# 3x3x3 Cube Buying



## kkohlmorgen (Jul 28, 2008)

Hey guys I am completely new to this cubing thing and this is my first time posting. My question to you guys is, what 3x3x3 cube should I buy for speed cubing! I have read many posts and some say Eastsheen, some say DIY, but get this letter or that letter and this color or that color and this core and that core, and I just want a straight answer. I want a cube that I can move easily, adjust accordingly, and takes well to silicon lubricant.

Sorry for such a N00b question, any help if any is much appreciated!

Thank You


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## ThePizzaGuy92 (Jul 28, 2008)

eastsheen doesn't make 3x3x3s

I love my rubiks.com DIY cube, but cube4you.com offers very good diy cubes as well...
their type-D cubes are smooth and come assembled, so thats what I recommend, but I think type-As are a little more comfortable.


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## kkohlmorgen (Jul 28, 2008)

Thx for your input ThePizzaGuy92, cube4you was the most talked about site. Thx again.


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## Kyorinkai (Jul 28, 2008)

kkohlmorgen said:


> Hey guys I am completely new to this cubing thing and this is my first time posting. My question to you guys is, what 3x3x3 cube should I buy for speed cubing! I have read many posts and some say Eastsheen, some say DIY, but get this letter or that letter and this color or that color and this core and that core, and I just want a straight answer. I want a cube that I can move easily, adjust accordingly, and takes well to silicon lubricant.
> 
> Sorry for such a N00b question, any help if any is much appreciated!




Depends on what you like in the end. To clear up a misunderstanding, Eastsheen does not make 3x3s. But besides that, the only thing that you can really do is test things out, you'll never know what works best for you unless you simply try a lot of different things. Of course if you're simply looking for one simple answer I would suggest a Type A or Type D DIY. Cube4You.com sells both in a variety of colors but ships from China (something like 15 bucks for shipping, which may not be the best choice for just one cube). The PuzzleProz ebay store sells Type A's in a variety of colors as well relatively cheap and ships from america (a bit over 3 bucks for shipping). I myself have a few PuzzleProz cubes (White and Red Type A's), and they work pretty well (though I destroyed one of mine...... Long story that ends in sadness, haha). They're fast, they skip corners well, although they do have a tendency to pop quite a bit (but that depends on the tension of the cube as well). Anyway, those are two of the largest distributors of cubes, but there are others out there (that I would not be qualified to review), so do some searching if you would like, however, that depends on where you reside. Color doesn't change things that much (though I've heard otherwise) but I'd say for your first one just pick the one you like the most, my choice was white (looks amazing), and red (looks.... well, It's interesting, it's harder to view the difference between red and orange at points, especially with low light situations, and I used black tiles on mine which makes it even darker). Just try one and see how it goes, or if you have enough money to order from Cube4You you can order an A as well as a D and see the difference for yourself. Hope it goes well, good luck.


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## kkohlmorgen (Jul 28, 2008)

Thx Kyorinkai, I think that is what I will do so I can kind of see for my self. My thing was I read all these horror stories of people who hate their cubes, and I don't want to pay 15 dollars in shipping if it doesn't work to my needs Thx again!


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## MasakitChan (Jul 28, 2008)

If you want to pick the best cubes possible, you must have knowledge of the cubes (Which is gained by just lingering in here for a long while). If you're just starting out and want to order some cubes, every long post here will just confuse you, because in the end, if you don't even know the structures or terminologies of a cube's quality, you will still end up getting the cubes you may not like. If you're in a hurry, then get a random cube, because it takes a various amount of information to get the cube of your taste.


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## Rabid (Jul 30, 2008)

I suspect cube preference is an acquired taste. It’s like building a repertoire in chess. You really don’t _know _if you prefer the Kings Gambit or the Ruy Lopez until you’ve mastered some strong principles. But you have to start with _something_..and as long as your choice is culled from the professionally-acceptable, it doesn’t really matter.


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## blah (Jul 30, 2008)

I was about to make a recommendation when I read MasakitChan's post, and I think that makes the most sense actually. The debate never really ends, you see, it's either a type A or a type D or a Rubiks.com DIY or a Japanese Speedcubing Kit, or if you're Yu Nakajima, a storebought.

