Gripe about Genuine Cherry Stabilizers

[Zobeid Zuma]

My first build had generic Cherry-clone stabilizers, and they were pretty crummy.  Since thing I've gone to the trouble to hunt down the renowned "Original CHERRY quality" stabilizers, and they have been better.  But, honestly…  I find they're still kind of ratty.

I've heard about people having problems with the wires, where they are not bent to a consistent span.  I haven't noticed that so much, but the molding of the plastic parts is dire.  The plastic surfaces are rough, their motion feels gritty, and a lot of them have bits of plastic flash that I have to carefully trim away with a pocket knife.  I have to carefully test the fit of each stabilizer that I assemble and then trouble-shoot it before putting it onto a board.

Would somebody out there please, please give us a better quality stabilizer?  Kaihua?  Gaote?  Gateron?  For that matter, could CHERRY step up and give us some retooled stabilizers?

[HotRoderX]

There is a better stabilizer you will pay out the nose but it does exist. The Zeal stabilizers are amazing I used them in my first build.. smooth as silk and zero rattle.. only issue is that price! and there screw in so there not compatible with everything out there. I guess you get what you pay for spend 10-12 bucks get 10-12 bucks worth of quality vs spending 30-40 and getting almost perfection.

[tp4tissue]

Costarrrrrrr!!!!

[DALExSNAIL]

Costarrrrrrr!!!!

Who would want rattly headaches like that though.

[tp4tissue]

Costarrrrrrr!!!!

Who would want rattly headaches like that though.

Rattle is GOOD..

Rattle = Freedom Flex 

Cherry stabilizers and clones are terribad, because they're very sensitive to cap-stem misalignment, which is quite common for the longer key-caps.  This causes the mushy bottom out action..

Whereas with Costar stabs, the bottom out is Always crisp and Clean

[DALExSNAIL]

Costarrrrrrr!!!!

Who would want rattly headaches like that though.

Rattle is GOOD..

Rattle = Freedom Flex 

Show Image

Cherry stabilizers and clones are terribad, because they're very sensitive to cap-stem misalignment, which is quite common for the longer key-caps.  This causes the mushy bottom out action..

Whereas with Costar stabs, the bottom out is Always crisp and Clean

Yeah they feel pretty good, but I just can't take the click.

[whitespecterhackers]

There is a better stabilizer you will pay out the nose but it does exist. The Zeal stabilizers are amazing I used them in my first build.. smooth as silk and zero rattle.. only issue is that price! and there screw in so there not compatible with everything out there. I guess you get what you pay for spend 10-12 bucks get 10-12 bucks worth of quality vs spending 30-40 and getting almost perfection.

Thanks for this post, solid information

[Harms]

Some nice overuse of super lube makes them feel so nice .

[DALExSNAIL]

There is a better stabilizer you will pay out the nose but it does exist. The Zeal stabilizers are amazing I used them in my first build.. smooth as silk and zero rattle.. only issue is that price! and there screw in so there not compatible with everything out there. I guess you get what you pay for spend 10-12 bucks get 10-12 bucks worth of quality vs spending 30-40 and getting almost perfection.

You can spend 7-8 bucks on stabs and get no rattle and a smooth feel, just gotta know what you're doing really. The guy that builds my boards does a great job with the plate mounts I send him 

Just clip and lube and you're good to go.

[_haru]

TP4 is right. Costar stabs > Cherry. Also plate mount Cherry stabs rattle a lot more than PCB mount. Use Cherry PCB mount screw in stabs if you're really worried about rattle. Make sure you clip and lube them, though.

Zeal stabs aren't particularly great. The wires tend to pop out very easily.

[Techno Trousers]

I really like the Costar stabs in my modded QFR, but then again it's now got Kailh/Novelkeys box jade switches. Rattle is NOT a problem in the slightest!

[Jae-3soteric]

Cherry PCB mount stabs, clipped, lubed with dielectric grease properly. No mushiness, no rattle, no gritty feel.


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[Hyde]

TP4 is right. Costar stabs > Cherry. Also plate mount Cherry stabs rattle a lot more than PCB mount. Use Cherry PCB mount screw in stabs if you're really worried about rattle. Make sure you clip and lube them, though.

Zeal stabs aren't particularly great. The wires tend to pop out very easily.

Yeah I also find Costar is better.  I've clipped all my Cherry stabilizers while it vastly improved the feel but you can still feel the stabilizers being there.

Where as Costar you just put a bit of lube in the contact points then they become "invisible" like you don't even notice they exist.  The rattle is completely gone and all is left is the switch feel.

I haven't get to try lubed Cherry stabilizers yet but that seems like a lot of work to get to the correct spots (might even need to desolder).  Also PCB mount Cherry stabilizers is a lot easier to work with but 95% of the board out there are plate mount.

Only real trade off I'd say with Costar is that it grinds with the inside of thick keycaps.  Apparently it's fixed on the new Cooler Master keyboard but there isn't much info about it yet.

[tp4tissue]

TP4 is right. Costar stabs > Cherry. Also plate mount Cherry stabs rattle a lot more than PCB mount. Use Cherry PCB mount screw in stabs if you're really worried about rattle. Make sure you clip and lube them, though.

Zeal stabs aren't particularly great. The wires tend to pop out very easily.

Yeah I also find Costar is better.  I've clipped all my Cherry stabilizers while it vastly improved the feel but you can still feel the stabilizers being there.

Where as Costar you just put a bit of lube in the contact points then they become "invisible" like you don't even notice they exist.  The rattle is completely gone and all is left is the switch feel.

I haven't get to try lubed Cherry stabilizers yet but that seems like a lot of work to get to the correct spots (might even need to desolder).  Also PCB mount Cherry stabilizers is a lot easier to work with but 95% of the board out there are plate mount.

Only real trade off I'd say with Costar is that it grinds with the inside of thick keycaps.  Apparently it's fixed on the new Cooler Master keyboard but there isn't much info about it yet.

Comes down to friction points..

Cherry style stabs have significantly more sporadic areas of contact vs costar stabs..