Have you ever bought a keyboard before trying the switch?

[Air tree]

Well i was wondering how many people have done this. and what switch was it you didn't try before buying the keyboard? and did you end up liking it?

[Glod]

Late night confessions of an addict

every mechanical keyboard i own plus my HHKB i just threw money at my computer screen and rolled the dice on if i would like it LOL. The only mechanical switch i tried before purchasing was blue switches on a friend's BWU. Did i make mistakes? maybe...... The best part of geekhack is turning something that you don't like into something you DO like.

[Air tree]

I'm thinking of just throwing money at my computer screen and getting a cherry mx red keycool keyboard! Hmm...

[pagosElite]

I've gotten two so far and both of them I haven't tried the switches for them (Brown and Red). I'm just always open for new things and adapt easily.

[dragonxx21]

I threw money at my computer screen and nothing happened... Am I doing something wrong? Is there some sort of magic that's involved to get this to work?

[pagosElite]

I'm thinking of just throwing money at my computer screen and getting a cherry mx red keycool keyboard! Hmm...

Honestly, if you want a TKL get the QFR or QFS.
If you want a 60% (which I do) and have $$ get the Happy Hacker something keyboard (sorry guys im tired). I've heard its AMAZING. If you don't have money to burn (like me), allloottt of people are selling KBT's around here for great prices.

[norbauer]

It's not impossible, but unfortunately it's generally a bit of a fuss to try a switch before you buy it. I live in a major US metropolis (Boston), literally blocks away from the nerd Mecca of MIT, and it was impossible for me to find a brown swith to try to save my life (Microcenter, Best Buy, etc.—nobody had any), or even to see a single Filco board in person. So I just bit the bullet and bought a brown board from Keyboard Co directly in the UK and a blue and red board from Keyboard Co via Amazon marketplace (making returns possible). I figured returning the brown board to the UK if I didn't like it would be either annoying or impossible, so I just planned on giving it away or eBaying it if I didn't like it. I decided to keep the red and brown boards (both of which I love) and sent the blue one (too noisy) back to Amazon. There was a slight restocking fee, but that was no big deal.

I had purchased the test switches from WASD, but that really wasn't good enough to get the true feel of a full board of keys.

I am currently going through this same dilemma as I investigate Topre switches. I want to try out the 30g weight ones, but in this case it's going to require an even bigger leap of faith: plopping down $600 to buy one from an agent via Taobao in China. I'm confident I'll be able to sell it somewhere (eBay, GH, etc) if I don't like it, but unfortunately it requires a big cash outlay just to put your hands on one of these things and figure out if you like it. =\

[Lu_e]

Reds again here. Felt like a change after blues... didnt like the extra resistance and movements of the click mechanism.

I like the reds but want to try blacks (other than in the store), since I have big sometimes heavy hands.

[rowdy]

All of them that I have, because there is nowhere in Melbourne that I can try the keyboards (apart from a BWU).

MX blue, MX black, MX red, Topre, BS, green Alps.

[bahamot]

Brown and red without tried it first.

Edit: and topre, also without tried.

[The_Ed]

I knew what kind of switches and keycaps I'd like before trying any of them. And no, that isn't a self-fulfilling prophecy. Especially when I went against my judgement of switches and bought a BWU as my first mechanical... I gave that mistake to my Dad, and now the damn thing doesn't even work anymore. My second mechanical was a 3494 with a Cherry DS set from 99hk, and they came at the same time so I never even used the lasered keys. My judgement was spot on, which is why I still don't understand why I bought that BWU... That BWU is the only purchase I regret so far in this keyboard hobby.

[skuko]

all of the keyboards i bought were to try the switch, so....ummm....yeah

[Oobly]

.... The best part of geekhack is turning something that you don't like into something you DO like.

+1

I bought a Ducky tactile mix (browns with clears on the modifiers, F keys, etc.). Decided I didn't like the clears when using my pinkies.

So far I've desoldered all the switches, got some springs, stickers and orings in the mail and am in the process of hacking the steel plate into chunks to make my own design ergo board with ErgoClear thumb switches 

[Emospence]

Not as of yet.

[Fragil1ty]

Late night confessions of an addict

every mechanical keyboard i own plus my HHKB i just threw money at my computer screen and rolled the dice on if i would like it LOL. The only mechanical switch i tried before purchasing was blue switches on a friend's BWU. Did i make mistakes? maybe...... The best part of geekhack is turning something that you don't like into something you DO like.

