Ratpadz GS Wear issues

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Kalabalana

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Aug 18, 2005
Messages
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Been using the pad for a while, where my g9's feet are in contact with the pad, the plastic has worn down, is smooth (which ironically is grippy) and screws up the mouse tracking.

Was looking at the icemat or a steel series for a replacement.

Any suggestions?
 
If up until now you've been happy with the GS, you should be very happy moving up to the XT. It won't have the wearing down issue you've had with the GS, at least not nearly as quickly. The XT is built like a tank, and the surface is actually of higher quality, feel-wise too.

But if you're looking for a change, then by all means.
 
Well my logic is, I want a high quality product that won't be worn out in 2 years time.
Preferably, never to wear out.
 
The general consensus is that the XT will last longer than the GS. If you are getting 2 years out of a GS, you should get much longer out of the XT. IMHO, a product like this that is getting constant hit with constant physical contact is going to wear out at some point. Expecting a mouse pad to never wear out is like expecting your shoes to never wear out, it just isn't going to happen. I'll gladly spend $20 on a mousepad that provides awesome performance for even 3 years.
 
I have the GS and also the Rocketfish metal pad. The RF would be okay but the edge feels strange or irritates my wrist. The GS is nicer and requires less movement. Metal provides nothing over the plastic.
 
I've had an original Ratpadz (what the XT is now) for over 6 years. It hasn't worn out yet... but I'm not a "hardcore gamer" anymore.
 
The glass pads can be very noisy, depending on your mouse and desk. My MX510 was moderately noisy, my old Deathadder was VERY noisy but my new RMA replacement DA is quite quiet on an Icemat I2.

You need to decide what other pad qualities you like. If you like low friction, like the Ratpadz seem to be, then an Icemat isn't going to have the same feel. It's very smooth, and great for slow movements (ie. CAD work) but has more friction than a Ratpad or Razer Destructor but less than cloth.

I loved my Destructor but even with my moderate use it's noticeably center-worn after one year to the point where there are noticeable friction differences across the surface. I found an I-2 fairly cheap so I gave it a whirl. My wife and I both found we were forcing ourselves to try it. I got a Ratpad XT and we haven't had to force ourselves to use it - we've just switched from the Desctructor. I'd still prefer a new Destructor in some ways over the XT, but the Destructor's price compared to how quickly it wears doesn't make it a good value proposition. I'm hoping the Ratpad is significantly more durable.
 
hmmm, alright, you've given something to think about, might just get the rat padz xt
 
Every hard pad I've ever used has issues with the surface wearing down. That's just the breaks with this type of pad. One thing that helps is to periodically rotate it 90 degrees (or if the thin sides are no good, 180) in order to spread the wear out a little bit.

However (and I'm risking a lot by badmouthing the Ratpad on this forum) the Ratpad is not a good pad compared to many of the others available now. You're better off with some of Razer's and Steelseries' midrange offerings. Look at the Destructor or the 4HD, or even the eXactMat or Archetype from fUnc. Trust me when I say that there are better pads out there than the Ratpad. It's easy to let this forum sucker you in because they sell them here.
 
While I love the Ratpads, when they work, they simply wear down too quickly for me. It isn't like they are overpriced, but I just don't like the hassle of buying a new one. I got a GS for free at a DoD tournament (either Fraglanta or 05 Winter CPL, don't remember) and loved it... till it was worn smooth. I got the XT hoping it would late longer, it did... a bit. :/ I just gave up and went back to cloth pads after that. They really are nice while they last, but I mean I have a cloth Allsop mousepad from 02ish that still works great. You probably want to consider if replacing mousepads every so often is worth it to you.
 
I was using some cloth "Sun Microsystems" mousepads from 1995 until last year at home and at work. I had to wash them from time to time but they look and work like new.

After trying some lower friction hard surfaces, however, using a cloth pad feels like pushing my mouse through mud. I'm now hopelessly addicted to low friction.

