Author Topic: Cherry G84-4420LUBEU-0 for $16.70 w/free shipping  (Read 4511 times)

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Offline SamirD

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Cherry G84-4420LUBEU-0 for $16.70 w/free shipping
« on: Thu, 31 December 2015, 08:21:57 »
They are ML switches, but might be a good harvest even just for the keycaps if not as a cheap compact board with built-in trackball:
http://www.provantage.com/cherry-g84-4420lubeu-0~7CHER0LR.htm

They have 4 in stock.  It was 5, but I was too tempted when I saw free shipping.  This will make a great board for the TV...

Offline Kazekumiho

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Re: Cherry G84-4420LUBEU-0 for $16.70 w/free shipping
« Reply #1 on: Sat, 02 January 2016, 01:54:40 »
Personally, I love ML switches! Nice find, tempted to get one, but I already have G84-4100's.

Offline SamirD

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Re: Cherry G84-4420LUBEU-0 for $16.70 w/free shipping
« Reply #2 on: Sat, 02 January 2016, 06:36:14 »
Glad someone found this useful!  If you want something different, they have a G81-7000LPDUS-2 also on deep discount:
http://www.provantage.com/~7CHER0T3.htm

Offline Cypis

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Re: Cherry G84-4420LUBEU-0 for $16.70 w/free shipping
« Reply #3 on: Sun, 03 January 2016, 11:56:26 »
How good are Cherry ML in practice? Would they be good to build some compact custom board? (after being harvested from G84)
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Offline SamirD

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Re: Cherry G84-4420LUBEU-0 for $16.70 w/free shipping
« Reply #4 on: Sun, 03 January 2016, 20:02:01 »
Good question.  I've got one of these as well as a numeric keypad on the way that uses the MLs.  I have Cherry blues and buckling springs to compare it to and I'll post back here in a week or two (work will keep me slammed for the next 2 weeks).

Offline SamirD

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Re: Cherry G84-4420LUBEU-0 for $16.70 w/free shipping
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 21 January 2016, 22:05:58 »
So this board is an absolute steal at that price shipped.  It's an excellent board to have for that oh so infrequently used server or just when you need a mech keyboard vs whatever there is.  The keys seem like they're a bit smaller than normal, but the actuation is crisp and quick as well as smoother than the ML 10-key I have. 

This particular board is interesting in that it is white, ISO, and has a unique feature that allows numlock to be on, on the computer without it using the keyboard's keypad unless you activate a second lock.  This is really cool because you can use it with a 10 key (like I just happened to have) and have a separate numpad without it interfering with your main keyboard with a built-in numpad.  The trackball is nice too, tracking quickly and accurate.  It's a bit rough of a feel (not a smooth glide like my Logitech or Microsoft trackballs) and the buttons are a bit akward, but it's great to be able to plug in one board and have full control of a system from a compact keyboard.  I really need to check and see if it will work on our Samsung smarttv...

The only downside I've found to the board so far is the lack of feet, but that's nothing that a simple block eraser can't handle.  For the price, shipped, awesome deal.

As far as the switches, I think they would be a really great compliment to a tiny form factor.  In fact, after using the board and thinking about how scissor switches with their ultra short travel are pretty much the standard switch now, these switches are the in-between between a good scissor and a full travel mech.

Offline jeb

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Re: Cherry G84-4420LUBEU-0 for $16.70 w/free shipping
« Reply #6 on: Fri, 22 January 2016, 14:10:36 »
Is it a full ISO layout, with the split left shift, or does it just have the ISO enter key? Looking up the part number I've seen both possibilities.

Offline SamirD

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Re: Cherry G84-4420LUBEU-0 for $16.70 w/free shipping
« Reply #7 on: Fri, 22 January 2016, 14:31:04 »
The one I got has this layout:

in this case/keyscap color:
Hope this helps!  :thumb:

Offline Cypis

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Re: Cherry G84-4420LUBEU-0 for $16.70 w/free shipping
« Reply #8 on: Sat, 23 January 2016, 03:30:52 »
Nice layout.

This makes my fingers itchy... :)
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Offline jacobolus

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Re: Cherry G84-4420LUBEU-0 for $16.70 w/free shipping
« Reply #9 on: Sat, 23 January 2016, 03:42:35 »
Cherry ML keys are okay for their size, but overall not really that pleasant. They’re pretty scratchy, and they bind hard if you press them off-axis, as happens pretty easily with their typical keycaps. (I hear that both of those are improved if you lubricate them, but they’re also a bit of a pain in the butt to desolder, disassemble, lubricate, and reassemble; I haven’t heard of more than a couple people trying it).

