As some of you know, I have been trying some alternative lubes. The purpose of this was to find a Krytox alternative that is available locally.
I have not found a 100% replacement yet, but what I have found is something still perfectly useable. Especially if you want to try your hand at lubing, and still experience the feel and sound without the major premium that comes with Krytox and the like, If you are are lubing expensive switches or want to have the best lube experience, stick with Krytox/Tribosys.
Our winner: Lucas oil's Factory Team Silicone Shock Fluid @ 80w. (1000cst) Coming in at R150 for 60ml. I bought mine from Jix Hobbies in Pretoria.
This sits perfectly between a thick and a thin lube. It's staying power seems to be fine and it is fairly easy to apply with a small brush. During all my tests, it did not become sticky after time and seems to hold up well. If this lasts a year, I would count it as a definite win.
I tested with Gateron Yellows, Cherry MX Reds, Gateron Reds and Outemu Browns. I also lubed the sample set with Krytox 205g0 and failed a blind test almost every time. The Krytox does have a slightly different sound, but they felt near identical to me. Without an A/B comparison, I wouldn't be able to say which is which.
Out of curiosity, I ended up lubing my entire Redragon 60% to see if I can improve the feel of Outemu browns. PS: Outemu switches are an absolute bitch to open.
Here's a short sound test comparing stock and lubed Outemu Brown switches with the Lucas oil product;
www.ctrlshiftesc.co.za
