I've never solved Rubik's Cube, but I've never seriously tried. One reason is that most of the cubes I've used are poorly made. They lock up when I try rotating a section, which is frustrating. I did a bit of research and was told to get the Moyu Weilong GTS2 ($15). It's a little smaller than the standard Rubik's Cube, which is a plus, because it's more comfortable to handle. And it's very smooth to turn, because of the rounded off interior corners. I also got the MoYu YJ Lingpo 2 x 2 x 2 Speed Cube, which I'm going to try to tackle first. 
