Are the jog wheels on the DDJ-1000 durable enough to scratch on without causing mechanical issues? 

Are the jog wheels on the DDJ-1000 durable enough to scratch on without causing mechanical issues? I have my doubts. I am now on my second DDJ-1000 controller. I had to return the first unit because one of the jog wheels became defective after about a month’s use. I noticed a few issues with it: the jog adjust setting was uneven between the two jog wheels - one became a lot heavier than the other; there was an audible click at about the 7’oclock position when fully rotating the jog wheel counter clockwise; and the top of the jog wheel was quite loose and clattered whilst scratching.

I received a new unit in exchange from the retailer and on first inspection everything appeared fine – the jog wheels were tight, smooth, and the jog adjust was even to the touch between the 2 decks. However, after 1 day’s light use, I have noticed that the jog adjust on the deck that I scratch on has become significantly heavier – as with the previous controller. For example, if I set the jog adjust to the 12 o’clock position on deck 1, I would need to set deck 2 to the 8 o’clock position for them to feel balanced.

Why would scratching cause this to happen?

Aside from this issue with the jog wheel I love the DDJ-1000. I just don’t want to feel like I can’t freely scratch on the controller without messing it up.

Can anybody else speak to the durability of the jog wheels for scratching?