Logitech's M510: The Wireless Alternative to Cheap Wired Mice?

[PGHammer]

Not everybody wants to get spendy on mice; regardless of whether you're on a desktop or a notebook, there are some of us that still believe in basic (as in VERY basic) rodents - even to the point where we settle for the "brand X" basic mice that come iwth name-brand desktops and notebooks (if we are lucky, they are manufactured by Microsoft).  Thing is, all too often, we aren't that lucky, and we wind up with a truly brand X rodent, which, unfortunately, has a tendency to fail on us when we least want OR expect it to.  How do we find a solid mouse that isn't a wallet-breaker?  As far as wireless mice have gone, I have typically looked to Logitech for answers; and specifically to the V220 Cordless - in fact, I still have one that dates back to - of all things - Windows 7; in other words, it predates my first notebook.  (Even more hilariously, while it has the "for Notebooks" label, it has been used mostly as a desktop mouse).  However, the V220 Cordless has not been manufactured by Logitech in over a decade, and the one I have currently is showing its age.  Has Logitech - or anyone else - come up with a wireless rodent that wears as well - or better - than the venerable V220?

 

Logitech's M510

 

The M510 is packaged similarly to the V220 Cordless - included are the receiver (in a step up, it uses Logitech's Unifying Receiver - so you can add a keyboard hat can work with it - which covers most of Logitech's wireless keyboards) as well as two AA Duracell batteries (not even the batteries are brand X).  Optionally, you can add Logitech's Options control software (which supports Windows 10 in every flavor).

 

Feel and Heft - Better than the V220

 

Amazingly, the only mice that have beaten the V220 in use have been wired mice - even in the decade-plus the V220 has been in battery.  Until now.  The M510 blows the V220 into next month.  Not to heavy, and not too light.  It's a wireless rodent I can use day in and day out.  Desktops, notebooks, what-have-you.

 

It Costs "how little"?

I found this "Wondre Mouse" on Amazon for all of $18.96USD.  To put that in perspective, the V220 originally cost MORE than that when i bought it retail at Office Depot.  This one is for Mom - so now I have to scout out one for me.

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

I use SEVERAL Logitech mice. I use a M317 right now on my main desktop. I have about 10 different mice laying around here. 1 AA lasts about 3-4 months. And that's during heavy use.

 

Just buy them from Target whenever they go on sale. Usually $20, $10 on sale.

 

 

[PGHammer]

11 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

I use SEVERAL Logitech mice. I use a M317 right now on my main desktop. I have about 10 different mice laying around here. 1 AA lasts about 3-4 months. And that's during heavy use.

 

Just buy them from Target whenever they go on sale. Usually $20, $10 on sale.

 

 

I purchase from Amazon for the same reason most folks that buy from there do - convenient, convenient, and cheap prices.  To avoid bad deals as much as possible, I typically buy from Amazon itself - not a reseller (which was the case with the M510 I reviewed.  Target is actually further out (brick and mortar) than Office Depot (same town); worse, you run the real risk of running out of stock.  (About the only time that Amazon runs out of stock of something they have on sale is when they buy too few - which has happened to me never.  In other words, if it's on sale and Amazon is the seller, you can usually be sure the sale will end before they run empty.)  Also, they actually include the batteries - that is something that neither Office Depot OR Staples EVER do (and even MicroCenter seldom does) when it comes to wireless mice - and if they do, it's typically brand X - which Duracell definitely isn't.  (The Copper Top is my own preference for batteries when it comes to rodents.)

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

6 minutes ago, PGHammer said:

I purchase from Amazon for the same reason most folks that buy from there do - convenient, convenient, and cheap prices.  To avoid bad deals as much as possible, I typically buy from Amazon itself - not a reseller (which was the case with the M510 I reviewed.  Target is actually further out (brick and mortar) than Office Depot (same town); worse, you run the real risk of running out of stock.  (About the only time that Amazon runs out of stock of something they have on sale is when they buy too few - which has happened to me never.  In other words, if it's on sale and Amazon is the seller, you can usually be sure the sale will end before they run empty.)  Also, they actually include the batteries - that is something that neither Office Depot OR Staples EVER do (and even MicroCenter seldom does) when it comes to wireless mice - and if they do, it's typically brand X - which Duracell definitely isn't.  (The Copper Top is my own preference for batteries when it comes to rodents.)

Well, Amazon is a larger company than Office Depot or Target put together. So they have a larger quantity.

