And before that, the MX500 was pretty good, too. Though I used the MX700 wireless version. They had a winning ergonomic design for years before they felt the need to fix what wasn't broken.
Agree, sadly the MX500 series tended to degrade way faster on the clicking buttons. Aka you started to get double clicks and failed clicks way too early compared to the MX518 and G500 and G600 series.
I have a MX500 & a MX518. My MX500 is still going strong. My MX518 I had to pull apart and clean.(Kids) Other than that both going strong. Mever upgraded bc honestly the over engineered "ergonomics" just put me off.
Still have my MX510 (blue), in use on my secondary pc or as a backup. G500s is my main, which isn't too far off in size/shape from the 510/518's. I agree with some other posts, their new mice just don't look appealing to me.
How about re-launching the Trackman Marble wired trackball? The fact that used ones still sell on Ebay for over $100 shows there's still demand for it.
Integrating updated tech into a product that was almost universally loved? Why, what a novel idea! Why didn't your customers tell you that's what they wanted? /s
Hey, how about a new "Couch Mouse", too? I'd like one that's rechargeable so I don't have to hot glue the poorly-designed battery door. Mine still works fine, but I'd buy a brand new one if I didn't have to deal with the battery door problem and could just plug it in every few months.
My 'legendary' MX518 turned out to have cheap Chinese switches in it, which wore out after about 5 years of moderate use. I replaced them with the Japanese equivalents. Those felt much more crisp (but of course were new), and are said to last longer (can't say yet). FWIW.
I did the same thing to my G700 about 2 years ago. The Japanese switches are still working great.
When I opened up the MX518 I gave to my brother to clean out all the orange juice my nephew has spilled on it over the past 5 years I found it also uses the Chinese switches, but they all work fine still.
Typically the soldering is easy. The G700 was a bit of a pain though because it has 2 overlapping PCBs, and you need to desolder the 20 pin bridge between the two to separate them and get to the switch solder points.
If you need to replace the left- or right-button switches; the one to get is the OMRON D2F-01F microswitch. This is made in Japan and noticeably better quality than the OMRON D2FC-F-7N switch made in China. You'll have to pull off the bottom slider feet to get at the screws to open the mouse; these slider feet will stick back on but replacements are (were) available. Be careful when opening the mouse, and make sure to note or get a picture of the springs around the wheel before they get dislodged. And of course you'll need some soldering skills to remove and replace the switches. There must be a Youtube video on this by now so look there.
I dont understand the MX518 hype... i had it when it came out and while the sensor was solid... the large Palm-type ergonomics were terrible for competitive FPS games. I recently got a G305 and IMHO, its the perfect mouse.
Absolutely. I went through half a dozen mice over the last few years because I couldn't find one that felt just right for my style of finger tip grip. Then I ordered the wired (G203) version of this mouse and I can say it's the best feeling mouse I've ever tried.
Same. I don't rest my palm on it. I have the liquid metal paint job. The logo is a bit worn though. Would be cool if they put the old logo on. Maybe ill just switch the shells.
My 518 has a marbley coating to its shell coloring and was the V1 of the product where there were fewer mouse skates beneath and laser was arranged more towards nose if I recall, this is part of the reason why I went to a coolermaster storm enforcer it lasted all of 9 mths before its usb card thing started acting up constantly, went to logitech G500s been with it since.
Two things I missed the most were that MX518 mouse I had, lasted probably a solid 10 years, replaced the skates once and finally laser called quits (countless tns thousand hours on/use) I also miss my Ideazon Zboard Merc V1, the V2 worked quite well but the paintjob they used on the keys did not last near as long, more prone to fail, but if you liked them Zboards nothing like them, sadly they gone way of the past...so awesome they were, if they upped to cherry switches would have been kick ass.
Anyways, if they used the V1 of the MX518 with the better sensor etc with an even better height from desk (so not scrapping palm all day long, the 500s is slightly better in this regard) as well as more improved mouse skates the slidey parts under a mouse to help slide easy) not that they were not slick enough, but rather they really did not last all that long, maybe a teflon with some type of polymer fibre mixed into it to help increase ability to abrasion (instead of being super slick like mirror is micro bumps so wicked friction free ability and abrasion resistance)
This shape is not ambidextrous at all. Has the author ever used one of these classic MX mice? This is good news. I've been using the same mouse shape since the wireless MX 700. Then, after running through 2 or 3 of those, I moved on to the MX 518, and probably went through 2 of those. Today, I'm using a G400s, and I have another waiting in the box, so I was prepared for Logitech not releasing another MX518. But they've done the smart thing and re-released a mouse that will be cheap to make (they've done all the design work), and is in high demand (who the hell doesn't like the classic MX shape?) I'll be buying one for sure.
I have two MX518's - one at home and one at work and i've tried the later G-versions .. supposedly G400 was the replacement for MX518 , but man it was just fail. the plastic was suuuuper cheap and the coating was horrible.
