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I want a budget mechanical keyboard. Help me.
I'm looking for a cheap small factor mechanical keyboard. I love the looks of XD64 or a JJ50. How do i go about it? I Don't want the numpad, don't care about leds and prefer more retro/sober styles than the ones with wings and dragons and lasers blazing across the keys.
I live in Brazil, so i'll have to import everything. I'm looking to buy everything from one place if possible.
I was looking at KPrepublic. What do i need for the xd64?
Do i need plate and stabilizers? It's already $91 without it. If it's necessary, i think it would be a better idea to just buy a Durgod Taurus k320 since it's cheaper.
What do you guys think?
EDIT: Got a Magicforce 68 for $47. Thanks for the help!
Since you didn't mention a switch preference, if you're prepared to drop $100 on a keyboard, you should spend $10 or so on a keyswitch sampler to see what you like. Not all mechanical keyboards feel the same, there's three distinct styles of switch in mainstream use: tactile, linear, and clicky, each with their own distinct feel, and there's usually two or three available models of each of those with different weightings.
If i spend $10 on something like this i'll have to drop more than that for them to send it to my country. It will be an absurd amount for this. $10 is R$40 for me.
Ah that's a shame. I don't know much about buying tech stuff in Brazil, but are there any local shops you could go to that sell mechanical keyboards? They often have the switch testers on the keyboard isles, or failing that a few demo models you can poke at. Just saying that it'd suck to drop a good bit of money on a keyboard that you end up not liking the feel of.
I finally did get around to (partially) recapping one of my old keyboards with BOX Navies on your recommendation, and damn, that was $15 well spent. Actuation force is a little lower than I'd like, but everything else is solid, best switches I've ever used. I'm actually thinking of using the low profile ones to do up a custom laptop keyboard.
Yeah, at least for the proof of concept it's just a matter of getting my hands on a working laptop that I can mutilate without it being that much of a loss. Might pick up a pinebook or go on a thrift store hunt. Only other issue is that I probably wouldn't be able to redo any keys that are of below standard size, like (typically) the nav cluster or the function row, but not a big deal since I prefer a 60% layout anyway.
Yup. I think I might be going into uncharted territory, since I haven't been able to find anything on people doing something like this, so I'll try to document the process as much as I can. I will be on the lookout for some cheap laptop that has a user replaceable keyboard, since that seems like the easiest way to go. I've seen a few like that, and might even have one lying around the house, but I don't have a particular model in mind. As long as it's not chiclet, I should be able to do whatever I like with the layout so as long as I can make the reswitched version fit physically in the keyboard area. Regarding the hinge, yeah that's where I foresee the most difficulty. I do have a 3D printer, so I might be able to make a replacement hinge that spaces the screen a bit off the body, but it remains to be seen if that'll be necessary.
I'll definitely post it here if I can get it to work. It'll probably be quite a while though, due to the difficulties involved.
Probably not, since I don't imagine there are many laptops with low profile mechanical keyboards old enough to really be in my price range for a tinkering laptop, but maybe in a few years it'll be as easy to reswitch a laptop keyboard as it is a detachable one. Certainly hope so, and it's funny to think of in light of the apple keyboard fiasco.
What is your budget?
More or less what the durgod taurus k320 costs. ~$90 i think. I could go up a little if it's a fully programmable/customizable one line the planck, jj50, xd64..
My first mechanical keyboard was about $50-60 coolermaster TKL, can't seem to find a link anymore though. But it's lasted me 4-5 years so far with no issues. I'm currently using a Ducky Shine 7 at my office which is the best keyboard I've ever used. Although it's also the second mechanical one I've used.
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B072JBFJB4
They've consistently had a product in that niche for ages. This is the latest one they're offering.
I have a durgod taurus k320 and I like it. I went with silent reds and doubled up o-rings. Its a decent keyboard, overall -- and the price is right.
Best of luck in the rabbit hole of mechs!
I soldered things before. Mostly homemade guitar effect. I don't have the equipment anymore, but one friend can do it.
In my country, the cost benefit keyboard seems to be the redragon kumara k552.
There is one with oetemu brown, i think i'm going with this one.
Magicforce makes pretty cheap ones, ~$40 in the US if I recall correctly. You just have to make sure you're getting them with Cherry switches.
They're a little stiff and wobbly for my preference, but for the money it's a strong buy.
Got the magicforce 68. Thanks!
I’ve always had good experiences with the reviews and roundups from The Wirecutter
Our Favorite Mechanical Keyboards
Compact Mechanical Keyboards
Wow! That magicforce seems like a really neat option!
maybe I'm super basic but I've been using a Cooler Master Masterkeys S for the last year and a half and I love it. Cherry blues, no tenkey, no LEDs, compact, and sturdy. It's a little bigger than the XD64 because it has the F row, Home row and direction keys, but it's ~$80USD on Amazon.