[Unanswered]  TT B-88 LR String Launcher gear skipping - salvageable?

Anyone had this launcher’s gears start to skip?  Mine have, after only 6 weeks.  Sometimes it is OK, but sometimes it skips & causes a weak launch.  It also often clicks if I accidentally crank the blade when I am putting the bey on, & my other identical launcher which works fine does not move/crank to the extent of clicking.

Can anyone pinpoint a common cause & solution?  Should I open up & try to fix it or is it already beyond repair?
assuming the LR handle and switch are appropriately locked down....

i’d open it up and take a look around, it might be something simple like a misaligned gear


if every looks ok inside, it’s toast. but there is a work around.

when you attach the bey, lightly twist passed the clicks until you feel strong resistance (i know we are usually not supposed to twist clicks when attaching).  then launch the bey as normal.  it won’t skip during launch

the gearing inside only needs to wear a small amount for b-88 to start acting strange
basically no launcher is designed to withstand repeated max power launches from adults...

6 weeks is a really short time, but all my string launchers end up with some kind of problem eventually
they are essentially disposable, unfortunately
Is it the Korean release? Mine does that a lot.
(Jul. 11, 2018  3:48 AM)Kevo Wrote: Is it the Korean release? Mine does that a lot.

is the Korean release worse than the Japanese one ?
(Jul. 11, 2018  4:48 AM)leosama Wrote:
(Jul. 11, 2018  3:48 AM)Kevo Wrote: Is it the Korean release? Mine does that a lot.

is the Korean release worse than the Japanese one ?

I believe so. The two Korean LRs I have began skipping gears after just a few days of heavy use.
I always consider making steel gears for replacement parts for launchers, but I'm too lazy lol.

If the launcher has a standard type of gear it may be possible to find metal gears to replace the cheap plastic ones with.
(Jul. 11, 2018  5:17 AM)The Supreme One Wrote:
(Jul. 11, 2018  4:48 AM)leosama Wrote: is the Korean release worse than the Japanese one ?

I believe so. The two Korean LRs I have began skipping gears after just a few days of heavy use.

One of my LR light launcher from S requiem (korean) skipped too, wonder if there's any video tutorial on how to fix the issue
(Jul. 11, 2018  3:48 AM)Kevo Wrote: Is it the Korean release? Mine does that a lot.

Yep, I got 2 B-88s from Korea, 1 is still fine.  The supplier was really good when I complained that the Korean nightmare Longinus they sold me on ebay was bursting too easy & the destroy driver clicks were virtually sliding/slipping/gliding over the teeth easily (but strangely not with lots of other TT drivers, though it seems to be a bit better after a few weeks now).  The supplier just gave me a full refund without needing to return the L3.  I am contemplating asking for a refund on this string launcher too if it can’t be fixed, but dunno if it is pushing my luck trying a 2nd time.

Are you the real Kevo?  Can I have your autograph hehe

(Jul. 11, 2018  4:48 AM)leosama Wrote:
(Jul. 11, 2018  3:48 AM)Kevo Wrote: Is it the Korean release? Mine does that a lot.

is the Korean release worse than the Japanese one ?

Should be the same given Sonokong is TT Korean distributor??
fwiw, i have 8 bb-88s in my house, all are japanese retail releases, none are young toys (korean); this issue still happens eventually (to some of them)

i have several young toys beys, a young toys mugen stadium, and a young toys DSL; no issues with these (i did break two japanese retail DSLs, but no surprise there)

i seriously doubt there is any difference with young toys releases and japanese retail releases
but it’s hard to make concrete statements based on small sample sizes
Wow the Korean seller refunded me via Ebay straight away without question!  I took the launcher apart last night, nothing appeared out of order so the skipping is still there.  

I suspect it's also got something to do with the circular prong bit that holds the bey I think (the problem seems to have occured after a fake chinese Kerbeus layer got stuck onto one of the prongs (it didn't get stuck on normal rip cord launcher prongs though!) which I tried to prise off which took half an hour lol, & maybe the pulling on that prong many times at different angles, till finally I managed to get that stupid bey off, pulled something else inside the circular bit that the prongs are part of & stick out out of??  But no idea how to open that up to look inside.  

Or could it be I need to wind up the spring more with a small flat screwdriver...cause I had to reopen everything & rewind it (that was another long tricky adventure) when the spring housing accidentally came off & the string was still hanging 3 or 4cm out after putting back the casings.  I turned it maybe 7 or 8 times, so now it retracts all the way fine but still skips most of the time with a heavier bey (Switchstrike/God or Cho Z).  If I turned it a few more times would it have more pull & no clicking???  

It doesn't skip when I attach, say Anubion A2 stock combo but anything heavier yup it'll often skip.

Anyone else know other possible causes & solutions of the gear skipping?
(Jul. 12, 2018  7:58 AM)TCBlading Wrote: I suspect it's also got something to do with the circular prong bit that holds the bey I think (the problem seems to have occured after a fake chinese Kerbeus layer got stuck onto one of the prongs (it didn't get stuck on normal rip cord launcher prongs though!) which I tried to prise off which took half an hour lol, & maybe the pulling on that prong many times at different angles, till finally I managed to get that stupid bey off, pulled something else inside the circular bit that the prongs are part of & stick out out of??


is it worth getting a refund after damaging the launcher with a fake beyblade yourself?
(Jul. 12, 2018  10:53 AM)RedPanda2 Wrote:
(Jul. 12, 2018  7:58 AM)TCBlading Wrote: I suspect it's also got something to do with the circular prong bit that holds the bey I think (the problem seems to have occured after a fake chinese Kerbeus layer got stuck onto one of the prongs (it didn't get stuck on normal rip cord launcher prongs though!) which I tried to prise off which took half an hour lol, & maybe the pulling on that prong many times at different angles, till finally I managed to get that stupid bey off, pulled something else inside the circular bit that the prongs are part of & stick out out of??


is it worth getting a refund after damaging the launcher with a fake beyblade yourself?

