Recently, there was a post elsewhere about building a reliable custom keyboard [80 / 100%].
This person had been away from mechanical keyboards for a while. Since a custom represents an investment, a reliable setup was desired. In fact, it was being approached like buying a car: does this model have a good track record? Is it in current production and supported by the manufacturer?
The custom scene changes fast, custom kits come and go. So do many of the switches you can buy. So, ‘long-term reliability’ is not a metric you see in reviews.
With that in mind, I’m wondering if anyone can recommend reliable hotswap or soldered TKL and 100% kits that have ISO options. My thoughts were:
Keychron
Interestingly, the NCR-80 maybe
KBD8X MKII - possibly the MKIII?
I’m sure there are others, but I don’t have experience with a wide range of customs.
There was also a discussion about switches. OP preferred Cherry for reliability, which was fine. Most people think that major switch manufacturers have largely matched Cherry in ‘reliability,’ but that’s a complex metric to unpack.
Gateron has probably mastered reliability in its major switch lines, and people seem to think that TecSee is quality as well. There is debate over Kailh BOX linears.
So, anyway, assuming that this person sticks to a ‘reliable’ switch [Cherry and the like], is there an 80 or 100% custom kit [ISO-friendly] that you would recommend?
[I know everyone is busy with holiday shopping right now, but this turned into an interesting question.]
I have three full-size 100% Keychron boards, C2, K10 pro and V6. All three have been great and I have had very few issues with any of them. In fact, my C2 has gone through four switch swaps and I’ve shined two sets of cheap keycaps in the years I’ve owned it, all with zero problems. My K10 Pro had an issue that was addressed very well by Keychron and the V6 (QMK) has been perfect since day 1. I hate to fanboy any specific manufacturer but they have been super reliable for me.
Switch wise, Keychron’s in house MX clones are okay, some boards are offered with Gaterons. Of course these can be swapped to whatever the user likes. In my experience, the plates and PCBs accept any MX type 3 or 5 pin (Kailh Box are a bit tight).
Neo80 was going to be my next goto. I was just unsure, since it hasn’t been out that long. Although a year or so and 5 or more batches is fairly high for custom kit longevity.
The Cycle8, likewise, was an interesting contender. I didn’t list it at first, because I know there have been problems with the Cycle7 PCB [including mine!]. But if the Cycle8 develops a good record, it should become mainstream enough to recommend.
Cycle8 supposedly has a different PCB manufacturer. We’ll see; I’m waiting on mine now. I know there were finish issues with one of the weights during the Chinese GB phase earlier this summer, but supposedly those were resolved before the international one started.
I might be a bit biased since it’s my DD right now, but the Cannonkeys Brutal 1800 v2 would be one I’d toss into the discussion here. The quality is great, CK is known to have pretty reliable PCBs, it’s a board they are keeping in production, & CK is a very stable vendor so replacement parts should be very easy to get for a long time. As far as switches goes, I’m of the mind most switch manufacturers have caught up to Cherry as far as reliability goes. Although Cherry, Gateron, & Kaihl are the ones that have been around the longest AFAIK so the proof is in the pudding with those manus.
I have a brand new Neo 80. The first PCB failed to enter wireless pairing mode. The replacement has also failed to enter wireless pairing mode after a week. So, a very nice keyboard if you don’t care about wireless connectivity.
Regarding the Neo80: I like the ease of getting to the PCB (the ball and catch mechanism and the magnetic connector) and the multiple mounting options. Together they encourage experimentation. The sound and feel of the board are good. The price point is excellent.
I think the little RGB light is not worth the effort and the case itself is a bit ponderous looking.
The problems I’ve had with the PCB suggest that this could be designed better.