Which Lube for Which Switch? 205g0 vs 3204 vs 105

The fastest way to ruin a switch isn’t lubing badly. It’s lubing with the wrong product. A thick grease that makes a linear sing will round the bump right out of a tactile, and a thin oil meant for springs will do almost nothing for a scratchy housing. Matching the lube to the switch is half the battle, and it’s the half beginners skip.

This guide cuts through the cryptic product names. We’ll focus on the three lubes you’ll hear about most, Krytox 205g0, Tribosys 3204, and Krytox 105, and exactly what each is for.

Grease vs oil: the first decision

Switch lubes split into two broad families.

• Greases are thick. They cling to surfaces and provide heavy smoothing. Ideal for the sliding parts of linear switches and stabilizers.
• Oils are thin and runny. They lubricate without muffling, which makes them right for springs and for tactiles where you want to keep the bump alive.

Get this distinction right and you’ve avoided the most common lubing disaster.

The three lubes you’ll actually use

Lube	Type	Best for	Avoid on
Krytox 205g0	Thick grease	Linear stems and housings, stabilizers	Tactile legs
Tribosys 3204	Medium grease	Tactiles: smooths without killing the bump	Heavy linear coats if you want max smooth
Krytox 105	Thin oil	Springs (kills ping)	Stem rails (too thin to smooth)

Krytox 205g0: the linear standard

If there’s a default lube in the hobby, it’s 205g0. It’s a thick grease that delivers maximum smoothness on linear switches, glazing the stem rails and housing so the press glides. It’s also the go-to for lubing stabilizers, where its thickness kills rattle.

The one rule: keep it off tactile stem legs. Its thickness will smooth the bump into mush.

Tribosys 3204: the tactile friend

3204 is thinner than 205g0, and that’s the point. On a tactile switch it reduces scratch and ping while preserving the crispness of the bump. It’s the safe choice when you want a tactile to feel refined without going soft. Many people also use it on linears for a slightly lighter, less glazed result than 205g0.

Krytox 105: the spring oil

105 is a thin oil, not a grease, and it has one main job: springs. A few drops in a bag with your springs, a shake to coat them, and the metallic ping that plagues many switches disappears. Don’t try to lube stem rails with 105. It’s far too thin to provide the smoothing a grease does.

A simple decision path

When you sit down to lube, ask three questions:

1. Is the switch linear? Use 205g0 on the rails, and be generous.
2. Is the switch tactile? Use 3204 on the rails, and keep everything well clear of the bump legs.
3. Are you doing springs? Bag them with a little 105.

That covers the vast majority of switch-lubing scenarios. Stabilizers, separately, want a thick grease like 205g0 (or a dielectric grease) to silence rattle.

What happens if you mismatch

Mismatches are instructive, if frustrating. Thick grease on a tactile’s legs flattens the bump you paid for. Thin spring oil on stem rails leaves the switch nearly as scratchy as before. Over-greasing anything produces a mushy, dead feel. Each mistake is recoverable (you just open the switch and correct it), but it’s faster to get the match right the first time.

The takeaway

Use thick grease (205g0) for linear smoothness and stabilizers, a medium grease (3204) for tactiles so the bump survives, and a thin oil (105) for springs to kill ping. The product matters as much as the technique. Match the lube to the switch, keep grease off tactile bump legs, and you’ll enhance a switch instead of accidentally erasing what made it good.