Building on the success of the ProjectD Outlaw65, Ducky is releasing the second keyboard in the ProjectD line-up: the Tinker65. It’s designed with affordability in mind but features many of the same features the Outlaw65 brought to its line-up: hot-swappable switches, layers of sound dampening foam, pre-lubed, screw-in stabilizers, and VIA compatibility for in-depth programming. Starting at $89 for the barebones kit and $109 for the pre-built version with switches and keycaps, it offers a lot of enthusiast features with Ducky’s pedigree and reputation to back it up.
Specifications
- Current Price:
- Pre-Assembled: $109 (Mechanical Keyboards)
- Barebones: $89.99 (Mechanical Keyboards)
- Key Features:
- Gasket mount design with FR4 plate
- 5-pin hotswap PCB with exclusive Kailh yellow hotswap sockets
- PE sheet, Poron plate foam & bottom foam for sound dampening and comfort
- Screw-in stabilizers
- Programmable with QMK and VIA
- Detachable braided USB-C cable
- 3-stage keyboard stand
- N-key rollover
- RGB LED backlight
- Black top case with white bottom case
- OEM profile Double Shot PBT keycaps
- Size: 65%
- Switch Stems: MX
- Physical Layout: ANSI
- Logical Layout: US QWERTY
- Frame Color: Black
- Frame Top Material: Plastic
- Frame Bottom Material: Plastic
- Primary LED Color: RGB
- Control LED Color: n/a
- Hotswap Sockets: Yes
- Switch Mount Type: Plate
- Built in Audio Port: No
- Built in Mic Port: No
- Interface(s): USB-C
- Windows Compatible: Yes
- Mac Compatible: Yes
- Linux Compatible: Yes
- Cord Length: 72 inches
Ducky ProjectD Tinker65- A Simpler Kind of Outlaw
The Tinker65 is Ducky’s second ProjectD keyboard, a moniker I first took for a code name but appears to be a new series of project keyboards. In this case, Ducky even gives you the option to skip the “project” of assembling it and fine-tuning it yourself with a completely built version that’s ready to use out of the box. If you have your own switches and keycaps, you can purchase the barebones kit and save $20. Both versions are relatively affordable at $109 and $89, especially from a larger established brand like Ducky.
The idea behind ProjectD is to bring custom keyboard features to mainstream consumers. The Outlaw65 was a full DIY kit, and a complicated one at that, but included the customary fully aluminum case, layers of sound dampening foam, gasket based mounting structure, screw-in stabilizers, south facing switches, and advanced programmability of limited run, group buy mechanical keyboard kits.
The Tinker65 takes all of that, drops the aluminum case, and covers most of the assembly at the factory. You get a similarly exceptional typing experience compared to most other premade keyboards (including many of Ducky’s own older keyboards), but don’t have to worry about piecing every component together by hand. If you buy the barebones version, all you need to do is press the switches and keycaps into place, no tools required.
Despite its name, it’s actually not advisable to take this keyboard apart yourself. There are no exposed screws and prying off the top portion of the case is risky due to its thin bezels. Thankfully, I didn’t find this necessary with how well tuned the stabilizers were out of the box. Still, given that it’s in the same line as a full DIY kit and is named “Tinker,” it’s a bit ironic that it seems best not to tinker with it.
Being a part of the ProjectD line-up still makes sense thanks to its construction. Most of the other features remain intact. It’s still a gasket-mounted hot-swappable mechanical keyboard with sheets of PORON foam sandwiched in between. It still uses south-facing switches and pre-lubed screw-in stabilizers. The biggest differences are the new plastic case and that this version comes with standard Cherry MX Red, Brown, or Blue switches, not the newer MX2As.
It even uses the same layout as the Outlaw65. The 65% design is very compact, trimming off all but a single row to the right of the alphas and modifiers. It also shrinks the right shift and drops the Sys and Right Control buttons to make room for arrow keys. There is no F-row, but there is a single column of navigation and editing buttons to the right. On the pre-assembled version I tested, they were mapped to Delete, Page Up, Page Down, and End.
