I have a tarantula but not a centrifugal. I am however, aware of what style of ITR centrifugal uses. I have the original Micro ITR which is similar, though larger, that the ITR that comes with centrifugal. So now that you know where I'm coming from, here are my thoughts. Tarantua is a brilliant device. It is very easy to get in and out of the hookups you will need to use in order to perform different levitations. It is probably the best ITR ever made for that reason.....here is "The Rub!" It is electronic and thus prone to breaking in ways that most of us can't fix. It is true that I could get into a tarantula levitation, finish the levitation and quickly ditch the gimmick in a pocket or toppit, and be left absolutely clean. That said...I would NEVER toss my tarantula into a topit or pocket for fear of breaking the darn thing! So one of its biggest advantages is completly negated by my desire to protect the gimmick from harm. I don't even like carrying the gimmick in a pocket for fear of tossing a coin in that pocket and having the coin accidentally damage the Tarantula.
All ITRs are inherently fragile and mechanical ITRs (as is used in centrifugal) suffer from this to a degree as well. That said, the mechanical ITRs are usually "mounted" at various locations on your body. Because of this they don't take up pocket space and there is little to no chance of other objects coming into contact with a mechanical ITR. Thus, the only thing you need to worry about is string breakage. This will happen from time to time and when it does you are done performing levitations until you can get a few minutes of alone time. The other advantage of a mechanical set up is that when it breaks you won't need to be a Radio Shack Maestro to fix the device. I have been told by a friend of mine who owns the Centrifugal that Magic Belay spends a good deal of time teaching you all you need to do to fix and maintain the IRT you get.
So for those reasons, between the two options I would recommend Centrifugal.
As to the other point brought forward by Delusional....I tend to agree. I love playing with thread but I rarely perform with it. I tend to be a pretty funny guy and, though I wouldn't exactly call myself a comedy magician, I find that there is really no way to sell thead other than...1. I'm using a tiny piece of string. 2. I possess powers beyond your comprehension. With levitations there really is no in between. Thus, thread work is best pulled off by people who adopt a character that is very serious and believes that everything he/she does is real magic.
I, as I think many of us do, go for a balanced performance. One in which people who really believe in magic will be entertained, but people who believe its all just smoke mirror and sleight of hand will also be entertained. This type of presentation does not work with thread work. If you allow your audience to appreciate your performance on that level then many of them will immediately deduce the method and lose interest.
If you are interested in thread work I would start you off with loops. A good majority of loops effects are not full blown levitations. They are small movements and quick levitations. Things that make people think, "did I really see that?" It is a great way to get your feet wet with this type of magic. Easier to come up with compelling demonstrations, easier with crowd control, just easier in general.
Hope that helps.