I think the gears were skipping already before that, but less often.  Took 2 mins to request the refund so definitely worth it.  Dunno why that Kerbeus only stuck to the string launcher prongs though & not other launchers.  Anyway I am wondering how the rotating prong circle can click so easily instead of have immediate resistance.  As I did not crank or twist the prong circle only pulled carefully in different angles to get that bey to get off one prong.
(Jul. 12, 2018  12:11 PM)TCBlading Wrote:
(Jul. 12, 2018  10:53 AM)RedPanda2 Wrote: is it worth getting a refund after damaging the launcher with a fake beyblade yourself?

I think the gears were skipping already before that, but less often.  Took 2 mins to request the refund so definitely worth it.  Dunno why that Kerbeus only stuck to the string launcher prongs though & not other launchers.  Anyway I am wondering how the rotating prong circle can click so easily instead of have immediate resistance.  As I did not crank or twist the prong circle only pulled carefully in different angles to get that bey to get off one prong.

well if it was skipping before, that’s another issue.

it sounded like you thought the issue was caused by the fake bey getting stuck and the effort required to forcefully remove.

a refund after something like that would be questionable, if not outright fraud on your part.  no one here is your judge, but i doubt you would be happy if someone did that to you.
(Jul. 12, 2018  1:33 PM)RedPanda2 Wrote:
(Jul. 12, 2018  12:11 PM)TCBlading Wrote: I think the gears were skipping already before that, but less often.  Took 2 mins to request the refund so definitely worth it.  Dunno why that Kerbeus only stuck to the string launcher prongs though & not other launchers.  Anyway I am wondering how the rotating prong circle can click so easily instead of have immediate resistance.  As I did not crank or twist the prong circle only pulled carefully in different angles to get that bey to get off one prong.

well if it was skipping before, that’s another issue.

it sounded like you thought the issue was caused by the fake bey getting stuck and the effort required to forcefully remove.

a refund after something like that would be questionable, if not outright fraud on your part.  no one here is your judge, but i doubt you would be happy if someone did that to you.

Agreed but I must say the products aren't exactly consistent performers.  The skipping appeared after about 5 weeks (1 week before the fake bey fiasco).  And weirdly, the other B-88 was from brand new, actually weaker than this faulty first one, when I got it as a 2nd B-88.  I wanted to return that 2nd one initially as the launch action was something like my bought-in-Japan standard red right spin B-108 bey launcher ie. noticeably weaker than a B-88.  But it seemed to get a bit better after a week though still not as strong as the 1st one.  These launchers are extremely finnicky, seriously.   Hope they improve the quality next time they make LRs.  Seeing as the faulty one launches light (eg single layer) beys without issue, it could be that the B-88 launcher deteriorates quicker after using heavier Cho Z beys, just a guess.  So not made for heavier beys as much.
(Jul. 13, 2018  2:48 AM)TCBlading Wrote:
(Jul. 12, 2018  1:33 PM)RedPanda2 Wrote: well if it was skipping before, that’s another issue.

it sounded like you thought the issue was caused by the fake bey getting stuck and the effort required to forcefully remove.

a refund after something like that would be questionable, if not outright fraud on your part.  no one here is your judge, but i doubt you would be happy if someone did that to you.

Agreed but I must say the products aren't exactly consistent performers.  The skipping appeared after about 5 weeks (1 week before the fake bey fiasco).  And weirdly, the other B-88 was from brand new, actually weaker than this faulty first one, when I got it as a 2nd B-88.  I wanted to return that 2nd one initially as the launch action was something like my bought-in-Japan standard red right spin B-108 bey launcher ie. noticeably weaker than a B-88.  But it seemed to get a bit better after a week though still not as strong as the 1st one.  These launchers are extremely finnicky, seriously.   Hope they improve the quality next time they make LRs.  Seeing as the faulty one launches light (eg single layer) beys without issue, it could be that the B-88 launcher deteriorates quicker after using heavier Cho Z beys, just a guess.  So not made for heavier beys as much.

i didn’t share the same experience with b-88.  i think most players, even ones who regularly win tournaments, love the b-88.  maybe you were unlucky.  all beylaunchers will eventually fail, they are all plastic toys after all.  when you compare b-88 against other TT options, there are both favorable and unfavorable trade offs.  compared against hasbro options, well....
(Jul. 11, 2018  6:04 AM)Dutchems Wrote: I always consider making steel gears for replacement parts for launchers, but I'm too lazy lol.

If the launcher has a standard type of gear it may be possible to find metal gears to replace the cheap plastic ones with.

Yeah seeing as they added more metal to the latest Super Z line of beys they should make metal gears too for the LR string launchers lol
With only two metal gears and a solid, rigid rip cord with metal teeth I'm fairly certain you could launch beys fast enough to damage the stadium and/or hurt yourself. So be careful.
(Jul. 14, 2018  1:41 PM)Dutchems Wrote: With only two metal gears and a solid, rigid rip cord with metal teeth I'm fairly certain you could launch beys fast enough to damage the stadium and/or hurt yourself. So be careful.

The future: Metal stadiums, beyblader armour...
About anyone suffering from a ripcord/winder/light launcher video, there is a video on YouTube that explains how to fix the skipping, but it makes the launcher illegal for WBO. Although honestly, it doesn't mod the launcher at all, just fixes it, so I don't see why it's not allowed.