Stanwood Needlecraft YBW-B Hand-Operated Yarn Ball Winder, 4-Ounce

So far so good.

Well worth the money. Far superior to cheaper models. Very easy to set up and operate. I would recommend this every time.

I bought this one based on recommendations from others. Having never used one before I don't know what the other brands are like. This works exactly as I heard. Smooth turning and makes small cakes. It can handle my kids turning the handle at warp speed. The only problem I have is when I get carried away and max out the size them the yarn starts wrapping around the base. Haha. It's an easy fix, thank goodness, and a quick lesson learned. :) Very pleased with this.

Best thing I purchased.

The Stanwood Needlecraft YBW-B I originally bought in summer 2013. We're coming up on summer of 2016, and this thing has wound MILES of yarn in that time! It works best with yarn that is not "slick" (any yarn having silk or rayon has been problematic to wind, no matter its weight). I have wound a cake of 880 yards of worsted weight, supwerwash wool yarn. . . as one cake! Have have wound countless of Cascades Eco/Eco + 100% wool yarn (250 grams/8.75 oz/478 yards). I've re-wound acrylic, have wound a variety of yarn "blends," (blends that have soy, linen, silk, mohair, rayon, silk, cotton, wool, and even "fashion yarn!") again, countless cakes.There are a couple of things to watch for with this winder (as I suppose would have to be any winder that less than $100). The "slick" yarns can "pool" oddly, and if you don't catch that soon enough, the cake will kind of fall apart (into a very, very tangled mess). I read a comment on another yarn winder about "sanding" the center to help give some "grip," and I'll probably do that.When you wind the larger hanks, you do risk breaking the plastic gears (I would much prefer metal gears that are covered like these gears are!), so go slow (and remember the company probably won't cover breakage that occurs over their stated amount of yarn).I have really put this little thing to work for 3 years, so I am not exaggerating when I say "miles of yarn" have been wound on my little unit. I am considering getting a new one soon, as the gears--being plastic--have gone through quite the wear-and-tear. I have almost always used my swift, but sometimes I've wound yarn that is bouncing around, which I direct with my hand into the metal tensioner (I just don't fully trust the tensioner).Sometimes the center piece needs readjusted-- I don't know if it's a weight-shift thing, or what, but if you have problems with it not winding properly, that is something to try. I have done it on more than one occasion over the past three years with my unit, and it often "solves" an issue (except very light weight and/or slick yarns--then nothing seems to help).I would definitely recommend this product. I started out a yarn winding novice, and I feel I'm a yarn winding pro. In fact, people who have seen my yarn cakes ask about the winding because "it looks so beautiful!" or "it's so tidy and neat!" Therefore, not only would I recommend this product, my "upgrade" is probably going to be the same one, because I have wound a variety of textures into cakes more beautiful and tidy than what gets done at the stores many times! I'm perfectionist, and kind of anal about how my cakes appear after winding-- I need for them to be tidy and neat; this YBW (yarn ball winder?)-B gets the job done, and it gives a lot of mileage for the price.In my estimation, you will not find a better product in this or the lower price ranges-- this is the one to get you started.