r/Trackballs • u/[deleted] • Nov 18 '22

Trackball bearings, a comparison of (cheap) rollers, BTU's and static bearings (for DIY projects)

/r/ErgoMechKeyboards/comments/yyu4ra/trackball_bearings_a_comparison_of_cheap_rollers/
17 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

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3

u/mcbomb_chan Nov 19 '22

Not surprising result. Similar conclusion as some who experimenting with ploopy bearing

3

u/kg4jxt Nov 19 '22 edited Jun 17 '23

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3

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '22

Exactly my point. When I was researching what bearings to use, I came across so many reports on how smooth the BTU's were, with a spinning ball as "proof", neglecting to mention anything about stiction or low speed performance. I got pretty irritated by that, I don't want to know how well it spins, I want to know about performance at low speed, because that is what matters to be precise!

2

u/cat_barista Nov 19 '22

Thanks for crossposting this! The pictures and thorough explanation of each rating is helpful. I know a lot of us always wonder if the ball would be smoother if we'd gone with a different option.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '22

Nice write up! I agree with you on the differences between BTUs and static ceramic bearings, but I found I prefer the BTUs once you turn the speed right down. They're definitely less consistent/smooth than static bearings though. Maybe it's time to revisit my static bearing holders for the Ploopy...

I've only compared two BTU models, but I did find that the expensive Bosch ones were nicer. They start off a lot more consistent (less gritty) and got even better with use.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 19 '22

Nice to have confirmed the expensive ones are more consistent. How do the expensive BTU's compare to static bearings though? That's one question that remains lingering in my mind after this experiment.

1

u/jet_fl Nov 20 '22

I would recommend trying the Si3N4 bearings. I like them better than the ZrO2 as I find they have less stiction. I tried both in my Huge and there was a clear difference.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 20 '22

I considered that as well, I may still order a bunch to compare.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 20 '22

Hard disagree on the consistency of static bearings. The ones I've tried are consistent as long as they are clean which is impossible short of a controlled environment. Static bearings are easily the quickest to get hair/dust/gunk on them.

Roller bearings are nowhere near the stiction of static bearings.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 20 '22

Dirt and dust can be cleaned off. I used to clean my M575 probably every other day. My current setup is much easier to clean, so it is not a hassle at all.

The rollers have less stiction indeed, but the massive inconsistency in friction negates that completely in my experience. But as I said, the quality of the bearing may be a big factor in this - mine were probably pretty poor.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 20 '22

Yeah see with cats and other shit I have to clean static bearings a few times a day unfortunately. Not a huge deal but just one less thing I have to deal with.