Logi MX Mechanical Mini - keep it / return it - that is the question

[peterpepo]

Hello,

coming from K70-rgb cherry mx brown (orig. version, before facelift), I recently purchase MX Mechanical Mini - tactile for 120€.

While I always found my k70rgb - cherry mx brown very light - I feel like I caress keys instead of pushing them down - otherwise I bottom it out and can hear very distinctive plastic(keycap) bumping metal body of keyboard. The sound of these switches is quite sharp even if not bottoming out.

It is even ligther then k70rgb - cherry mx brown - v2 (not the oldest, not the latest pro revision), which my brother bought.

There two sets of switches don’t seem even comparable. Browns in V2 have much more noticable “tactile” feedback, are harder to press (greater actuation force) and I don’t bottom it out that much.

Anyway, I wanted to try TKL/70% version to reduce my back pain (right arm stretched far right, if my B-key is set to middle of the screen) so I went with MX Mechanical Mini from logitech during latest discount on amazon.

Now these are different story. I went with tactile version - which should be comparable to cherrymx browns.

I find the keys quite stiff - comparing to both mx browns boards I have at home. I have to put more force (to extend that I realize it) into typing, my left ring finger started to hurt after couple days using it. The sound is much nicer (I find mx browns harsh and annoying now). I also find the K70 quiet “deep” comparing to low-profile loti now.

Also I find the mx mechanical keys too crammed, although the board is exactly same width as my qwerty part of k70. I don’t like arrows inside the board and home/end button in that arrangement. At the the same time I can already feel my right arm extending too much after getting used to 70% layout over couple of days. TKL might be an answer.

TLDR: Has anyone tried and can comment on MX mechanical? Did I get spoiled by cherrymx browns, or are they not how are supposed to be? Are the logitech tactile too hard, or is it just me? Is the mx mechanical how it is supposed to be, and mxbrowns wrong?

Would you keep it or return, while I can?

[chain]

The layout of your new keyboard seems pretty interesting, but changing layouts always means that you’ll need some time to get used to it.

I’m don’t really like logitech stuff. I think they’ve made good quality products in the late 90’, but these days it’s mostly mass produced, medium quality stuff, and lots of marketing. Of course that’s just my opinion, but I mention that simply because I’ve been avoiding their products for a very long time now.

Now when it comes to the switches - this keyboard most likely uses Logitech GX brown switches, which according to the Deskthority are just rebranded Kailh PG1511.

If you compare Cherry MX browns and Kailh PG1511 brown, you’ll see that the cherry MX browns have the actuation force of 45cN(centi-Newtons), while Kailh PG1511 have the actuation force of 60gf(grams of force) which is 58,9cN, so I guess that explains your experience with the logitech keyboard.

I know that both Corsair and Logitech are popular brands, but you might want to expand your search and look at brands such as Ducky, Leopold, Vortex etc…

If you decide to stick with the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini you might want to change the springs in those switches for softer ones.

[MetalizeYourBrain]

@peterpepo

I find the keys quite stiff - comparing to both mx browns boards I have at home. I have to put more force (to extend that I realize it) into typing, my left ring finger started to hurt after couple days using it. The sound is much nicer (I find mx browns harsh and annoying now).

If it doesn’t fit you, no matter what others say, you should return it. You can’t keep it if it’s hurting you to use it!

if you’re not gonna game on it and you want a low profile keyboard the chiclet style keyboards from Logitech are all, more or less, in my opinion, great keyboards. I’ve been owning a K380 for a long time now and I still use it for my laptop and carry it everywhere with it. Doesn’t have much travel, but it’s snappy and doesn’t feel bad for a membrane keyboard.

[peterpepo]

I’ve tried using it for couple more days and my left pinky started to hurt from pressing CTRL-key. Apparently there’s a term I’ve never heard of before - “Emacs pinky”. I have never experienced it in my life either, and I have been using random cheapo “grocery store” membrane keyboards in both low-profile and classic flavour until 25yo.

I’ve been switching back and forth between my K70-rgrb-cherry-mx-brown and logi-mechanical-mini-tactile-quiet. It always relieved on k70 a bit. When I got back on mx mecha, it always returned - and I could feel this sharp pain in my pinky in the evening.

Maybe I got spoiled by relatively light mx browns, or my hands are getting older. If it were all the keys, I would believe I need to get used to it. It was only the the left pinky causing issue - so either the switch was faulty/heavier, or the board is not compatible with me.

What I realized is, as the mx-browns are relatively light and greater travel distance, there are unlimited possibilities to mash the ctrl key. I’ve never thought of it before today, when I started noticing my position on ctrl key.
On mx-brown I can have my finger “curled in” - actually the nail is touching the cap, stretched out and plethora of other positions in between.

On the mx mecha, probably due to the heavier switch, my pinky always ended up in this weird stretched, but bent position - to be able to overcome the spring, and this seems to be the case.

It also made me search and to find out about custom keyboards, different switches, stabilizers and modding.
I did also realize, it’s not the mx-browns being too light, rattling, those are stabilizers in the spacebar, shifts, enters, + and backs. These keys rattle giving me impression of the cheap keyboard. When I put a bit of tape and paper under the stabs, most of the rattle is gone, the keyboard has completely different feel to it now.

It also made me appreciate the “crispness” of the mx-brown compared to “mushiness” of the choc-brown.

The mx-mecha is going back tomorrow. And I’m starting to look for 75% standard height keyboard

Thanks for reading down here

[infinitevalence]

Return it, not even going to read because unless its supported by QMK/VIA its not worth buying.

Any MFG keyboard with OEM software will eventually stop working correctly when they decide they dont want to keep updating for new operating systems.

A well built mechanical keyboard can last for decades so that is effectively built in obsolescence and ewaste.

QMK is opensource so you will have support in some format for the expected future.