Deck Keyboards - TG3 is TERRIBLE

Just wanted to add my experience with Deck Keyboards.
I have the full size deck (105 key) keyboard and have never had any problems with it.
I love it...........

I bought the smaller (82) Deck Keyboard Ice at the beginning of the year for my 2nd computer. Some of the keys started sticking when you would try to push down on them.
I contacted Deck they sent and RMA and I even talked to Adam about it. I sent it back to them and within a week received a new keyboard. No questions asked..........

While I was waiting I used my wife's Saitek Eclipse and it doesnt even compare.
You cant even see some of the keys at certain angles in the dark because they have a glare to them. Deck is the only keyboard I would ever buy........
 
Just wanted to add my experience with Deck Keyboards.
I have the full size deck (105 key) keyboard and have never had any problems with it.
I love it...........

I bought the smaller (82) Deck Keyboard Ice at the beginning of the year for my 2nd computer. Some of the keys started sticking when you would try to push down on them.
I contacted Deck they sent and RMA and I even talked to Adam about it. I sent it back to them and within a week received a new keyboard. No questions asked..........

While I was waiting I used my wife's Saitek Eclipse and it doesnt even compare.
You cant even see some of the keys at certain angles in the dark because they have a glare to them. Deck is the only keyboard I would ever buy........

I'm thinking about buying the 82 key version for my test bench.
 
I'm thinking about buying the 82 key version for my test bench.

You cant go wrong with Deck as far as Im concerned. They are pricy but worth it. Should last for a long time. Notice you dont see them on Ebay which is a good indication that people hold on to them.
 
You cant go wrong with Deck as far as Im concerned. They are pricy but worth it. Should last for a long time. Notice you dont see them on Ebay which is a good indication that people hold on to them.

I love my Deck Ice Legend. Best Keyboard I've ever had.
 
Can you read the keys easy at normal typing angle? I have the Saitek Eclipse and it never was very readable at normal typing angle. When you walk up to the computer, you can see the barely glowing keys, but after sitting down in the dark, you really cannot see them well.

Whenever you see pictures of a keyboard online, they are always aerial views, which show optimum clarity of the keyboard, but sit down in front of the keyboard and the view is different. Is the Deck that much more readable than the Saitek? I found that I am completely touch typing with the Saitek in the dark. This weekend I took mine apart, and washed it, hoping it would get brighter, but it did not. They use tiny SMT LEDS to edge light an acrylic plate, and it barely transfers any light.

One thing though, the Saitek is spillproof. After taking off the top of the keyboard, I sprayed it with simple green and let sit for a while. Then I took the garden hose to it, and water did not go through the keys tray. I used my compressor at 75PSI to blow it dry, and no water went through the key holes. Pretty good design that part.

I want to want the Deck, badly, but I still am on a fence on it. Will monitor this topic a while longer.

RayBob
 
I thought about buying a Deck backlit keyboard mainly because it's the only one of it's kind (mechanical, backlit), but this kind of crap support / warranty reports always puts me off.

If they had the good sense to switch to the better types of Cherry MX switches (soft tactile and click tactile) - something a lot of people on their forum seem to ask, so it's not just me - maybe I'll have to buy one and hope for the best.

I still can't believe you sent them a keyboard with some hair and dust on it and they refused to honor the warranty ... some of us have hair the back of our hands you know :) ... this is sexism! :) :)
 
Reading the keys at an angle is not a problem. And really the only thing this keyboard can really be compared to is the DAS Keyboard with the lettering. That one has a USB port and better keys, while this one is backlit and still has great keys. FAR superior to even the best of the membrane key based boards out there.
 
The Cherry linear are good for their reliability, and maybe gaming, but they do not have tactile feedback and are not that nice to type on.

Better than a membrane isn't much ... :)
 
People are still posting comments on my blog about the issues.

Don't be fooled by chicks with wigs and false advertising. Just plain garbage.

