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Been building boards for 5 years. Hotswap sockets are better than soldering for most people.
I used to be one of those "real builders solder" guys. Bought a nice Hakko station and everything. But after building 3 boards with millmax sockets this month for friends, I think I was wrong. You can test different switches without desoldering. If a pin bends you just pop in a new socket instead of fighting with a solder sucker. And honestly? The typing feel is identical if you use quality sockets like the 0305's. Unless you're doing something exotic like Alps or beamspring conversions, sockets save time and frustration. Am I missing something or is soldering just tradition at this point?
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david_adams19d agoMost Upvoted
Is the feeling of "building" supposed to be the whole point, or is a robust, durable connection? I've had more than a few hotswap sockets fail on me after a year or two of daily typing, where the metal loses its grip and your switch just pops out. Soldering might take longer, but that permanent bond guarantees your work lasts, and to me that's worth the extra hour or two.
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