Well i started with the basics... Official Rubik's Puzzles...

I have the following already (updated)
2x2x2 worst puzzle design ever, turns horribly.
3x3x3 Retail. I have 2 of these.. one is really tight and one is almost passable for speed cubing.
4x4x4 Retail. It turns but it is super tight and pops often enough that I'll probably just let it sit.
5x5x5 Retail. It flies but is so loose it could fly apart at any time.
3x3x3 DiY. Sure it's adjustable, but it's even crappier than a retail 3x3x3,
Magic (Rubik's Tiles) - Works really well actually.
Magic (Red Tiles) - A little tight, but still works well.
2x2 Magic (Autobot/Decepticon Logos. built from retail units)
2x4 Magic (Original Black. built from retail units)
2x6 Magic (Original Silver. built from retail units)
2x8 Magic (Black+Silver. built from retail units)

Other MFG's

Eastsheen 2,4,5's 3 each
Cube4You Speed Cubes x6

So it's getting there. I just wish I could find solid, fast, and dependable 2x2x2, 3x3x3, 4x4x4, and 5x5x5 cubes. I am actually really disappointed in the Rubik's ones.

diang sheng make some great value white 3x3..i have one that cost 3 quid inc postage and its great....also eastsheen make a great 5x5 ..so do mefferts but they cost more..

I've heard nothing but good things about the movement on the V5, and it shouldn't pop.

I was just actually looking at the mefferts. V-cubes look good too, but it's been two years since they opened and they still don't have the 2x2x2, 3x3x3, and 4x4x4 that thier site actually shows them planning. I have heard of Eastsheen before, will look deeper. I saw some videos of people speed cubing the 2x2x2 and 4x4x4 but no clue what puzzles they are using. I want the smooth action puzzles the guy that does the tutorial videos for the 4x4x4 and 5x5x5 uses. I think they are Official Rubik's cubes, but they seem to be sized different than the ones I have and move a bit differently. Anyways, I'll check out Eastsheen's stuff. Thanks.

You can buy Eastsheen puzzles right here at the Twisty Puzzles shop, if you want to support Sandy.

They do not cut corners very well but they are wonderfully smooth straight out of the box, and their 4x4 and 5x5 are the smallest available, so they fit in your pocket better. If you're not a speedsolver, these are, IMO, the best 4x4 and 5x5 you can get.

Well then, I'd be happy to buy them here... will start my shopping

If you want to extend your collection beyond just regular cubes, check out www.mefferts.com. Some recommendations (these are all in stock right now):

Pyraminx
Megaminx
Skewb (there are a whole lot of different shapes - pick the ones you like)
Morphegg (it's a 3x3 in an egg shape - very challenging)
Pyramorphix (2x2 in a tetrahedron shape)
Master Pyramorphix (3x3 in a tetrahedron shape)
Fisher Cube

Meffert also sells 4x4s and 5x5s that use the same mechanism designs from the original 80s versions, if you feel like collecting every kind. (The current Rubik's brand versions aren't the same as these old ones!)

Some other puzzles that Meffert doesn't sell, but that are good to have:

3x3x2 (a.k.a. Domino) and/or 3x3x4
Face-Turning Octahedron
Point-Turning Octahedron
Rainbow Cube (in black - the white ones are knockoffs)
Mirror Blocks
Helicopter Cube

...Sorry for getting carried away. There are just so many great puzzles out there nowadays!

Totally understandable, hehe... I saw some of the collections on here and started reminiscing about all the old ones i used to have when I was a kid. I want a good set of cubes and a good set of Minxes, I already have my set of magics so I'm good there. Oh and my 4x4x4 is totally gummed up now... no clue but it feels like some joker at Rubik's substituded molassess with the cube lube kit it's so sticky tight. Is there even a way to loosten up a 4x4x4? I have the opposite problem with my 5x5x5... it's so loose a quick turn that catches even slightly will pop it. Yay for modern quality control...

The 2x2x2 from Meffert's is the smoothest turning 2x2x2 ever. The original Rubik's 2x2x2 that I still have is a pain to turn (the mechanism broke before, so it's even worse now); by comparison, I can almost solve the Meffert's 2x2x2 in the time it takes to make a single turn on the stucky, jammy mechanism.

Edit:
Oh, also, the 4x4x4 from Meffert's is also one of the best 4x4x4's I have. Just as solid as the 2x2x2, you can do finger tricks and what-not and otherwise "abuse" it, and it will handle it like a charm. Unlike the original Rubik's Revenge that I had, where any not-so-gentle twist runs the risk of a face center breaking outright.

