi-metal, tri-metal, whatever…
I know a few exceptions may come to mind. For example; a metal One Drop with metal side effects. I would not call that a bi-metal. I would call it a metal yoyo with side effects.
I describe a yo-yo by identifying the primary mass of the yoyo material and continue from there. Just like a box of cereal. The ingredients are listed in order of degree of content. Not rocket science.
A Element X is not a plastic yoyo. It is a plastic yoyo with metal weight rings.
Just about any multi component yoyo could be identified as a hybrid. Continuity of material construction interrupted by infusion of dissimilar material: metal yoyo/plastic core, plastic yoyo/metal core, wood body/metal weight rings, etc…
But I wouldn’t call a Wedge a hybrid. I would call it a plastic yoyo with metal core.
I feel that common logic should be utilized to clarify what identifies an individual yoyo.
Now… if by some crazy miracle; we were all on the same page about this. Then we could also have a shared understanding that there can be times to not get over technical. For example; if somebody posts up a poll asking us to name our top 10 plastic yoyos; you could fudge a bit and include a few yoyos that aren’t Totally plastic. But I wouldn’t call a Yoyojam Hitman a plastic yoyo; lol.
Sometimes over simplification can result in unnecessary complication.
Like the explanation I just presented.
Doh!
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Search filters (in webstores) for one.
But also, being armed with terminology that everyone can agree on, and that makes discussion (and typing) easier is a win all around, I think. I don’t see a downside to having good terminology. Pretty much every area of human endeavor has it. However, I see no upside to having inconsistent terminology, or none at all.
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Your suggestions made my points more valid. My points were made using logic, reason, reality and a concern for drawing conclusions based on composition accuracy.
Your dream of all people agreeing on anything is in itself an impossibility. Everybody can’t agree on anything.
Not sure why this has to be a win/win situation? Categorizing yo-yos is not the Battle for Evermore.
It is simply accurately describing yo-yos; nothing more.
I can understand that as few words as possible would be a good thing. But not if those options of single or few words do not accurately identify the subject yoyo.
60 years ago; my Uncle was taking my older brother to get hamburgers. My brother asked me what I wanted? I was stalling to figure out ‘what’ I wanted. My brother said very succinctly, ‘Tell me exactly what you want; and I will bring you exactly what you ask for’.
If you want to put something in a category; a concise but technically accurate description will work just fine.
It doesn’t have to make everybody happy.
Because it never will.
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Um, wut?
Seriously, I don’t think I’m overreaching here. I mean, there’s sufficient consensus on what “bimetal” refers to; I don’t see any controversy in coming up with a similarly concise term for “plastic with metal weight rings”.
The only way to accurately describe anything is with an accurate description.
I see absolutely nothing wrong with being concise. As long as it is accurate.
No argument on your wanting to put things in specific groups.
But convenience should not sacrifice accuracy.
That is only a win for lazy people that are willing to accept ‘close enough’.
I admire what you suggest. I just think the recipe calls for a cup too much of fudge.
Now; what exactly do you want on that hamburger?
PS… I found something we can All agree on. Accurately describe the following yoyo in as few words as possible. One four letter word would work.
You see… I am flexible
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I guess I regard a term like “hybrid” as being just as precise as “bimetal”. After all, the term “bimetal” merely means “made with two different metals”, and it makes no attempt to accurately specify which metals. We accept everything from three different grades of aluminum to titanium, magnesium, and stainless steel as belonging to the “metal” family. Similarly, I don’t see why we can’t accept everything from polycarbonate to delrin to POM as belonging to the “plastic” family.
I guess I just don’t see how this is any different from the way “monometal” and “bimetal” are used as shorthand terms to describe a wide variety of yoyos with common general material characteristics, even when they differ in (often important) details.
Notice now you are being over technical, lol🙀
You read too much into what I said. When you consider what I say; also consider what else I have said.
… Accurate description within types: mono metal, bi metal, plastic body/ metal rings, etc…
I never said tech to the degree of identifying grades of metal like: 6061, 7074, grade 5 Ti, 7068 alloy, etc.
I said accurate description… I never said Nirvana Level written in the Bible or Die accurate.
Yes; I understand that you can call or legitimately put a Delrin yoyo in the plastic group. But delrin yo-yos play way differently than most other plastics in most instances.
So if somebody asks me what my favorite plastic yoyo is; I am not going to name a delrin yoyo.
One of my top 3 yo-yos is the REX. Ti body with stainless rims. That is accurate enough for me.
I am a Structural welder and fabricator by trade. And although I don’t run into much exotic metals at work; unless you are a Metalurgist; I have probably forgotten more about metals in the last 50 years than you will ever know about metals in your entire life.
But I am OK with saying a REX is Ti with stainless rims. Exact grade not critically important unless I want to duplicate one🤔
Hey; as long as you’re happy; that’s ok by me.
Have fun getting ‘everybody’ to agree on anything.
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I agree conceptually there is a categorization gap for modern hybrids (ala Iceberg, Ippon, Surveil etc) versus plastic.
However per my earlier reply there are suuuuch a tiny number of these yo-yos relative to everything else (around 7-10 out of, what, 500 plus that YYE sells) that I am not sure it matters @zslane.
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Fair enough. Maybe during the YYE webstore revamp they could remove the “Hybrid” filter option then. It gives the false impression that “Hybrid” is a meaningful product category worthy of dedicated filtering treatment. Moreover, it really isn’t doing anything particularly useful if it only ever yields a half dozen or so results.
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