[ThaCrip]

I got a Logitech M510 (had it in my hand since Dec 17th 2015 for $21.76 on Ebay) and it's a great bang-for-the-buck mouse as it's hard to beat especially for the price. I don't really see the point in shelling out more $ when this does all of the stuff one expects a mouse to do with the usual right/left/center clicks, along with mouse wheel, and the usual forward and back buttons for websites and for a great price. all of those other functions on other mouses are just overkill in my mind. like unless your some professional gamer(or the like), those high $ mouses are a waste of $.

 

also, I use two AA Eneloop NiMh batteries (along with the Maha C-9000 charger (basically the best four AA/AAA battery charger)) in the M510 which means I won't be buying batteries for it and don't have to worry about battery leaks either that Alkaline batteries have problems with. but in general, depending on usage, I would say someone should be able to get AT LEAST 6 months out of the batteries even under fairly heavy usage. I typically re-charge mine about once every 6 months so I don't drain them too low given my testing etc.

 

in fact, I kind of done a small little test (which should be a good ball park figure test) with the Eneloop's on the M510 mouse. with Eneloop batteries on basically a full charge here is some info....

 

-after 2 months of use (12-17-15 to 2-18-16) = 1.287v
-after 3 months of use (12-17-15 to 3-18-16) = 1.277v
-after 4 months of use (12-17-15 to 4-17-16) = 1.264v
(missed recording info in between for months 5/6/7)
-after 8 months of use (12-17-15 to 8-18-16) = 1.215v
-after 10+ months of use (12-17-15 to 10-28-16) (flashing red light on mouse started which indicates low battery) = 1.0xxV

 

so in other words... I can only get about 10 months out of the batteries with my general usage(which I suspect will vary some with each charge). but it's hard to say how far these batteries would have lasted had I let them run to the point the mouse no longer responds as I might have possibly got another month or so out of them(?). but with that said... I re-charge them about once every 6-8 months to play it safe as I figure unless your really using it a lot (like say play first person shooter types of games on the mouse often) one should be able to get a minimum of 6 months+ per charge.

 

NOTE: while those NiMh batteries are rated at 1.2v they are about 1.441-1.442v after a full charge after sitting for some hours afterwards and not to mention since the mouse is a low drain device they don't tax those batteries at all so the voltages will remain higher than something that drinks the power (with moderate to high drain. with a higher drain device, like a flashlight, in which the voltage will drop off a bit with a bit of use and then slowly climb back up after it's been sitting again). but I would typically say that 1.3xV is probably more normal for a resting voltage after they have been sitting a while off the top of my head. also, those batteries might have been cycled roughly 100 times or so(?) on my Logitech MX700 that i currently have in the M510 mouse.

NOTE: from what I have heard, as a general ball park estimate on how much juice is still in the battery... when a NiMh battery is at a resting voltage of v1.20 (or close like v1.21 or v1.22 etc) they are pretty much drained or not far from it.

 

p.s. my wireless mouse prior to the M510 was a old Logitech MX700 which was solid in it's day but given it burns through a set of batteries about once a week, re-chargeable batteries are a must on that thing but I don't really use that anymore.

 

hell, I got a Logitech K120 keyboard (had it since Aug 2011) which is a great bang-for-the-buck keyboard to as you can often get these for around $10 and can't be beat for that price range as it's just a good/reliable keyboard that does what it supposed to do. I even take it apart and clean it once in a while (maybe once a year or so) with a old toothbrush and dish soap as inside of the keyboard is pretty basic stuff that you can remove and then just thoroughly clean the hard plastic and don't touch the rest of it.

Edited August 11, 2018 by ThaCrip

[adrynalyne]

TBH, I would spend a few more dollars and get a mouse that gets a year longer in battery life, feels better in hand imo, and has free scrolling. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-M705-Wireless-Marathon-Mouse/dp/B003TG75EG?keywords=m705&qid=1533987335&sr=8-1&ref=mp_s_a_1_1

 

 

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

18 minutes ago, adrynalyne said:

TBH, I would spend a few more dollars and get a mouse that gets a year longer in battery life, feels better in hand imo, and has free scrolling. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-M705-Wireless-Marathon-Mouse/dp/B003TG75EG?keywords=m705&qid=1533987335&sr=8-1&ref=mp_s_a_1_1

 

 

"Feel better" is a personal preference. I have small hands, my M317 is perfect for me.

 

Extra batteries, who gives a rip? I get my batteries when it goes on sale for 40 cants per battery. That's a small cost against your link.

[ThaCrip]

8 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

I have small hands, my M317 is perfect for me.

 

That mouse lacks forward/back buttons which is a show stopper for me (no forward or back on websites and for gaming it's pretty standard to have those as I would not want to go without them) and seems a bit small as the M510 I would classify as pretty standard mouse size which I would assume works for most people well enough.