For the 5x5x5, nothing, nothing beats the V-cube 5. Buy it. You will not regret it. That little pretty is light and extremely sturdy. Before I bought it, I never expected to be able to turn a 5x5x5 that quickly. It's amazing what you can do with it. I repeat, you will not regret investing in a V-cube 5!

Yeah, so many puzzles... so little time. At least when I asked Rubik's about the specific problems I was having with my cube they offered me a replacement... I have been through every video I can find for reviews and my next lineup will be Eastsheen 2x2x2, 4x4x4, 5x5x5. Cube 4 You's Speedcubes. 3 of each for sequential solving. I plan to get the MF-8 Square 1 and Super Square 1, Megaminx, Gigaminx, and Teramynx, The Pyraminx and Super Pyraminx. From there it's a full set of V-cubes. I would buy it all from this site but the selection is... ahem... limited. I'd gladly pay a surcharge to the site owner to "special order" them if I could buy them all in one place. As it stands I'll have to order from three different sites, 4 if I want Cubesmith Textured Tiles (Soooo nice) Owner care to chime in on a store upgrade?

Meffert's 4x4x4 is the one I speedsolve with. I usually get sub-1:20 solves with it. It slides the same as an eastsheen but it cuts corners as well. Lubed with Jig-a-Loo, it is the best speedsolving cube I've got.

V-Cube 5: It turns rather horribly out of the box. But MM&P's tutorial to make the clicky-bumpiness go away saved mine. As with all V-Cubes, clean out all the oil before you judge the cube. Jig-a-Loo and this thing beats all other 5x5x5 brands.

V-Cube 6: Possibly V-Cube's worst one. Until you do this: MM&P mod. He modified the cube that I got from him, so I can vouch for him: if you do the Pi-mod correctly, it is unbelievably effective. Now I like speedsolving the 6x6x6 more than any other puzzle.(EDIT: And yes, I do have a couple of not-modified V-Cubes)

V-Cube 7: My favorite of the set (despite a thread going on how it is the worst one). Just clean out the oil BEFORE lubing it and it's perfect. Some people have had problems with tensions but mine doesn't face that problem. It only has one loose center cap (the logo piece).

Megaminx: Of all my experiences with megaminxes, the MF8 one was what i was pleased with. The tiled one was the worst, the chinaminx closely followed, and Meffert's just wasn't right. MF8 is the best brand in my opinion, but others claim Meffert's. One of these two should satisfy you.

Pyraminx: A nice and quick solve once you've mastered it. Nice and difficult (not too difficult) solve if you haven't mastered it. Meffert's is the best place for this.

Skewb family: there are so many variations of this (thanks to Tony Fisher), available at Meffert's site, that just getting every Skewb variant will double your collection. They are rather fun to solve in my opinion (first puzzle I developed my own solution to).

Get an Eastsheen 2x2x2. I've heard Dealextreme has some really good 2x2x2s as well, but I haven't bought from them so I can't verify this. Eastsheen 2x2x2, when compared to a Rubik's one, is the best thing in the world. You just can't set it down once you get it.

Cubedron. I love mine. Very simple puzzle, very fun to play with. Get it from the V-Cubes site when you order your V-Cubes.

Other puzzles to boost your collection are Void Cube, Mirror Blocks (Bumb Cube), Square-One (I have a godly one from Cube 4You), Rubik's 360 (I am surprised mine hasn't been thrown at the wall yet, but others really love this puzzle), Gigaminx (Do not buy if you want to be able to turn this thing), and Pyramorphix family.

I have experimented with 13 different types of 3x3x3s, but am still not satisfied. My best 3x3x3 every was an older 3x3x3, which broke a few months back... (Edit: It was a Rubik's Brand)


Edit:
A great habit to get into when collecting is to, when you come across a puzzle you may want, add it to your puzzle wishlist. Keep that list and check off the ones you get, and soon enough your collection will flourish... Well not as big as Georges' unless you're willing to spend a hell of a lot of money.

I have an eastsheen 4x4x4, and I must say that I'm very disappointed in it. It turns very tightly, and even after solving countless times to work it in, it still turns tightly, although the pieces are looser (don't understand why). It also tends to jam and lockup easily. With the Meffert's 4x4x4, I can fly through a solve with no problems whatsoever. Difference between day and night, at least in my experience. YMMV.

Of course, the Meffert's 4x4x4 out of the box needs some gentle working in over a period of time. Both my eastsheen and my Meffert's have been very thoroughly worked in, and I have to say that the Meffert's is superior by far.

