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Ducky One 2 SF RGB Mechanical Keyboard $109 (Expired), One 2 Mini (Kailh Switch) $104 + Delivery @ PC Case Gear

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Great value mechanical keyboard. Normally $159. Link to other variations

Ducky One 2 Mini (only for Kailh switches) also on sale $104 (Normally $149) Ducky One 2 Mini Link

Also available on eBay

  • Comes in black or white
  • RGB, Mechanical, Wired (USB-C to USB-A)
  • Switches: Cherry MX Blue/Red/Brown, or Kailh BOX Jade/White/Brown, Kailh Silent Pink
  • Layout: SF - 65% (has arrow keys), Mini - 60% (no arrow keys)
  • Comes with a set of coloured keycaps (random colour) for arrow, shift, enter and escape keys. Plus a spacebar with artwork of the lunar year animal.
  • Recommended by r/mechanicalkeyboards

My 2 cents:

  • Very good mechanical keyboard. Solid brand and solid build.
  • Got one with Kailh Box Brown switches when it was last on sale. Very satisfied with the tactility and sound. Build quality is excellent.
  • In my opinion, if you want to jump into mechanical keyboards, this is the one you buy.
  • Don't be afraid of Kailh switches if you want to get the SF or the Mini. I have both Cherry and Kailh and I would recommend either.

Product Description (from site): The new Ducky One 2 SF features a new bezel design that shares a similar sleek frame as its predecessor, but the One 2 SF incorporates dual colors on the bezel to match all varieties of keycap colorways. It uses USB HID with the highest frequency of 1000Hz polling rate, meaning the keyboard is sending its input signal(s) to your PC 1000 times per second for the ultimate connection.

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closed Comments

  • +20

    First post. Be kind please :D

    • +4

      Great post OP! ^~^

    • +3

      Awesome first post. Great deal.

      • +3

        What is?

        • +1

          The posting guidelines say not to post stuff like "first post - please be kind".

  • Ducky vs Keychron?

    • +4

      Depends how much you value wireless capability. I have a keyboard(s) for work and home, so I don't need to take it anywhere. I don't have a Keychron but from what I've read the high profile is a problem. Almost 100% of users recommend getting a wrist rest to go along with it. Personally, I hate using a wrist rest when I'm typing.

      The Ducky is also aesthetically nicer, with better RGB (personal opinion). And so far the Ducky has been a joy to type on. I won't lie though, I do eventually want to get a Keychron. I do like the idea of a wireless mechanical keyboard, but the wired ones do the trick.

      • I'm not huge into mechanical keyboards but I've been looking for a TKL wireless one lately that I can throw into a backpack, I've read the same thing about Keychron boards.

        Might have to keep looking.

        • Have a look at Epomaker and Royal Kludge. Both are budget options and won't have quite as good build quality as Ducky but they have various form factors with wireless options and some with hotswap as well. Epomaker has options for Cherry or Gateron switches and RK doesn't specify but according to Reddit they use Kailh. Cherry is obviously the OG and most well known but generally speaking Gateron and Kailh are both better these days. Plus if you get a board with hotswap you can put whatever switches you want in it.

          • @BrownAndBeige: RK is Outemu though…

            • @meong: It looks like they might actually be using whatever is cheapest/most available at the time from a mix of Outemu, Kailh and Jixian. Seems like there's mixed reports from people who have bought them and inconsistencies in the product listings. Taking that into consideration my advice would be to only buy a hot-swap RK and only if you're prepared to buy switches as well.

              • @BrownAndBeige: Is there a hot-swappable RK???

                I've got an RK71 on Red Outemu which feels somewhere between Cherry Red and Brown.

                But yeah, I wouldn't mind getting another Outemu but it is the same case as Keychron. The keycaps are crap. They sound so hollow that I ended up replacing them with those YMDK branded ones.

