Hot Swapping vs Soldered - Something to consider

[IPD]

https://oneofzero.net/blogs/the-smoking-iron/a-case-against-hot-swapping-keyboards

 

Ran across this article.  I myself feel the hot-swappable feature is overhyped and often unnecessary.  This is especially true if you have established your switch type preference; which can easily be done with a test board or a trial keyboard.  Of course, if you're a user who prefer mixing/matching multiple switch types for different key functions, hot-swappable may be of great benefit.

 

I'm curious to see what the community thinks about them.

[Sauron]

It seems like the article mostly mentions downsides that come from swapping switches often... so if you don't do that much those points are irrelevant. I don't especially care because I'll likely never want to do this but if, say, a switch on my keyboard broke I'd like the option to order and drop in a replacement without having to desolder and resolder anything...

[tzaitam]

I might not be the target audience for this topic but as someone who enjoys building keyboards and could not see my self ever having just one keyboard I think a mix is best. If I'm building a so called endgame keyboard I would go soldered but I like having a hotswap keyboard or two around to quickly test different switches and or keycaps.

I also believe hotswap keyboards makes the hobby a lot more approachable and that can only be a positive.

[Heats with Nvidia]

I don`t think i am part of the target audience, but i prefer soldered switches because they have less failiure points and a lower cost.

But i have really good soldering and de-soldering equipment and use it on a daily basis, so for me its no hassle at all.

 

But like so many times, i am by no means the norm.

[matt4realz]

I think both hotswap and solder both have pros/cons.

 

Personally, I would prefer hotswap because of its convenience that I can just buy a brand new barebones kit and get started after modding the stabs (if they're included). This was a consideration when I got my D60 HHKB.

 

However, layout support for hotswap is always the thing that's lacking, simply because of a lack of space within most PCBs.

 

If changing or using a different layout is important to you, like stepped caps, split backspace, ISO enter, etc, then you should pick solder PCBs. They can be a pain even for experienced builders.

[Imbadatnames]

Is it just me or is soldering really that much of a dealbreaker? Irons aren’t expensive neither is solder

[Imbadatnames]

2 hours ago, James Evens said:

@Imbadatnames China soldering iron are $50. Reputable brand starting at like $150. Everything under $50 might get the job done but isn't fun.

In my opinion it isn't about cost and more about perception: There are switches for $1 each so clearly spending the $50 on a iron shouldn't be an issue (you could also resell it once you are done).

You don’t really need a good one for this much solder though. 

[Heats with Nvidia]

5 hours ago, James Evens said:

Don't cheap out on tools if you are novice.

With experience a bad soldering iron is manageable. As a rookie? this can trow your of.

I totally agree, but i wouldnt place the TS100 and the pinecil, which both come under 50 Dollar, in the "cheap out" category. With the right tips, they are totally fine for occasional and, when on the go, even professional use.