Which keyboard have you used heavily for at least 2+ years and still love?

[grapefruit]

Like so many things, keyboards reveal themselves over time.

I'm curious about keyboards which people have used frequently for years on end and still really enjoy. That's a high bar.

Thoughts?

[yuppie]

Canoe!

[Sintpinty]

Corsair K63.

[bananasplit_00]

My 2014 Corsair K70 with MX browns, got it second hand in 2015 for like €50 and been using it ever since at home. Would say my newly built Budget96 but i havent used that for two years XD

[ju6ju8Oo]

dactyl manuform

[yui]

i would not go so far as to say love but my old laptop keyboard was actually good, much better than any rubber dome i've tried and also better than MX brown.
it was an old-ish HP elitebook 8570. i do not know if they still use those keyboard, they changed the track-pad for sure, and the new one does not feel as good to me, still use it when getting the M122 out is unpractical.
i do not know if that answer the question, i love my M but that's only been one year now so not really an answer either, should build a custom enclosure for my laptop keyboard so i can really answer.

[Sintpinty]

My 2014 Corsair K70 with MX browns, got it second hand in 2015 for like €50 and been using it ever since at home. Would say my newly built Budget96 but i havent used that for two years XD

wow

[Tactile]

55 gram Realforce TKL

[suicidal_orange]

Not sure what counts as heavy use but I've mostly used my CP-SQ with lubed heavy linears for a long time at home, great layout and sounds nice too.

[dabeshu]

I bought this hhkb just out of high school. Ordered from elitekeyboards, I decided on it after enjoying the non-topre version. Still in use, it needs a new daughter board but it's going strong some 10 years later. I have also a newer version from 2017 that says "Rev. A2" that I admittedly enjoy less but it still sees some use. The domes are just not as supple I would say if I had to word it for you. I have yet to mod either of them, and after getting into customs after a long hiatus from keyboards, I'll still keep them, but they're not my daily drivers. Something about an old, well-used topre board is just really nice

[bananasplit_00]

My 2014 Corsair K70 with MX browns, got it second hand in 2015 for like €50 and been using it ever since at home. Would say my newly built Budget96 but i havent used that for two years XD

wow

dont hate, im new to being a more proper keyboard fan

[mode]

ISO AEKII with swapped in 9/10 SKCM salmons, it's just delicious, and better than SKCM orange boards I have. I just love this board.

[fohat.digs]

Model F 122-key (with and without case), and orange, blue, and white Alps.

Before I got into the hobby, I used a Dell AT101 for at least 5 years in the late 1990s-early-2000s and a Compaq SK-2800 (nice rubber domes) for at least 5 years in the early-mid-2000s and liked both of them very much.

[treeleaf64]

I haven't even had a mechanical keyboard for 2 years
I have a special attachment to my Pingmaster. I love the keycaps, I love the switches, I love the ping!

[_rubik]

55 gram Realforce TKL

Came here to say just this. Recently swapped out the domes with BKE Redux Heavies, and am now looking at potentially getting a Norbaforce. My RF has taken many forms over the past few years, but between build quality, feel, and overall (relative) affordability, it has to be one of my favorite boards.

I've even convinced others from outside of the hobby -- in fact, people who thought keyboards were a silly investment -- to get a 55g RF87u.

[rxc92]

Not quite two years (year and a half now), but I've been using my R2 Realforce (45g) daily and haven't ever found anything I liked as much. I've tried all types of Topre on all boards (Leopold, HHKB, and Realforce), almost all types of Cherry, and a few new switches, and this is what's perfect for me. I tried 55g for short periods but didn't think it felt any better, just a bit heavier, so I prefer the 45g especially when gaming/typing all day. 
I enjoy a keyboard with Hako Trues that I've used for a while, but it's too heavy to game with. Holding down switches for long periods is very uncomfortable.

[Sintpinty]

No mx red love here? 😖

[Sifo]

7 years lz-s never lost

[Riverman]

My Topre Type Heaven is the one I've kept coming back to over and over again over the past several years.  It's now sporting a set of 9009 KBDFans PBT keycaps and a set of their silencing rings, which fix the only two complaints I ever had about the board.  Prior to that, I used an Apple AEKII for many, many years.  If I ever get around to retrobrighting the thing, I may go back to it again.

[DALExSNAIL]

Camo Filco TKL with cherry silent reds is still to this day my favorite keyboard, and I'm pretty sure it's been over 2 years?

If I didn't recently have issues with my wrists, and swap to a split layout, I could see it being my daily driver for as long as it lasted. Now I just use it for the occasional temporary setup or a situation at work that I need 2 keyboards.

Also previously had a CM QFR with browns that I used for close to 4 years, that I always liked, got sold to another user for a good cause though. Was definitely one of my favorites though.

[romevi]

Realforce and Jane v1.