                • @meong: RK68 and RK84 are hot-swappable. There might be more than that now too, I haven't checked in a while. That's the trade off with budget boards I suppose. You're most likely going to get garbage key caps and probably average switches at best. If you're planning on getting a specific cap set and more enthusiast switches anyway though they can be a good option.

        • +1

          tecware also worth considering, cheap. Mine is fine. Outemu switches, hot swappable rgb.

    • +5

      Idk about Keychron but I bought a ducky shine 3 in 2014 and it still works perfectly (easily 6+ hours of use daily), the build quality is fantastic.

    • +1

      I have both and I love to type on mu ducky over the Keychron, but I love how pretty my Keychron is.

      Ducky is great to take to work using speed silvers and keychron is nice to play with at home using optical reds similar linear switches but quite different in typing feel

    • +6

      Ducky = Made in Taiwan with switches Made in Germany if you get Cherry MX
      Keychron = Made in China with switches Made in China

      • Gateron > Cherry > Keychron's home brand. At least in the relatively narrow options that Ducky and Keychron offer. Ducky has the option of Kailh box clicky switches though which are far better than Gateron or Cherry blues.

    • +1

      Bought a keychron from the mwave deals a while back. Pretty disappointed with the quality of the keyboard. The board and keycaps are lighter than my Akko and another random branded mechanical keyboard I have.

    • +2

      Ducky has better build quality but Keychron has options for things like wireless, hotswap and low profile. Keychron's build quality isn't bad but they're a budget brand and that comes through in the overall finish. Replacing the keycaps on Keychrons is also a must in my opinion, the stock ones are terrible.

      If you know what kind of switch you're after and just want a good quality "set and forget" option Ducky is great. If you want to be able to try different switches and tinker without risking too much money Keychrons are a good option.

      • I own a Ducky One 2 TKL and a K6, and I 100% agree with this assessment.

      • Thanks for the info!

    • +1

      considered Ducky, ended up getting Keychron and it is great as expected, a bit high profile yes, but otherwise just a great solid unit and pleasure to type with

      • +1

        Do you get used to the high profile of the keyboard?

        • +1

          yep I just got used to it, and didn't even get any wrist support yet, probably need to get something, but doesn't bother me really

  • +1

    This is a great deal! I have a Ducky One 2 and the build quality is great and their RGB software is quite good.

    If you have any Razer peripherals you can also sync the Ducky with Razer Chroma (but I haven’t tested this myself).

    • Yep. I'm a big fan of the RGB on this board. I should have noted in the post that you don't need to download any software to change RGB settings. It's all programmed into the board.

  • +1

    I have this old Ducky Zero that I bought nearly 10 years ago, it is still fully working up to now, trust me it been thrashed eg water splash etc, and is still working fine
    At some point i am hoping it to stop working so i can upgrade
    100% worth it at this price point

    • Ducky never breaks! All my mates with Ducky's have had theirs for years.

  • I bought the One 2 SF with Jade switches a few weeks ago and they're my favourite switches so far (have tried all the usual suspects). Such a good chunky press!

    • +1

      I can't get a clicky kb because my gf and coworkers would kill me lol. I do want to try the jade switches though

      • Acquire Kailh Box Navy and assert dominance.

  • Got the Ducky One 2 SF RGB Mechanical Keyboard Kailh BOX Brown with pbt caps and have no complaints at all

    Moving from a full sized to 65% wasn't that big a switch but going to a mini might be harder.

    Paid $111 + shipping a month ago

    • +1

      I definitely prefer TKL for work, but I use my SF when I work from home and 65% is almost as good after I set up my macros. I used to use a 60% KB at home and I got used to it, but having arrow keys makes everything easier imo. So I would definitely recommend the SF over the mini

      • Didn't realise how often I use certain keys like print screen. This don't have a dedicated key and need to use FN + another key but got used to it pretty quick.

        No dedicated arrow keys are something I can't live with tho

  • Bought one sf jade for my collection! Cheers op!

