Ten YoYo Drop Bear
Reviewed by Chris Rhoads
July 11, 2012

Introduction

Ten YoYo has been around for a little while now, making a name for themselves with some of the more outrageous designs on the market today. First was the Wet Whistle which doubled as a bar jigger complete with measuring lines. Next up was the Decapod, a throwback to the super extreme H-Shape designs reminiscent of the H-Spin Envy. Today I am looking at their third release, the Drop Bear. This marks a departure from their design philosophy; instead of asylum level crazy they toned down the insane looks and focused their efforts into making their killer competition throw. Will this change in focus help or hinder the team from Pennsylvania, now is the time we get to find out.

Specs

• Diameter: 56 mm
• Width: 41.75 mm
• Gap: 4.6 mm
• Weight: 63.5 grams
• Bearing: C-Size V-Groove bearing
• Response: Clear Silicone Pad

Construction

One thing that Ten YoYo is known for is odd packaging and the Drop Bear is no exception. The box is printed to look like an animal shipping crate, complete with warning stickers and the specs on one side. Inside, the yo-yo comes packed in a mock canvas bag, adding to the wild animal appearance. One thing I do love about Ten YoYo is their dedication to expanding the user base, so much so that they have been packing a second, plastic yo-yo in with the Drop Bear at no extra cost. They call it a “Throw It Forward” yo-yo and it is meant to be given to someone new to the sport in order to get them hooked on throwing.

The Drop bear is modified V-Shaped yo-yo with huge sloping rims that stop at a keen angle before plunging towards the gap. The gap is essentially the response pad and the bearing. There is no wall to be seen. The cup of the Drop Bear is a contradiction of sharp angles and gentle curves. The face and rim area are made up from the afore mentioned angles with a slim edge on the IGR. Past the IGR, the cup curves gracefully towards the rounded hub at the center of the floor. The entire yo-yo is wrapped in a fine bead blast finish giving the Drop bear a silk like feel when running a finger over it. Over all I do like the design. I appreciate that they took the time to plan where to put the sharp angles in order to maximize the visuals while minimizing any discomfort during play. What it ends up doing is giving the Drop Bear a high level of comfort in the hand while retaining an edgy and striking look.

Weight

The Drop Bear has a high level of rim weight in a featherweight package. A 56 mm diameter yo-yo that tips the scales at just less than 64 grams is expected to fly on the string, which this one does with ease. The Drop Bear plays best when it is zooming through the air bouncing from string to string at a blazing pace. It remains stable even during the fastest of direction changes while retaining a high level of spin.

Response and Bearing

Ten YoYo is using a silicone response pad in the Drop Bear that looks similar to the One Drop Flow Groove Pad. It gives a good amount of grip while staying dead unresponsive.

The Bearing is a Crucial V-Groove Bearing. Overall, I was not impressed with the bearing in this yo-yo. While it did its job of centering the string at all times I found that it was quite loud. I know I am a broken record on this, I see no need for these fancy shaped bearings. I found the Drop Bear played better with the flat bearing that shipped with my Wet Whistle Well Edition yo-yo.

Playability

Fast, that is the word that describes this yo-yo. I said it before; it plays best when pushed to the limits, much like a Formula One car. This is not a bad thing; I do love a good speed demon. The great thing about this yo-yo is that even though you are going flat out in the speed department it is still quite easy to use thanks to the wide open catch zone. I am not the most precise of players, so hitting a fast moving target can be tricky at times, I didn’t find that to be a problem with the Drop Bear. One aspect of the design that I am really fond of is the no-walled gap. It gives everything that one would expect during play, great suicide loops for example, plus it drastically reduces the possibility of sudden binds which inevitably result in quite a bit of swearing while holding my knuckles… again, a nod to comfort that I greatly appreciate. Grinds on the Drop Bear are nothing short of amazing. The blast is up there with some of the best in the industry. The control over the spin is precise with next to no need to compensate while it rests on your skin.

Final Thoughts

If this is what happens when Ten YoYo subdues their designs a bit then I am all for it. While I want them to never want them to forget their whacky roots, the Drop Bear gives them a design that can easily compete with the major players in the industry today.