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Your puzzle is not feeling up to scratch, not performing the way it used to or itching to try new releases? Here's our recommendation on when to retire your main, whether it be 3x3 to 7x7, or non-cubic puzzles such as Pyraminx or Clock.
New Hardware
Manufacturers are constantly releasing new hardware, with newer innovations and offerings such as adjustable springs and magnets, along with variations in sizes of 3x3s in particular, whilst further leaps in performance for larger puzzles such as 6x6 and 7x7 even leading to new world records being set thanks to their improved performance.
Some of 2021's offerings for 3x3s in particular include:
Both of these puzzles feature their own magnet and spring adjustment systems, which give the user further options within the one puzzle.
In the realm of non NxN puzzles, the Yuxin Little Magic Square-1 is particularly great, being fully magnetic at a price point of $9.95. Historically, cubing brand X-Man Designs has dominated the Square-1 space but with the emergence of the Little Magic and the YJ MGC Square-1s, more options in feel and performance are available for the modern cuber.
Renowned manufacturer GAN has recently implemented their signature GES spring system and an all-new core-edge magnet positioning system.
Performance
After a prolonged amount of time, the performance of a puzzle, whether it be corner-cutting or popping, may decrease due to prolonged solving or even sometimes screw stripping. Performance can be an important factor in retiring your main, especially combined with the frequent release of newer, better, puzzles.
Turning Feel
Similarly to performance, the turning feel may be different after prolonged use due to dust or lubricant starting to dry out or build up within the internal contact points of the puzzle. To remedy this, you can attempt to clean your puzzle by disassembling - read more about speed cube maintenance here. However, this can be extremely time-consuming, especially for larger puzzles such as 6x6 and 7x7 which take significantly longer to disassemble and reassemble. If you lack the time to set up your puzzle, we recommend purchasing any of our premium setups - read more about Cosmic, Supernova and UniCube here.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we recommend retiring your main for any combination of these three reasons
- Wanting to try new hardware
- Decrease in performance
- Change or worsening in turning feel
