Has anyone tried the KBDfans mx sliders (they're back in stock btw): https://kbdfans.cn/collections/electrostatic-capacitive-keycaps/products/topre-keycaps-to-mx-keycaps-adapter-x
Think I might try some of these but the comment on the page said their stem broke because of these sliders? Anyone know what that's about?
I've heard of three types of sliders that can be used in place of the stock.
JTK sliders - just stay the hell away from these, according to what most people have said to me. Idk if they've been redone and been made better now.
Novatouch sliders - the best you'll get in the aftermarket but good luck finding them and good luck some more finding them at a price that won't break your bank.
KBDFans sliders - compared to the JTK, they're much better. Compared to stock, they're not as good and you'll notice. However, on a budget, they work and most users accept them if they really want MX caps on their Topre board.
Yea I saw the reviews about the JTK sliders and the keys popping off. I was hoping the KBDfans sliders would be close to stock but I guess it's still noticeable. That's disappointing. Thanks.
I have received
JTK sliders last week and installed them in one of my Realforce 87UW. I have installed them on two thirds of the keys, leaving the original sliders in some areas, because I wanted to be able to compare with the original sliders, and because I know I'm going to redo it fully with silencing in a few days anyway (ironed landing pads method).
I've purchased the JTK sliders from Originative.
Pros:
- They are
very smooth. As smooth as the original ones from Topre, and as smooth as those in the Novatouch.
-
Good fit with MX compatible keycaps (a customized set from WASD).
No key popping off.- Not too expensive.
Cons:
- They have a little bit of wobble, slightly more than the original sliders. Not much.
- The upstroke "click" is louder, I'm not sure why. Silencing is required when using these JTK sliders, unless you really like the upstroke noise.
- Some sliders have a slightly protruding sprue mark that can be felt when using the key. On the 60 keys I have done, 5 of them have this. None of the 5 keys are defective, and when I type I don't notice it. You need to press them at some angle to notice it.
I wanted to test them before fully silencing them, and so far I'm not disappointed.
I had heard about the wobble by other people who had tested them, and I was a little worried by this. But honestly you will notice it only if you are looking for it. When typing, it's a non-issue.
My guess is that silencing them with ironed landing pads, as I planned to do anyway, will reduce the slight wobble, and of course it will get rid of the upstroke click. It will reduce the wobble because I suspect that these sliders do not push the keycaps all the way up. So there is a little bit of play in the vertical direction, and it could explain partly the louder upstroke. If that's really the case, it's a very good thing and it will help with silencing, as the landing pads will not reduce the key travel at all.
I did notice key popping off spontaneously... on my Novatouch (with its original sliders).
So my experience is that the keys don't pop off on JTK sliders, but they pop off on the "superior" Novatouch sliders!
It is possible that I have received a new, revised version of the JTK sliders, or a better batch. I don't know, but they are better than I expected.
I think I could recommend the JTK sliders to people who want to use MX compatible keycaps on Topre keyboards, with the caveat that you will also probably have to silence your keyboard while you swap the sliders (ironed landing pads technique or similar), and also you should inspect the sliders one by one when installing, looking for sprue marks.
My opinion:
4 stars out of 5.I'm planning to install JTK sliders in a new FC660C (I have already one with Noppoo 108-EC PRO sliders inside), and maybe also in my HHKB.