I couldn't agree any more vehemently than I am agreeing right now!

I used to think the Model M was great. And then I bought a reproduction Model F and now I'm convinced the Model M's belong in the dumpster. Okay, maybe not, but they're definitely inferior. The F has a lower actuation force, which is nice for people like me who mash on the keyboard like monkeys. It also feels 'smoother'. The inner assembly is individual barrels instead of a single plastic barrel sheet, so repairing individual keys is a lot easier. Also it's held together internally with clips instead of blobs of melted plastic rivets, making it possible to actually get inside to replace flippers or barrels without going through an entire ordeal of 'bolt modding'. It's just a much higher quality overall.

If anybody is interested in a brand new (reproduction) Model F, they're still being sold: https://www.modelfkeyboards.com/

The reproductions are nice because they have a semi-modern layout (compared to the original Model F's that are generally available on eBay) and fully programmable controller, so you can give it whatever layout you want. It can also be physically configured to resemble the HHKB if you're into that sort of thing.