Deck Keyboard Blog

Joe said...
I also have a Deck keyboard that doubles some keystrokes. Mine has no ash, hair, liquid or other debris anywhere on or inside it. It has misbehaved since about six months after I received it.

I called Deck about it and they had "never heard" of anything like my board's problem. The problem is intermittent and I have low confidence it would be observed and fixeed if I sent it in (see? it just did it again).

I like the board OK, but I doubt I would ever buy another. I have not had any other board with this level of problems from other makers.

January 7, 2009 3:43 AM
 
I'll just stick with my Saitek. No way I'll spend that kind of money for a standard keyboard. The illumination may not be perfect, but I can touch type so it's not a problem and I never gave a shit about all the tactile crap.
 
I think the double key thing is actually more due to human error than anything. I've done it once in awhile, but I think that's because I keyed the same key twice, or held my finger on the key long enough for it to repeat. The keys are incredibly sensitive on these things.
 
I'm not too sure what to say here.

I have my Deck 82 keyboard and I love it and will continue to recommend it. This is one of my favorite keyboards to date. The small size, awesome light on the keys and great tactile feedback, I love typing on this board and it hasn't given me any trouble at all. Granted, my board is only a couple months old at this point so maybe I will check in a few months later with trouble but the selection of components for this board does seem good. Like every product, there are bound to be some failures. I don't get the feeling that the original poster's experience represents the majority of Deck keyboard experiences from what I have read.
 
I think if someone has an issue with something, they have more then enough right to express how they feel to their hearts content.

Anyhow, I've never heard of either companies, but I've been through about 15 keyboards in the past year attempting to find the right "feel" to no resolve.


So perhaps I will give one of these deck keyboards a whirl.
 
Deck or Das Keyboard. Only two keyboards I'd use at this point. They now have a Das Keyboard with the mechanical switches and feel of the old IBM model M keyboards which is an awesome thing. They also have a model that has the text on the keys now. either one is a good choice.
 
Deck or Das Keyboard. Only two keyboards I'd use at this point. They now have a Das Keyboard with the mechanical switches and feel of the old IBM model M keyboards which is an awesome thing. They also have a model that has the text on the keys now. either one is a good choice.

If you guys want to get some good reviews on the keyboards from users that test a lot of the mechanical ones that are out there I would suggest checking out http://geekhack.org/. There is a lot of information there on all of the mechanical keyboards available as well as audio clips of the keyboards so that you can get to hear how each one sounds when typing on it. They also have info on the different types of keys used such as Black Cherries, Blue Cherries and Brown Cherries which each give you a different experience typing based on amount of tactile feedback and whether or not they are clicky keys. I think the DAS Professional uses Blue Cherry keys which offer tactile feedback and are clicky.

From reading the forums there last night the Deck keyboards don't come very highly recommended and I did see the issue that the OP mentioned here brought up concerning them. If you want a great mechanical keyboard I would look at a Filco since those seem to get the best recommendations. They have a "Tenkeyless" model that I've got my eye on since I don't really need a numpad and it allows you to keep the mouse and keyboard more center with the display which is suppose to be better for people that spend a lot of time at a computer.

http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=filco_keyboards
 
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I know what the various switches do and how they differ. I mainly went for the Deck because it was backlit. I also remembered what it was like to type on the type of switches it uses which are fine for me. I prefer the Cherry MX Blue switches. If I change from the Deck to anything, it absolutely must have those. The Filco keyboard doesn't look like an option because I like the numberpad, and none of thier 104 key solutions use the Cherry MX Blue switches. They are all the Black or Brown switches. I already have Cherry MX Black switches in my Deck so it wouldn't make any sense to change to a non-backlit keyboard using the same switches. (I can turn my backlighting off if I wish to.) They have several 87 key models that use the Cherry MX Blue switches but the lack of a numpad is a deal breaker for me.
 
Here's a crazy idea, don't smoke at the computer. Obviously a company is not going to honor a warranty on a keyboard filled with ash, it's common sense. Get a grip dude, and stop whining.
 
