So a lot of people here always ask what yoyo to get or what yoyo they should upgrade to. This is a guide that should make deciding a lot easier. Non of the pics in this thread are taken by me.
For beginners: There are many yoyos on the market, but some people recommend yoyos like Northstars, Dark Magics, and other yoyos that require quite a bit of maintenance. I always find that when a beginner buys something like a Yoyofactory ONE, they are tempted to change to the larger bearing for unresponsive play instead of learning the basics for beginner play and will often ask “Why won’t my yoyo come back??” There are some yoyos that require little maintenance and will stay responsive pretty much forever.
First off, are the Super-yos.
The Sonic Spin. This has a modified shape so it’s not the best for string tricks but is good for practicing your throws or looping. The glow in the dark version is called the Invader.
http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yoyostore_2115_7335487
The Typhoon, a butterfly version of the Sonic Spin.
http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yoyostore_2115_7952144
I chose these 2 as very good beginner yoyos because they have a plastic bearing. Spins for a considerable amount of time and the bearings requires absolutely ZERO amount of maintenance. The response is starburst which can never wear out from regular play and will keep the yoyo tug responsive.
Yomegas are also good for beginners. Some of their yoyos have the transaxle response, which require little maintenance.
The Fire Ball, a modified shape. Back in 1998, the Fire Ball was one of the best yoyos on the market due to the sleep times that could be achieved with the transaxle system. A transaxle is similar to a ball bearing, but a bearing can still produce longer spin times than a transaxle.
http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yoyostore_2157_0
The Yomega Saber Fire Ball, a butterfly version of the Fireball for improved string tricks.
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQaWBfyAMRSMLUoW_UYWAhox-b6sCfU_pZcNAqKvwRU9qt4tX38
Yoyos with the transaxle system require a bit of oil on the axle to keep responsive. Oils like 3 in 1 can be used but WD-40 can make the yoyo unresponsive and will refuse to return to the hand with a tug.
Now for intermediate players: An intermediate player should have some knowledge of yoyo maintenance like how to clean a bearing and response system types. Cleaning the bearing makes pretty much any modern yoyo unresponsive By now, to be recognized as an intermediate player, you should be able to do tricks like trapeze or Rock the baby, but trapeze should be learned as it will be a very important trick to becoming advanced. For an intermediate player, Yoyojam, Duncan, and Yoyofactory make cheap, good plastic that require little maintenance except for bearing lubing or response changing.
The Yoyofactory ONE is a great choice. This is a butterfly shape and is great for string tricks. The ONE can be easily made unresponsive by changing the bearing to the wider bearing. The One has silicone response that needs some changing but rarely.
The Yoyojam Speed Maker is also great. This one also has the butterfly shape. The response is called the hybrid. One side is the starburst response while the other is an o-ring. This response never needs changing and will remain fresh.
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS5SI04WBk8gkjMIBAGScMhrlaAY2CWRvsPzRsS6rDVrd4Lt2pZ0g
The Yoyojam Journey was designed for beginners. It has a double oring response which also never needs changing.
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRMVvrOjUUeFm_I9lGBcsNVgofWTFhpJgDLkJaSl9ZYvyS1TEIEJw
Now for advanced players: To be considered an advanced player, you should be able to do tricks like Eli Hops and most importantly, know how to bind. Advanced yoyos usually can’t be brought back up with a single tug. A bind puts string in the gap and forces the yoyo up. You should also know how to silicone your yoyo and clean the bearing. A metal yoyo should not be considered advanced at first sight and a plastic yoyo can also be advanced.
A favorite advanced throw is the Legacy II. The Legacy II sports Yoyojams Solid Spin for a very smooth throw. The Legacy II comes with 2 bearings, a slim one for responsive and a thick one for unresponsive. This yoyo is also a butterfly shaped. The Legacy II comes with silicone response. What makes the Legacy II special are the weight rings under the caps. All of thes additions makes the yoyo play like a hundred dollar metal without blowing your wallet.
The Dark Magic II, what the Legacy II was based on. This also comes with 2 bearings and silicone response.
Now for the Metal yoyos. Most people think if they buy a metal yoyo, they will be considered a pro. This is not true. Buy a metal yoyo won’t make you any better. Metals are just nice and very smooth. Most people recommend to buy the very expensive Yoyofactory metals like the 888x or Genesis. Yoyofactory does make a cheaper line of high quality metals for below 60 dollars.
The Dv888 is a favorite metal for everyone. Just over a year ago, it was reduced to around 45 dollars, making it a favorite.
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSz8P7SoiSJIO3K7EB9LST90xPyxpELWPNS2jNMkdU1VvBfWJpm
Most people forget the Shinwoo Zen line. Very good playing yoyos for around 45 dollars. The first of this line is the Hi-Power Zen. There have been other more improved version released.
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRwEwGdckruYfM-B-PehTy4sc-e1rLBv835QStZkAbcvK4ZiHzX
The Duncan deluxe line is also great. All under 50 dollars. The Raptor, Echo, and Metropolis are all great playing yoyos.
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQY9SZACK1Gm2DYMHXqhceGNZO-9KzgJtjXhrVpXjFtWy9JtKISlA
Well this it for the guide. Please note that these are not the only yoyos you could get. This guide just gives you and idea for what you should buy for your ranking. Duncan also makes yoyos for beginners and intermediate players. These yoyos were chosen for their cheap price and easy maintenance. There are more companies that sell good yoyos than the ones listed in this guide and you should not shy away from them. Thanks for reading!
