Title says it all really. I’m curious to know what yoyos you all have purchased that played way different than you expected, whether you loved it or hated it.
Two for me were the Terrarian and the Koi.
I bought the Terrarian thinking it would be kind of a generic playing yoyo that I could bring around casually and not really think much about, but over the months I’ve owned it I find myself reaching for it every single day which really surprised me. It just feels zippier and floater than I really expected it to for some reason, and I really prefer it over most everything else in my collection.
As for the Koi, I bought it thinking that with it being an organic shape I would love it instantly, because I love most organics. But I just haven’t been able to really vibe with it, and every time I’ve picked it up it just leaves me wanting a little bit more out of it. It’s still a great yoyo by all means, but it really just wasn’t what I expected.
good topic, i hope we can balance it with nice qualities about the yoyo too!
CLYW Bimetal Kodiak looked amazing to me with the specs, shape, and “zippy” nature, but it never clicked for me. I feel like, despite being an inner ring bimetal, it’s way too unstable and feels a little awkward, which i wouldn’t expect in a CLYW. You can feel the quality in it, but it’s not made for me.
On the other hand, the Yoyofriends Monometal Pheasant was originally pretty standard for me. It was very “competition monometal that can handle anything you throw at it”, which is about every yoyo on the market now. However, I rediscovered it a week or two ago and it’s so well-made. The weight distribution feels healthy and light, to put it weirdly. It’s one of my go-to EDCs if i don’t want to bring a bimetal to campus.
Two big ones for me: CLYW Akita and the metal Yeti. Had high hopes for both, especially since the Akita is right up my alley, but they didn’t jive with me. By no means bad throws, I just never clicked with em
Also, the atmos Noah. I did not think I would enjoy it with how light it is in a fully organic frame. But it quickly became one of my all time favorites and I absolutely love it
I bought a Klondike 6 months ago or so just off all of the hype that it had been getting here on the forums. It has absolutely blown me away how good this thing is. Super floaty, nibble, with enough power to cruse through any combo without feeling like a rock. Been one of my favorites ever since!
Yoyo Friends Papercut. It was a late-night impulse buy and assumed I’d think it was so-so because I never warmed up to anything by YYF but the Papercut? I love it more than any other yoyo I’ve purchased in several years.
See, this was my concern with it too, and why I haven’t picked one up yet. But after buying the sl1000, which is an absolute featherweight in the hand, I’m suddenly not really concerned about it anymore haha.
Yeah this was my intent! I figure it would spark discussions about qualities that maybe we didn’t know we would like, or even give others insight to yoyos that they haven’t tried that maybe don’t get talked about as much as the commonly “hyped” throws.
Any insight about why you didn’t like the Akita? It’s on my list of wants!
The Klondike seems to be made of pure magic because everyone keeps raving about it. I gotta pick one up!
Did you see the video Jake posted the other day about cutting the Klondike and Papercut in half? Could give you some insight as to why you like it so much!
I love both of those yo-yos for me I had the same exact experience with the koi that u did with the terrarian!! I absolutely love the Koi I feel like it has such a unique the way it bounces off the string that I haven’t got with any other Yoyo I love the way that Yoyo feels on the string.
To answer the question tho for me the vulture is the one that did it to the greatest effect in terms of surprising me. I always thought I would hate it. It didn’t look like a shape that I wanted to get or the shape that I would like it didn’t look like it was up my alley and so I probably would’ve never ever tried it or definitely wouldn’t have paid money for it but I ended up getting one with the mystery boxes for Black Friday And the thing totally blew me away. It was dead, smooth, and a dope color. And it’s an inner ring bimetal which I absolutely love it’s powerful and it glides on the string in such a cool and unique way. It’s become one of my favorite yo-yos! To think if I didn’t get it in that mystery box I would’ve never known this. It open my eyes up to try other yo-yos to that I initially used to think I wouldn’t like.
I love to hear this. It’s very possible that I’m just not playing to it’s strengths and that’s probably why I’m not feeling the vibe. I gotta expand my trick library.
I totally get what you mean about the vulture not seeming like it would be up your alley. I haven’t had the opportunity to try one, but just reading about it it seems pretty extreme. Lots of concentrated rim weight on it especially with that extreme profile.
I tooootally get that. It’s way on the extreme end of lightness. Almost a bit too far for myself too, but that’s kind of what I learned to appreciate about it after a day or two. The fact that it’s remarkably functional with good spin time at that extreme of a weight just feels absurd.
It didn’t have the power I was expecting, and I wasn’t fully sold on how it felt in the hand. To me, it felt like a heavier, slightly smaller version of a Throw Spiral Kappa mixed with a CLYW Boy (strange comparison i know, but it’s best way I can describe it). Again, not a bad throw, just not quite what I was looking for/expecting! That being said, I would 100% recommend getting it and trying it for yourself!
Yo so uh Hades. I was like what this is gonna be wild and it is but yo, it’s so good. I hit all my tricks more with it and can play fastest smoothly with it bc so much control but uh yeah it’s weird lol. Definitely not for everyone but there is literally nothing else like it and it’s far and away my favorite Yoyo.
Also yoyofactory whip is like 6$ and that is like a good and fun Yoyo for very cheap. I could do all my tricks with it so that was cool. Definitely didn’t think it would be as capable as it was.
I didn’t really know what to expect exactly when I got Panorama and didn’t realize bc it was slimline and flat bearings , I had to play cleaner and just like be good to use it well. That is one of my favorite yo-yos now hah! I been throwing it a lot recently. So good and so fun.
Also some like silly designs I was surprised at club to try in how capable they were—the doorknob Yoyo that’s shaped like a doorknob and I was surprised I could still do chopsticks stuff with the 66mm diameter 1a Yoyo.
The monthly throw yoyo subscription opened my eyes to a few yo-yos that took me out of my box. The Anthem from ETC is a mid sized bimetal that I would never have given a second glance. Good power, dead smooth and an hoot to throw. The other was Otter which just clicked.
Before I never knew I was in a box. But now I’m having fun exploring the extremes. SL1000 is so light but so capable to power through tricks it boggles my mind. It’s fun to throw it right after a the Duncan gts for a completely different feel. Next I can’t wait to play it right after the titanX for the difference in weight.
