Dingo by One Drop Design

Reviewed by Chris Rhoads

December 20, 2009

Introduction

Lets get this out of the way right at the beginning so there is no confusion. The Dingo is NOT the replacement for the M1. There has been much confusion on the subject. The Dingo is the latest release from One Drop Design and is the first true pocket yo-yo from the company. The goal that David and Shawn had set for themselves when they decided to create the Dingo was, in their words, “to finally make a great playing mini that is available in large quantities and a decent price”.  This is a high bar to set for a mini, usually there are compromises made. The weights are sub par, different response setups to accomodate the size, the bearing needs to be changed to a smaller size, etc. I have seen any number of these changes to the minis that I have played in the past. Lets see if the Dingo meets the lofty demands that its creator has placed upon it.

Specs

• Weight: 63 grams
• Width: 32mm
• Diameter: 46mm
• Gap Width: 4.3mm
• Bearing Size: C-Size 10-Ball
• Response: Flow Groove Pads

Construction

Before we touch upon what is new about the Dingo, lets see what is similar between it and its One Drop siblings. The Dingo uses the same press fit brass nut and axle from the discontinued M1 series. The Bearing seat and flow groove response are directly from the Project Two, and the beloved 10-Ball bearing makes its return in the Dingo as well. That is were the similarities end. The shape of the Dingo is completely different from any other One Drop yo-yo. Gone is the large, sloped catch area that has been featured on every one of their previous models. Instead the near flat rims move to a very modest catch zone. Not to worry, the Dingo has a large, 4.3 mm gap that is still easy to hit. The inner cups are sufficiently deep but the IRG is nonexistent. The size is a little smaller and thinner than the M1, which for the longest time was my go to pocket yo-yo.

When it comes to the finish of the Dingo there are three flavors to choose from. The standard option is a smooth anodize in solid colors. One Drop offers the end user a variety to choose from so that they can mix and match halves. Then there is a soda blasted, clear anodized finish that offers superior grinds. Finally, One Drop is offering a finish option that no other company has offered in the past. They have teamed up with Justin LoTempio’s Not Fail Anodizing, giving , customers the ability to pick their color scheme and how it applied (splash, drizzle, splatter, acid wash, fade, etc). One Drop is calling this option “Dingoes dipped in Win Sauce!” This option comes with a soda blast as well. The Dingo pictured in this review is just one example of what Justin can do. I am not going to turn this into a review of Justin’s talents; I will just say that he has great customer service. He stayed in constant contact and gave me advice when I suggested some colors that probably would not look good while spinning.

Weight

At 63 grams, the Dingo is on the lighter end of the spectrum. That being said, the Dingo is such a compact design that the weighting makes it play heavier than it is. The beefy rims give it a spin time that I have not encountered on a yo-yo of this size. It is not uncommon for the Dingo to easily pull of a 5-minute spin on a strong throw. With the compact nature of the Dingo also comes a high degree of stability. It does not to tilt to one side or another unless you purposely throw at an angle.

Response and Bearing

Not much to say here so I will keep it brief.

The bearing used in the Dingo is the same 10-Ball bearing that One Drop uses in every other yo-yo the produce. In my opinion it is one of the best bearings on the market. I use them in almost all of my C-Bearing yo-yos; if it doesn’t have a 10-Ball then it has an AIGR bearing in it. I find the 10-Ball to give an unparalleled smoothness that cannot be beat.

The response in the Dingo is One Drop’s Flow Groove silicone pads. They are perfect substitute for anyone that does not want to put flowable silicone in the response groove. They give tight binds and last forever.

Playability

The Dingo is a very deceptive yo-yo. It is tiny, especially in my hands but it plays so much bigger than it is. The problem that people are going to have is that they are going to see the price and think it is a beginner yo-yo. That could not be farther from the truth, you need to have a degree of skill in order to use a Dingo. It is not a forgiving player. The small size means you will have to be precise. The plus side to that is the Dingo will make you a better player.

On the first throw I could not believe how long it spun. With the stock bearing, string, and a decent test throw it gave me about three minutes. After switching out the string for one of my own stock and a strong throw, it spun for an easy 5 minutes.

As far as actual tricks are concerned, there is nothing I can’t do with the Dingo that I cannot do with the other 18 yo-yos in my collection. Even consecutive Eli Hops, a trick that usually gives mini yo-yos a fit, are not that difficult to do with the Dingo. As I said earlier, the catch zone is small but the 4.3mm gap is big enough to handle many wraps.

The soda blast finish of my Dingo gives some great grinds. Palm and finger grinds are very impressive, something I attribute to the incredible spin times of the Dingo itself. Thumb grinds are not the best but if you throw the Dingo at a slight angle you can still pop it up and catch it with a thumbnail.

Final Thoughts

At the price that One Drop is selling the Dingo, everyone needs to have one of these in his or her collection. It is a serious player and it joins my short list of perfect pocket yo-yos. As I said in my introduction pocket yo-yos usually have to make some concessions and this one is no different. It does not have the IRG that I like to see on a yo-yo. Other than that, I can find no fault in the design of the Dingo. This is one of the first competition grade minis that I have come across; it ticks all the right boxes and performs similar to its larger siblings. Lets recap what One Drop set out to do with the Dingo and see if it succeeded.

• Great Price – Check
• Great Play- Check
• Great Quantity – Check (over 100 on initial release and 2 special editions in under a month)

Great job One Drop. You set out with a clear defined goal and nailed it. You have proven that you can create a great mini, now lets see what you can do with a full sized yo-yo.