I will most likely get one of these new MX518'ies and check it out .. if its the same quality or better i'll get 4 more just to stock them up.
Second hand MX518 sells for 200-300 $ in unbroken package !!!! It's just the perfect everyday AND casual gamer mouse.
Having owned both mice, there's no comparison. I would take the G502 every time. And no, the MX518 had no "freewheel" mode. Its wheel wasn't even weighted - just rubber-coated plastic.
I don't get it. I had one of these I dug out of a draw a couple years ago and recently replaced with a G502 and haven't looked back.
The MX518 was hard to properly clean, with a finish that felt weird and tacky. Also, the tracking sensitivity buttons were too easy to accidentally bump.
Now if they put that sensor in the M570 wireless trackball, that would be a great thing I would buy. I can't remeber the last time I've used a mouse on any of my systems...
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43 Comments
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pookguy88 - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link
ok now please remake the G900 so I don't have to pay over twice as much on the secondary marketprophet001 - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
G700Stk11 - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link
Nice. All their new stuff looks terrible.Ashinjuka - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link
Don't forget the MX518's predecessor, the MX510 which came in a fetching red or blue.Billy Tallis - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link
And before that, the MX500 was pretty good, too. Though I used the MX700 wireless version. They had a winning ergonomic design for years before they felt the need to fix what wasn't broken.tamalero - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link
Agree, sadly the MX500 series tended to degrade way faster on the clicking buttons. Aka you started to get double clicks and failed clicks way too early compared to the MX518 and G500 and G600 series.Manch - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
I have a MX500 & a MX518. My MX500 is still going strong. My MX518 I had to pull apart and clean.(Kids) Other than that both going strong. Mever upgraded bc honestly the over engineered "ergonomics" just put me off.Gasaraki88 - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
I'm still using the MX510. No issue with the buttons.teldar - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
I was still using my mx700 until a couple months ago. I would guess it was 15 years old? I had it before I got married in 2005, I think.Vepsa - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
I had the MX518 in blue, wore the blue off.spe1491 - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
Still have my MX510 (blue), in use on my secondary pc or as a backup. G500s is my main, which isn't too far off in size/shape from the 510/518's. I agree with some other posts, their new mice just don't look appealing to me.flyingpants265 - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
There was also a goddamn BF2142 edition mx518. that game was utterly amazing, probably the last good BF besides the bad company seriesFreihEitner - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link
How about re-launching the Trackman Marble wired trackball? The fact that used ones still sell on Ebay for over $100 shows there's still demand for it.Strunf - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
I bought a new one like a moth ago ($30), maybe they just don't sale it in your country.bloodgain - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link
Integrating updated tech into a product that was almost universally loved? Why, what a novel idea! Why didn't your customers tell you that's what they wanted? /sHey, how about a new "Couch Mouse", too? I'd like one that's rechargeable so I don't have to hot glue the poorly-designed battery door. Mine still works fine, but I'd buy a brand new one if I didn't have to deal with the battery door problem and could just plug it in every few months.
Zoomer - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link
Wired is great. I have a wireless Revolution at work that I just leave plugged in to USB power all the time anyway.Arbie - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link
My 'legendary' MX518 turned out to have cheap Chinese switches in it, which wore out after about 5 years of moderate use. I replaced them with the Japanese equivalents. Those felt much more crisp (but of course were new), and are said to last longer (can't say yet). FWIW.Khenglish - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link
I did the same thing to my G700 about 2 years ago. The Japanese switches are still working great.When I opened up the MX518 I gave to my brother to clean out all the orange juice my nephew has spilled on it over the past 5 years I found it also uses the Chinese switches, but they all work fine still.
piroroadkill - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
Switches go in mice.. they're cheap to buy and the soldering difficulty is lowKhenglish - Saturday, February 23, 2019 - link
Typically the soldering is easy. The G700 was a bit of a pain though because it has 2 overlapping PCBs, and you need to desolder the 20 pin bridge between the two to separate them and get to the switch solder points.Safrout - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
can you please give more info about such mod ?i have the mx518 and the G500
Arbie - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
If you need to replace the left- or right-button switches; the one to get is the OMRON D2F-01F microswitch. This is made in Japan and noticeably better quality than the OMRON D2FC-F-7N switch made in China. You'll have to pull off the bottom slider feet to get at the screws to open the mouse; these slider feet will stick back on but replacements are (were) available. Be careful when opening the mouse, and make sure to note or get a picture of the springs around the wheel before they get dislodged. And of course you'll need some soldering skills to remove and replace the switches. There must be a Youtube video on this by now so look there.tamalero - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link
The best gaming mice by a large margin. The Microsoft Gaming laser mouse was amazing as well.Opencg - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link
yeah i like the zowie that emulates that shapenorazi - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link
I dont understand the MX518 hype... i had it when it came out and while the sensor was solid... the large Palm-type ergonomics were terrible for competitive FPS games. I recently got a G305 and IMHO, its the perfect mouse.SquarePeg - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link
Absolutely. I went through half a dozen mice over the last few years because I couldn't find one that felt just right for my style of finger tip grip. Then I ordered the wired (G203) version of this mouse and I can say it's the best feeling mouse I've ever tried.piroroadkill - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
Palm? You can also finger-tip grip this shape. Either works.CU - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
Love my MX518. I am on my second one. Glad they are remaking it. Wish it had the liquid metal like paint job the old one, but the new one looks good.I have always used a finger-tip grip and never had a problem. My palm doesn't touch the mouse when I move it around.