  • +1

    The plastic frame is an issue though it is high quality plastic, as the overall compact design limits its firmness. Apart from that, it is awesome.

  • Im done with Ducky after my $270 Shine had massive flaking issues after 6 months and they fought me every step of the way on a refund/replacement.

    • Wow, I had the exact same issue with the paint. Although pccg didn't even question me, just sent out a replacement frame asap.

      Paint on the new frame is very different (seems less likely to flake)

    • Which shine model?

      • The shine 7 blackout was notorious for this issue. Although it seems to have been addressed with a new finish

        • That's the one.

  • +2

    rtings reported a rather high latency for a wired kb. Has anyone found this to be the case?

    • +1

      Yep, this was one of the first things I noticed when playing rhythm games. Lowering the debounce time fixed it for me but just after around a year, I've noticed more double taps and it randomly releases when holding down keys.

  • +5

    In my opinion, if you want to jump into mechanical keyboards, this is the one you buy.

    Ducky is definitely a really good option, but I would caution against a 60% board unless you know exactly this is what you want/need.

    Having no home/end buttons and no function keys are an absolute dealbreaker for me. I tried using a 60% board and found that many of the muscle memory shortcuts I've learned no longer work (e.g. shift-end to select to the end of the line). You can do complex layering to get back all of that functionality, but there's a lot of relearning to do.

    • Been dying for a 100% one on sale for my work too. So tempted to buy a 60% here but I know I’d run into the same productivity issues. Been wanted one for so long!

    • Second this! Definately takes some relearning to get use to the squished layout and missing task keys. I would recommend the TKL for this reason. You get the benefit of more desk space as you don't have the num pad, the home by key area and nice spacing around arrow keys that mirror traditional keyboard to help you navigate around.

      • +2

        Yeah, I agree - definitely TKL is the best compromise if you don't use a number-pad.

    • I don't really know anything about keyboards but I know I want a mechanical, and yes I really do feel like I need the home/end/del/function keys to stay. I tried reading the mechanical keyboard subreddit but the information there feels just all over the place. All I really know is I want a TKL linear/non-clicky tactile but I honestly have no idea other than that, any idea where I should go looking? I've always heard good things about ducky

  • +3

    Also available on Ebay if you want to use Afterpay ;)

    • Nice. Good catch!

  • +1

    Was going to buy this last time it was on sale. Went with the Kemove Snowfox instead. Same price, 3000mah battery, bluetooth, and hot swappable. Has been great so far minus the garbage software

  • +1

    Have Two Ducky's (one for home and one for work). I dont think ill ever go back. Very impressed

    • Which ones do you have for work and home? Always curious to see what people are willing to expose the office to and which switches have worked well for office.

      • My office board was a Ducky Zero with Cherry blues for 5+ years. In that time a handful of people commented on the sound but no one ever complained. After I switched to my current board which has Boba U4Ts one of my co-workers told me he actually misses the clicking.

      • My work Keyboard is the Ducky Shine 7. I've had mine for almost 2 years now, still looks brand new, and I am typing probably 50% of my work hours (which are 9 hour days). I like it because it looks great, is all black and I have white backlit, so it doesnt look silly/out of place in an office environment. At home I have a Ducky One 2, but may splurge on a Shine 7 in the future for home too.

  • how is this compared to alt from drop?

  • +1

    FYI ducky keyboards should come with a keycap remover.

    I brought a cheap hard plastic keycap which scratched up the keys, so was really regretting that purchase. Luckily I happen to be removing all the cardboard from within my Ducky One 2 TKL packaging, found a real nice key cap puller under the cardboard faceplate. Not listed as something you get, so nice surprise.

  • Love the Ducky keyboards I've owned with one caveat. The LEDs tend to die on non-RGB models (e.g. blue LED only or white LED only). Currently four LEDs down on my current Ducky One 2 (which was a replacement for a Ducky One that had two LEDs die under warranty). Unfortunately this happened after 12 months on the current keyboard.

