You can now buy replacement trackball balls in red, blue, black, and violet colors — compatible with Logitech, Kensington, Elecom, and ProtoArc mice

Sanwa 400-MABALL34 is available in four colors

(Image credit: Sanwa Supply Co. Ltd)

The frequently overlooked, sometimes shunned, trackball pointing device is getting some love with a Japanese tech accessories maker launching replacement balls in a choice of four colors. Earlier this week, Sanwa Supply Co., Ltd. announced (machine translation) that it has started marketing its ‘400-MABALL34’ in four colors: red, blue, black, and violet. The balls are said to be easy to swap out components for trackball pointing devices with a 34mm ball, which includes popular products from Logitech, Kensington, Elecom, ProtoArc, and Sanwa themselves.

If your old trackball has become worn, discolored, or you think it would benefit from a swap-out for more pizzazz, Sanwa’s 400-MABALL34 can give your device a shot of new life. When this launch news surfaced in the Tom’s Hardware newsroom, the first comment, though, was “why no RGB?” which might seem like a missed opportunity. Or perhaps adding a small battery and LEDs to the ball could affect its balance and performance…

We already mentioned that these colorful replacement balls have a diameter of 34mm. Sanwa shared some other essential specs, which seem to indicate this is a quality replacement. For example, it claims that the 400-MABALL34 has a roundness tolerance of 50 μm. That means tight quality control in manufacturing these spheres, which should ensure smooth and accurate performance. The product maker also says the ball surface has a 0.3μm surface roughness, which we would hope provides a good balance between slickness and finger grip.

Image 1 of 3

A diagram supplied by Sanwa shows that its 34mm replacement balls have a multi-layered construction. Beneath the shiny-looking surface, there is a modestly thick layer, which it says is a composite with aluminum particles. The core material is mysteriously not detailed, but referred to as ‘the core’. Actually, the core may be empty, as these 34mm diameter replacement balls are 25g (1.2 ounces), which sounds relatively light.

The manual for the Sanwa 400-MABALL34 shows how to remove the old trackball ball, as well as how to clean and replace this essential component. However, it is noted that different trackball manufacturers have alternative recommended methods for removing the ball from its housing. Therefore, it is recommended to check your device maker’s documentation or online FAQs for specific instructions.

Whichever color of trackball replacement you favor, the price is 1,980 JPY (roughly $13.50), so it isn’t an expensive job to give your old trackball some new zest. Sanwa’s products are designed and marketed in Japan, and you can find them on Amazon Japan (see links above). Checking those links today, it appears that they don’t currently ship to the U.S. or U.K., but they may be available for shipping to other locations.

Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.

See more Mice News

Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

6 Comments Comment from the forums

bit_user

Eh, the only trackball where I actually needed a replacement was a big Adesso model, because I knocked it onto the floor and somehow the ball got a small chip taken out of it. It turns out one of the bearings would drop in that pit more often than I expected, which proved to be quite annoying.

However, I've since decided that design of those trackballs is problematic for click-and-drag and have switched to a model that doesn't require me to use my clicking-fingers to stabilize my dragging fingers. Took me a little while to figure out exactly why click-and-drag on that design was so frustrating.

As for the the type of thumb-trackballs shown here, I have one where the scroll wheel had basically stopped working. Fixing this required disassembling it and cleaning out the dust & lint from inside of that wheel. These same sorts of clods can accumulate in the sensor wells. So, if the trackball isn't tracking very well, try popping out the marble and blasting the sensors with some compressed air.
Reply
Notton

$13.50 is like half the price of a trackball mice, lol. AFAIK, when trackball mice go on sale, they're like $15~20 compared to $26~30 regular.

Having used all sorts of mice, trackballs are an acquired taste.

