3-ish years ago I learned of the mechanical keyboard phenomenon, and after doing my research decided to purchase a Ducky Shine 2 with Cherry MX Blue key switches and blue LEDs. I loved it. After only a year and a half or so, though, one of the keys ("M", I think) started acting up. It wouldn't register my keypress, an increasing percentage of the time. It didn't matter how hard or soft I pressed it, at what angle, etc. I could still use the key, but about 50% of the time I'd have to double-tap it in order for the keystroke to register. Annoying. I should mention that I take very good care of my equipment - no violence, Hulk smashing, liquid spilling, smoking, or other such nonsense.
Since the keyboard was out of warranty (of course), I ended up taking the thing apart and employing my long-neglected soldering skills to swap an unused specialty key (Mail) with the faulty key. It seemed to have worked - for about 2 weeks, at which point the key started to fail again. Then the "3" key started acting up in an identical fashion. And then the "6" key. So, I dismantled the keyboard again and swapped another couple of unused key switches over to the faulty keys, and resoldered my original key replacement. After all of that rigamarole, I put the keyboard back together and the problem had been somewhat lessened - the keys didn't fail to register AS MUCH of the time, but they still weren't working properly. And they got worse, to the point where I had to bypass them entirely, remapping my gaming actions to other keys. Bah.
Feeling frustrated and disappointed, I gave up on my Ducky Shine 2 and it sat in a corner collecting dust for a few months. On a whim I decided to give the guys at MechanicalKeyboards.com a call, and he suggested that I try something very odd: RESETTING THE DIP SWITCHES by unplugging the keyboard, flipping all the dip switches, plugging it in, unplugging it, and flipping the dip switches back. Lo and behold, the troublesome keys all started working normally! I was very excited to use my keyboard again! For about 2 weeks, at which point the same keys started acting up AGAIN. And this time, no amount of dip switch flipping would fix them. That brings us to now.
At this point, my feelings regarding mechanical keyboards are quite mixed. I loved using mine, but it turned out to be a total lemon and a pain in the you-know-what. A very expensive lemon, with a lifespan FAR LESS than a $10 piece of junk rubber dome wonderboard. All the chatter on the Interwebs regarding mechanical keyboards' durability would suggest that a mechanical keyboard from a reputable manufacturer (such as Ducky, supposedly) should last me for *decades*. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Obviously that is not what I experienced.
What do y'all think? Was I just supremely unlucky, or is that sort of key switch behavior (failing to register 50+% of the time) fairly common? I'm reluctant to "invest" another $120 - $170 in a new mechanical keyboard, only to find that it doesn't even last me 2 years. Is Das Keyboard a better bet? Filco? WASD? Is another brand of key switches more reliable than Cherry?