  • Thanks Op, got one for $120 delivered from ebay with PDLK5 discount code. Cheers.

  • Any full size on special that are recommended? RGB not essential.

    This?
    https://www.pccasegear.com/products/50428/ducky-one-2-skylin…

    • If you don't need RGB this is a great board for a good price

    • If you have any interest in being able to customize your switches have a look at the Keychron C2. The build quality isn't quite as good as the Ducky but it supports hot-swapping and has white backlight and RGB backlight options. If you don't care about modding though and know you'll be happy with the switches in it, the Ducky One 2 is an excellent board.

  • Does this work with a mac? It's only cabled version right and not wireless correct?

    • It's wired and connected via a USB C port. So you can unplug it basically. It should work like any other plug in KB. But I don't have a mac so I wouldnt know if there are any issues. The cord in the box is USBC to USB-A

  • +1

    Nice! I've been waiting so long to replace my buggy as heck AP2. Had a ducky mini in the past too (the 60% RGB one without the G), loved it - worked flawlessly.
    Ordered one (in black with Kailh brown switches) for when others need to use my keyboard and have issues with the lack of arrow keys.

    • I've got the same. I am very happy with mine. Hope you enjoy yours1

    • I've got the AP2 and fixed all the bugs by flashing the QMK firmware. No more issues with keys and lights, however QMK does not replace the buggy bluetooth firmware.

  • Reading some reviews online and people seem to recommend the Durgod Hades 68 over the Ducky. Has anyone had the change to compare these two?

    • I bought the Hades for the same reason. Haven't received it yet, so can't comment.

      Still might grab this as it's so cheap and then decide :p

    • I really like the layout on the durgod. But it all depends on how much you're willing to spend. The durgod seems to be more expensive.

  • Love my Duckys, got one at work (7 years old) and one at home (Aluminium YOTS ltd edition about 5 years old)

  • I got a Ducky Shine 5 in 2015 and have been eying these off for almost a year now, really want to go TKL/60% so the Mini or SF

    Saw some reviews about them having poor latency (27ms on the mini, 18ms on the SF)
    cant find any specs for latency on my Shine 5, but if its around that I couldn't give a damn.

  • These are not Hot Swap PCBs, are they?

    I have far too many switches for keyboards now and need to try and find some more boards to whack them into!

    • I think Ducky only did one hotswappable keyboard (at least for now, they were hinting there are more coming) and that was the Year of the Rat Limited Edition one.

      • It's a shame the only hot-swap board they've done so far was only available in 60% and looked absolutely horrendous. If they bring hot-swap compatibility to more of their line without inflating the price too much I'm sure they'd sell like hotcakes. They'd be a no brianer recommendation for any newcomer to the custom mech scene.

        • I think they are planning to at least, since they went something like, "The Year of the Rat is based on the newest version of Ducky's hot-swap keyboard." in their description.

          Which I'd kinda like, since I hate soldering.

    • Keychron, Epomaker and Royal Kludge all have budget hot-swap options. You could also roll the dice on some of the random kits available on AliExpress if you're feeling adventurous. Glorious also have the GMMK and GMMK Pro.

  • Great post! Came a little bit too late for me. Been hunting for a good mechanical keyboard that I could stomach the price for ages. Finally got one late last year. It's a Durgod K310, so full size and no RGB, exactly the way I want it. Been loving it so far, haven't been able to identify any faults at all.

    If I didn't get that keyboard, this one would be very intriguing albeit it doesn't have the numpad.

  • I've had my Ducky non-RGB for..god must be coming on 9 years now. Has survived a baby dropping it on the floor numerous times, 3 house moves and 1 country move. Still functions to this day, all LEDs are alive and keys all working fine. The thing is HEAVY, built like a tank. I keep wanting to replace it…but then don't cause I'm waiting for it to die.

    Used daily as a gaming keyboard, on avg about 4 hours.

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