Here's a crazy idea, don't smoke at the computer. Obviously a company is not going to honor a warranty on a keyboard filled with ash, it's common sense. Get a grip dude, and stop whining.

Here's an even crazier idea, don't smoke at all. You'll live longer that way ;).
 
Here's an even crazier idea, don't smoke at all. You'll live longer that way ;).

I couldn't agree more. With the money OregonGuy would save every year from not buying cigs every week, he could probably buy a new keyboard every month. Problem solved.
 
So I'mma put on my keyboard expert hat. And I'm gonna call out Deck myself.

You're charging more than Das Keyboard for what by all accounts, including your own, is a vastly inferior product. Das Keyboard uses the exact same Cherry switches. In fact, I have somewhere around a half dozen Cherry based keyboards and a half dozen Alps based keyboards. Why? Well, because Cherry switches are pretty damn common, and they're pretty damn sturdy.

Why is it that your keyboards are not even warranted against so much as what any reasonable person would consider normal wear and tear? Things like hair, dead skin particles, and dust will get into any keyboard without a cover, period. Anyone who would deny this is in a fantasy world where dirt doesn't exist, and skin doesn't shed - both of which are scientifically proven as false.

And why is it that we have a number of people here with keyboards less than 2 years old that have stopped functioning properly? While I have keyboards that I paid all of $20-30 for around 2000-2001 based on the exact same mechanical switches from Cherry which have had heaps of abuse poured on them, that work without so much as a hiccup?
I have personally witnessed a half dozen Das Keyboards that have been dropped, had things spilled in them, and been beaten to the point of cracking the housing - all without so much as a single stuck switch, key repeat, or other problem. And they use the exact same Cherry mechanical switches. Why is it that Das Keyboard has none of these problems that are supposedly due to the switches? Why is their warranty twice as long as yours? Why does their warranty only disclaim damage from liquids and physical abuse resulting in obvious damage?
Oh. And why is it that I have never witnessed anything even remotely similar to the absolutely preposterous claims that you are making with regards to these switches?

In fact, I'm quite certain that Cherry's quality control department would like to hear very much about your "issues" with their product. They are extremely protective and proud of their mechanical switches, with good reason. In fact, they produce the key switches used in a very, very large number of products like Thinkpad, Macbook and Kinesis Keyboards, just to name a few. They've been making keyswitches for well over 20 years. I've taken the liberty of linking Cherry's MX line of keyswitches, which are rated at 50 million keystrokes in most if not all applications, here:
http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/switches/key/mx.htm

Some manufacturers which use Cherry MX keyswitches. Or far more importantly, their warranty policies:
http://www.daskeyboard.com/guarantee.php
http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/custservice.htm#warranty
http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/keyboards/FAQs/index.htm#_How_can_I_1

That last link is from the company that makes the key switches, and also makes keyboards with their own key switches, yes. Did anyone notice something? Probably that one, everyone else warranties their product for TWO years or better. Two, they do not claim it is a "precision" anything. They claim it is a keyboard and as such, normal wear and tear including hair, dust, and even ash while disgusting, do not void your warranty.
In fact, Deck is the only keyboard manufacturer I can find anywhere that specifically makes the claim of a "precision electronic device" and specifically voids your warranty based on normal expected wear and tear on their product.

So there you have it, [H]. A selection of keyboards with identical components, a nicely broad price spectrum ($15-800+), and a selection of warranties as offered by the manufacturers for their keyboards to compare for yourself. And there's no way to come to a conclusion in the least bit different than what I did; when you can get a superior product for $20, why would you buy from Deck when they are obviously blowing smoke, making up crap from whole cloth, and uninterested in actually addressing any concerns?
 
Well, I was rolling around the idea of getting a deck board. But after coming on to this thread. I have come to the conclusion that I need to move on and seek somewhere else. The Deck warranty is just to broad for my comfort. and I would find myself fighting to keep every speck of dust ,every mustache hair, arm hair off the board. then I wouldn't be able to even enjoy it.