 

that M317 seems more for a portable/very basic use thing, maybe for occasional use on a laptop(since it's better than a touchpad), more than a day-to-day use thing on a primary desktop computer.

NOTE: my hands are probably on the smaller side as I am only 5'7" @ 142-143lbs which makes my overall size in general smaller than most adult males.

 

p.s. that M510 is a best seller on Amazon with 11,481 reviews. that's got to say something.

 

11 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

Extra batteries, who gives a rip? I get my batteries when it goes on sale for 40 cants per battery. That's a small cost against your link.

 

Yeah, once the battery life reaches a certain point (like is the case with the M510 as it's high enough), then battery life is not much of a issue and would only be a small bonus assuming you like both mouses roughly the same. I guess technically, at some point the $ saved on batteries would cover the cost difference between the M705 and M510 etc but depending on how cheap your batteries are that could take a long time just to break even.

 

still, I could possibly see how some might prefer M705 as, at least based on the picture, it does look a little fancier and does not cost much more. but in the end it's probably a personal preference thing. but then again with the M510 is a best seller on Amazon that's got to say quite a bit as it's got nearly triple the total reviews of the M705.

 

Ill likely be using my M510 for many years to come. hell, even if it ever dies ill probably just buy another one.

[PGHammer]

8 hours ago, Mindovermaster said:

"Feel better" is a personal preference. I have small hands, my M317 is perfect for me.

 

Extra batteries, who gives a rip? I get my batteries when it goes on sale for 40 cants per battery. That's a small cost against your link.

I have large hands with long fingers (the stereotypical "pianist's hands") - it is why I stopped making do with "house bowling balls" except in extremis and have mine custom-drilled or, when getting pre-owned, have them re-drilled - any bowling alley worth anything has an on-site house-driller that can re-drill; my house lanes - AMF Marlow Heights - is no exception.  The same problem exists with wireless mice - all too many are designed for smaller hands.  In fact, so far, only the V220 and M510 among the low-end wireless mice fit my oversized mitts, and I lucked out and found the M510 on sale (even cheaper than my Mom got hers - by $1.02 USD - and from Amazon itself)  The only diff is color; Mom's is black (mine is cobalt blue, as is the V220 it will replace).

 

Duracell has been the *house battery * for over a decade (from remote controls to rodents to handsets); so far, I have not found any battery that has even matched them - for any use.  (To find that they are also the recommended *house battery* for Logitech itself kind of puts the stamp of approval on them.)  Also, Logitech still uses standard battery sizes - which makes picking up replacements - when needed - a snap; I can order multipacks from Amazon or even snag them locally from Lowe's or Home Depot should either have a special on them - which both have been known to do when Amazon itself does not.

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

30 minutes ago, PGHammer said:

I have large hands with long fingers (the stereotypical "pianist's hands") - it is why I stopped making do with "house bowling balls" except in extremis and have mine custom-drilled or, when getting pre-owned, have them re-drilled - any bowling alley worth anything has an on-site house-driller that can re-drill; my house lanes - AMF Marlow Heights - is no exception.  The same problem exists with wireless mice - all too many are designed for smaller hands.  In fact, so far, only the V220 and M510 among the low-end wireless mice fit my oversized mitts, and I lucked out and found the M510 on sale (even cheaper than my Mom got hers - by $1.02 USD - and from Amazon itself)  The only diff is color; Mom's is black (mine is cobalt blue, as is the V220 it will replace).

 

Duracell has been the *house battery * for over a decade (from remote controls to rodents to handsets); so far, I have not found any battery that has even matched them - for any use.  (To find that they are also the recommended *house battery* for Logitech itself kind of puts the stamp of approval on them.)  Also, Logitech still uses standard battery sizes - which makes picking up replacements - when needed - a snap; I can order multipacks from Amazon or even snag them locally from Lowe's or Home Depot should either have a special on them - which both have been known to do when Amazon itself does not.

Totally understood. It's all about personal preference. I might like a small mouse when you prefer big. We can both click "Submit Reply"

[PGHammer]

2 minutes ago, Mindovermaster said:

Totally understood. It's all about personal preference. I might like a small mouse when you prefer big. We can both click "Submit Reply"

True; finding that the M510 is also an Amazon Best Seller was a bit of a shocker, as it wasn't why I recommended it to Mom - or why I selected it for myself - in both cases, it was personal preference.

