[Hardware] Do you need to get the keys to your keyboard? Do it with these tools

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A key puller is a simple tool, which is used to extract the keys of a mechanical keyboard safely and easily. However there are different types of them, some are widely used while others are used only in extremely expensive keyboard models. That is why we have made a list of the different types of key pullers that exist on the market.

Having a tool with which to be able to remove the keys to clean or change them is essential, the keys wear out or can even break, so it is time to change them. You may even have bought a set of keys that you like more for some reason, whatever the case, you need a key puller and that is why we present you the different options.

Types of keypuller

The best known key pullers are those made of wire and those with a plastic ring, but there are different types, some of them you may not have heard mentioned, others you will remember that strange piece that came with the keyboard and you did not know what it was for and what you left lying around. The answer to its use? It is used to clean the keyboard, which many of you have not cleaned for a long time and accumulating dirt and hair. So now you know, if you need to remove the keys for later cleaning, you have many different options.

 

They are the most traditional, they are based on two wires connected to a plastic handle, which allow to surround the key to easily pull them for removal from the keyboard. They are compatible with all types of keyboards and we recommend their use over plastic ring key pullers, since there is less danger of breaking something during extraction.

Its counterpart? We can produce scratches on the keys when removing them, so if you are one of the people who like to keep everything intact, we recommend that you handle it with care, although it is very difficult to scratch a key in this operation.

These types of tools to extract keys are more limited than those based on wire key pullers, since they are designed for a specific key size, so they are not suitable for extracting special keys that have a different shape than the standard one. .

How it works? We only have to grasp the key with the pins of the Ring Puller, place our finger on the ring and pull them to remove the key, but we have to be careful when pulling the plastic ring in some cases.

 

These types of key pullers usually come standard with some keyboards from the Japanese brand Topre, as well as sets of replacement keys. They are not at all common but if you have a keyboard that uses the switches of that brand it is possible that you have one of these Key Pullers, since they usually come with them.

Its use has to be done with caution, since being made of metal it can scratch the keys and in the case of some keys a force greater than average is required to remove them.

H Key Pullers have two tips, one for normal keys and the other for larger keys. Some types of special key are made up of two different parts, which is the base of the key and the cap of the key. In these cases they usually come with a Key Puller in H where one end is used to extract the cap and the other the base of it.

To all this we must remember that the use of special Key Pullers is not normal today, but you can find yourself with keyboards of yesteryear, such as the IBM Model M that made use of special Key Pullers. Which IBM used to include standard on keyboard versions when purchased separately.

Flat blade screwdriver
Key screwdriver

No, we have not gone crazy, most of us have used a flat blade screwdriver to pry out the keys from the keyboard with a very simple method. It is only necessary to put the tip horizontally and force it up. For many the best option, not in vain, is the most famous and the one that has the most successful among the people.