Oh well, the search continues.
 
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I'm going to order a Deck. Maybe I'll order several. Can't make up my mind with the colours.

I've worked on many machines, and those of smokers are absolutely disgusting. Ashes aside, the tar that (literally!) builds up inside the machine and coats the components is destructive. It will significantly lower the longevity of all parts, especially hard drives.

Seriously, take an ashtray full of butts, soak it in water, squeeze the water into a spray bottle and spray the entire inside of the computer. That's basically what it is like.

Anyone that works around electronics, especially expensive gear, knows this.
 
Deck's warranty may suck but I've had mine for well over a year now and I haven't needed and warranty service.
 
Deck's warranty may suck but I've had mine for well over a year now and I haven't needed and warranty service.

same. In fact I really can't ever see a need for the warranty service because I take care of my shit. Especially the expensive shit.
 
Ive had a logitech elite since 2002 and never had a single problem with it other then the volume knob which has to do with what computer I plug it into.(seems to lag on newer computers).

I thought about deck..filco...das but I can't bring myself to pay so much for one because this keyboard rocks....

I like the layout and was wondering if anybody on here has a logitech elite, typed on one of these (filco,das,deck) and to whatend will if find my greif becasue my day is comeing when this thing will die.RIP

So ... what kind of keyboard would I need if i like the feel and sound of my elite? Should i Count deck out?

ITS IRONIC i see people talking about a keyboard as if 2 years is a long time.....
 
Yeah, mine is only a couple years old. We'll have to wait and see how long it lasts. Still loving it in the meanwhile. Because I got a smoking deal on it though, I won’t have to worry about my ROI.
 
Saw this thread today, thought i'd chime into an obviously ancient thread.

My Deck Legend Fire is now at least 10 years old; i'm not sure exactly when I bought it, but it was some time over 9 years ago. And I've used it every single day since I bought it.

It's still running great, with no switch problems.

I do eat at my keyboard sometimes, but I do not smoke inside.

If you have ever had to clean a house where a heavy smoker lived, or work on a computer that was in a house where someone smoked indoors constantly, you will immediately understand why smoke+ash damage should not to be compared to some crumbs or other random shit that falls between the keys.

Smoke is sticky and infinitely fine particulate that coats everything as it settles. Ash isn't quite as sticky but is also incredibly a fine particulate that can work it's way into all kinds of crevices and cause problems with keyswitches.

I did have a couple of the LED's die about 2 years ago, and even though my board was way out of warranty, Adam sent me free LED's without even charging for the postage, and I replaced the bad ones myself. My wife bought a toxic Deck Legend about 4 years ago, which, unfortunately, was killed last night by one of our cats - he puked about a gallon of liquid all over it, which sat for hours overnight before we discovered it; otherwise I have no doubt that board would also still be working fine years from now.

Dan D, is your Deck Legend still in action? Did you replace it? There are a lot more options for mechanical keyboards now than when this thread came up,, both backlit and not. We already ordered a replacement Deck.
 
I have been considering a Deck keyboard also, however now that these things have come to light I will definitely not be buying one. I have had the same Saitek Eclipse keyboard for about 7 years now and other than the keys rubbing off it still works. Cat hair, dust, ash everything just falls out of it when I clean it and it just keeps on going.

There is no excuse at all for a 160ish dollar Deck keyboard to stop working under normal, completely foreseeable, conditions. None. Whatsoever.

And for those of you trying to give a life lesson to this guy about smoking...fuck off. I don't remember him asking for your opinion about his vices. If cigarette ashes and dust and hair/fur can kill off a Deck keyboard while my 60 dollar Eclipse keeps chugging, that tells me something and it should tell you something also.
 
I've got a Deck Keyboard that's 4 or 5 years old now that's seen more daily use than most people's ever will and it still works like new and other than some minor rub wear on the space bar it looks brand new too.
 