Bottom line: A good speedcube is a DIY cube, a cheap speedcube is a Cube4You cube. A good and cheap speedcube is a Cube4You DIY cube. Type A or Type D? Read the stickied thread. If you have the financial ability, the best option is of course to buy a couple of each since you're gonna ship anyway, might as well buy more in one shipping. Besides, with more than one cube, you can mix and match and get super-duper hybrid cubes


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## shelley (Aug 1, 2008)

If you're completely new to this cubing thing there's no need to spend a ton of money on cubes and shipping. Just get a normal store-bought cube from Target or your local toystore or something, and as long as it's not completely horrible, you can learn the basics on that. If you're a complete beginner it's not likely that you'll be able to take full advantage of a DIY cube anyway.


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## Rabid (Aug 1, 2008)

shelley said:


> If you're completely new to this cubing thing there's no need to spend a ton of money on cubes and shipping. Just get a normal store-bought cube from Target or your local toystore or something, and as long as it's not completely horrible, you can learn the basics on that. If you're a complete beginner it's not likely that you'll be able to take full advantage of a DIY cube anyway.



I didn't see much price difference between DIY cubes on buy-it-now ebay and the Fred Meyer toy section . If you can wait a few days may as well start with a better cube.


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## MistArts (Aug 1, 2008)

Rabid said:


> shelley said:
> 
> 
> > If you're completely new to this cubing thing there's no need to spend a ton of money on cubes and shipping. Just get a normal store-bought cube from Target or your local toystore or something, and as long as it's not completely horrible, you can learn the basics on that. If you're a complete beginner it's not likely that you'll be able to take full advantage of a DIY cube anyway.
> ...



The thing is that DIY's doesn't make much difference. You can even turn relatively slow and get sub-20. You only really need a DIY around sub-25 to push your times like 5% compared to 0.000000000000000000001% when you're a beginner. Look-ahead is all that matters in speedcubing.


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## rjohnson_8ball (Aug 1, 2008)

As a new cuber, you should be able to visit "Learning Express" in your town mall right away to pick up a "25th Anniversary Rubik's Cube". They are okay right out of the box, and get smoother with time. (A couple drops of Cube Lube or a bit of CRC 100% Silicone spray would help after it gets worked in, disassembled and cleaned.)

When you start caring about speed, you can order DIY's online. (I still stick with PuzzleProz because the center caps stay on fantastic without superglue, unlike my recent Rubiks.com cubes. I have no experience with Cube4You yet.)


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## Rabid (Aug 1, 2008)

It might be possible for me to disagree more. I have to shove my shoddy chopper through every sequence. My wrists ache. I expect to have a great deal more time for look-ahead when I get my fresh cube.


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## Escher (Aug 1, 2008)

Personally, i would say get a 3x3 DIY of cube4you. in the end, the average storebought, normal rubiks cube will hold you back (nakajima MUST cherrypick and file and lube and tweak his storeboughts...). it took me under a month to start getting sub 45 on my DIY. A friend of mine, who knew just as many algorithms, and used it just as much, hadnt broken 1 minute 15, let alone 45. He is a maths/spacial awareness prodigy. why was he different? because i had a lubed DIY type (a) and he got a storebought. simple as its worth the wait, seriously.


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## envy253 (Aug 2, 2008)

buy a cube4you.com type d, with a type a core (you have 2 buy the core seperately, but its only like 70 cents)

and escher, yu nakajima uses diy's now


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## TimMc (Aug 2, 2008)

Try (in descending order of preference):
- A Store Bought Rubik's Cube
- Black Type (A) from puzzlepros or Cube4You
- Black Type (D) from puzzlepros or Cube4You (use a type a core, bought seperately)

For each one (repeat until it's comfortable):
- Set the tension so that they wont pop but still move easily
- File back the cubies and then sand them
- Apply some silicone spray (CRC 808)
* expect to spent a few hours preparing each one, unless you assembly speedcubes for a living 

Rubik's DIYs take a bit more effort. I've wasted a lot of time trying to get them to turn to my liking but they still pop too easily.

My first ever Chinese DIY was a Type (A) White and it was by far the best cube I've ever used. I gave it away for a birthday present though (I don't like "white" cubes). 

Tim.


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