# "SpeedCube" hits the UK High St!



## MichaelErskine (Dec 23, 2008)

I just _had_ to buy this - its claims are most amusing. I shall give this to my niece for Xmas!

It is nice to see the term "speedcubing" entering mainstream culture.

BTW: it's a horrible cube! It might move OK when I lube it. Who knows, it may turn out to be brilliant! 

More pictures on my website at http://www.tecspy.com/node/205


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## Stefan (Dec 23, 2008)

Mint deluxe/game cubes are usually horrible, too. I'd like this cube, it looks very nice. Can you tell the weight? Can you show mechanism photos?


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## Pyro-Dude (Dec 23, 2008)

My friend and I got one of these a month or two ago. They start off pretty bad, but after a while of use, it turns quite smoothly, although it's hardly fast. It doesn't really cut corners particularly well either.

My friend's actually falls apart pretty much every other twist though, and mine is certainly moving in that direction.

The tiles are quite nice, but they can chip and crack (although only under rough use). I use mine to keep in my bag when I go to school, as I don't really care if it breaks, unlike my other cubes.

I recommend buying for a similar use, but don't buy for speedcubing.


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## MichaelErskine (Dec 23, 2008)

StefanPochmann said:


> Mint deluxe/game cubes are usually horrible, too. I'd like this cube, it looks very nice. Can you tell the weight? Can you show mechanism photos?



Um, OK... I've added a few more pictures to the webpage.






It's 115g -- compared to Type-C: 88g, puzl.co.uk cubes: 90g and Rubik's store-bought: 104g.






The photos are not so great (cheap nasty camera!) but larger versions are on the page (http://www.tecspy.com/node/205).

The cube is available from The Works (http://www.theworksbookstore.com/), a chain of discount book stores in the UK. It's worth having just for the box


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## d4m4s74 (Dec 23, 2008)

does it have screws or rivets?

If it's a "professional speedcube" it must be ajustable


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## MichaelErskine (Dec 23, 2008)

d4m4s74 said:


> does it have screws or rivets?
> 
> If it's a "professional speedcube" it must be ajustable



The tiles are glued on (quite badly!) so I don't have access to the screws or rivets. I wouldn't give much credence to the use of the term "Professional" 

Like I say, this is going to be a nice little Xmas gift for my 3 year old niece. To mitigate any damages I'll be giving her parents a nice Rubik's store-bought that has been broken in, lubed, and stickered with CubeSmith stickers so she'll have access to something better


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## Stefan (Dec 23, 2008)

Thanks. Without the "115" on the display, on that photo it looks like a deluxe. Maybe they were inspired by it. Looks very neat. Mechanism differs, though, the deluxe/game was more solid and weighed about 135-140g.



d4m4s74 said:


> If it's a "professional speedcube" it must be ajustable


V-cubes?


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## d4m4s74 (Dec 23, 2008)

StefanPochmann said:


> d4m4s74 said:
> 
> 
> > If it's a "professional speedcube" it must be ajustable
> ...



there you got me
but a "professional 3x3x3 speedcube" should still be adjustable


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## MichaelErskine (Dec 23, 2008)

It would be nice for collectors due to the claims on the box: "_When it's speed that counts, this is the only cube to use!_", and "_A high speed low-friction cube for advanced speed-cubing_" 

I don't see it in the TwistyPuzzles database (http://www.twistypuzzles.com/cgi-bin/pdb-search.cgi?act=sec&key=3x3x3) -- I'll submit an entry.


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## d4m4s74 (Dec 23, 2008)

there's one left on amazon if anyone wants one
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Speed-Cube-Professional/dp/B001I9UHVE/ref=tag_tdp_sv_edpp_i


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## Asheboy (Dec 23, 2008)

Yes it has screws but they are only their to hold it in place you *CANNOT* edit the tension. This cube is terrible and never buy it! Especially NEVER touch the screws or it will turn into a big fat lump of poo. I have videos of me cubing with this after I'd touched the screws and it popped constantly.


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## Pyro-Dude (Dec 23, 2008)

Asheboy said:


> Yes it has screws but they are only their to hold it in place you *CANNOT* edit the tension. This cube is terrible and never buy it! Especially NEVER touch the screws or it will turn into a big fat lump of poo. I have videos of me cubing with this after I'd touched the screws and it popped constantly.



I've seen him pull an entire face off his cube a week or two after he attempted to tension it, and I've managed to remove a corner piece of a fully aligned a put together cube that hasn't been touched in terms of adjustments (not that it didn't require some force though).

The cube slowly wears itself down through use, and every time I take it apart for whatever reason, I end up with my fingers partially covered in flecks of plastic.