I tried a Deck, several years ago. It arrived with a broken space bar and dead LEDs on the T,O,C,V, and Right Shift keys. Took them 11 weeks after receiving the returned keyboard to issue the refund. I'll never buy from them, again.
 
I have been considering a Deck keyboard also, however now that these things have come to light I will definitely not be buying one. I have had the same Saitek Eclipse keyboard for about 7 years now and other than the keys rubbing off it still works. Cat hair, dust, ash everything just falls out of it when I clean it and it just keeps on going.

There is no excuse at all for a 160ish dollar Deck keyboard to stop working under normal, completely foreseeable, conditions. None. Whatsoever.

And for those of you trying to give a life lesson to this guy about smoking...fuck off. I don't remember him asking for your opinion about his vices. If cigarette ashes and dust and hair/fur can kill off a Deck keyboard while my 60 dollar Eclipse keeps chugging, that tells me something and it should tell you something also.

Your 60 dollar eclipse is a piece of shit. It's laughable to claim that piece of garbage is a 'backlit' keyboard with it's pathetic attempt at backlighting that lights between the keys instead of through them, and comparing it to a deck is comical since all your shitty fucking keys lettering wore off (something that cannot happen with deck's keys.)

And if you are such a filthy fucker that you can't keep decent mechanical keyboard switches from gumming up from your filthy habits, you should buy whatever piece of trash keyboard you feel like because you are so filthy you can't take care of decent hardware.

My deck KB has zero keyswitch issues @ the 9 year mark, and I eat at the keyboard, have several cats that walk on it randomly. It gets dirty but it continues to work because it's not being filled with fine ash and sticky smoke. If you think someone's trying to 'give a life lesson' about smoking, you are missing the point; smoke all you want, just don't smoke constantly in a closed space with a bunch of computer hardware and expect it not to be filthy, sticky and unreliable.

Cherry keyswitches are a common and well respected switch, and trying to imply that because they might get fouled up by excessive filth and stop working somehow makes them inferior to shitty membrane keyboards that simply wear out after a few million cycles is sad.

Oh, and the deck legend fire is ~110$ on amazon.
 
While the above post lacks tact, I agree. No keyboard will work right over the long haul if you get crumbs, hair, baby batter and cigarette ashes in it.
 
Your 60 dollar eclipse is a piece of shit. It's laughable to claim that piece of garbage is a 'backlit' keyboard with it's pathetic attempt at backlighting that lights between the keys instead of through them, and comparing it to a deck is comical since all your shitty fucking keys lettering wore off (something that cannot happen with deck's keys.)

And if you are such a filthy fucker that you can't keep decent mechanical keyboard switches from gumming up from your filthy habits, you should buy whatever piece of trash keyboard you feel like because you are so filthy you can't take care of decent hardware.

My deck KB has zero keyswitch issues @ the 9 year mark, and I eat at the keyboard, have several cats that walk on it randomly. It gets dirty but it continues to work because it's not being filled with fine ash and sticky smoke. If you think someone's trying to 'give a life lesson' about smoking, you are missing the point; smoke all you want, just don't smoke constantly in a closed space with a bunch of computer hardware and expect it not to be filthy, sticky and unreliable.

Cherry keyswitches are a common and well respected switch, and trying to imply that because they might get fouled up by excessive filth and stop working somehow makes them inferior to shitty membrane keyboards that simply wear out after a few million cycles is sad.

Oh, and the deck legend fire is ~110$ on amazon.

Thanks for making my point. If a "shitty" keyboard can take this "abuse" then a 110+ keyboard should. You really must be obtuse if you missed that point...which you did. And I, as well as other smokers are not all filthy pigs you judgmental asshole.

And sure the mechanical keyswitches are better but obviously some companies must do a better job engineering them into a workable, long-lasting keyboard than others. Deck obviously doesn't, and to top it off it seems they are more willing to find any loophole to blame a customer than just replace or fix their product from what I am seeing. So remind me again why anyone in their right mind should consider buying one now?
 