I bought my first keyboard which was a Razer Blackwidow Elite because I didn't have a lot of knowledge on the whole Mechanical keyboard subject at the time.
But then as time got on, I purchased more keyboards, I went from Blues -> Reds -> Blacks and now I'm back using a keyboard that isn't 100% functional, (bouncing keys) but I seem to of fixed that problem.

Imo, it's best to just buy them, but with me buying blacks? that was a huge mistake on my part to be honest, I had advised two of my friends to get blacks because they had been advised to me as the 'best' gaming switch, but me personally? I cannot get used to how resistant they are, I love reds and I don't think I'll ever switch away from Reds now because of this fact.

[vasouv]

I did buy a mechanical keyboard without trying it in advance Greece barely has any mechanical keyboards in stores so I had to buy one from the US. Hope I like it

[ynrozturk]

Yeah I bought my first board without every trying any of the MX switches before, and I love the Blues.

I'm now waiting for EK to restock the HHKB in unprinted black, just so I can try the Topre switches. From what I've read and heard, they sound perfect for me.

[Carnage]

I have. Never tried alps before and one day i decided that I wanted one and I found a leading edge dc 2014. Oh that keyboard is still my true love it was in very good condition when I first got it is near death now. It was love at first touch with her I barley had any knowledge about mechanical keyboards at the time and alps I knew nothing about just they existed. I wanted to at least try a alps board ((which are hell to find)) and I could always resell, So I went out on a whim for it. I will never regret the decision.

My buckling springs though I put a lot of thought and reading into before I decided to get it. Then after using it for a while I decided to dump cash into it for custom keycaps and such.

[Kagusaki Wolf]

Usually when I buy keyboards on ebay.  I bought a Cherry 84 ML4100 on the site cause I needed a small portable keyboard for a briefcase computer mod I'm doing.  So far the keys are alright.  Nothing too special about it but better then a laptop style keyboard with scissor switches.  I also bought the NMB Right Touch keyboard before trying it out.  Luckily it feels like a quality keyboard with the right force.  I just bought a Model M keyboard on ebay yesterday.  Never felt an actual buckling spring keyboard, but I bet I'll love it.

[snoopy]

I bought all my boards before trying the switch.

I don't regret. It's part of the journey.

[mauri]

I bought blue without trying, I bought topre without trying, I bought red without trying, I bought white without trying.

I'm a rebel

[Air tree]

So guys i have settled (finally) on the cm storm quickfire rapid, what switch should i just get to take the plunge into the mechanical keyboard world?

[mauri]

So guys i have settled (finally) on the cm storm quickfire rapid, what switch should i just get to take the plunge into the mechanical keyboard world?

Obviously the prettiest colour

[mapple]

I bought all my boards before trying the switch.

I don't regret. It's part of the journey.

in my case half way true, but i'll sign up with you on this " I don't regret. It's part of the journey.".

[Architect]

Sure, I got a Truly Ergonomic Blue and Red having never tried those switches (only used Brown before). I didn't like either one of them for regular work (programming). The Red was too soft, and the Blue was too loud. Later I got into some gaming with my kid (LOTRO) and now I love the red for that. The Blue I keep as a curiosity.

[korrelate]

LOL. Every mechanical keyboard I've ever touched: Brown, Red and Blue.

Kept the Brown and the Red but returned the Blue. I ate it on the Red, though: totally not my cup of tea b.c. I can't stand red switches (I don't game at all - my usage is almost entirely programming). But like Glod said, that's the point of Geekhack: turning something you don't like into something you do. I did get a little taste of the blues, though, before buying by way of one of the Razer Boards at best buy. Now, I hate the Razer logo with a passion, and I guess you could say I hate the Razer brand, but I have to say this: the way that Razer mounts their switches makes the blue look very compelling. I hate the look of Razer keyboards, but neither of the blue boards that I tried (Filco TK MJ2, Rosewill) impressed me at all. I hate to admit it, but the blue switches I played with on that Razer beat the snot out of Filco and Rosewill.

Brown are my favorite so far, hands down.  Going to try clears next: after I get a board that supports switch modding.

[CPTBadAss]

Absolutely not. I make it a point to try out both switch and keyboard before I buy it.

[GeeGee]

I do this all the time to be honest..

[vun]

I haven't tried any of the switches before buying, I might've poked the exposed arrow keys on a BW before I bought my board with blues, but the fact that I can't remember basically means it's a no as far as the question is concerned.
It took some time before mechanical boards found their way to stores here, and by then I was already well into it. So no, so far all my switch choices have been blind.

