Is buying/using outdated cubes still worhtwhile?

[Cristobal]

As a very beginner this question bothers me frequently, especially when I am about to buy a cube. I understood that the later cubes on the market do not make a significant difference for the beginners, since they perform more or less equally.

The other question that strikes me is: when finally a cube becomes outdated (although they are still widely available and therefore produced).

 

[tx789]

Usually a cube is considered outdated when a much better cube is released, however it depends on who you ask. Don't worry too much about a new cube being realased making your old one out dated. Since it is still perfectly fine. Better hardware may give some improvement those that could be due to the fact your solving the puzzle more. So don't get new cubes in hope of improving. Practise instead.

Also if you get one of the good speedcubers you won't need to switch for ages. Since an improvement, worth switching might not come around for years.

 

[Aysha]

Speaking from my personal experience, as a beginner it didn't matter to me whether I used an old or new cube. I couldn't tell the difference between solving a Guanlong (basic mechanism) or an Aolong (more advanced mechanism at the time) except for the fact the the Guanlong felt cheaper and lighter. When if fact, the Aolong performs much better than a Guanlong.

After I started practicing more and getting faster with time I could then tell the difference if a cube's mechanism is outdated and doesn't perform as well. So it is worthwhile in my opinion. Until you start feeling like the cube doesn't perform as well as you except it to then maybe you can consider it as outdated and get a newer one.

 

[TCG]

It depends I guess. Depends whether you like the feel of the cube and does your times improve with it or the cube sounds like the one for you. When I was a beginner I had a Guanlong and Aolong. Like Aysha, I couldn't tell the difference between the 2, but when I start to get better, I realise the Aolong is much much better than the Guanlong. That's when I started to think, what cube is better than the Aolong? I started to spend more and more money on newer cubes because I wasn't satisfied with my current cubes. When I got my next cube, the Hualong, it was so fast I was so impressed. After getting used to the Hualong, the Aolong feels like really sluggish. Still not satisfied with what I already have, I went out and bought MORE and MORE cubes, I got all the long series cubes and without even thinking got the Tanglong and Aolong GT immediately when they became available. Still unsatisfied, I got the Meiying, Gans 356, Yuxin 3x3, Thunderclap, and much more. Now? I'm just stuck with so many 3x3s even a octopus can't OH all of them at once. I don't even touch them anymore. I just use 1 cube, the Thunderclap, which is my main.
The moral of the story is, if you're already satisfied with your 3x3 and it isn't spoilt or anything, then just stick with it until you are absolutely sure the next cube you're gonna buy suits you the best and will improve your times by a huge amount, or your cube is some crap like the Guanlong (good for price but crap for me), then get a new one. Trust me, you will regret it if you buy a bunch of cubes you won't even use, UNLESS you are a collecter.

 

[AlexMaass]

I bought a F2 cube (really old don't think they are made anymore) for feet, it's a good feet cube lol.

 

[Joel2274]

Honestly, you only need a new cube if your skill grows beyond it, it breaks, or you just don't like it anymore. Because when you get a new one, you're just gonna be stuck with a normal cube for 300 solves until you break it in.

 

[dskids]

IMO, the only reasons to buy an older cube are a) for collecting purposes and b) if you love the feel/turning of a particular older cube and want to main it. With all the newer cubes that are only a few bucks more expensive than a ZhanChi, I don't really see a reason to not get one of the best current models unless money is just extremely tight.

That said, I have bought several older cubes for my collection and there are a lot of outdated designs that are still really enjoyable to solve on, but none seem main-worthy at this point for me.

 

[jaredye]

When I was average about 30 seconds, I was using Dayan Zhanchi. Then I got Hualong and my average improved 2 seconds instantly. I think most likely you can still get some improvements by getting a new cube even though you are a beginner.

 

[shadowslice e]

I would use the old cubes simply because it improves lookahead and turning style (at least it did for me).

That said, you will almost certainly be faster on a newer cube (or if you lube it. I went from ~15-~14 just cause I lubed my gans 357 and my OH improved by a crazy amount as well)

 

[Berd]

I offered an F1 in an attempt to help my turning style. It might become valuable soon

 

[rj]

Yes. Older cubes are often amazing, but don't have the uber-light feel that we've been spoiled with. My single and average PBs are both on a 3-year-old cube, and were on a 4-year-old one before that.