Looking for Gateron Browns/Reds Keyboard

[Carcharocles]

Currently in the planning stages of my third mechanical keyboard. I've been through MX Blues and Browns, and have tried both Unicomp and IBM Model M's. My experience has taught me that I like lighter keys with less of a tactile click or bump. Currently I'm using my second RK9000 with MX Browns--which I do like--but now I'm considering something ten-key-less, and would like to experiment with clone switches a bit.

Honestly, I'd like to get some Gateron Reds. My problem is my computer is not used purely for gaming or typing, and I need a more balanced switch that allows for both. This makes me think something like Gateron Browns might be better. I'm also seriously considering cheaping out a bit on this keyboard due to money flow issues--my processor bit the dust last night, and due to my motherboard's limits and the current cpu landscape it will cost 350 - 400 dollars to fix (which I really don't have, but a friend is helping me). This also means that current deals are out of the question, as I won't be able to purchase until March at the earliest.

Basically, I've heard some surprisingly good things about some less expensive Chinese keyboards that use Gaterons to cut costs, and I'm wondering what some good 50 - 70 dollar options might be. I'm also probing for your guys' experience on whether MX Reds and their clones sacrifice too much on the typing front. I'm willing to go anything that would be an equivalent of these two switches that wouldn't sacrifice too much quality, if those are available. And of course, Alps is an option, if they have anything comparable.

Backlighting is neither required nor particularly desirable (if it can be avoided in today's landscape).

[klennkellon]

All of these clones are about the same as the real deal with slight differences in smoothness and weighting. It's nothing to get worked up about.

The cheap Chinese boards are great value, but at the moment you can get a Cooler Master Masterkeys PBT with MX Browns for cheap with a rebate on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterKeys-Tenkeyless-Mechanical/dp/B072FQS2YF/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515378716&sr=8-1&keywords=masterkeys there is also an MX Reds version available but it is more expensive for some reason.

It's a well built keyboard and comes with 1.5mm thick PBT keycaps out of the box which is excellent compared to the usual thin ABS most keyboards have. Quite a steal RN.

[Carcharocles]

The Masterkeys is definitely one I've been looking at, but sales going on today may not help me when I'm able to actually pull the trigger on a buy. It's it's still at a good price when I can, I'll definitely grab it. But if not...

I should point out that due to the way my budget works, I often have to plan things out months in advance. In this particular case, I'm out of money entirely until February first, and will not be able to buy the keyboard then due to budget constraints that month. So while most people would see it a bit unusual to ask questions about what they're buying two or three months down the road, it's something I have to deal with all the time. It's also the reason none of my keyboards have breached the 120 dollar mark (I've been limited to two RK9000 revisions, a Model M I found in the trash by pure coincidence, and a Unicomp board that wasn't even bought for me).

[nogoodnames444]

What about the KBParadise v60 with gateron switches   

[Carcharocles]

I'll definitely look into that one! I've seen it around, so it should be easy to pick up!

Edit: er, it's a 60%, which I'm not entirely sure I'm gonna like. It also appears to be EOL--the only listings I can find say "currently unavailable." Although I've only really checked Amazon so far.

[nogoodnames444]

If you don't use any of those extra keys you might like it. It only took me about 2 days to get used to my 60% so idk about other people but it wasn't that bad for me

[Carcharocles]

If it wasn't for the fact that I use the F Keys and Print Screen keys frequently (or that I'm horrible with Macros and function keys) I'd definitely go 60% in a heartbeat. Many of those keyboards are quite nice. As it stands, they're too minimal to be of practical use to me.

I should probably point out I didn't actually know how to type until I was 17, and had to teach myself how to do so during an accounting class that happened to share a room with a typing class. This was in late 2001, but I never used keyboards with function keys or macros very much, making them a bit of a mystery to me. I'd be more than happy to experiment, but my budget is always extremely limited, so I have to be careful with my purchases. (I make 735 or so bucks a month, and more than half of that goes to rent... It's only through extreme budgeting and careful use of my Property Tax Credit that I even own a computer.)

[nogoodnames444]

Ah ok so a full size i don't know of many full size gateron keyboards maybe you could snatch a custom one from mech market

[Carcharocles]

Full size and 60% are far from the only two keyboard sizes, and I'm really only going with Gateron due to price restrictions and their similarity to MX switches.

I'm specifically looking for a tenkeyless, because it has the keys I need, but ditches he numpad, which wouldn't be much of a problem for me to unlearn to use. There's also a form called ten-key, which ditches the arrow keys and the keys above it, but keeps the F keys and numpad. Since I'd rather have the arrow key columns than the numpad and would prefer a smaller keyboard, I decided on tenkeyless.

[klennkellon]

There is always these Drevo keyboards that use Outemu's. I'd say the Outemu and MX are very similar (not as good as the re-tooled MX though)

https://www.amazon.com/DREVO-Gramr-Tenkeyless-Mechanical-Switch-White/dp/B01M0KUVW2/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1515564801&sr=8-7&keywords=tenkeyless+keyboard

It's a 75%, it pretty much is just a TKL (almost the same amount of keys) but even more compact.

[Carcharocles]

Nice board. Definitely getting that one. I might actually be able to afford it later this month, believe it or not. And definitely a safe option if something happens to it (that's one low price).

Thanks klennkellon!