[Krigo]

Admittedly I did not try any of the switches of any of the boards that I own before buying them, and that's quite a few.
Maybe I'm just trying to surprise myself with something amazing 

[Danule]

brown and topre 45g for me both my 2 favorite switches so far.

[snoopy]

you still like browns after you tried topre?

[Glenn315]

I bought all of my keyboards without trying the switch. So, yes.

[Findecanor]

Most of my mech keyboards, I bought because I hadn't tried the switch yet. I have not paid a premium for any of them, though. Most of them were used, many vintage.

[thebeargentile]

Bought all my boards without trying the switch first, too.  The first few times, I'd spend time researching the switch to try and get an idea of what they would be like, but the switches always ended up feeling much different than I expected, even from board to board, so I started to just go with it and looking forward to the surprise. 

[TheSoulhunter]

Yes, all of em...

[Danule]

you still like browns after you tried topre?

they are currently my favorite cherry switch.  I still need to try clear though. but i do prefer typing on a topre.

[tipo33]

When I started out I bought a lot of KB's blindly.  Now I consider myself pretty well versed, after a few meetups.

[oscillik]

every keyboard I've bought, I've never tried the keys before... this includes membrane keyboards too.

Although, I think at some point I may end up buying a Unicomp...and I've tried buckling springs before!

[MKULTRA]

I did not try either of the switches I have before buying them.

[concept73]

we all just throw money at the screen

[PadawanGeek]

they are currently my favorite cherry switch.  I still need to try clear though. but i do prefer typing on a topre.

Having tried Clears, I can say that Clear and Black....and Green are my fave MX switches. My FC660M Clears is now my daily driver for my 2nd rig, it's like a heavier Brown with a more defined bump.....love it! I've bought a good number of boards w/o testing the switch, including Topre, and Clear. Technically, I have access to 8 different switch types on my Ducky 78Version, but have never really bother to use it as a test bed for switches.

[larrymoencurly]

You mean the ones we paid for?  Because I have some free ones with rubber dome switches, including 2 RocketBoards (Monterey, no equalizer rods except under the space bar -- shift keys sometimes stick if pressed on the wrong side).
 
The only keyboard I've paid for is a Monterey made for AT motherboards.  It has double shot keys and mechanical switches but is one of the worst feeling keyboards I've ever used, probably because each switch uses a coil spring bent into an upside down "U", which is deformed into an "M" when pressed.  OTOH they did give tactile feedback without noise.  One of those springs cracked, but fortunately there was an extra key not hooked up to anything and not marked.  The springs were variable rate but with closely wound coils in the middle, not just at the ends.

[Potologue]

I got a Ducky Shine 2 with red switches without trying reds. I had previously only used blue switches. No regrets on that purchase.

[___q]

I don't know if this counts, but I've bought boards with 62g blacks and 62g clears without having tried either, but I had used reds/blacks/browns/clears before doing so, so I kind of knew what I was getting in to.

I also bought a board with blue alps without having previously used them (and I learned that clicky alps are sweet).

[divito]

Given the variety, rarity, and customization options of the mechanical keyboard world, it is fairly improbable that I'll be able to try everything before I purchase it. The testament and experience from other more seasoned veterans seems to show this to be common.

[TimIsABat]

My first mechanical keyboard was a "screw I just want a mech board so badly" moment. I bought a FC660M with MX Reds when I have been looking for a board with browns instead. The price was $100 with shipping so it was a pretty good deal off of eBay. I like the board to this date, but after going ergoclear and buckling springs with two other boards, I should've saved money for something else.

I am now going to repeat myself though and get a HHKB Pro 2 once my refund check money comes in because I am dying for a Topre board and I really like the layout and look of the HHKB Pro 2.

[rowdy]

My first mechanical keyboard was a "screw I just want a mech board so badly" moment. I bought a FC660M with MX Reds when I have been looking for a board with browns instead. The price was $100 with shipping so it was a pretty good deal off of eBay. I like the board to this date, but after going ergoclear and buckling springs with two other boards, I should've saved money for something else.

I am now going to repeat myself though and get a HHKB Pro 2 once my refund check money comes in because I am dying for a Topre board and I really like the layout and look of the HHKB Pro 2.

Now that is a courageous approach!

[ninjadoc]

I didn't try the switch on any of mine before I bought them. I read about them, took over a GH60 order. Found a full sized Ducky Shine II with red switches, bought it. Then I searched for a 60% keyboard. Found a Poker with a beast plate and black switches. Found out quickly I like linear stiff switches better than light clicky  ones.

[Tarzan]

Yes, all of em...

This.