What we need is better descriptions of mouse pad properties so that one can decide whether a pad shown online is what you're looking for since a lot of these things aren't cheap and aren't available to look at at the local Best Buy. The Steelseries site is fairly close to useless, and so are many reviews, using words that don't specifically convey any particular quality like "glide". Does that represent friction level? Or smoothness? Or uniformity? For instance the Destructor and the Ratpad have similar friction levels, but the Destructor is much smoother than the Ratpad. The I-2 friction level depends more on the mouse, but still feels low-to-medium friction but is very smooth. Using "glide" to describe three properties simply doesn't work. On the Ratpad and to a lesser extent the Destructor I can feel the vibration in the mouse from passing over the pad but on the I2 there's no feedback. Different things are important to different people. I have no idea what the anodized aluminum pads feel like, but other anodized aluminum I have around that isn't a mouse pad is not low friction but very durable.
 
tired of the bending ratpadz and weardown years ago i search for a replacement, the best solution i've used and still use today is the icemat glass mat(now steelseries) i don't hear how they are loud, unless your dirty and don't occasionally wipe down your mousepad (dust accumulates everywhere daily), heck i just use a quick tissue on the mat once every 3/4 days and wipe the bottom of the mouse quickly, can't really as for better low maintence. It's smooth as can be, especially with modern mouses these days that all come w/ teflon pads (been use razers for years too) it's nice and smooth.
 
Lanx said:
i don't hear how they are loud, unless your dirty and don't occasionally wipe down your mousepad
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Size could make a difference, and my I-2 is larger than the I-1. The etched texture of the glass causes a scraping sound when something moves over it. Different mice make different noises (I've tried 5 mice while trying my I-2). This combined with the rubber feet suspending it above the desk acts like a sounding board.

With my pre-RMA Deathadder (used on a Destructor for a year) you could hear someone mousing from the next room. The replacement Deathadder (no visible difference in the size, location, construction or wear level of the pads) it is quite a bit less noticeable.

Dirt has nothing to do with it. All of the mice and my I-2 were spotless. Any bit of dust or crumbs leads to an aweful scraping/crunching noise and feeling. That's certainly not what I'm talking about.
 
I have had a ratpadz XT since 2006, there is zero sign of wear and I generally use my computer 3-4 hours a day ( much more on weekands). I've had 3 of the bottom rubber "buttons" come off. I like the pad but would really like some new buttons, as now the pad rocks back and forth. My next pad is going to be a roccat Sota. but that is a flexible pad.
 
MattyC said:
While I love the Ratpads, when they work, they simply wear down too quickly for me. It isn't like they are overpriced, but I just don't like the hassle of buying a new one. I got a GS for free at a DoD tournament (either Fraglanta or 05 Winter CPL, don't remember) and loved it... till it was worn smooth. I got the XT hoping it would late longer, it did... a bit. :/ I just gave up and went back to cloth pads after that. They really are nice while they last, but I mean I have a cloth Allsop mousepad from 02ish that still works great. You probably want to consider if replacing mousepads every so often is worth it to you.
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Um... are you using sandpaper as mouse feet on that XT or something? I'll agree that the GS wears down quickly. I've used two of them and neither lasted 6 months. They're currently sitting around waiting to be used for target practice.

However, the XT is a totally different story. I've had 2 of them for 2 years and they still look and act like they are brand new. I've actually done a lot more gaming and mousing on the XTs than I did on the GSes.

 
try the teflon feet that come included w/ the icemat , i have the big one too, recent purchased the smaller one for my gf to carry w/ her when she travels, she hates the trackpad, only uses a mouse for laptop, and loves the icemat at home (have 2 one for each computer). Found the smaller one cool to carry around.
 
I've had the GS for about 2 years. It doesnt seem that different than when I first bought it. I only switch to it when I play games.
 
Lanx said:
try the teflon feet that come included w/ the icemat , i have the big one too, recent purchased the smaller one for my gf to carry w/ her when she travels, she hates the trackpad, only uses a mouse for laptop, and loves the icemat at home (have 2 one for each computer). Found the smaller one cool to carry around.
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You might be right, but I don't feel that I should have to modify my mouse to work with a mousepad. The feet that come on a gaming grade mouse should be good enough. That glass mat would probably last through how many mice? What does one do when you're out of special Icemat feet?

I'm not about to yank the pads off of a brand new Deathadder to stick on some generic-shaped pads. OTOH, the Icemat people must have seen the "complaint" coming to include feet at all. Do any other pads come with special feet for the mice?
 
