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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: cgoldberg on Wed, 23 February 2011, 16:48:58

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: cgoldberg on Wed, 23 February 2011, 16:48:58

I recently bought a Ducky DK1087 from PCHome (about $105 shipped).

I'm not thrilled with the build quality.  It sorta has a cheap plastic feel to the case... it is lightweight... has crooked/uneven plastic along the top around the usb port (as others have reported on the forums)...

I'm just wondering if all Ducky's have this flimsy feel to them, or only the DK1087?  Do the higher-end full-size Ducky's have a better case?


I'm kinda wishing I went with a Filco tenkeyless now for a few bucks more.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: manfaux on Wed, 23 February 2011, 16:54:42

I got a 1087 and yes the 9000 series has a better over-all construction, and an one-piece upper case like the Filco/Leopolds.

the build quality for the most part doesn't affect typing feel whatsoever, at least I couldn't notice any, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Plus, the Filco Tenkeyless at $135 from EK(when EK still had them)+ shipping isn't exactly "a few bucks more". That's a %40 premium over the Ducky.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: cgoldberg on Wed, 23 February 2011, 17:02:16

Quote from: manfaux;299991

the build quality for the most part doesn't affect typing feel

yea, it's still nice to type on.  (love brown switches)

sure, Filco is more loot, but I would have gladly paid it for better quality.  I wanted to use this as my traveller keyboard and thought a Filco might feel too heavy... so I went with a Ducky.  doh.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: manfaux on Wed, 23 February 2011, 17:21:07

Quote from: ripster;300001

Could have been worse.  You could have had this on your spacebar.

Show Image

(http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/4130/bellb22.jpg)

I don't worry about the space bar at all, simple replacement, easy peasy.

This is more worrying, take a look:

(http://i54.tinypic.com/5fm3w4.jpg)

taken from my 1087, yes, that's a misaligned enter key, I put on white keycaps so it's clearer to see, the switch is slanted along with one of the stabilizers. Fail.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: cgoldberg on Wed, 23 February 2011, 17:30:31

back of my 1087:

(http://i.imgur.com/EezNg.jpg)

kwalitee

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: SmokinWaffle on Wed, 23 February 2011, 17:31:55

Quote from: manfaux;300010

This is more worrying, take a look:

Show Image

(http://i54.tinypic.com/5fm3w4.jpg)

Oh my, that's rather nasty!

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: manfaux on Wed, 23 February 2011, 17:44:58

Quote from: SmokinWaffle;300023

Oh my, that's rather nasty!

It's Ducky's little ergonomic touch.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: keyboardlover on Wed, 23 February 2011, 18:08:59

Ducky keyboards are designed by the Misaligned Men of Flomaton.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: digitalleftovers on Wed, 23 February 2011, 18:12:57

that enter is aweful...  Mine is straight, but my forward slash is similar to yours.  The light weight feel is due to them using aluminum plates instead of steel.  The piece of plastic above my USB port is crooked too.

We can't really say that Ducky's manufacturing processes should be better, so much as we should be asking why their quality control standards are not higher, or in the case of that enter key, why don't they have quality control standards?

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: digitalleftovers on Wed, 23 February 2011, 18:16:01

Also, mine came with a pamphlet that listed the Ducky products along with the DAS Model S.  Does the ducky factory make DAS keyboards too?

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: SpatiallyAware on Thu, 24 February 2011, 13:13:08

Quote from: ripster;300054

Reminds me of this guys RealForce.  White keys do tend to exaggerate it.  Even IBMs get a bit wobbly at times.

Show Image

(http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg160/fr3dsk1/IMG_6878.jpg)

That N key makes it look like barrel distortion or photoshop trickery...

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: Pylon on Thu, 24 February 2011, 13:21:50

Yeah, it does kind of look like pincushion distortion.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: mechkeyboards on Thu, 24 February 2011, 15:18:09

Hi All,

Regarding the dk1087 the issue at hand isn't really QC as such (all problems seen are quite consistent across all keyboards). The initial design and tooling of this keyboard was flawed.

I'm going to guess that Ducky really has no choice (being a small company) but continue to sell it in order to clawback some of the capital that went into this design.