[ollir_]

Got my Realforce 105 at the end of 2013 and it was my daily driver for a long time after that.
Currently I'd use clicky Alps the little I get to use the computer at home, but the time of day I am at the computer doesn't really permit me to use clicky *anything* so the Realforce is on the desk by default.

It's a reliable classic.

[Sintpinty]

i would not go so far as to say love but my old laptop keyboard was actually good, much better than any rubber dome i've tried and also better than MX brown.
it was an old-ish HP elitebook 8570. i do not know if they still use those keyboard, they changed the track-pad for sure, and the new one does not feel as good to me, still use it when getting the M122 out is unpractical.
i do not know if that answer the question, i love my M but that's only been one year now so not really an answer either, should build a custom enclosure for my laptop keyboard so i can really answer.

MX brown is better than rubbreh domeh

[Sintpinty]

Somehow i am and feel more accurate on MX Browns than MX Reds, despite being the same weight. It makes no sense!

[mounds]

Jailhouse Aristotles, medium weight, on Saber68 (home / gaming / programming) or Planck (work / programming). They're just dreamy to type on, idk.

[Dongulator]

Realforce 87U (55g) @ work
Leopold fc660c @ home

[Sintpinty]

Jailhouse Aristotles, medium weight, on Saber68 (home / gaming / programming) or Planck (work / programming). They're just dreamy to type on, idk.

What is the aristole switch anyways?

[rxc92]

Jailhouse Aristotles, medium weight, on Saber68 (home / gaming / programming) or Planck (work / programming). They're just dreamy to type on, idk.

What is the aristole switch anyways?

 
 
Here's a useful site where you can find information!

[noisyturtle]

I've bought a lot of boards over the last decade and always use them for a few weeks just to go right back to the original board I built myself. It just feels right.

Lubed and Stickered MX Panda's on a Filco TKL board with a weighted steel plate, and aluminum damping-lined case. There's a custom controller chip I soldered in there too, but I can't remember what one.

[VimLover]

My friend from Japan gave me my first HHKB, so it has sentimental value. I use it at home. I use a Dactyl with Navy NovelKeys x Kailh BOX Thick Clicks for work, as I have yet to find a more ergonomic keyboard. All my other boards just sit on a shelf at home and get used maybe a few times a year.

[shadowku]

My HHKB(s) never fail me.
BKE Light domes, Hyperspheres.

[deacon]

My first handwired Planck.

I since I needed another board for work and couldn't afford another one for a while I used the plate, case and a Teensy and made another one. I also bought a PCB that I used plateless for a while that was actually my first Planck to use while I figured out how to hand wire. It's still got the same desoldered Cherry Brown housings and springs and an ugly matrix from not realizing I could flip the in-switch diode direction in the firmware.

It's been through two Teensys and several bottom plates/cases and three sets of stems. I added a spring clipped onto the metal switch plate that grounded to the Mini USB housing so I didn't lose another Teensy to a static discharge and it stayed like that for a year on my desk at work. It even wore the Cherry lasered POM from the donor board for a long time.

I've got other boards but that is still my favorite.

[TheInverseKey]

One of my first boards that I really fell in love with was my NMB Right Touch(RT-8255CW+).

I never thought that a keyboard with split space would be so nice. The switches are NMB 725 series black clicky switches and they're at the right level of tactility for this keyboard. not having to more your right hand as much from home row is really nice for long typing periods and the 1u backspace is something that the split space solves. 

Also having windows keys is something that you don't normally see on NMB keyboards and it helps with window management a lot.

[Sintpinty]

Jailhouse Aristotles, medium weight, on Saber68 (home / gaming / programming) or Planck (work / programming). They're just dreamy to type on, idk.

What is the aristole switch anyways?

 
 
Here's a useful site where you can find information!

Thanks

[Snowdog993]

This.

[Hyde]

45g Topre Silence X modded.  However I just got 55g Silent Topre recently so I'll see how this pans out.

[NewbieOneKenobi]

Filco Majestouch (1) TKL Blue, to which I returned after killing my CM Novatouch ('Topre').

I love this board, but it's begining to show signs of wear, such as certain keys sometimes getting stuck or registering double. I will eventually need to replace it, and I'm at a loss as to what with. Preferably something similar but lighter, smoother (Gateron?) and more responsive (Romer G? MX Red/Speed?), easier on my fingers (low profile?). So far nothing can measure up. Novatouch didn't feel as nice, Kailh browns neither — both shared the same problem of being too sandy or whatever and not ideal for off-centre pressing. After getting spoiled so much by the Filco, I mostly don't like any other mech boards I can put my hands on at exhibitions.

Meanwhile used the old Latitude 7400 series keyboard on my laptop quite heavily, and it was great. Old type, non-insular, nicer to type on than the newer models.

[Merranza]

Slowly going down the rabbit hole.

