Just received lots of new cubes and I don't know what I should do...

[jcjimenez]

Hi all,

First of all let me introduce myself since this is my first post. I've been cubing for several months, I've only learned one beginner method and I've adapted to my own style. Right now I'm below 1 minute with some finger tricks and training (which I'm not sure if it's ok to start learning another advanced methods).

Anyway, some of my friends ordered some cubes and other stuff for me as a present for my birthday. I'm not very used to all this "new" cubes because I just bought a couple of DIY cubes months ago and I have no idea of which I bought.

This is the whole list of things they gave me:

5 x Cube4you Orange Nylon Cores
5 x Cube4you Vinyl 3x3x3 Sticker

3x3x3
Alpha V-f (assembled from speedcubeshop.com)
Alpha V (assembled from speedcubeshop.com)
Haiyan's Cube VI (assembled from speedcubeshop.com)
Diansheng Cube White (assembled from cube4you.com)
Cube4you Gas-Assisted 3x3x3 with CUBESMITH Stickers (DIY from cube4you.com)
Alpha IV (Type A) (DIY from cube4you.com)
Alpha I (Type A) (DIY from cube4you.com)
Alpha V (Type A) (DIY from cube4you.com)

2x2x2
Lan Lan 2x2 (assembled from speedcubeshop.com)
Lan Lan 2x2 (assembled from cube4you.com)

4x4x4
Mf8 + Dayan 4x4 Cube (assembled from speedcubeshop.com)
Eastsheen 4x4x4 Cube (assembled from cubes4you.com)

I have some questions:

·Which are the best and which are the worst? Is it possible to sort them ordered by quality?
·Do I need to change the cores of any of these 3x3 cube with the orange nylon cores?
·Do I need to change the stickers of any of these 3x3 cubes with the vynil cube4you stickers they gave me?
·I have jig-a-loo at home and I've used some times with success (I mean that I know how to use it). Do I need to lube any of these *assembled* cubes? Or they are lubed?
·Do I need to sand any of these cubes or make some improvements to them?

The important question is: *What would you do with all these stuff in my case?*

I have watched a lot of reviews on youtube and readed about these cubes but I'm not sure about if they are good just as-is of if do I need to make some improvements...

Thanks in advance!

Best regards,
JCJ

 

[collinbxyz]

I voted alpha V, but if you get it, make sure you do the haiyan memory mod.

 

[freshcuber]

Answering what's best is hard. I don't make a lot of frivolous cube orders so I'll tell you what I can.

LanLans are good 2x2's you'll be fine with that.
As far as 3x3 goes my first main was an A-V and it's still pretty good. Do the Memory mod. Just search youtube and you'll find it. I don't have any of the other cubes there. The Dayan is a good 4x4 if you can handle it's size. Lube the inner white core, preferably with Lubix. Jig-a-Loo can have negative affects on plastic so use it cautiously. There's nothing wrong with it as long as it's applied correctly. A quick spray and work it in otherwise it can glue your pieces together.

Only replace the stickers on your cube if you don't like the current colors or they're becoming worn. As far as the cores go I don't make hybrid cubes so I couldn't tell you to not do them. I doubt they'll make a large difference as far as performance of your cubes go. Try it and see what you like.

 

[Keban]

I the alpha V so much.
and also, try to get your hands on some cubesmith stickers, they are very cheap and probably the highest quality you can get.
I learnt fridrich when i averaged about a minute in november, and am down to sub 30. It really depends on if you feel like it or not lol.

 

[DeathCuberK]

2x2: Go for LanLan
3x3: I would think that the Alpha 5 is the best one there.
4x4: Get the Dayan, because the Eastsheen locks up like crazy and ends up getting way too loose after a while.

 

[amostay2004]

wtf.

You need to introduce your friends to me

 

[aikikai_cuber]

wtf.

You need to introduce your friends to me

:tu +1

 

[Bapao]

Why did all of your friends tell you where they bought the cubes? Or did you ask?

 

[Godmil]

That's quite a collection. I haven't tried them all, but from what I've read the Alpha V is the best of the bunch. Do the memory mod (sanding the corners on the inner part of the corner pieces) it only takes 10-15mins and makes the cube feel smoother and lockup less.
The LanLan is currently regarded as the best 2x2 at the moment, and it's fine out of the box.
The Dayan is one of the best 4x4's, I haven't done any mods to mine and it's pretty nice (but not very fast, which is fine for me as I'm a beginner on 4x4), I presume it gets faster if you sort out the inner core and tension it right.

 

[Olji]

what i understand, you already got those cubes now, so why not try everyone and see which is best for you, its all up to the person using it after all

 

[asportking]

From what I hear, the Diansheng 3x3's orange and red stickers look really similar, you could use some of the stickers you got to fix that, even if it won't be your main speedcube. Besides that, I agree with what everyone else says.

 

[jcjimenez]

I learnt fridrich when i averaged about a minute in november, and am down to sub 30. It really depends on if you feel like it or not lol.

I'm not sure if I could learn that many algorithms of any advanced method

Maybe I will try starting only with the F2L for the first two layers and if everything goes smoother I will go on with the rest of the Fridrich... Which is the intermediate/advanced method with less number of algorithms to memorize right now?

 

[jcjimenez]

try to get your hands on some cubesmith stickers, they are very cheap and probably the highest quality you can get.

Is there any store very close to Canada or maybe any place where I could buy them in person? The waiting time of the delivery of both speedcubeshop and cube4you is killing me!!!!

 

[jcjimenez]

Why did all of your friends tell you where they bought the cubes? Or did you ask?

In fact, they bought them after the birthday (but for the birthday) and they sent me an email with the list of the products they bought so I could know what they have ordered. In the list I could read the name of the stores in which they bought everything.

 

[jcjimenez]

what i understand, you already got those cubes now, so why not try everyone and see which is best for you, its all up to the person using it after all

For sure I'll do. The main goal of my post was to ask about the mods I should make to them so I will be prepared as soon as the postman rings my bell! hehehe

I promise to write kind-of a review (from a "beginner" point of view) for all of them (I will try with and without the new orange nylon cores and will try the Alpha V for a couple of days before making the Haiyan's Memory mod.