Same goes for the V-Cubes, actually. The V-Cube 5, once worked in, is the best 5x5x5 you'll ever find, and the V-cube 7 is extremely sturdy and well-turning for a puzzle of its complexity. It turns better than my Eastsheen 4x4x4, if that helps you get an idea of how amazing it really is. Of course, for a puzzle of that complexity, it is a bit more fragile than the smaller puzzles (i've had a few pops), but all-in-all, it's extremely high quality.

Unfortunately, like Rentlix said, the V-cube 6 is possibly the most fragile of the V-cubes. Its inner core is prone to misalignment, and it has a tendency to pop, and if you're rough with it, disintegrate. And many people don't like the clicking, even though it's intended to help with the alignment issues. I got used to the clicking after a while, though, and I can "feel" when the core is misaligned, and a quick half-twist to make the clicks "catch" the core will restore the alignment. Nevertheless, it can never withstand the fast solving that I can do on the V-cube 7.

P.S. And for the record, the only "official" Rubik's brand puzzles i ever got was the 3x3x3 and the 4x4x4. Both have been worn beyond repair and is in disuse. They were mediocre in quality, and don't last very long. If I had known this from the beginning, I would've stuck with other brands instead.

A good 3x3x3 for me was Meffert's old Assembly 3x3x3, which unfortunately has been out-of-stock for years. I ordered another 3x3x3 from Meffert's (not the same as the old Assembly cubes), and was a bit disappointed by its stiffness, even after lots of working in.

Im very suprised in the talking about the 2x2, nobody has mentioned the LanLan yet. i have one, and it is EASILY the best 2x2 i have ever used. i used an eastsheen, and it didnt touch this. i had a ice cube, and within three solves it exploded. pathetic haha. lanlan, out of box, dropped my solve time by 15 seconds. it was amazing. now i average about 8 seconds with it. and it was only 3 dollars to

i also have a YJ 2x2, and i would not recommend it. it turns very fast, but that is because it is VERY loose, and has no springs. its speedsolvable, but not sturdy. it locks up a lot because the internal edge pieces have fairly hard edges. plus, it cost 3 dollars more then my LL. just buy a LL. haha

I could not agree more. The LanLan 2x2 is the best 2x2 I've had by far. I also have an EastSheen, but it's way too loose and won't cut corners at all. But I knew that before buying it, so it is in my opinion not as disappointing as the YJ 2x2. The one I have is even worse at corner cutting and over-gliding than the EastSheen. I would recommend the LanLan 2x2 any day

Wow, thank you all for this info. It'll really help refine my collection. Though I plan to have representatives from Rubik's, C-Cubes, Mefferts, and Eastsheen in all types, knowing which ones to get specifically for speed solving (and to get first) is valuable. I appreciate it. I'm workign on a timer and record keeping database for my computer now since I can;t seem to find one that records the times for unlimited puzzle types with records sorted by which specific cube you used to solve it. I love Microsoft Access... =) Getting a timer to work right and linked to the database may be a bit of a challenge, though.

For a computer-based timer, Jess Bonde's works pretty good. At official competitions they use Speedstacks, so I recommend getting your own so your practice solve are like the real thing. Then you can just record your solves in Excel.

In terms of comparing cubes, you can ask any speedcuber what their preferences are. You'll find LL 2x2x2, variety of 3x3x3s, Meffert's 4x4x4, V-Cube 5x5x5 are the common answers, with Eastsheen being one of the preferences every once and awhile.

Thanks for the tip. I decided to create my own spreadsheet. If anyone else wants to use it, be my guest.

It's in Excel 2003 and it has a macro button to update the tabs with the names of the puzzles you use. Supports up to 20 puzzles, 1000 sessions per puzzle, Single, Triple, Quad, and Quint Solve Sessions. Calculates Average less Best and Worst times for score (shows single time if single session.) Propagates Best Score, Best Session, and Cumulative averages to First Page for printing of current records. You can mess it up pretty easily if you enter data in the wrong spot. If enough people like it I'll lock out the cells with formulas so that doesn't happen.



Have fun and thanks for all your help in building my collection.

I'm going to add one of my favorite puzzles, and a real classic.
I highly recommend a babylon tower. I know it is a very simple puzzle, but it's very pretty and a bit more deceiving than meets the eye.

Rubik's UFO. It is a fun puzzle that is different then most others.

I'll look into the UFO... thanks..

Incidentally I noticed a few people downloaded the spreadsheet I made.. like it? hate it? whatever? I'll add more to it as I find the need, but I'm not above adding feature requests