Your opinion on ducky quality vs filco, leo etc.

[lightsout714]

I was under the impression that ducky build quality was a notch below brands like filco and leopold. I've never owned one personally.

I have seen some people say that their most recent boards have gotten better. Any owners care to share their opinion?

[squarebox]

*ucky the *ucky *ucky.
* = F, S, D

I sold *ucky off in a week. Stay with Costar OEM.

-#2 KE

[Bertross]

i owned both Ducky 9008 and currently the Filco MJ2, the Filco to me is built far better, esp when you press the keys you notice how different they are. Then i compare it to my WASD and again feels more sturdier to the Filco. I won't be buying a Ducky after owning a Filco and WASD. To me they keys are a little to lose, i like a rigid feel.

[CaiSter21]

not quite as good as filco, but still really good. don't listen to all the people who complain about ducky's. mobs just need something to unite against.

[Bertross]

not quite as good as filco, but still really good. don't listen to all the people who complain about ducky's. mobs just need something to unite against.

if your paying the same or almost similar pricing, what would you buy? Thats what it comes down to imo. Price VS performance. Ive used about 6 duckys inc their alps. Just don't like them.

[lightsout714]

Thanks guys. Keep em coming.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[demik]

ducky 1087XM i had felt like crap. i was terrified of pulling a keycap because the whole thing would bend.

i mean, i know they cut corner to get it at such a cheap price but geez.

[CaiSter21]

if your paying the same or almost similar pricing, what would you buy? Thats what it comes down to imo. Price VS performance. Ive used about 6 duckys inc their alps. Just don't like them.

i dont get where people are coming from when they keep saying that duckys and filcos are the same price. duckys are cheaper by at least $30.

[Bertross]

i dont get where people are coming from when they keep saying that duckys and filcos are the same price. duckys are cheaper by at least $30.

that is very true indeed. One thing the 9008 has over the standard Filco is the media keys...which i do miss ALOT. i need to nab some script off my mate one of these days and at least get volume happening on the MJ2

Shine are on par yeah? have the fixed that LED issue where it resets itself to max brightness after the PC turns off?

[pitashen]

I would only recommend ducky to my friends/geekhackers living in Asia (Taiwan/China), coz their customer service is top notch within their reach.

[Henry Allen Venture]

Disclaimer: The following is all my personal opinion, based on comparison between the Filco Majestouch (1) 104-key and Ducky DK9008S Shining that are listed in my sig.

tl;dr: I prefer my Filco of the two (excluding the difference in switch type), but thats not to say the Ducky is "bad".

The easiest way to sum it up is that it depends on your expectations. From what I can see, if a Filco is a 9.5 or 10-out-of-10 in terms of build quality then the Ducky is about a 7.5 or 8.

The actual physical build quality of the Ducky is fine. Though it may not be as good as the Filco, its definitely adequate for most intents and purposes.
In fact, I can't think of a situation where the DK9008S would have insufficient physical strength and the Filco would. Typing under oceanic pressure maybe, maybe?

The main difference in terms of build quality that I can see is that the Ducky adds a lot of features to the keyboard, but doesn't do it perfectly, whereas the Filco doesn't really add any features at all.
For example: the Ducky has a detachable cord, however there is very little room to insert/remove it (particularly for those with big fingers). This makes it difficult to use, and detracts from the portability of the keyboard, which was why the feature was added in the first place. Similarly, its very difficult to use the left and right cable routing slots, because the cable isn't given enough room to bend. Nobody complains about the Filco cable because there's nothing to complain about: no risk taken.

That all being said, there are two problems I have with my Ducky:
1) The Cherry stabilisers are gross.
2) The feet that are supposed to raise the keyboard barely raise it at all. I've had to prop mine up with some coins.

The way I see it is: If you want an extremely well-built (I'm hesitant to use the phrase "perfectly built") keyboard, without any additional features, go Filco.
If you want a solid keyboard that offers features the Filco doesn't (i.e. media keys, backlighting, detachable cable, shortcut keys for calculator etc.) then the Ducky is a perfectly fine alternative.

[CaiSter21]

Disclaimer: The following is all my personal opinion, based on comparison between the Filco Majestouch (1) 104-key and Ducky DK9008S Shining that are listed in my sig.

tl;dr: I prefer my Filco of the two (excluding the difference in switch type), but thats not to say the Ducky is "bad".

The easiest way to sum it up is that it depends on your expectations. From what I can see, if a Filco is a 9.5 or 10-out-of-10 in terms of build quality then the Ducky is about a 7.5 or 8.