If given a choice between the barebones kit and the pre-built, I would recommend spending the extra $20 on the pre-built version. You can call it a day there if you’d like, but buying a set of keycaps is likely to cost more than just upgrading and you also get a set of Cherry switches thrown in.
Ducky’s keycaps are excellent too. They’re made of doubleshot PBT plastic, which means the legends are made from a second layer of plastic, so shining and chipping will never be an issue. They’re lightly textured, which feels very nice under the fingers. PBT is a denser plastic than traditional ABS and these are made with nice thick walls than lend a solid tactility under the fingers and a deepness to the sound of typing.
I do wish it was available with more than Cherry switches, however. You can easily change these out, but like the Outlaw65, the scratchiness of Cherry switches — in both feel and sound — undermines how good the Tinker is capable of feeling. I swapped out for a set of pre-lubed linear switches from KZZI, budget switches that were thrown in for free to test with a different review, and they instantly enhanced the typing experience.
That’s part of the beauty of this design, though: you’re free to try new things and discover what you like. The Tinker saves you having to put everything together but makes it easy to try out new switches and hear and feel them in an opportune setting (the chassis with included foams). If you’re buying this particular keyboard, there’s a good chance you’re early into the hobby and interested in exactly that kind of experimentation and it supports it well.
Ducky ProjectD Tinker65 - Typing, Gaming, and Impressions
The Tinker65, at its core, is Ducky’s take on the affordable custom keyboard and it does that job well. It offers a good sound and feel (with the switches changed) and offers easy programmability thanks to its VIA compatibility (an open-source keyboard software that stores your changes to its onboard memory). The design is minimalist but stylish with its black-on-white, layered design. At the same time, its per-key RGB illumination is bright, smooth, and flowing. I like it.
For typing, I wasn’t a fan of the Cherry switches. That’s a personal thing, though, and if you like Cherry, I think you’ll find a lot to enjoy here straight out of the box. For me, a nice pre-lubed linear really enhanced the experience. Contrary to what the custom keyboard community might have you believe, you don’t need a fully aluminum case to have a keyboard that sounds good. The Tinker65 isn’t the best I’ve heard, but it’s good, and is second-best in Ducky’s line-up, right behind the Outlaw65.
The gasket mounting is firm but there’s enough give to see some movement under your fingers. This translates to a softer overall typing and gaming experience. This is especially noticeable if you spend a lot of time at your PC. It pulls of the “pleasant” and “satisfying” elements of mechanical keyboard typing very well and made me want to come back and keep typing.
Compared to many other keyboards aiming at the custom keyboard space, it’s quite light and doesn’t feel exceptionally premium in any way. It has the features, but it’s much closer to a Ducky One 2 SF in weight and feel. That’s not bad, per se, but it does make the build quality feel pretty run of the mill, even against companies like Womier or XVX that are known for their budget-oriented offerings yet have really been upping their game lately. A weight inside would have helped with this perception.
But again — it’s not poorly made, doesn’t sound hollow, doesn’t flex like it’s using cheap materials. It’s just surprisingly light.
For gaming, I think it’s a very solid choice. It’s compact size leaves more room for your mouse hand and the exceptional programmability makes creating multiple layouts for different games easy. The right-side nav column is perfect for some macros, but the sky is really the limit outside of complex macros. VIA is very good for remapping and layering commands but it doesn’t have a record button for easy macro programming, so you’ll be limited to text strings unless you’re interesting in typing out specific key codes in proper syntax into its macro editor.
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Final Thoughts
Overall, I like the ProjectD Tinker65. In the custom keyboard world, it’s not really bringing anything new but it is bringing known features to more accessible price points with the backing of a big brand. It also includes great keycaps and a pre-assembly process that makes modding a non-issue. Add switches or keycaps, or buy the pre-assembled version, and you’re good to go out of the box. It’s a solid foundation to build on and an invitation to tinker with different switches and explore the hobby.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.
