Anyone willing to provide a free key tester?

[Doofy]

I'd have posted this in the classifieds but it won't let me. Okay so this is really stupid and weird but you dont ask you dont get eh? I have finally saved enough money to get myself a mech board but I cannot for the life of me decide what to buy, I'm totally unsure and couldn't possibly decide until I actually feel some switches. All the articles and videos aren't enough to help me decide on what sits well with me. I hunted around Scotland (Yeah im from Scotland) but the only switches in shops I'm finding is Reds which I really didn't like. If I want to buy a tester I have to wait till my January wage and well....that's too long to wait to get my hands on a mech board. Anyone got an old tester and some switches laying around they dont mind parting with either permanently or temporarily (I'd of course send them back if that was part of the deal)?. Thanks guys!

[OfTheWild]

If you have an idea of what switches you're interested in, I'd be happy to put together a few and if you pay shipping you can have them. I would look to meet up with someone in the UK though and just try stuff.

[xondat]

I would look to meet up with someone in the UK though and just try stuff.

Speaking of that, UK meetup is February, that'd be a great time to try absolutely everything.

[HotRoderX]

money is tight its better to try as many switches as humanly possible and not to rush. Though truth be told if your on a limited budget... and you can only get switches locally pretty much.. your options are pretty slim.. Its going to be MX Cherry's Reds, Browns, Blues.. are clones in the same colors for most mainstream boards. I mean if you order off Amazon your options can become a bit brighter but not by much. There your looking at Blacks, Greens, Clears, etc.. but cost goes up. I was in your shoes and money was a real factor I save till February.. save up as much as I could try to buy a board at the event. What I have seen people sale boards at Meetups and there good chance you can not only find something you like but find something custom you like... thats higher quality then the mainstream's for cheaper then you pay overall.

[OfTheWild]

^ well said.

I understand not wanting to spend 50pounds to collect all the switches out there just to find out you are really only interested in say 'heavy tactile' and you wasted your time obtaining a fist full of clicky switches. When instead you can spend what, 20 or so and get a pile of stuff from novelkeys or whatever locally and not waste money on keyboards you wont like. Switches are cheap until you cant decide and just have piles of unused stuff like me.

That being said, I will be fair with you and say if you cant afford to get a switch tester with some samples you're interested in... this is the wrong hobby for you as it can get very, very expensive.

[Doofy]

I have tried Buckling Spring before and I liked that, but a Unicomp will be outside of my price range. I decided that if Buckling Spring was heavier, it would have been perfect. I've been thinking and I MAY go with a chinese board with Gateron Greens and change out the Springs to something like 150cN. The board in question is a CIY board and is only £40 so its well within budget. My question may have been in poor taste so I will probably just take a stab at a choice and if I dont like it, I'll just send it back and change it lol

[_haru]

If a Unicomp is out of your budget, why not just get a used Model M?

[rowdy]

A switch tester is not going to give you a good impression of what it is like to type on a keyboard with a particular switch.

Nothing compares to actually typing on a full keyboard.

Meetups are great, as people often take along standard and customised boards, so you get to try a whole range of different switches, cases, plates, keycaps and so on - far more than you would ever find in keyboard shops.

As mentioned above, it you do like Model M, why not get one of those?  They are available in the UK, and apparently not that difficult to find.