What to look for and how to choose a used mechanical keyboard
The appeal of used mechanical keyboards is that they are expensive when new and can be purchased at a discount. However, there are different precautions and selection methods for used keyboards than for new ones.
Modified at: 2023.5.2Posted at: 2022.7.27
Where used mechanical keyboards differ from new ones
In used mechanical keyboards, parts have deteriorated, unlike new keyboards, as a matter of course. There are three main areas of concern with used mechanical keyboards. 1.
- deterioration of the key switches Battery degradation (in the case of wireless keyboards)
- cable deterioration
Deterioration of key switches
Key switches are the lifeblood of mechanical keyboards. Although mechanical switches are said to have high durability, such as 50 million cycles, in reality they often fail sooner than that, especially "chattering," a problem unique to mechanical keyboards, which appears earlier than the endurance count.
The deterioration of keyswitches depends on the circumstances.
- how long the previous owner used it (pressed keys)
- what environment the previous over was used in.
There is almost no way to know these things perfectly when buying used. In other words, when buying a used mechanical keyboard, the degree of deterioration is not known at all, and "when it will break depends on luck.
Battery degradation
The degree of deterioration here also depends on how the product is used and how the product is structured.
In general, battery degradation is determined by "number of recharges" and "operating temperature," and this also depends on how the previous owner used the product.
Note that if the battery is deteriorated, it can only be used wirelessly for an extremely short time, or in some cases, depending on the product mechanism, it cannot be used as a keyboard if the battery is not recognized.
Deterioration of the cable
A common problem with wired mechanical keyboards is cable deterioration.
Especially in the case of USB connection-only mechanical keyboards, if the cable deteriorates or breaks, the keyboard will become unusable, which is a more serious situation than the deterioration of switches or batteries.
How to choose a good used mechanical keyboard
Choose a model with reliable keyswitches.
Key switch deterioration can cause chattering, but since the degree of deterioration cannot be checked, the only defense you can have when buying a used mechanical keyboard is to choose a key switch that is not susceptible to deterioration.
The most durable keyswitches are probably the CHERRY MX switches from CHERRY of Germany and the Razer mechanical switches from Razer, the top runner in gaming items.
Conversely, mechanical keyboards with Chinese switches have the advantage of being incredibly cheap when used, but they are more risky when buying used because you can assume that they are not nearly as durable as their specifications.
Choose a hot-swappable model!
Most mechanical keyboard problems are caused by mechanical switch problems, but if you choose a "hot-swappable" model, you can easily replace the switches yourself and repair the keyboard yourself even if the switches malfunction.
Hot-swappable mechanical keyboards tend to be expensive, but the key switches themselves can be purchased for about 100 yen each, so the cost is higher if you consider repairing or replacing the keyboard.
Choose a model that can be used both wirelessly and wired.
When buying a used wireless mechanical keyboard, the battery is sure to deteriorate. Therefore, choose a used item under the condition that it can be used even if the battery dies in the worst case.
Most recent mechanical keyboards, even wireless models that require batteries, are compatible with wired models (because they are recharged via USB), so you can rest assured if you can choose a wired model as well.
For wired models, choose a port connection type.
Although Bluetooth connectivity has become the standard for mechanical keyboards in the past few years, the majority of inexpensive mechanical keyboards are still models with only a wired connection.
Although the wired connection has the advantage of "reliable use," used mechanical keyboards may have deteriorated or broken cables depending on how they are used and how the previous owner handled the cables.
Even if the keyboard was usable at the time of purchase, it will become unusable someday if the cable is disconnected. If you buy a used wired mechanical keyboard, choose a type that "plugs the cable into the port on the main unit" rather than a model with the cable directly attached to the main unit.
The type of cable is also important when buying used. Higher grade mechanical keyboards may use a knit type cable, which is more resistant to breakage, instead of the common resin type cable, for durability.
When choosing a used, wired mechanical keyboard, also check the type of cable.
Choose a younger model.
Although mechanical keyboards have been rapidly increasing in popularity over the past few years, they themselves have been around for quite some time.
Although new models are not that old in the new market, models older than 10 years are usually sold in the used market, so be sure to check when the model was purchased.
If the model is too old, it may not be repairable in case of malfunction, and you may end up with a short life span and end up saying that it would have been cheaper to buy a new one.