I wouldn’t bother with them unless you are trying to make an ultraportable custom-layout keyboard, so you need discrete keyswitches that you can place wherever you need. If you want portability and you are happy with a standard layout, just get an (even thinner/lighter) scissor switch board.

(For harvesting switches/keycaps for a custom board, you can probably find some bare OEM laptop keyboards on clearance somewhere for $5–10 each, if you hunt around the internet. For instance, try sending a message to this seller and see if you can get a discount if you buy 2–3 boards http://www.ebay.com/itm/260217472925 or try a lowball offer on http://www.ebay.com/itm/361474639912 or http://www.ebay.com/itm/281913856247)

As always though, YMMV.
« Last Edit: Sat, 23 January 2016, 03:49:09 by jacobolus »

Offline SamirD

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Re: Cherry G84-4420LUBEU-0 for $16.70 w/free shipping
« Reply #10 on: Sat, 23 January 2016, 15:24:39 »
Cherry ML keys are okay for their size, but overall not really that pleasant. They’re pretty scratchy, and they bind hard if you press them off-axis, as happens pretty easily with their typical keycaps. (I hear that both of those are improved if you lubricate them, but they’re also a bit of a pain in the butt to desolder, disassemble, lubricate, and reassemble; I haven’t heard of more than a couple people trying it).

I wouldn’t bother with them unless you are trying to make an ultraportable custom-layout keyboard, so you need discrete keyswitches that you can place wherever you need. If you want portability and you are happy with a standard layout, just get an (even thinner/lighter) scissor switch board.

(For harvesting switches/keycaps for a custom board, you can probably find some bare OEM laptop keyboards on clearance somewhere for $5–10 each, if you hunt around the internet. For instance, try sending a message to this seller and see if you can get a discount if you buy 2–3 boards http://www.ebay.com/itm/260217472925 or try a lowball offer on http://www.ebay.com/itm/361474639912 or http://www.ebay.com/itm/281913856247)

As always though, YMMV.
I read a lot of the descriptions on the ML before I bought this and while they are definitely scratchy out of the box and off-axis, the way they are designed you rarely hit them off axis and the scratchiness goes away.  I thought they were going to be much worse.  The snap is definitely better than a scissor imo against even the nicest scissors like the newest Logitech multi-device bt board.

There are definitely better switches out there for harvesting and whatnot, but this board is quite usable for what it is out of the box, especially at this price.  Shipping along would cost almost as much as this entire board for anything else so it's like getting the board for under $10.  Not bad for something that MSRPs over $100.


Offline kulasart

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Re: Cherry G84-4420LUBEU-0 for $16.70 w/free shipping
« Reply #11 on: Sun, 24 January 2016, 03:02:19 »
How to avoid this weird 36$ Bank transfer fee?!

Offline jeb

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Re: Cherry G84-4420LUBEU-0 for $16.70 w/free shipping
« Reply #12 on: Thu, 28 January 2016, 13:04:49 »
The one I got has this layout:
Show Image

in this case/keyscap color:
Show Image
Hope this helps!  :thumb:
Thanks for the info! I got one anyway, even though I would have preferred the extra key, since it seemed like a good chance to try MLs.

My opinion from brief usage, is that I like it reasonably well. I've been typing exclusively on buckling springs (or MX blues) for quite a while, so it seems strangely quiet. It's better and smaller than the compact rubber dome I've been keeping around (which I'll probably junk if I can bring myself to junk anything), and I think I prefer it to any scissor switches I've encountered. Overall, this keyboard is not upsetting.

Offline SamirD

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Re: Cherry G84-4420LUBEU-0 for $16.70 w/free shipping
« Reply #13 on: Thu, 28 January 2016, 14:51:03 »
The one I got has this layout:
Show Image

in this case/keyscap color:
Show Image
Hope this helps!  :thumb:
Thanks for the info! I got one anyway, even though I would have preferred the extra key, since it seemed like a good chance to try MLs.

My opinion from brief usage, is that I like it reasonably well. I've been typing exclusively on buckling springs (or MX blues) for quite a while, so it seems strangely quiet. It's better and smaller than the compact rubber dome I've been keeping around (which I'll probably junk if I can bring myself to junk anything), and I think I prefer it to any scissor switches I've encountered. Overall, this keyboard is not upsetting.
Glad you like it.  :thumb:  Seems like you are regularly typing on the same type of switches that I am, including the occasional rubber dome and scissor and have come up with the same conclusion as I did.  :cool: