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[Review] Valk 3

Your opinion?


  • Total voters
    63

Erik

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The Valk 3 is a cube designed with the help of Mats Valk. I got the chance to test it!

Summary:
It's a fast cube, but like with all cubes it depends on your turning style to determine if this is the right cube for you. It took a few days for me to get used to, which is probably normal for a cubing-grandpa like me ;-)

[Edit: should go to review sections. I lost overview of all the sub-forums...]
 
Last edited:

mafergut

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The Valk 3 is a cube designed with the help of Mats Valk. I got the chance to test it!

Summary:
It's a fast cube, but like with all cubes it depends on your turning style to determine if this is the right cube for you. It took a few days for me to get used to, which is probably normal for a cubing-grandpa like me ;-)
Talking of cubing grandpas... I am 46 years old but I started speedcubing at the age of 43 (I had casually solved the Rubik's cube with beginners method back then in 1983-84 when I was 13-14 y/o). And the fact is that I can't get even a sub-10 single or sub 16 Ao5 so, I feel old and slow, you don't have the right to feel that way, judging for your comp results this year :p

Going back on topic, I like the cube. But I promised myself that I'd stop buying new cubes. I stopped at the Yuexiao but I also couldn't resist to buy the 356 Air. Not sure if this (or the Weilong GTS, or the Thunderclap v2, or the 3 of them :)) are really worth it. Just for you to know, some of the oldish cubes I still enjoy a lot are the YJ Chilong and Sulong.

Also, how do you keep your reflexes up to snuff with years passing? At 46 I feel so slow... oh, I already said that, maybe my memory is failing me too ;)
 

PlainCuber

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Jul 14, 2016
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On topic: I'd love to get a Valk 3. I've heard good things and watched a couple of videos.

I'm also a cubing grandpa - I'm 60. So old!!! :cool: I fell in love with speedcubing December of 2014 - almost 2 years ago. I'm still trying to average under a minute, and my PB is 33.50. Not bad for an old dude. I received my Gan 356 Air a couple of days ago, and I love it. I've had almost all of the "good" cubes, as of this year - Aolong GT, Weilong GTS, Tanglong, and the Guoguan Yuexiao (which I really like). I've given all of the cubes to my son and granddaughters, except for the Yuexiao.
 

Julio R.

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Jul 21, 2016
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would i like the valk if I main an aolong mini? I also like the fangshi shuangren illusion but not the weilong gts
 

Rubix Cubix

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Going back on topic, I like the cube. But I promised myself that I'd stop buying new cubes. I stopped at the Yuexiao but I also couldn't resist to buy the 356 Air. Not sure if this (or the Weilong GTS, or the Thunderclap v2, or the 3 of them :)) are really worth it. Just for you to know, some of the oldish cubes I still enjoy a lot are the YJ Chilong and Sulong. ;)

I agree with in that I think a lot of the new cubes, Thunderclap V2, Gans Air, Valk 3 etc. aren't as good as you think they're going to be based on the hype and pre-release info you read about them. It may just be me but I bought the Gans 356 V2 (already had the V1), Thunderclap V2 (also had the V1) and the Weilong GTS and I can't say I thought they were much better than ones I already have, Thunderclap V1 and YJ Yulong for example. Whenever a new cube comes out it always purports to have lots of new design features and stuff which will make it the "best", but then a few months later another new cube will come out and it starts again.

Anyway that's just what I think, don't think I'll be buying any new 3x3 cubes for a while as I'm happy with the ones I've got and I think I'd better off just practising more instead of always buying the latest and greatest cube on the market.
 

Big Red

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Feb 20, 2016
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This thread is for reviews of [Valk 3]. You can vote in the poll above, but please only vote if you own this particular puzzle.

Also let me know if you've experienced the issue mentioned in my review.
 
Last edited:

Big Red

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Feb 20, 2016
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The backwoods of Kentucky.
Where the puzzle was purchased: Cubicle.us
When the puzzle was purchased: 09/08/2016
My thoughts
I received my Valk 3 a couple days ago and out of the box it was instantly my new Oh and 2h main. I thought the best 3x3 I had ever had the privilege of owning. Out of the box I did a few solves and it was great all around until I ran into a serious problem.

Pros
1. The size. It is perfect for both one and two handed solving (I'm 6.2 and my hands are like baseball mitts if I don't have trouble you likely won't either).

2.Performance. It is extremely stable and fast but does not overshoot, corner cuts are equal to any other modern cube and I experienced no lockups or catches in the 40 or so solves I was able to do.

3. The feel. I know its subjective but in my opinion it's a combination of 50% MeiYing 50% YueXiao which is absolutely extraordinary.

Cons
Only 1.Fragility. The corner stalks and the tracks/torpedoes (attached by a stalk held between the 2 piece edge assembly) are ridiculously easy to break.