The actual physical build quality of the Ducky is fine. Though it may not be as good as the Filco, its definitely adequate for most intents and purposes.
In fact, I can't think of a situation where the DK9008S would have insufficient physical strength and the Filco would. Typing under oceanic pressure maybe, maybe?

The main difference in terms of build quality that I can see is that the Ducky adds a lot of features to the keyboard, but doesn't do it perfectly, whereas the Filco doesn't really add any features at all.
For example: the Ducky has a detachable cord, however there is very little room to insert/remove it (particularly for those with big fingers). This makes it difficult to use, and detracts from the portability of the keyboard, which was why the feature was added in the first place. Similarly, its very difficult to use the left and right cable routing slots, because the cable isn't given enough room to bend. Nobody complains about the Filco cable because there's nothing to complain about: no risk taken.

That all being said, there are two problems I have with my Ducky:
1) The Cherry stabilisers are gross.
2) The feet that are supposed to raise the keyboard barely raise it at all. I've had to prop mine up with some coins.

The way I see it is: If you want an extremely well-built (I'm hesitant to use the phrase "perfectly built") keyboard, without any additional features, go Filco.
If you want a solid keyboard that offers features the Filco doesn't (i.e. media keys, backlighting, detachable cable, shortcut keys for calculator etc.) then the Ducky is a perfectly fine alternative.

or if you can't justify spending the extra dough on a filco

[GeorgeStorm]

Having used both a Ducky and a Filco, if they were the same price I would go for the Filco, but when cheaper the Ducky are great choices IMO

[demik]

that is very true indeed. One thing the 9008 has over the standard Filco is the media keys...which i do miss ALOT. i need to nab some script off my mate one of these days and at least get volume happening on the MJ2

Shine are on par yeah? have the fixed that LED issue where it resets itself to max brightness after the PC turns off?

forget the script, get a griffin powermate.

[reaper]

My personal experience with Ducky hasn't been all that good.

[CaiSter21]

ducky 1087xm?

[Henry Allen Venture]

or if you can't justify spending the extra dough on a filco

If cost was the main issue I'd be buying a Rosewill or something, because the Ducky (at least the Shining, I can't remember prices for the standard DK9008) isn't that much cheaper than a Filco.

Put it this way, I wouldn't really call the DK9008S Shining a "budget" keyboard, unless for some strange reason you absolutely had to have the backlighting.

At any rate, I didn't mention any of the cost nonsense:
a) to avoid insighting another flamewar
b) because the OP asked about build quality specifically

[demik]

ducky 1087xm?

nope, regular 1087

[CaiSter21]

If cost was the main issue I'd be buying a Rosewill or something, because the Ducky (at least the Shining, I can't remember prices for the standard DK9008) isn't that much cheaper than a Filco.

Put it this way, I wouldn't really call the DK9008S Shining a "budget" keyboard, unless for some strange reason you absolutely had to have the backlighting.

At any rate, I didn't mention any of the cost nonsense:
a) to avoid insighting another flamewar
b) because the OP asked about build quality specifically

why are you comparing a backlit keyboard to a non-backlit keyboard.

of course a ducky 9008S costs the same as a filco. backlighting is a luxury and therefore the ducky 9008s is not a budget keyboard.

ducky 9008g2 cost around $115

[Bertross]

the difference between the 9008G2/MJ2 posted for me in australia is around $20

[CaiSter21]

its about a $30-$40 difference in the states

plus, ducky gives you the option of upgrading to PBT keys for only $10 more! if you wanted pbt keys on a filco, you would have to shell out at least an extra $40

[lightsout714]

Thanks a lot folks. Sounds like the general consensus is pretty obvious.  Also notice that I mentioned leopold in the title. Which is more in the price range of the ducky. And imo similar build quality to the filco.

AwshuckyDuckyAin'tWeHavinFun.

Thanks Ripster, great contribution as always.

[Bertross]

for some reason the Duckys are exp here, around the $130/140 at reputable distributers. My 1st Mech was the DUCKY DK9008(B), i liked it and all just had the opportunity to change and my mates all had Filcos and was pressured into getting one to. Now they have RealForce....

Thanks a lot folks. Sounds like the general consensus is pretty obvious.  Also notice that I mentioned leopold in the title. Which is more in the price range of the ducky. And imo similar build quality to the filco.



Thanks Ripster, great contribution as always.

it is something to look into, they are cheap in Aust, around $109 PP. Definitely a worthy option thats for sure.

