Fred
Veteran
I found the Moretry Tianma Zcube edition with ballcore on sale on AliExpress, so I wanted to try it out. Even at full price, $15 in US pricing, it's probably the cheapest ballcore 3x3 you can get. It's a pretty good cube too, with ballcore, dual adjustment, a glossy coating, and a 55mm size.
I found a setup that's pretty good, and I got some fast times, but I won't be maining this cube as I still prefer the MGC Beta. This Tianma is very fast, and beginners may struggle. I'm on the maxiumum compression setting with some slow lubes, and it still feels pretty fast, but manageably fast. The corner cutting feels crunchy, which is better than locking up, but subjectively I prefer the MGC Beta's softer feel. Also subjectively, the sound is not very pleasant. It makes a low-pitch gargling sort of sound.
Another slight issue is that I've had two core magnets fall out, so I had to glue them back in. If you hear a clicking sound, it might be a core magnet that came loose, or it might be that one of the pieces came slightly apart and you need to push it back together. Between the very fast speed and required knowledge of how to glue magnets back in with the correct orientation, I cannot recommend this cube for beginners. However, the performance is very good and it's cheaper than even the most basic version of the MGC Beta, so fast cube enjoyers might consider it for a backup/alternative option or even for multiblind.
Edit: I got a few more of these for multiblind and have had no more magnets fall out. I like the slices (E especially) more than the MGC Beta, and I think this is going to be my 3BLD main too. I'm changing my rating from above average to excellent.
I found a setup that's pretty good, and I got some fast times, but I won't be maining this cube as I still prefer the MGC Beta. This Tianma is very fast, and beginners may struggle. I'm on the maxiumum compression setting with some slow lubes, and it still feels pretty fast, but manageably fast. The corner cutting feels crunchy, which is better than locking up, but subjectively I prefer the MGC Beta's softer feel. Also subjectively, the sound is not very pleasant. It makes a low-pitch gargling sort of sound.
Another slight issue is that I've had two core magnets fall out, so I had to glue them back in. If you hear a clicking sound, it might be a core magnet that came loose, or it might be that one of the pieces came slightly apart and you need to push it back together. Between the very fast speed and required knowledge of how to glue magnets back in with the correct orientation, I cannot recommend this cube for beginners. However, the performance is very good and it's cheaper than even the most basic version of the MGC Beta, so fast cube enjoyers might consider it for a backup/alternative option or even for multiblind.
Edit: I got a few more of these for multiblind and have had no more magnets fall out. I like the slices (E especially) more than the MGC Beta, and I think this is going to be my 3BLD main too. I'm changing my rating from above average to excellent.
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