Discovered mechanical keyboards about 5 years ago with a K70/Cherry MX red switches (tried Cherry MX browns and speed and didn't like them) like many others....

After reading some threads here, I went for a MF68 with Gateron clears. They really can't compare to Cherry MX... they are way smoother and feel so much better.

Now I know the MF68 is far from being considered a quality board but I've been using it as my main board for the past 2 years with a lot of satisfaction (never going back to full... 65% is right where I love it). Never thought good keycaps would make such a difference also (GMK red samurai feels great).

Took another dive at switches last week and went for Gat reds and yellow as well as Kailh speed, pro burgundy and pro purple. I was interested in Creams too but hey, can't get them all at once huh... I also own a GMMK TKL (compact didn't exist back then unfortunately) with Gateron browns. I'll have some time to try them on my GMMK and determine what I like the most before finding a quality board to use them and I should be set for a while afterwards. I'll probably go for a 65% with hotswap as my main board to game/casually type with lighter linear switches and keep my GMMK for heavy typing with more tactile ones.

[atarione]

Filco master race:  I've been using this Filco since maybe 2015~ (don't remember exactly but a good while now)

Majestouch 2 TKL (mx-reds) dampers / pbt doubleshot key-caps (from massdrop maybe 2016?) anyways.. loved it then love it now.



Probably use this keyboard the rest of my life or not but whatever no plans on doing anything else anytime soon.   

my Filco shows no signs of any issues what so ever being used daily for years now.

[treeleaf64]

45g Topre Silence X modded.  However I just got 55g Silent Topre recently so I'll see how this pans out.

How do you like Topre? Of all "mechanical" switches, which one feels the closest to it (apart from Brown or Neon Green Alps, as those are extremely hard to get ahold of)

[jacethesaltsculptor]

I honestly still love my Ducky Shine 3 Yellow with Cherry Blues, it feels just as responsive and clicky as the first day I started typing on it, it's light dancing LED's were also really neat to me at the time. (My how times have changed, one color LED's are boring now, everything is moving rainbows.)

I've used it for around 4 years now, going on 5 in the new year here. I don't honestly believe I'll ever get rid of it, plus I was originally drawn by it's color, I had made a themed desktop back in the day that was all yellow and black, and that was my crown jewel.

---------------------

If the time doesn't have to be contiguous, then I did use a Model M as a kid for a few years on a PS/2 30, and I adored it, when I bought my first one in adulthood a year back, it was like coming home for me. I will always adore buckling springs, and have since grown my collection to be overwhelmingly that. I'll probably have one as my primary keyboard for the rest of my life if my care of them has anything to say about it.

[mike-y]

after all of the keyboards I've built, I keep going back to my old Redscarf RS II+ Ver. B (RS78) that I bought off Massdrop a few years back.  What's funny, is I didn't like it at all at first.  I had some mod switches that had terrible wobble, noisy stabilizers and a really boring white keycap set with gray lettering.  I actually wanted to sell it.

But then I took it apart and installed GMK screw in stabilizers (lubed), box reds (lubed), and some pbt dolch keycaps.  It's been my go-to keyboard at home for the last 3 years.  I'll try new boards, but always switch back to my RS II+ after a couple of days.

[digitvoid]

Leopold FC980C with hasu controller and silencing rings. I'm not sure if any pimped-out custom mx board will be able to dethrone this...

[mkkeyboardvigilante]

Not exactly two years yet, but I can foresee myself using my HHKB for the long term, even more so than any of the Realforce boards that I have. There's something about it that I really like especially when I broke it in. I can take as many breaks from it as I want, but it's always the main keyboard i keep coming back to regularly especially after I replaced the stock domes many months ago with the BKEs and added silencing rings which really made the sound so much better and a lot less noisy too. I just love how small it is and how it doesn't take up much of my workspace, which is a smaller table so obviously there's a lot that can't really fit so much to save space.

[OtherBarry1992]

My GON NERD TKL hands down.

[VP]

Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate. 7 years. All keycaps are original. Polished by fingers.

[DALExSNAIL]

My GON NERD TKL hands down.

It takes him 2 years to ship, you must have just got it!

 

[ollir_]

Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate. 7 years. All keycaps are original. Polished by fingers.

That's commitment right there!

[Maledicted]

I've been using K70s with Cherry MX red or blue almost exclusively for the past ... 5 years, maybe? It wasn't until I finally bought a Model M from a friend that I got into the more exotic stuff in the last year or so, although I've always been interested.

I don't see the K70/K65 trend ending any time soon though, they'll just have Box Navies or Jades in them now. I don't know of a cooler-looking industrial design and still love the K70's volume slider. The only thing that would stop me from using at least 1 Corsair every day is if Model Fs or blue alps boards started falling from the sky.

[pabile]

this is my main workhorse since 2017. salmon alps (click springs tactile leaves removed) with 45g sprit springs.
photo taken about a month ago.