[rknize]

The construction of the Rosewill RK9000 is top notch.  From what I have seen of the Ducky, there are some fit and finish issues with them.  The Rosewill seems to be the best value.  That said, I almost sprung for the Ducky Shine because it was intended to replace my Saitek Eclipse II.  Sometimes the backlight comes in handy.  Keeping focused on the goal of the most solid Cherry MX keyboard for the best price, the Rosewill seemed to come out on top, FWIW.

[CaiSter21]

The construction of the Rosewill RK9000 is top notch.  From what I have seen of the Ducky, there are some fit and finish issues with them.  The Rosewill seems to be the best value.  That said, I almost sprung for the Ducky Shine because it was intended to replace my Saitek Eclipse II.  Sometimes the backlight comes in handy.  Keeping focused on the goal of the most solid Cherry MX keyboard for the best price, the Rosewill seemed to come out on top, FWIW.

i know what you mean, i upgraded from a 6 year old Saitek Eclipse I. backlighting won out over build quality for me cus none of my electronics have gone bad on me. guess im just lucky

[lightsout714]

The construction of the Rosewill RK9000 is top notch.  From what I have seen of the Ducky, there are some fit and finish issues with them.  The Rosewill seems to be the best value.  That said, I almost sprung for the Ducky Shine because it was intended to replace my Saitek Eclipse II.  Sometimes the backlight comes in handy.  Keeping focused on the goal of the most solid Cherry MX keyboard for the best price, the Rosewill seemed to come out on top, FWIW.

Rosewill is great but I personally don't like full layout. So they are not really an option.  Not that I am in the market here, just looking for opinions.

[CaiSter21]

oh, if your looking for a TKL keyboard, stray away from ducky. thats where the term "sucky ducky" actually applies.

[rknize]

Your original post says nothing about TKL.  For that, I also stuck with Costar and pulled the trigger on one of these (despite the somewhat gaudy appearance):

https://cmstore.coolermaster-usa.com/product_info.php?products_id=761

Red steel plates FTW, I guess.  It won out slightly over the Leopold in my head, but we'll see if I am right or not...

[lightsout714]

No it did not say anything about TKL. No big deal either way.

[daniel0731ex]

There is no doubt that Ducky have some quality control issues, but the boards that have no issue have very good construction, adequet for heavy-duty beating.

Ducky uses a strategy more similar to Hyundai; while the products may not have the best quality control, they compensate it with extremely good customer service, warranty, and return policy.

On the Taiwanese forums I did see quite a few complaints about their QC. However, the community unanimously raved about their great experience with the customer service that it made the quality issue completely irrevalent, because you could get a replacement with no additional costs at all. Some members even repeatedly changes the item for reasons other than defective product, and they still got full refund when they finally settled that the item does not suit their preference. In many cases the members requested individual replacement keycaps and they got them with zero shipping cost.

Outside Taiwan, you get none of that, not to mention the prices being $30 higher for every item.

I'm sure you're all aware that there are quite a lot of mechanical keyboard-exclusive stores in Taiwan, so people usually buy their keyboards after trying it out themselves in the store. This way you could always make sure that you don't get a defective one.


Oh and, none of the "horror stories" I've seen on the Taiwanese forum is as bad as those posted here. I think the retail store owners actually check the individual items for defect before they put it on the shelf. Another thing about the physical stores is that they offer services for replacing switches with really cheap prices, so you could always take it to the store to replace the keyswitch if you have individual malfunctioning keys. You could also customize the keyswitch compination on the keyboard.


Moral of the story: In Taiwan, Ducky hands down for the exceptional value for money. Outside Taiwan, well it's still pretty good, just with none of the services provided by both the company and the retail storefront

[Human]

@above

I saw in some China forum(yar, China =/= Taiwan) that the forumer broke their Ducky and they send them back for RMA.
Surprisingly, Ducky(tw) ship them back 2 keyboards(extra one) in return...

And that is not an individual case(at least more than 3 ppl faced same "treatment" too)

[seferphier]

wow. that is impressive.

[Forin]

I noticed that Filco is a bit sturdier.

They use the same cherry MX switches?

[vax]

I haven't typed on a Ducky yet but I love my Filco Ninja 2 with MX-Browns. Just pure awesomenes combined in a piece of art.

Looking forward to test the Ninja 2 with MX-Reds as soon as keyboardco gets em.

[Glukos]

Quack!





Sent from my windows using on-screen keyboard.