 

Logitech and Microsoft have been the two mouse brands I have preferred since Windows/286; fit, finish, and because they hold up! (That they have been able to use each other's drivers merely sealed the deal; that was, ironically, BEFORE that silly lawsuit over driver compatibility filed by Logitech against Microsoft over MS-DOS.)  Since THAT spat went away, you can (and I have) still used drivers of one with hardware of the other - and in some cases, I have actually documented it here on Neowin - such as using the Mouse and Keyboard Center with a Microsoft Keyboard and Logitech wireless mouse (specifically the V220) as a tag-team.  Though I DO like that sort of versatility, I am quite aware that it comes out of Wrong Field (when the trend is toward specificity when it comes to drivers (if not operating systems and hardware) - I have, in fact, pointed that out.  There are times when being generic pays rather rich dividends.

[Mindovermaster Moderator]

25 minutes ago, PGHammer said:

True; finding that the M510 is also an Amazon Best Seller was a bit of a shocker, as it wasn't why I recommended it to Mom - or why I selected it for myself - in both cases, it was personal preference.

You recommended it to me? Thanks!

 

(MoM joke...)

[Circaflex]

10 hours ago, Mindovermaster said:

"Feel better" is a personal preference. I have small hands, my M317 is perfect for me.

You might have missed the part of the post you were quoting where he said IMO, which is exactly what you said by saying personal preference. I don't think he was saying his model was better.

 

10 hours ago, Mindovermaster said:

Extra batteries, who gives a rip? I get my batteries when it goes on sale for 40 cants per battery. That's a small cost against your link.

It's not that it comes with "extra batteries." its just more energy efficient and doesn't need replacing as often. Sure the cost of extra batteries is not expensive, especially when on sale as you mentioned, but those times the mouse runs out and you dont have a spare battery is annoying.

[PGHammer]

1 hour ago, Mindovermaster said:

You recommended it to me? Thanks!

 

(MoM joke...)

Actually, it's a general recommendation (to everyone - not just you); I don't keep hidden my recommendations (I've taken to posting public reviews on Amazon of purchases that I approve of - using my real name, no less).  If I ever need to "spank" a product I've purchased there, I will do the same.  That is, in fact, one reason I am using my tablet to post my reviews on Amazon - it's the one device that I don't use a "handle" on.  (That isn't true of my phone or any of my computers (desktop OR three notebooks).)  I am also awaiting the general drop of Fortnite for Android so I can throw THAT on my tablet as well (finally got Fortnite on my S7 sorted).

 

[ThaCrip]

4 hours ago, PGHammer said:

Duracell has been the *house battery * for over a decade (from remote controls to rodents to handsets); so far, I have not found any battery that has even matched them - for any use.

 

In terms of for 'any use' AA sized battery I can guarantee you I could find better than any Alkaline based battery (for certain devices)....

 

-Eneloop NiMh (rechargeable) (the standard 2000mAh rated batteries. these are simply the best all around NiMh battery on the market)

-Energizer Lithium (non-rechargeable) (while these are also great they are expensive and only a one time use. but they do have their uses like if your using something in cold weather etc they are more immune to cold temps etc)

 

that's especially true for power hog devices.

 

basically NiMh (and even those Lithium non-rechargeable for that matter) will easily top any Alkaline based battery in medium to high drain devices. in other words... the more of a power hog a device is, the more benefit from those over Alkaline. but in a lower drain device, Alkaline is solid which basically the mouses we talk about in the topic are pretty safe to say are low drain devices and won't benefit much from NiMh etc. so in a low drain device about the only real advantage NiMh or those non-rechargeable lithium have is that they don't leak.

 

p.s. like for example... my O-Light i3E flashlight (came out in early 2016 or so and are water proof. which is a pretty damn bright flashlight for it's size with a nice even spray of light and the flashlight itself is about the size of 1 AA sized battery as the flashlight itself is a little taller but similar width etc to the standard AA sized batt. about $10-15 on Ebay etc), which takes 1 AAA sized battery... these clearly benefit from Eneloops (or pretty much any NiMh based battery) over Alkaline as they hold their peak brightness for longer... http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/khk0603/media/cGF0aDpPbGlnaHQgaTNFIEVPUy9TLTE5LmpwZw==/?ref= ; basically Eneloop's have 54min runtime at basically full brightness where as your typical Alkaline based battery only holds peak brightness for roughly 13-17min or so before it starts dimming and then it's pretty much shot at around 35min (I suspect different alkaline batteries might fluctuate a little but that should be the general pattern). plus not to mention Eneloop can be re-charged many times before they start losing peak-ish charge. that flashlight is just a great all around flashlight to have as you won't have trouble seeing anything with it that's for sure and even at a decent distance and the thing is pretty much the size of a AA sized battery.