Thoughts on Gateron Clears?

[ohaimark]

I just received my much maligned Magicforce 68 key (which is actually a very sweet little keyboard) and I'm loving the Gateron Clears.

Who here has tried them? What do you think

I'm really enjoying them, especially while gaming. I think I'll add some o-rings to minimize bottom out clack, but (ironically) I'm bottoming out less with these. Also, when I do bottom out, it isn't as hard of a hit.

I know a lot of people dislike the "typing on air" feel, but it's like I was meant for it.

[Muirium]

I got a handful of them as loose switches, out of curiosity's sake. I think I like them. Gaterons all feel better than modern MX red or black… at least when they're new. We'll see how well they hold up!

The clears are definitely as light as light can be. They've gone for the extreme of the weight spectrum. I must admit I was tempted with the idea of a full keyboard of them, just to see how different it would be to everything else I've tried. But that could just be all my MX caps talking. I feel guilty I don't use them enough.

[jerue]

Gateron clears are great, just a bit too light if they're stock. lubed Gateron blacks would be my favorite, but Gateron reds are also really good, they feel a bit to me like what MX Reds should have been.

[ohaimark]

I must admit I was tempted with the idea of a full keyboard of them, just to see how different it would be to everything else I've tried.

I think you'd punch right through the keyboard with your fingertips -- IBM strength training is real.

[bocahgundul]

I got a handful of them as loose switches, out of curiosity's sake. I think I like them. Gaterons all feel better than modern MX red or black… at least when they're new. We'll see how well they hold up!

The clears are definitely as light as light can be. They've gone for the extreme of the weight spectrum. I must admit I was tempted with the idea of a full keyboard of them, just to see how different it would be to everything else I've tried. But that could just be all my MX caps talking. I feel guilty I don't use them enough.

Have you tried the zealios clear bro? I think it would be better than most of modern mx board

[scottc]

Zealios are waaaay overpriced.

[bocahgundul]

Zealios are waaaay overpriced.

Well its true but somebody said that it worth the money

[thatllbeme]

All my custom boards use Gateron clears. I love them, honestly. If I could I'd probably put even lighter springs in them (if someone has tried 30/25g springs in them, please tell me where you got them from). They make my MX blues and 45g Topre seem far too heavy in comparison.

[Firebolt1914]

Zealios are waaaay overpriced.

Well its true but somebody said that it worth the money

Especially with the linear ones, they are not worth the $1 per switch. The tactile ones, while better than stock MX clears in my opinion, is however not worth the huge price difference.

[jerue]

Zealios are waaaay overpriced.

I bought into the Zealios to support the community initiative. It's nice to see a custom designed switch with mostly full community input.

The tactiles are extremely nice, and easily one of the smoothest switches I have used lubed (even more than Gaterons). It is the minute upgrades that make it worth the $$$. Clear housings that work better with LEDs...tighter casings for minimum movement..and most importantly purple! (for tactiles at least). I think most people would still go for regular Gaterons due to price alone.

[Broadmonkey]

Isn't Zealios switches just Gaterons with different springs, and then Zealios has exclusivity on the Cherry MX Clear equivalent stem? The purple one.
As far as I could gather, the new Gateron switches now share the same housings (clear tops and semi opaque bottom).

[Muirium]

In MX, it's all about the "just".

[Broadmonkey]

Cherry MX - "just" the reason you have a custom keyboard, "just" the reason you have custom keycaps - "just" the reason you are even on a mechanical keyboard forum

[flabbergast]

I tend to think of zealios (not that I have any) as tuned and QC'd gaterons. Plain gaterons are in some ways better than Cherries (smoother), but their QC is truly horrific (at least 2 different types of springs in every batch I've seen, the metal leaf positioning is not always 100% consistent, so if you swap to different stems some switches work correctly, some don't).
Zealios take the "good" from gaterons and (hopefully) fix the QC problems, add some goodies (better springs, lubed).

Gateron clears (veeery light linears) are funny to type on. It was nice to try on the whole keyboard, but I wouldn't be able to use them regularly. I had to focus the whole time on not whacking the switches...

[jerue]

Isn't Zealios switches just Gaterons with different springs, and then Zealios has exclusivity on the Cherry MX Clear equivalent stem? The purple one.
As far as I could gather, the new Gateron switches now share the same housings (clear tops and semi opaque bottom).

Essentially, yes. The opaque bottom is included now because a number of people reported chattering with the first round of Zealio switches due to using too high of a temperature while soldering.

Again, community effort. There were changes along the way to make Zealios what they are today...

[ohaimark]

50A O-rings on Gat clears is quite an experience. The O-rings stop the switch almost exactly at its actuation point, making it sort of like... Uhm... Linear scissor switches?

I think I really like it.