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## MichaelErskine (Dec 23, 2008)

Pyro-Dude said:


> I've seen him pull an entire face off his cube a week or two after he attempted to tension it, and I've managed to remove a corner piece of a fully aligned a put together cube that hasn't been touched in terms of adjustments (not that it didn't require some force though).
> The cube slowly wears itself down through use, and every time I take it apart for whatever reason, I end up with my fingers partially covered in flecks of plastic.



All in all a quality product then! 

Like with many other pursuits, there is in the mainstream marketplace a lack of availability of adequate equipment and the surfeit of shoddy equipment. 

That is if we ignore the widely-available store-bought Rubik's brand 3x3x3 which in my experience is great for beginners. As it happens I just received back my Rubik's store-bought which I had lent to a friend who came to support me at the UK Open. It is a great cube!

Erm, can you tell I'm drunk?


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## Bomber (Dec 25, 2008)

Well, I just happen to have received one of these as a present today. My initial thought was that it wasn't _that_ bad, I proceeded to reach for a DIY and yeah... 

It doesn't cut corners, it got 'stuck' after a couple of turns, I have solved it a few of times but I'm not going to set any records on it. The colour scheme is okay though with Blue opposite Green etc. except, like on eastsheens, we have pink instead of red. Talking of the tiles they are also okay, only just. You have a good grip on the cube so no slippage but unfortunately most of the tiles are wonky, you can even see that there is glue seeping from the sides of some tiles. 

All in all it's a nice thing to have, even if it's just an ornament. It's nice to hear people say "Wow, a _professional_ speed cube."


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## ImNOTnoob (Dec 25, 2008)

Looking at the picture, I can see that it is made of extremely cheap plastic.
I have experience with cubes made of similar materials. They just suck, even when their screws are loosened.


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## jfly (Dec 26, 2008)

Haha, nice find. I'll know not to buy one if I ever see one.
I was just on amazon, and saw this advertisement for a square one.


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## Lucas Garron (Dec 27, 2008)

d4m4s74 said:


> StefanPochmann said:
> 
> 
> > d4m4s74 said:
> ...


My V-5 is adjustable.


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## Bounb (Dec 31, 2008)

I have one of these, I must say it's OK actually. It's about the same as a type d (old type).

Contrary to some reports here you can adjust the tension, and quite easily. As with any other cube it's a matter of flipping off a centre cap and adjusting the screw...

It does not cut corners well out of the box but it moves well and does not pop. The screw spring structure really does remind me of YUGA. Small soft spring, funny looking screw - but the plastic centre piece is not exactly the same.

I'm going to put in screw-springs from a type a. They used the wrong type of screw to make it good at cutting corners (as with the type d) - the head is too big to fit down the hole.

Not a big fan of tiles like this myself tho.

Will report back after mod


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## Garmon (Dec 31, 2008)

I might buy one today, I know where the shop is, just hope they have them.


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## crazymanjimbo46 (Mar 18, 2010)

I walked into bargain shop (where they have these in Canada) and I was solving my mini QJ and the cashier watched me, when I finished solving he gave me 2 for free!


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## andyt1992 (Mar 18, 2010)

If you're in the UK they were selling these in Home bargains in a few different towns not too long ago, i think they were either £1.79 or £1.99.


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## blakedacuber (Mar 18, 2010)

Do not buy them.They are terrible cubes if they arent broken in and once they are the core snaps very easily!!!when you lube it the pieces start to fll out after the smallest of turns!!although they ar djustble which is suprising and they use an eastsheen color scheme


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## blakedacuber (Mar 18, 2010)

also they're only €2


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## bobthegiraffemonkey (Sep 12, 2010)

I got one of these a while back out of The Works and it sucked.

However, when I was into the shop yesterday I spotted another £2.99 cube in it's place called 'Professional Magic Cube'. It looked suspiciously like my FII, but I wasn't sure what it was exactly. I decided to buy it anyway (for the price I wouldn't lose much) and I was surprised to find it was actually a pretty good cube. It feels like my FII, though it catches a bit more (this might get better with use and/or modding) and has even worse stickers, but it's pretty smooth, has pretty decent corner cutting, and I haven't tried adjusting the tension yet so I don't know if I can, but it doesn't pop on me so I don't think I need to (and my short attempt to remove the caps failed). On comparison of the pieces, the edges look a bit different, core is reasonably similar, and corners are almost identical. I will try to post some pics tomorrow if needed. Anyone else seen it/tried it? I would say it is nearly as good as the FII, so it might be worth a try if you see it around.

Sorry for the bump, but I searched first and this was the closest I found, so I figured it should go here.

Matt


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## Erzz (Sep 12, 2010)

Could always put it in the cube identification thread.


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## Joker (Sep 12, 2010)

Saying its a pro or expert speedcube is an insult to the ACTUAL good cubes out there...not to metion the cubers :fp


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