From my understanding a “floating axle” is when a yoyo’s axle does not thread completely into both halves. Is there any sort of benefit to a yoyo having a floating axle? I can only think of negatives, such as a yoyo needing to be “tuned” when it is screwed/unscrewed. I’ve also heard that yoyos with short axles may be more prone to thread stripping. I don’t personally see the logic behind the latter, but it is something I have heard. So… Why would a company knowingly use a floating axle? ???
Not sure of the benefits of a floating axle.
As for the stripping issue. A shorter axle uses less threads to hold the yo-yo halves together. The more threads used when screwing a yo-yo together will distribute the load of holding the yo-yo together over all of the threads. Less threads equals more strain on the threads used which fatigues the metal over time.
I see. Thank you very much for clearing that up. 
Still curious as to why manufacturers would use a floating axle… Perhaps it’s cheaper to go with a “generic” axle of a certain length than to get custom made axles to fit a specific yoyo. This doesn’t sound very plausible to me, as if this was the case, they could just machine the yoyos threads to fit a generic axle.
Like I said, that doesn’t sound like a good reason to sacrifice the overall quality of your product, I’m just trying to get the cogs moving and hear other ideas on this topic. There MUST be a reason…
The floating axle, actually helps smoothen the yoyo.
Due to the fact, the ends of the axle are not against the inside of the yoyo (If that makes sense)
And It gives room to tune. and Tuning ensures maximum smoothness.
The Downfall, as mentioned, is stripping though.
Interesting…
The smoothest yoyos I’ve played are from One Drop, not surprisingly. I hear great things about General Yos as well, but I’m one of those guys who doesn’t think you can get MORE smooth than DEAD smooth. Setting aside the whole Side Effect axle system, how about throws like the Burnside? That uses a standard axle system as far as I know, the axle sits flush in both halves of the yoyo, and no matter how I screw it together, it is dead smooth every time without fail. Isn’t this just a testament to the fact that you can have absolute smoothness without the need for a floating axle and tuning? >.<"
Also — Does an exposed hub have any effect on how an axle sits in a yoyo or how smooth the yoyo is? I don’t know if “exposed hub” is the right term, but I’m referring to how you can see the axle in the cup area of a yoyo. Like on the Burnside and the older Genesis and Yeah3 models, just to name a few.
EDIT: I just realized, that by your logic, the exposed hub would indeed contribute to the smoothness of a yoyo because the axle, although being flush in both halves, still doesn’t come into contact with the inside wall of the yoyo. I love learning these little nuances. Perhaps more companies don’t use the exposed hub just because plenty of people think it’s ugly? haha.
Actually it’s been done that way since the beginning time. Difeyo, YYJ, SPYY and others all do it. It just works out that way - Drill a hole, thread it, put in a set screw that fits, screw it together. There’s nothing magic about it. Just an accepted, cost effective manufacturing process.
Pretty much the only ones that don’t use it are those that use a screw and a nut as the axle. The rest are all “floating” to some degree.
Generally tuning is not required in my experience.
I’m not a stickler for vibe at all. So personally, I don’t find tuning necessary in most cases either. Moreover, I actually like a teeny bit of vibe in my throws. Dead smooth kind of freaks me out. >.<
It was just a topic that intrigued me, and I thought I’d make a post to hear other peoples thoughts.
It all depends on the manufacture right?
Floating axles have their advantages and disadvantages.
And It’s great you answered your own question about the exposed axle haha!
Ummm, NO. It’s just a cost effective manufacturing process. Nothing more, nothing less.
So yes, I guess the advantage is cost.
I could be wrong here, because I’ve never actually tried to do this, but even on yoyos with an exposed axle, isn’t there some sort of “end” or barrier that prevents the axle from screwing completely through the side of the yoyo? I suppose that manufacturers could already be doing something like this, but couldn’t you take the best of both worlds persay, and design threads that “end” before they touch the inside wall of the yoyo? Would it have the same benefits as using an exposed axle (without the aesthetic drawback of a hole in the cup area), or would it just create unnecessary structural issues with the yoyo? In theory, you could have the smoothing effect of an exposed axle, with the structural integrity of a flush (non-exposed) axle.
Please excuse my lack of technical terms. That is what I’m here to learn. I hope this all makes sense.
And I had a feeling that at some point this would boil down to cost. Business is business. 
Hmm, I think they just make the part that causes it to expose, curve in a little?
So That way the opening is slightly smaller than the axle.
The reality is that manufactures use a stock length set screw for the axle. They drill and tap a hole in the yoyo large enough to be able to screw the axle in w/o interference. They don’t bother to calculate how deep the hole needs to be to just contain the axle. That’s all the science there is to it. It’s just a clearance hole. A through axle is in reality no different than a “floating” axle. They all tighten up just the same. It’s just a variation on a theme. Again, no magic involved.
1 Like
This. They make a hole, then get the longest axle to fit it.
How much difference does it really make? I think all my axles float.
In reality, none.
Alright cool. Now I shall go enjoy my YYF yoyos
I actually set some of my axles into one side so the axle doesn’t fall out when I unscrew it.
To answer something else you were getting at… The reason some yoyos have a hole all the way through the yoyo half (exposing the axle) is because it’s easier to machine that way, quicker, so saving time (money). The downside to this is they just look sloppy, IMO. I love yoyos where you can’t see the axle from the outside hub. Clean.