Thanks for making my point. If a "shitty" keyboard can take this "abuse" then a 110+ keyboard should. You really must be obtuse if you missed that point...which you did. And I, as well as other smokers are not all filthy pigs you judgmental asshole.

And sure the mechanical keyswitches are better but obviously some companies must do a better job engineering them into a workable, long-lasting keyboard than others. Deck obviously doesn't, and to top it off it seems they are more willing to find any loophole to blame a customer than just replace or fix their product from what I am seeing. So remind me again why anyone in their right mind should consider buying one now?

If you think that I made your point with my last post, then you don't understand what you just read. Perhaps if I repeat it in more simple terms you will understand.

1. Any keyboard that has cherry keyswitches but does not have a rubber membrane layer to cover the switches will be susceptible to filthy conditions causing problems with the keys. This is not specific to any manufacturer; it is a property of the design of the keyboard.

2. EVERY keyboard manufacturer warranty I have read specifically warranty's against defects in workmanship/fabrication. It's not a defect in workmanship if you fill the keyswitches with filth and they stop working. That's a defect in your ability to keep your keyboard reasonably clean. I even eat at my keyboard, and it is on year #10 without any key switch issues. Smoke/ash is a really fucking bad thing to get into a conductive keyswitch. I just read the warranty again for the das keyboard. Let's read it together:

If Das Keyboard inspects your mechanical keyboard and finds that it was defective in materials or workmanship, it will be repaired or replaced at no cost (excluding shipping of the product to Das Keyboard). Das Keyboard will either repair or replace with the same or similar mechanical keyboard.
That is the exact same fucking thing that Deck says. If your keyboard switch starts sticking after you've been using it for a year because you have not cleaned the keyboard and are keeping it in filthy conditions, no company will replace that as a defect in workmanship or materials. Seems like you just read ARES post and chimed in with some dumb unfounded shit based on his opinion which was also incorrect.

3. If a keyswitch fail on a deck keyboard due to a manufacturer defect, it'd actually be Cherry that you'd have to blame... Deck is only responsible for installing them on the PCB; they would be responsible for the LED lights not working or the entire keyboard failing due to controller problems on the board but a switch stopping working would not be the fault of Deck. If your keyboard ARRIVES with a faulty switch you can blame the assembler, but even then you'd be blaming their QC process rather than their manufacturing since they didn't make the switches.

Like I said, if you have a problem with being filthy and are OK with the backlighting on your keyboard not even functioning properly and the fucking keycaps wearing off, then keep buying shitty membrane keyboards and get them as filthy as you feel like. It's apparent that a premium mechanical keyswitch keyboard is not for you. Fine, don't buy one. Just don't try and single out deck when they are no different than any other manufacturer in their warranty support and use the same fucking switches as other companies.

Go buy a fucking filco with cherry keyswitches, and fill it with ash, smoke around it constantly in an enclosed space. See if that works any better for you. Any of them would be susceptible to filthy conditions causing keyswitch problems.

In short, you are basing your entire opinion on the quality of a keyboard on a situation that no keyboard should have to actually endure and no keyboard manufacturer would expect you to put it through.

It's like complaining that the leather in your car doesn't resist stains from coffee spills. Don't fucking spill coffee on the fucking leather and you won't have to worry about it, and leather seats are in no way marketed or designed to be coffee stain resistant. Yet you would go buy fucking PVC seats that are way less comfortable and insist they are better because hey, you can't stain PVC
Ridiculous.


Oh, and I never said you and all smokers are filthy pigs. I smoke. That was all you, you judgemental asshole.
However, if your smoking habit results in so much ash and tar being distributed into your keyboard that the keyswitches fail, then you are likely a filthy pig regardless as to your smoking habit. Smokers aren't filthy. SOME smokers are filthy.
 
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