Chico Yo-Yo Company delToro
Reviewed by Chris Rhoads
May 1, 2010
Introduction
The Chico Yo-Yo Company is a relatively new manufacturer in the yo-yo community, forming just in April 2009. In the year that they have been around they have produced the popular, Bulldog yo-yo plus two upcoming yo-yos, the delToro and the Route 66. The Bulldog garnered rave reviews from various yo-yo sites and from the community itself. It is not surprising their freshman outing was such a success. When one of the company’s founders is National Yo-Yo Master Thad Winzenz, you have a lot to live up to as well as a healthy dose of expertise to put into the design. It doesn’t hurt that the company headquarters is in Yo-Yo Town, USA, also known as Chico, California. Today we are going to look at Chico Yo-Yo Company’s sophomore effort, the delToro, a yo-yo that takes everything that was done with the Bulldog and throws it right out the window in exchange for radically new design.
Specs
- Diameter: 50.6 mm
- Width: 38 mm
- Gap: 4.5 mm
- Weight: 65 grams
- Response: Central Bearing Co. pads
- Bearing: C-Sized 10-Ball
Construction
The first thing everyone will notice with the delToro is its looks, specifically the color. The purple finish on the delToro I am reviewing today is just amazing. It looks almost like it glows, the way it catches the light is spectacular. Part of it is due to the shade of purple used and part of it is due to the bead blast finish. The feel of this finish is a cross between MadHouse’s chalkboard finish and General-Yo’s glass medium bead blast finish. Visually, this finish is one of my absolute favorites, we will talk later on the grind performance. The delToro also comes in red and black, I don’t know if the black will be as visually appealing but the red looks like it will be as full of win as its purple sibling.
As I said above, the delToro throws every design cue from the Bulldog into the rubbish bin. The Bulldog was this beautiful, gracefully rounded butterfly yo-yo with hubs in the middle of the cup and a marbled finish, very organic looking. The delToro, on the other hand, is a true V-shaped industrial beast. The catch zone and gap are wide enough to drive a truck through. The only slightly rounded edges are on the flat rims, a very welcome addition making it comfortable when it returns to the hand after a tight bind. The hubs are completely flat with not a trace of axle sticking through the cup. There is just nothing waiting to impede a thumb that may want to grind. The width is on the thin side, making it feel small in the hand. The monotone finish gives it a silky smooth feel. The yo-yo rests comfortably on my middle finger with my index and ring fingers cradling it on either side. As far as design is concerned, Chico has another hit on its hands. The play just needs to match the looks.
Weight
This is a V-Shaped yo-yo, pushing most of the delToro’s 65 grams to the fat rims. The relatively svelte width of 38 mm keeps everything compact, giving the delToro a 50/50 weight distribution between the center and rim weighting. This allows for increased stability while retaining impressive spin times. The 65 grams also gives you a speedy little yo-yo that is quick on the string and fast moving from one trick to another. Thankfully that V-Shape is easy to hit because sometimes this thing just wants to zoom.
Response and Bearing
The pads used in the delToro are a pair of yellow Central Bearing Co. Pads. This is the first time I have used pads from this company and I must say I am quite impressed. They give a snappy bind and show very little wear after extended periods of use. I will have to keep them in mind as a pad alternative for when I do not feel like installing silicone in a yo-yo.
The bearing is sourced from the same company that One Drop uses so you know what that means. Yep, the delToro uses a 10-Ball bearing. I know I gush like a schoolgirl when it comes to the 10-ball and I really don’t care. It is, in my opinion, the smoothest, most durable, most consistent bearing on the market. If you are looking for a replacement C-Sized bearing, skip all the fancy ceramic or concaved bearings and just pick up one of these. Now you have two companies you can contact to get your hands on one.
Playability
Fast. That is the first thing that comes to mind. It changes directions like an Audi R8 and reacts to string changes like a F-22 Raptor in a dogfight. As I said, this yo-yo is fast. Now even though it is a quick little sucker it is still a joy to play. I never felt rushed while putting this yo-yo through its paces because the catch zone was forgivingly easy to hit. Even if I was off by a hair on tricks the V-Shaped inner walls were there to guide the string into the gap instead of rejecting it. The V-Shape also makes this a suicide machine. The reduced amount of inner wall for the string to come into contact with allows the loop to stay wide open for all your suicide needs. I have been hitting green triangle and one and a half mount suicides quite easily with the delToro.
As for grinds, the surface that I find so pretty is also a killer grinder. It can stay perched for several seconds when popped up for a finger grind. The same can be said for arm and palm grinds. Thumb grinds are a little inconsistent for me. The cup is a little shallow and the angle of the IGR is a little to flat so it slips off my large thumbs. A steeper angle to the IGR would have solved this problem.
Final Thoughts
My hat is off to Thad, Richy Nye, and Bob Malowney, the full brain trust of Chico Yo-yo Company. The hard work that they have put forth in the delToro shows in practically every aspect of its looks and play. One small misstep in the IGR can easily be forgiven, even for a fan of all things grind like myself. This is one of those rare yo-yos that really did wow me from the start. I put it through a long week of constant play in order to make sure the honeymoon period wore off and it just did not happen. I recommend it to everyone intermediate to advance that is looking for a high quality, speedy yo-yo. I know that I will be finding one for my collection. Whether I have to sell one of mine off or trade one away, the delToro has earned a spot in my case.
