50$

[fresh_start102]

hello! I am looking for a keyboard for the price. I want to try a new switch and a new keyboard. I was looking at dell at101 keyboards but I dont know if I should go with that or something else. I really want to try buckling spring and every Alps switch. any recomendations?

[romevi]

Is it common now to put $ after the amount?

[fresh_start102]

I'm not sure. I just put it there, I didnt know there was a wrong way to do it

[tp4tissue]

I've seen quickfire rapids go on sale ~$50

[avid]

.

[Findecanor]

BS: The IBM Model M2 can be cheap - just first make sure with seller that it works. Not very good though.
The larger Model M can sometimes be acquired for less than normal if a keycap is missing, and those can often be acquired from someone else here.

IMHO, Dell AT101 is interesting only if it is the really first versions with salmon Alps, or if you intend to transplant other switches into it.

Beware that sellers on eBay often list items wrong - as clicky when they are not, etc. and sometimes even intentionally to mislead. An "IBM keyboard" can be just IBM-compatible.
Always look for the part number on the label on the bottom and search for that.
Use Deskthority's Wiki for identifying keyboards and switches. For instance, there is a guide for identifying switches by how they look. The most important vintage mech keyboards are there listed by part number or series.

[Zobeid Zuma]

I was just browsing Amazon and I stumbled onto the, quote: "MechanicalEagle Z-77 87 Keys Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with Blue Switches DIY Replaceable Switches - Black".  And it's $28.99 plus free shipping right now.

TKL, metal top, Outemu Blue switches.  Kind of ugly, though.  It looks like they hit the price point by selling a LED keyboard without the LEDs.

I've already got a keyboard with Outemu blues, and I like them pretty well.  Also, it should be easy to swap out these switches and keycaps later on, whenever you feel like spending some more money and doing some tinkering.

[digi]

l33t

https://slickdeals.net/f/10400412-aukey-mechanical-keyboards-w-blue-switches-from-25-blacklit-from-27-free-shipping

[Findecanor]

BTW, It would be more true to call keyboards with "floating keys" as being "topless". Most mechanical keyboards have the switches in a sheet metal plate -- only that some have a plastic frame around and on top of it while those with "floating keys" don't. It does not have a more metal construction: only less plastic.

[antquinonez]

Relatively inexpensive options: IBM Model Ms(generally most expensive but you can get lucky- -I got my 2 Model Ms for less than 50 each), Lexmark Model M (less expensive), Unicomp (least expensive). For many old keyboards, you're likely to spend time cleaning the junk that falls between the keys, so consider what the hassle of cleaning is worth to you. If the hassle is worth more than $35 for maybe 2-3 hours of work, then just get a new Unicomp Classic -- $85. It's the best deal in town, hands down.

[jcoffin1981]

Is it common now to put $ after the amount?

I do this all the time.

[klennkellon]

I was just browsing Amazon and I stumbled onto the, quote: "MechanicalEagle Z-77 87 Keys Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with Blue Switches DIY Replaceable Switches - Black".  And it's $28.99 plus free shipping right now.

TKL, metal top, Outemu Blue switches.  Kind of ugly, though.  It looks like they hit the price point by selling a LED keyboard without the LEDs.

I've already got a keyboard with Outemu blues, and I like them pretty well.  Also, it should be easy to swap out these switches and keycaps later on, whenever you feel like spending some more money and doing some tinkering.

fyi I had that keyboard and you cannot hot-swap other switches in unfortunately.

The switches that come with the board use slightly different size and shaped pins to fit into the sockets. So other switches including other Outemus, Gaterons, MX, etc, will simply not work and you'll just end up breaking the pins on your switches.

The slightly pricier Team Wolf Zhuque is a much better option, the hot-swap feature actually works well. https://www.amazon.com/Team-Wolf-Swappable-Mechanical-Keyboard-Blue/dp/B01AFBJQA8

I

[Tagkaman]

Funnily enough I've just undertaken a pretty extensive mod of the Z77 board mentioned a few posts up. Its true that the holtites (hot swap mechanism) will only accept the thinner pins of the outemus, but you can freely mod the switches by swapping out the stem and spring and they'll work no problem (I swapped them all with vintage black stems and springs). I don't know how much the case and leaf contribute to switch feel but as far as I could tell the feel of the vintage blacks didn't really change much at all. That being said you may not care about the hotswap feature at all in which case outemu blues are a fine switch (don't like anything but linears myself but they felt better than the gateron blues I have on another board).

The only problems that I can really think of after using this board for work for about 2 months is that the default case has a hollowish feel which can be easily solved by stuffing it with cotton or some other acoustic dampening material you can find for not much. If you're concerned about the garish aesthetic you can go full mod and pretty much reshape the top plate and make a case yourself (requires at least an angle grinder/dremel, sandpaper and material for the case - I used wood). That being said I found that a really simple change is to pull of the sticker at the top with the eagle image.

[klennkellon]

Funnily enough I've just undertaken a pretty extensive mod of the Z77 board mentioned a few posts up. Its true that the holtites (hot swap mechanism) will only accept the thinner pins of the outemus, but you can freely mod the switches by swapping out the stem and spring and they'll work no problem (I swapped them all with vintage black stems and springs). I don't know how much the case and leaf contribute to switch feel but as far as I could tell the feel of the vintage blacks didn't really change much at all. That being said you may not care about the hotswap feature at all in which case outemu blues are a fine switch (don't like anything but linears myself but they felt better than the gateron blues I have on another board).

The only problems that I can really think of after using this board for work for about 2 months is that the default case has a hollowish feel which can be easily solved by stuffing it with cotton or some other acoustic dampening material you can find for not much. If you're concerned about the garish aesthetic you can go full mod and pretty much reshape the top plate and make a case yourself (requires at least an angle grinder/dremel, sandpaper and material for the case - I used wood). That being said I found that a really simple change is to pull of the sticker at the top with the eagle image.

The Outemu housings I didn't like. They felt really weird with MX Clear stems. Also Outemus are not fun to open up.

[Tagkaman]

The Outemu housings I didn't like. They felt really weird with MX Clear stems. Also Outemus are not fun to open up.

Could be a thing just with tactile mx stems because the linears feel no different at all. Its true that they are more of a struggle to take apart that the standard two tabs on each side on mx/gateron etc. but you get used to it.

I mean the teamwolf board is definitely better but for double the price. If the hotswap feature doesn't matter to the op at all then there's no reason to pay that much more.

[f32h80fsd08h34r5]

If you raise your price-range a tad, You could pick up a super cool Unicomp Model M

http://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/UNI044A

Got one a few years ago, they're lots of fun to use.