Manch - Monday, February 25, 2019 - link
Same. I don't rest my palm on it. I have the liquid metal paint job. The logo is a bit worn though. Would be cool if they put the old logo on. Maybe ill just switch the shells.Dragonstongue - Thursday, February 21, 2019 - link
My 518 has a marbley coating to its shell coloring and was the V1 of the product where there werefewer mouse skates beneath and laser was arranged more towards nose if I recall, this is part of the reason why I went to a coolermaster storm enforcer it lasted all of 9 mths before its usb card thing started acting up constantly, went to logitech G500s been with it since.
Two things I missed the most were that MX518 mouse I had, lasted probably a solid 10 years, replaced the skates once and finally laser called quits (countless tns thousand hours on/use)
I also miss my Ideazon Zboard Merc V1, the V2 worked quite well but the paintjob they used on the keys did not last near as long, more prone to fail, but if you liked them Zboards nothing like them, sadly they gone way of the past...so awesome they were, if they upped to cherry switches would have been kick ass.
Anyways, if they used the V1 of the MX518 with the better sensor etc with an even better height from desk (so not scrapping palm all day long, the 500s is slightly better in this regard) as well as more improved mouse skates the slidey parts under a mouse to help slide easy) not that they were not slick enough, but rather they really did not last all that long, maybe a teflon with some type of polymer fibre mixed into it to help increase ability to abrasion (instead of being super slick like mirror is micro bumps so wicked friction free ability and abrasion resistance)
Montago - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
MX518 has a sensor in the middle of the mouse. the G500 on the other hand has a nose senserpiroroadkill - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
This shape is not ambidextrous at all. Has the author ever used one of these classic MX mice?This is good news. I've been using the same mouse shape since the wireless MX 700. Then, after running through 2 or 3 of those, I moved on to the MX 518, and probably went through 2 of those. Today, I'm using a G400s, and I have another waiting in the box, so I was prepared for Logitech not releasing another MX518. But they've done the smart thing and re-released a mouse that will be cheap to make (they've done all the design work), and is in high demand (who the hell doesn't like the classic MX shape?) I'll be buying one for sure.
max0x7ba - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
This mouse looks horrible and doesn't have enough buttons.They should remake G700 with all its buttons, that was the best Logitech mouse.
Montago - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
Ambidextrous ?? It's a RIGHT-HAND mouse !I have two MX518's - one at home and one at work and i've tried the later G-versions .. supposedly G400 was the replacement for MX518 , but man it was just fail. the plastic was suuuuper cheap and the coating was horrible.
I will most likely get one of these new MX518'ies and check it out .. if its the same quality or better i'll get 4 more just to stock them up.
Second hand MX518 sells for 200-300 $ in unbroken package !!!!
It's just the perfect everyday AND casual gamer mouse.
valinor89 - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
Does this have the ability to make the wheel spin freely? My G502 Proteus Core has that and it is sooo useful in an every day setting.I have not used the MX518 but for me the G502 is amazingly comfortable! It is definitely not ambidextrous thought...
mode_13h - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
Having owned both mice, there's no comparison. I would take the G502 every time. And no, the MX518 had no "freewheel" mode. Its wheel wasn't even weighted - just rubber-coated plastic.Gunbuster - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
How long before the soft touch rubberized coating starts coming off?mode_13h - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
I hated that coating. It always made the mouse feel dirty to me and made it difficult to clean.Valantar - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
"ambidextrous shape"? What are you on about? This is by definition not an ambidextrous design - it's a right handed mouse.mode_13h - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
I don't get it. I had one of these I dug out of a draw a couple years ago and recently replaced with a G502 and haven't looked back.The MX518 was hard to properly clean, with a finish that felt weird and tacky. Also, the tracking sensitivity buttons were too easy to accidentally bump.
MarcusTaz - Friday, February 22, 2019 - link
I'm still using my G5!! Can't wait for this to come out!Tylanner - Sunday, February 24, 2019 - link
Well I guess my BNIB mx518 is basically junk now.buggz - Monday, February 25, 2019 - link
Now if they put that sensor in the M570 wireless trackball, that would be a great thing I would buy.I can't remeber the last time I've used a mouse on any of my systems...