[FinancialWar]

I had the Ducky 9008, the keys was so unresponsive and mushy compared to my filco, it's completely different. Filco is so so so much better. Trust me if you get the ducky you will regret it.

[itlnstln]

I have 2 Duckys and have (or had) a total of 3 Filcos (and a WASD, Noppoo and several Cherry Corp. 'boards and...).  Overall, the quality is about the same.  The only difference between Filco/WASD/other Costar 'boards and Leopold/Ducky is the stabilizers.  Costar uses a more traditional wire stabilizer while the others use a Cherry-speced version.  Generally, people find the Costar version to be more crisp than the Cherry version (which, I believe, was intended to be used on PCB-mounted 'boards, and it certainly works better for that).  Overall, though, it's personal preference.  As a whole, there's really not a whole lot of difference between plate-mounted, Cherry 'boards.  Just pick the one that fits your budget and has the features and aesthetics you want.

[seferphier]

I haven't typed on a Ducky yet but I love my Filco Ninja 2 with MX-Browns. Just pure awesomenes combined in a piece of art.

Looking forward to test the Ninja 2 with MX-Reds as soon as keyboardco gets em.

i recently bought poker reds. kinda disappointed at the build quality compared to the filcos. I think you made the right choice by sticking to filcos.

[squarebox]

[cmh]

As soon as I bought two Ducky keyboards I then began to appreciate how nice my Filco boards were.  The Ducky Shining was not bad, but I didn't like how the case was made.  On mine the bottom edges were not smooth like my Filco boards.  It's a really minor complaint but I noticed it right away and it just looks cheap.  There also were some molding marks along the front of the case.  I hate how the keys are raised on Ducky keyboards, it makes my SP keys look so ugly.  Don't even get me started with my Year of the Rabbit Edition!  The only thing good that came out of that was the PBT keys which are now on my CM Storm: Quick Fire Rapid.  I thought it would be cool to own a keyboard with such limited quantity.  It took tigerimports months to sell the 13 mx blue & 6 browns that they had.  No one was buying them for good reason!

[cation234]

... The only thing good that came out of that was the PBT keys which are now on my CM Storm: Quick Fire Rapid.  I thought it would be cool to own a keyboard with such limited quantity.  It took tigerimports months to sell the 13 mx blue & 6 browns that they had.  No one was buying them for good reason!

Haha, in Taiwan there's a joke: Ducky completes Filco! The overall construction of Filco's Majestouch is definitely better than Ducky's 9000 or 9008 (let's forget about 1008 or 1087), but Ducky is able to offer PBT key caps, which is more sturdy than Filco's ABS.

Overall, I recommend Filco. As for Leopold, I haven't got my hand on it, so nothing to say about it.

[pitashen]

i recently bought poker reds. kinda disappointed at the build quality compared to the filcos. I think you made the right choice by sticking to filcos.

Poker can't be judged by the build quality alone. For the price they are selling in China (at most about 80 bucks USD) I would say the quality is actually pretty decent for keyboard of such category. People outside China (those who pay 30~50 more than the original price) don't buy it because of its build quality but for the fact that it is an pretty good alternative to HHKB layout with cherry mx switches.

[FinancialWar]

Is thread a joke? Comparing filco no ducky is like comparing Ferrari to hyandai.

[GeorgeStorm]

Poker cannot really be compared in the same way since while yes it's quality isn't as high as a filco etc, it fills a gap in the market, an affordable small keyboard. (HHKB size)

I love mine

[Bertross]

we need to add the WASD board in here to, imo they are on par with Filco. I love mine at work and would never trade it for anything. Its actually making me a better typer. Im using reds and my god i love them for touch typing. Correct me if I'm wrong but this WASD V1 feel heavier them my Filco 104 MJ2.

I also purposely choose the engraved black keys so i stop looking down when i type. So far its working out nicely. Still having issues with the top row of numbers but I'm working on it xD

Hopefully on the V2 the make the casing thiner on the edges and id like a more squarer design.

[lightsout714]

Vortex products have a better reputation at Geekhack partly because they are sold here.

Vortex products have a better reputation at Deskthority.net partly because they are sold there.

Duckys have a better reputation at Overclock.net partly because they are sold there.

I call this The RipTheCompetition Effect.

I tend to agree with this (no I am not voting).

At OCN most people think (assume?) ducky is the best because thats what they hear. Thats actually why I started this thread because I knew it was BS. Pokers are loved here. Mine should be here in the next couple days. Hopefully its not a junker :tape2:

Either way they have great resell value right now.