A Good Speedcube?

[fleeting_penguin]

Where is the best place to get a durable, cheap speedcube from, preferably non-DIY? I've been using an old one (some friends have new ones with raised rims around the stickers, mine don't have these) and they turn pretty stiffly. I've managed to sand one down and put some lubricant in it to the point where it is much better, but still not good enough to do fingertricks with. Would a speedcube even be of use if I'm not down to world class times yet?

 

[ExoCorsair]

Yes, everyone should use good cubes.

You can just take a store-bought (Wal-mart, Target, hobby/game shops) and lube it; it should be fine for a start. You could take a DIY core and use the store-bought cubies for an even better cube, but that requires a DIY.

 

[deathbypapercutz]

What's wrong with a DIY?

 

[fleeting_penguin]

Are there any tests or rules of thumb I could use to tell whether or not a cube is a good speedcube? Obviously it is hard to communicate subjective things like feel and looseness over the internet.

 

[Harris Chan]

Here's one: If you can do speedcubing with a cube, then it's a speedcube

 

[Theromy]

The cube I use is from eBay, it was fully built in a factory and it can't cut corners at all :/ It's a good cube, excellent turning speed, but my PLLs now take atleast 4 seconds each because it jams constantly, the skin around my nails is all sore from where I've carried on pushing when it was jammed and the plastic has rubbed it.

It's a good enough cube though, I got 23.77 with it

 

[Lt-UnReaL]

The DIY(a) cubes are the best.

Time is takes to do (L' U' L U) 12 times with store cube = 6.58
Time is takes to do (L' U' L U) 12 times with DIY(a) cube = 4.72

DIY(a) cube = 1027893982437 times better than a store cube. :x

 

[ExoCorsair]

The DIY(a) cubes are the best.

Sweeping generalization! It depends on how your store-bought is, though. I can think of three people off the top of my head who use store-bought cubes as their main cube.

 

[Lt-UnReaL]

It's tough to actually get a good store cube, though. :x

 

[Lofty]

No its not...
its tough to stand a store cube long enough for it to get good.
My store cube is more loose than my DIY (a) so I like it better for OH but for regular solves my diy is better.

 

[Mike Hughey]

No its not...
its tough to stand a store cube long enough for it to get good.

So true. I had a particularly bad store-bought cube that I brought with me to the Philippines (I didn't bring my good cube), and by the time I came back, it was my second-best cube. It just took using it for hours every day to make it a decent cube. When I first got it and tried to make it a speedcube, I got so frustrated with it that I almost threw it away. Now I'm glad I didn't.

 

[Radu]

dan harris was selling some..they are diy kit's, but he sends them to you assembled and lubed. i got mine from him and i am very pleased.