Duncan Toys Hornet Pro Looping Yo-Yo with String, Ball Bearing Axle and Plastic Body, Green with White Cap

Fun easy to use and well made

Yoyo's were the original fidget spinner. I've played around with yoyos for years, mostly when they wind up in somone's christmas stocking and get forgotten and left in a drawer. My most recent yoyo was a dollar store special that my one of kids probably brought home as a birthday party gift. So, never having owned a "nice" yoyo, I recently decided to buy something a little more upscale on Amazon. Did a little research and settled on this. It's a "Duncan" which is I name I've heard of, and I like the idea that it spins on a ball-bearing. I know, from my RC car days, that ball bearings are a huge upgrade from a bushing, and it certainly shows on this guy. The thing just spins and spins and spins... as in: "go make yourself a cup of coffe and come back later, 'cause it's not done spinning.'" I guess now I really need to learn some tricks. Other than walking the dog and a shaky "rock the cradle" I don't really know too many. Anyway, yoyo's are a nice way to entertain yourself when you've got nothing better to do. I like to toss mine on the way from the parking garage to my office, and sometimes in the office itself when I'm waiting for a cup of coffee to brew. If yo've ever spun a yoyo and have been toying with the idea of getting a "decent" one, I doubt you'll be dissappointed with a Duncan Hornet.

Good

The yoyo buzzed and vibrated at such an extreme that I had to inspect it. At first I thought it was the cotton string on the starburst, but when I looked closer, I noticed that the gap was off by quite a bit (check my photo). This was causing the starburst to grab at a certain irregular point. When I took the yoyo apart, I also noticed that one of the spacers was really rough on the inside, while the other was smooth (check my photo). It seemed like the spacer was possibly corroded. The box was totally fine, with no damage, signs of being dropped, or creases. For a big brand like Duncan to deliver such a shoddy product is embarrassing. I'm going to give it a second chance with a replacement, but you may want to consider the Yomega Raider EX (also available on Amazon, and comes with a variety of spacers) or Loop 720 over this if you're worried about quality control.UPDATE: My new Hornet arrived and it is so much better. I’m very impressed with how stable it throws. It is very responsive, a tad less than my Loop 720, so string tricks are a little easier. I removed the metal washers behind the spacers for more responsiveness. Not sure if it did anything. Cons: it does feel very cheaply made. The Raider EX and Loop 720 I own feel like they are higher quality in the hand (personal judgement, nothing scientific here). Still, the Hornet performs awesome—highly recommended.

A real yo-yo. He was very happy with it and could release and return quickly. It has a few spinner lights inside, comes with string pre wrapped. I have seen him practicing on his own. Gave him a couple of tricks to try.

Does not come with any instructive instructions, int he least, as to how to change teh bearing and what your options of your choices are......the plastic is not as durable and substantial as the entry level Duncan YoYos or the Magicyoyo......in fact, the plastic used on this yoyo is very flimsy and lightweight.......will NOT be purchasing again.....

I'm in Scouting so when I saw this I thought it might be a cool thing to show off to the scouts. I practiced a few basic tricks I remembered from 50 years ago and surprised myself by still being being able to pull them off. It was a moderate hit with the scouts, so a good investment for troop meeting entertainment. An Imperial would have been cheaper, but the Hornet is more forgiving for bad throws and sleeps easier as well. An Imperial would probably be a better pick for straight looping tricks, but the Hornet is more versatile. Have since moved up to a Butterfly XT then a non-responsive Torque as my skills return/develop.

When I think of Duncan yoyos, I go back to the old days of the wooden fixed axles, Imperials, etc. But this is pretty darn good yo-yo, even by today's standards. It does have kind of a bearing system inside, so you get a longer spin than traditional yoyos. It is very responsive, so it's great for looping tricks like it's touted to be. The color combination is neat, and I like the little Hornet logo that's on the caps. Very pocket friendly, and great and stable for looping tricks. I'm honestly pretty impressed with this. For a beginner, or someone who's working on upping their looping game intermediately, I think this is more than fantastic. Highly recommended!