Pulsefire by Tyler Hsieh Review
The Pulsefire is a new yoyo designed by Tyler Hsieh, a member of team Crucial. When he requested I make a review for the yoyo, I immediately took interest due to the appealing design with the low wall and simple clean lines which seem to cater to my faster style of play. Because it was the first yoyo that he has released, I didn’t expect very much. Despite this low expectation, I quickly realized that this would be a yoyo that is very well suited towards competition play due to its powerful performance.
Specs:
Diameter: 55.5mm
Width: 44mm
Mass: 63.53grams
Material: 7075 Aluminum
Setup:
The yoyo comes with a grooved 10-ball bearing installed along with a pair of IrPads, designed by Ryosuke Iwasawa from Japan. The bearing fits today’s standard of keeping the string centered, and has a smooth spin that requires little to no maintenance. The IrPads included have reliable binds, and require little break-in time to achieve the comfortable “sweet spot” desired for a response system. My Pulsefire that I received had a red anodize, and like other pulsefires, was numbered. (Mine being 39)
Design:
The Pulsefire follows a traditional V-shape with a horizontal step at the end. It also has a considerably low wall to reduce the amount of friction between the string and the yoyo. The weight is on the lighter side, taking the full size into consideration, but this reduces the amount of force required to push the yoyo to higher speeds. One thing to take notice is the flat hub on the inside of the cup, and this is desirable to perform the popular horizontal finger spins that are becoming more common today.
Performance:
From the first throw, I immediately felt the tremendous speed that this yoyo was capable of. I could speed through my intricate string combos, and the slightly wider catch zone reduces the possibility of a string miss. One thing to take note is that it may be hard to control due to the lighter weight, but after a few combos, I quickly adjusted to the speed and was able to regulate how much force to exert when moving the yoyo. As for horizontal tricks, the low wall definitely makes a difference in play by helping it stay on a horizontal plane. Despite having a lighter weight, the balanced weight distribution still allows it to have a long spin time, unlike other yoyos in the same weight category that seem to spin out after a long combo,
Conclusion:
After much use, I can safely say that the pulsefire can be considered a “competition throw”. The combination of long spin times, plane stability, and potential to move at high speeds will lend itself very well on even the biggest yoyo stages. While everyone may be caught up with today’s popular brands such as YoYoFactory, CLYW, and YoYoRecreation, the Pulsefire is a yoyo that should be considered for serious use. While it may not fit everyone’s style of play, it will most likely cater to those that want to take their competition game to the next level by trying to rack up points in a freestyle.