Aoda Sunshine Review

Sunshine
By Aoda

Sunshine, sunshine...With such a beautiful name surely it has to be something good. Unfortunately coming from the infamous Aoda, I expect things to be cloudy, with a slight chance of raining scatballs. Yep, Aoda is the brand that most would love to hate. Yet there is a 9.12% of the yo-yo population who consider Aoda a godsend, a brand that gives the yo-yos they want at bargain prices. So just to be fair, I'll stay on the fence for this interview. So let me slip on my bermudas and sip up a lil lemonade as I try to enjoy the sunburn.

More after the Break!





Impressions:
In the box
Again, this is a loaner. It's been used for a few weeks so the condition is not too bad, other than a tarnished but playable bearing.

Out the box
The sunshine is essentially THE bootleg Yoyofactory 888. The 888 is one of my favourite metal throws of all time, so already this yo-yo is going to have to work hard to impress me. In the hand, the Sunshine feels comfortable and familiar. The surface of the yo-yo is textured for grinds, but not as fine as a proper beadblast. The anodizing is fairly bright and well done, making the Sunshine monkier almost deserved. What I hate about it though, is the stacks. While the 888 stacks weren't perfect they at least have a nice, rounded and comfortable feel. On the sunshine they are blocky and cheap as ever. Holding the yo-yo by the stacks makes me wanna go “Bad yoyo, Bad yoyo!”

Specs:
Diameter : 50mm
Width : 40mm
Weight : 64g approx
Gap : 4mm approx
Response : Aoda Ring Pad
Axle/bearing : Size D Aoda Concave

On a Throw
The first throws set the tone of the whole playtime. It isn't entirely bad, it's just that it could've been a whole lot better. There's quite a bit of vibe though it isn't that distracting, the yo-yo isn't floaty but it isn't particularly fast either. The bearing is broken in, so the yo-yo is dead unresponsive, but due to the tarnishing it couldn't handle backspin well. Spin stability is about average, could handle some tricks but long, complex combos just throw it out of balance. The response is slippery, so one would rather switch to flowable ASAP. Grinds are possible, but the textured surface is a little icky. The vibe doesn't help either. It's basically a mediocre performer at best.

The internals though, are a different story. The axle would seem innovative. Rather than the Allen key setup it uses a flat screwdriver groove, which is good. But the bad and I mean REAL bad is the axle is so loose, you'd be tuning it a whole lot than normal. And the worst part is, the axle can actually unscrew itself all the way through the post. So you can open the yo-yo, and you screw it back on thinking you've got it nice and tight, and you flip the yo-yo over and a big length of axle is sticking out. Putting on a layer of teflon tape solves it, but seriously, they could've done better.

How does it compare to the 888? It doesn't. It's not like it's actually trying. The Sunshine doesn't have the smoothness, the fast, flowy feel, the smooth grinds. It's just not the 888 at all. Sure, it shares almost the same specs and size, but it just isn't the 888. Period.

Overall Rating
All in all, it's a less-than-average player for a less-than-average price. Players who pick this up expecting to get the famous 888 feel will be undoubtedly disappointed, though for players looking for a bargain yo-yo, this might be the gem in the rough. It could be a good base for modding, though, so anyone needing modder fodder could consider this one.

Pros
Price factor; convenient (though poorly executed) axle system

Cons
Poor feel; loose floating axle; bearing tarnishes; slippery stock response; Icky grinds

Keep it or Kill it?

The sunshine isn't a bad yoyo, it's just poorly executed in it's stock form. If there isn't anything that could be done to it, my descision is clear: Kill it. Preferably with the power of the sun.

BUT...

As I pointed out, there could be some potential for modding. Maybe a bit underweight, but still, maybe a highwall job, or a reshape might actually improve it. D-Sized bearings aren't common, but hey, the Hspin Hybrid is a good one to start with. So with all factors considered, thus:

The Verdict: MUTILATE IT

It's very clear to me. If it's a turd, it's a turd. But polish it and at least it'll turn out to look like a fancy turd. Already I can envision reshaping the inner catch-zone, increasing the high wall, giving a c-sized bearing seat, maybe toss in some weight rings and you might have a good player.

So if I had a lathe and a Sunshine, I know exactly what I'm gonna do.



This review was bought to you by a mad man with a mad plan. Special thanks to Adib Hafeez for loaning the unit.