That said however, the new tenkeyless, basic and alps keyboards will apparently be a complete new design.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: mechkeyboards on Thu, 24 February 2011, 16:26:51

Mention what now? ;)

By the way I should also clarify that the above are my views only :)

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: runeazn on Fri, 25 February 2011, 15:54:12

unlucky you..
my ducky feels great .
no problem any i dont mean to promote this product but mine is totally fine..
seems sturdy to me.
weighs much more than my g19 rofl
around 1.2KG and it's quality is fine, and it was sturdy.. i couldn't take it apart :( or i didnt know how..
i fail very hard.
and again i dont mean to brag.
(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2152/img0021zn.jpg)

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: pitashen on Fri, 25 February 2011, 21:22:20

You get what you pay for, the DK-1XXX are entry series with cutting cost construction design.

Hopefully they will come up with a full top cover tenkeyless...

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: db_Iodine on Sat, 26 February 2011, 02:49:40

Quote from: runeazn;301012

unlucky you..
my ducky feels great .
no problem any i dont mean to promote this product but mine is totally fine..
seems sturdy to me.
weighs much more than my g19 rofl
around 1.2KG and it's quality is fine, and it was sturdy.. i couldn't take it apart :( or i didnt know how..
i fail very hard.

If you had another sturdy keyboard, I bet you would notice how flimsy the top cover actually is. It would be a lot sturdier if the top cover was only one part, like on a Filco tenkeyless Personally I'm not bothered about it at all, but I can see how it annoys some people.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: runeazn on Sat, 26 February 2011, 04:26:33

Quote from: db_Iodine;301253

If you had another sturdy keyboard, I bet you would notice how flimsy the top cover actually is. It would be a lot sturdier if the top cover was only one part, like on a Filco tenkeyless Personally I'm not bothered about it at all, but I can see how it annoys some people.

well it still is quite sturdy :/

but hey we aren't playoing L4D2 and whacking zombies with it..

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 26 February 2011, 05:40:13

The 9000-series Duckys are Costar made. The 1000-series are built by another OEM and are of cheaper quality.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: digitalleftovers on Sat, 26 February 2011, 16:55:34

Quote from: ch_123;301273

The 9000-series Duckys are Costar made. The 1000-series are built by another OEM and are of cheaper quality.

(http://www.misscellania.com/storage/o%20rly%20owl.jpg)

Do you have a source for this?  I'm just curious.  It wouldn't surprise me in the least.

I'm also curious what anyone thinks about the use of the aluminium plate.  Could it have been cheaper to obtain, or cheaper to tool it?  I have yet to see another keyboard (besides apple or one of those OTD uber-board-kits) that uses any aluminium components...

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: Canuck21 on Sat, 26 February 2011, 21:49:02

Quote from: db_Iodine;301253

If you had another sturdy keyboard, I bet you would notice how flimsy the top cover actually is. It would be a lot sturdier if the top cover was only one part, like on a Filco tenkeyless Personally I'm not bothered about it at all, but I can see how it annoys some people.

Just by looking at the pictures I knew beforehand that the DK-1xxx series would feel cheaper than my Rosewill RK-9000. I still went forward and bought a DK-1009 because I wanted to try how the Cherry Brown switches feel like. I'm not regretting my purchase, it was not expensive and I got what I expected. You get what you pay for.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: 3one5 on Sat, 26 February 2011, 22:06:17

Quote from: runeazn;301012

unlucky you..
my ducky feels great .
no problem any i dont mean to promote this product but mine is totally fine..
seems sturdy to me.
weighs much more than my g19 rofl
around 1.2KG and it's quality is fine, and it was sturdy.. i couldn't take it apart :( or i didnt know how..
i fail very hard.
and again i dont mean to brag.

Show Image

(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2152/img0021zn.jpg)

Which brings up an interesting question.  What is the Glock of keyboards?

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: keyboardlover on Sat, 26 February 2011, 22:10:27

Quote from: runeazn;301012

weighs much more than my g19 rofl

(http://scienceblogs.com/clock/How%20to%20ROFL.png)

Quote from: 3one5

Which brings up an interesting question. What is the Glock of keyboards?