Trackball, thumb: If you like thumb cramps and needing to clean out finger oil and dirt every once in a while. It's made worse in winter if you use any sort of hand lotion or oil.
Trackball, center: Ditto above, but cramps index and middle fingers.
Ergonomic: If you get used to the shape, they're fantastic for everyday use. The only downside is weight and they tend not to come with gaming oriented sensors or tuning software.
Ergonomic trackball: Same issues as regular trackballs, but ergonomic.
Regular mouse: It's all trial and error, so don't buy an expensive one. If you find a shape and size you like, and it has buttons that don't die within a year, buy a spare.
Giant trackpad: Least maintenance, but takes up space on desk and has no scroll wheel or extra buttons. Might require some feet height adjustment so it doesn't wobble on a desk.

Wired: You'll have to look at reviews, but there is a huge variance in cord quality. Ultra soft is the best. Ideally you want a 6ft (2m) length because it's easier to roll up extra slack than it is to stretch out a 1.2m to 1.5m (4ft~5ft) cord. Typically sleeved is stiffer, unless the manufacturer is clever.
Bluetooth: Generally not a great experience because of latency, though by how much depends on the BT module on the computer side. The only good thing is it doesn't require a dongle.
2.4Ghz USB dongle: If you don't mind sacrificing one of your USB ports permanently, they have negligible latency and no cable snagging issues. The main downside is distance and interference between dongle and mouse.
Reply
chemistu

I was using an L-TRAC trackball for a short while, the 57mm ball they use is a drop and play replacement with American pool balls.
Reply
bit_user

chemistu said:
I was using an L-TRAC trackball for a short while, the 57mm ball they use is a drop and play replacement with American pool balls.
Wow, that's huge! The one I mentioned above uses a 50 mm ball, and it's already pretty big.

The way I use it is with my thumb and pinky resting on either side, where the left & right buttons are. My three middle fingers are actuating the marble. As I mentioned above, the main problem with this setup comes from click-and-drag, where it's very difficult to avoid the cursor moving at the end, when releasing the button. I suppose I could use two hands, but that gets very inefficient and isn't terribly natural.
Reply
rmiller1959

I'm a long-time trackball user and there are a number of manufacturers who make replacement balls. Do these actually stand out compared to others? That would be useful information.
Reply
bit_user

Notton said:
$13.50 is like half the price of a trackball mice, lol. AFAIK, when trackball mice go on sale, they're like $15~20 compared to $26~30 regular.
Um, not Logitech ones, no.

Notton said:
Having used all sorts of mice, trackballs are an acquired taste.
I had some problems with carpal tunnel or similar repetitive strain, many years ago. One thing I did was switching to a trackball, at home. That switched up my movement patterns enough that I think it really helped.

Notton said:
Trackball, thumb: If you like thumb cramps and needing to clean out finger oil and dirt every once in a while.
The only time I had problem with my thumb is when I was working from home 100% of the time. In that setup, I don't have room for a regular mouse, so I was using the trackball full-time.

As for cleaning, yes. You do have to clean crud out of it after about every 20 hours of use, depending on how clean your hands generally are. Most of the time, I just need to clear away the buildup from the bearings. About every 10 or 20 cleanings, I have to clean dirt out of the optical wells. Every 100 cleanings or so, I have to clean dirt out of the click wheel.

As for cleaning stuff, I generally keep my keyboards for a decade or more. Those need cleaning every couple years, as well.

Notton said:
It's made worse in winter if you use any sort of hand lotion or oil.
That's a hard no. Don't use any lotion on the parts of your fingers in contact with the ball. If some lotion does get on there, wash it off.

Notton said:
Regular mouse: It's all trial and error, so don't buy an expensive one. If you find a shape and size you like, and it has buttons that don't die within a year, buy a spare.
I think I spent about $42 on a gaming mouse to use at work, about 6-7 years ago. Definitely worth the money, since the switches are way more robust than the cheapy Dell mice that would come with our desktops. Also, looks cool and has a good feel. Logitech G502.

Notton said:
Bluetooth: Generally not a great experience because of latency,
Unless someone is into twitch gaming or having major interference problems, I don't really see how you'd even notice the latency.
Reply

Show more comments