Cheap MX reds

[Phaedrus2129]

I posit that anyone who wants an MX red board without having to order from China/Japan, they should just get a heavily-used MX brown board. Comparing my MX8000 to my MX11800, the Compaq feels essentially linear on most of its keys. The tactile bump is virtually not present. And an MX brown without the bump is just an MX red, right? So why all the fuss over how rare reds are, when you can get the same experience from worn MX browns?

[HaaTa]

And they're actually red

Someone send me a heavily used MX Brown board and I'll confirm . The Japanese websites aren't listing MX Red boards for sale anymore (they are still in stock in Akihabara though).

[Oqsy]

I have black stems and brown springs sitting in a box...  combining them is roughly reds, no?

I still haven't gotten around to building my Frankenstein Cherry MX board yet, as I'm still so pleased with my MX11900 with brown stems.  I haven't even touched my IBM M in weeks!

[(X "_____")]

http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~hisao/image/ncrf020.htm

Black vs. red stems look slightly different to my eyes, and I think he says they are different, which would explain why the actuation force on my makeshift reds is 45-50cN.

EDIT: Disregard that, they're orange stems not red ones. Also, after a bit more testing I can get my makeshift reds to fire at 45cN (9 20p coins) but it's a bit less reliable than with 50cN.

[kriminal]

Yep.  Those are orange. If you look closely the switch stem cross is smaller than a typical MX so standard keys won't even fit on that Orange switch.

Show Image

orange? Oo!

[Oqsy]

orange cherries?  what next, yellow?

[hoggy]

orange cherries?  what next, yellow?

I want purple cherries!