Definitely Realforce.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: bytemeavaj on Sat, 26 February 2011, 22:34:32

Quote from: Canuck21;301572

Just by looking at the pictures I knew beforehand that the DK-1xxx series would feel cheaper than my Rosewill RK-9000. I still went forward and bought a DK-1009 because I wanted to try how the Cherry Brown switches feel like. I'm not regretting my purchase, it was not expensive and I got what I expected. You get what you pay for.

I don't know why people are saying this bs. What do you mean you get what you pay for?

So ... a $100 keyboard should be cheaply made? Most keyboards are $30-$50. $100 should be a damn well built keyboard if you ask me. $100 is a lot of money for a keyboard.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: Armando Penblade on Sat, 26 February 2011, 22:36:08

The video review I watched suggested those were the Porches. Unless Porches are the Glocks of cars.

(Porches are cars, right?)

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: digitalleftovers on Sun, 27 February 2011, 01:02:09

Quote from: bytemeavaj;301592

I don't know why people are saying this bs. What do you mean you get what you pay for?

So ... a $100 keyboard should be cheaply made? Most keyboards are $30-$50. $100 should be a damn well built keyboard if you ask me. $100 is a lot of money for a keyboard.

You would be correct... If there were a $30-50 (brand-new) plate mounted cherry switch keyboard.

Edit: I am somewhat skeptical of the price point of this type of keyboard.  Last year, I almost bought a G80-1800 from a commercial computer dealer for around $65 US.  Unfortunetly, they were sold out.  But it makes you wonder what the real cost of these items would be if there were larger quantities, and more free channels of distribution.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: Human on Sun, 27 February 2011, 01:17:08

Quote from: bytemeavaj;301592

I don't know why people are saying this bs. What do you mean you get what you pay for?

So ... a $100 keyboard should be cheaply made? Most keyboards are $30-$50. $100 should be a damn well built keyboard if you ask me. $100 is a lot of money for a keyboard.

BUT DEFINITELY NOT FOR MECHANICAL(CHERRY) KEYBOARD(SAID BY RAZER WHILE SELLING THEIR POORLY BUILT RAZER BW)...:evil:

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: db_Iodine on Sun, 27 February 2011, 02:06:40

Quote from: Human;301624

BUT DEFINITELY NOT FOR MECHANICAL(CHERRY) KEYBOARD(SAID BY RAZER WHILE SELLING THEIR POORLY BUILT RAZER BW)...:evil:

Dude, ease on the coolness of your cruise control. I can't stand reading a word of that.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: webbyboy on Sun, 27 February 2011, 02:20:16

Those early versions of 9008 has flex on the top cover but i just got a 9008 4 days ago it seems sturdy.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: Canuck21 on Mon, 28 February 2011, 14:52:45

Quote from: bytemeavaj;301592

I don't know why people are saying this bs. What do you mean you get what you pay for?

So ... a $100 keyboard should be cheaply made? Most keyboards are $30-$50. $100 should be a damn well built keyboard if you ask me. $100 is a lot of money for a keyboard.

Most rubber dome keyboards are $30-$50, but not mechanical keyboards and even less mechanical keyboards with Cherry MX switches. The Ducky DK-1xxx series are $80-$90 which IMO is the right price for its quality compared to other mechanical keyboards. It's not like they're cheaply made like $30 keyboards; they're more strongly build, just not the same as the one piece top-cover keyboards. If you know of a better quality keyboard with Cherry MX switches around that price range (don't tell me Razer), please let me know.

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: Forin on Thu, 13 October 2011, 02:12:27

hello,

Whats the difference between DK1087 and DK1087 PBT? (aside from key material and price...)

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: insilica on Thu, 13 October 2011, 02:54:42

I would say nothing other than the keycaps.

You should have just posted a new thread though. This thread is ancient

Title: Ducky DK1087 low build quality?
Post by: Forin on Thu, 13 October 2011, 04:18:11

ok, thanks, I will remember next time.

Quote from: insilica;429984

I would say nothing other than the keycaps.

You should have just posted a new thread though. This thread is ancient