I love my MX Ergo. It feels premium, and it just works great. I used to get some pain in my right wrist when using even ergonomic mice; this trackball has completely eliminated this problem for me at work. My next step will be to get a nice 60% board so my hand rests more naturally close to my body when working 
Here’s my most recent picture of it along with the rest of my somewhat cluttered workspace:
Nice! That is a great looking set-up. I’m also glad that the mouse is working well for you, too.
That’s my point though, there really isn’t that much maintenance. The only parts touching the ball are the (usually) three bearings that the ball rolls on. Those three points and the optical sensor are the only things I’ve needed to ever clean. And that’s usually taken care of by a q-tip (cotton swab) and maybe some alcohol.
After that, you can lubricate the ball by rubbing the ball on your forehead and you’ll be good for another amount of time.
I don’t think there is a problem to solve. There shouldn’t be contact between the ball and the body except by the bearings which have a very small surface area. If you are in an area that has so much dust and grit that it clogs the space between ball and body, maybe, but that’s what industrial trackballs which do have locked sockets for the balls come in.
Also, most recent trackballs are similar to eyes in sockets. Just look at an M570. I’d say the issues you’ve mentioned are fairly well solved. The trackball market is a lot larger than most people think, and the ability to clean it is much more useful than the ability for it to keep dirt/dust out.
Ditto. Took a day or so to get used to it, particularly as I needed to use 2 fingers for speed & accuracy, but after that no looking back.
Vertical scroll is great too; horizontal is a bit meh, but I use that less and not many others seem good at that either.
Is the Kensingtom Slimblade the one with rotate-to-scroll?
If so, A. how do you like it, and B. does it just do vertical, or can you also do horizontal somehow, like with a modifier key?
Yeah, you twist the ball to scroll. I love it. It didn’t take long to get used to at all.
I’m not sure about scrolling to the side - I don’t see why not, it acts just like a scroll-wheel on any other mouse, so if you have that working, you should be able to do the same here.
What’s the diameter of the CST ball? Is it 55mm?
It’s the same size as a standard American billiard ball size - 2.25 inches or 57.15 mm
Would you recommend the CST, I have been thinking about pulling the trigger on one for a while now.
Honesty I wouldn’t purchase it again. I grabbed a HUGE and prefer it by a lot over the CST.
@NeuroWinter, FWIW, I had an oooold CST (serial interface, pre laser module) and wasn’t a fan. The ball was slow, which I suspect was caused by the rollers, and probably not a problem with the new one, but the thing was huuuuge. Coming from a Microsoft Trackball Explorer, it was too big to get all the buttons correctly/completely without moving my hand. kinda defeated the purpose for me.
But again, that was not with a modern CST trackball, so my issues might have mostly been from age and different parts.
Interesting to know. I debated both, and the swingblade, but without a chance to physically compare them. Happy with my HUGE.
Worth it?
I really love my CST. It is built like a tank. The middle button and scroll wheel placement is kind of weird, but it works for me. I have the version with the black ball and the two external switch jacks, but I’ve never used them yet.
I love my Kensington Expert Mouse just as much though. The buttons are easy to reach and it’s comfortable to use all day. I keep my CST at home because my little kids can’t swipe the ball out of it and my Kensington at work.
What kind of board are you using? Looks pretty cool!