So after doing about 40 to 50 solves I decided to wipe out the factory lube so I could break it in. When I was reinserting the last edge the entire track/torpedo broke off making my puzzle worthless. I decided to test this so I could inform everyone and I could twist it off an edge easily with only my thumb and index finger. The corner stalks snap off effortlessly (even easier than than Panshi!) It was really disappointing because before this happened I had fallen in love with it and I can't believe it got past QC.

EDIT 09/20/2016 : I decided to replace my Valk 3 and I think my review was a little harsh where where fragility is concerned. Don't get me wrong the torpedoes and corner stalks are much more fragile than the other 3x3s available ( the unified stalk design being to thin is the issue as far as I can tell) but I was able to take it apart without breaking anything and it has become my main. Just be really careful when disassembling/reassembling.
 
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PlainCuber

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My review of The Valk 3:
I just got my Valk 3 in the mail today and, out of the box, it's very fast - too fast. So I put some weight 1 lube between the pieces and it definitely slowed it down - and gave it a "gummy" feel. So, I removed the weight 1, most of it anyway, and now it's just right. It has incredible corner-cutting, both forward and reverse. So far it hasn't locked up on me any. It's a very nice cube - possibly the best I've seen. It's definitely my new main.
 

TheBrutux168

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I really like this cube especially for OH. It's very fast and light yet remains controllable. It's quite stable and M slices are very easy to do. Certainly my OH main. For 2H, IDK, it's an amazing cube definitely, but I think I prefer my GTS
 

PlainCuber

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would i like the valk if I main an aolong mini? I also like the fangshi shuangren illusion but not the weilong gts
For what it's worth, do you not like the GTS because it's fast? If so, you probably wouldn't like the Valk. It's very fast. Of course, you could put some weight 5 on the core and possibly some weight 1 on the pieces. I did that to mine and it's just about perfect now.
 

Julio R.

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Jul 21, 2016
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For what it's worth, do you not like the GTS because it's fast? If so, you probably wouldn't like the Valk. It's very fast. Of course, you could put some weight 5 on the core and possibly some weight 1 on the pieces. I did that to mine and it's just about perfect now.
It was out of the box but I disliked it because it felt like you could do a U3 on accident and not realize it. The cube didn't feel like it was turning.
 

efattah

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Feb 14, 2016
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After fine tuning the tension, I love the cube, but it pops/explodes rather often. Am I the only one experiencing it? At higher tensions it doesn't happen but in those cases I feel it is too tight... When it 'behaves' it is my favorite cube.
 

TheChaiCuber

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After fine tuning the tension, I love the cube, but it pops/explodes rather often. Am I the only one experiencing it? At higher tensions it doesn't happen but in those cases I feel it is too tight... When it 'behaves' it is my favorite cube.

If your looking for a more flexible cube, I'd think that the valk 3 isn't a great choice. It's very stable and sturdy IMO.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Tom606060

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So I just got my valk 3 and everything seems okay its just that the corner cutting seems kinda terrible. Out of the box, it was pretty tight so it couldn't even but 45 but even after I loosened the tensions, it still cuts just over 45 with lots of force. I was expecting more out of a top of the line speedcube. Am I doing something wrong, does it need lube, or do I have a defective one? Please help.
 

sqAree

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So I just got my valk 3 and everything seems okay its just that the corner cutting seems kinda terrible. Out of the box, it was pretty tight so it couldn't even but 45 but even after I loosened the tensions, it still cuts just over 45 with lots of force. I was expecting more out of a top of the line speedcube. Am I doing something wrong, does it need lube, or do I have a defective one? Please help.

Hey, my Valk3 also lacks a bit corner cutting. It's definitely not comparable to cubes like the GTS. It's not a problem though, as no one ever needs to cut close to 45°.
 

pipkiksass

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So I just got my valk 3 and everything seems okay its just that the corner cutting seems kinda terrible. Out of the box, it was pretty tight so it couldn't even but 45 but even after I loosened the tensions, it still cuts just over 45 with lots of force. I was expecting more out of a top of the line speedcube. Am I doing something wrong, does it need lube, or do I have a defective one? Please help.

Take it apart completely, lube the core, then reassemble tightening each screw the same amount until it cuts how you want it to. Try tightening each screw 1/4 turn at a time, might take 10 mins or so to find the right tension for you, comes down to personal preference.

Mine was a bit too tight until I could be bothered to set it up, now I've done so it's perfect. Best cube I've ever had by a long way.

If, having set it up as above, you still can't get the corner-cutting how you want it, perhaps it's just not the cube for you? I have many 3x3s which I've not liked the feel of (fangshi, SS Aurora, HuanYing...) which others love, so not every cube works for every cuber.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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