Surly73 said:
You might be right, but I don't feel that I should have to modify my mouse to work with a mousepad. The feet that come on a gaming grade mouse should be good enough. That glass mat would probably last through how many mice? What does one do when you're out of special Icemat feet?

I'm not about to yank the pads off of a brand new Deathadder to stick on some generic-shaped pads. OTOH, the Icemat people must have seen the "complaint" coming to include feet at all. Do any other pads come with special feet for the mice?
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SlickSurfz? Get the smallest feet you can get off that site, it doesn't have to be a perfect fit.
 
I used to have the Ratpadz GS. I wore that out in about a year. I've only had my XT since about November I think, but so far so good. I use my computer for 12+ hours a day on average so it isn't as if the thing gets used lightly.
 
Check out the steelseries 5L, nice big looking mouse pad the only issue is slight fraying on the sides but other then that it's pretty durable.
 
I still have one of the original Ratpadz (2001?) before the GS and XT were rolled out. I used it through college and the only issue with it is the warping. The pad warps convex which results in the pad rubbing the center of the mouse.

I had my parents purchase a GS (because they were cheap) and it wore down fairly quickly from my little brother. Now, I have 5 new XT padz for my 4 computers at home and 1 at my work. They are 2-4 years old and still work great. A few of my buddies have bought XTs after using mine.
 
Surly73 said:
You might be right, but I don't feel that I should have to modify my mouse to work with a mousepad. The feet that come on a gaming grade mouse should be good enough. That glass mat would probably last through how many mice? What does one do when you're out of special Icemat feet?

I'm not about to yank the pads off of a brand new Deathadder to stick on some generic-shaped pads. OTOH, the Icemat people must have seen the "complaint" coming to include feet at all. Do any other pads come with special feet for the mice?
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my deathaddler feet got nasty about 1yr or more ago. So i remembered the icemat comes w/ feet, tried those and they were better than the razer deathaddler feet. Since i had an extra pair around i decided to replace my GF's 518 logitech feet, and she said it felt nicer too.

better than tape imo, the feet are nice, they cost like 5bucks plus shipping, i'm not advocating the feet, but i do use em, and they feel better than the feet that come on death addler and mx518, both high end mice (though rather old) maybe newer better mice have better feet now.
 
sorry for the necro.

I am still using three ancient ratpadz from circa 2001. Love these things.
Only issue has been the warping and a foot or two on a couple of them have come off.

I think the time is coming to replace them though.
I was wondering if the feet on the XT are less likely to come loose?
Anyone know?
 
shing said:
I was wondering if the feet on the XT are less likely to come loose?
Anyone know?
Click to expand...

I've had a RatPadz GS since March 2008, and none of the feet have come off. I also just got the XT I ordered in the mail today. Both are pretty solid.
 
So I have used a few diffrent gaming pads. I am Currently on a GS for jsut a couple weeks & I Must say that I Like it alot. Its got a good feel to it & the solid large feet keep it in place. I Cant spek to its wear, but for the 10 bucks it costs I can afford to replace it yearly. The Rocketfish is I think a waste of money. The feet do not stick for shit & the metal edge on it stays fucking cold unless your actually resting your wrist on it so there is always a slight cold shock when using it. Before that I had a Pad from a Company called Revoltech (I think there out of business now) & I Liked it alot. It was freeking Huge & fairly thin (about 1/16" thick). The whole back surface of it though was a soft rubber compound & I found that after a while when dust did slowly staqrt to build up from occasional moving it it wouldnt stick worth a fuck & you had to constantly move it back into place. The surface on it was great though, but after about 3 years it wore smooth. Impressive lifespan imo since it only cost like 15 bucks on newegg when it was new.

From my experiences if ou want one that isnt going to wear out then dont get a plastic pad or one with a plastic surface (like even the rocketfish). You will need a glass or metal pad. But there not going to have as friendly of characteristics the rest of the time. For my next pad it will depend on the longevity & overall happiness I have with this GS as in if its good then it will probably be an XT next. I am also fairly tempted to try the RAZER Sphex. I Would like to find one of them about 3' wide though & just make it my work surface.
 
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