Can you guys school me on buffers AFTER fuzz pedals? (esp. mkI)

[dancehall]

I know the whole deal with not placing a buffer before a 1/2/3 transistor pedal (and have experienced how shitty it can sound) but I never gave much thought to buffers afterward, until this year when I got into the mkI game. I got me a Castledine and a D*A*M and was surprised at the difference in brightness it makes. To make sure I wasn't hearing things, and to test this with a few other fuzzes, I hooked up a pedal with a switchable buffer and spent a little time playing around. Findings:

Vox Tone Bender: barely audible difference
silicon Fuzz Face: noticeable difference but not huge
Muff: no difference
both mkIs: very noticeable difference

So my questions are 1) why it be like that? 2) what are your findings with buffers after other fuzz types I didn't mention? and 3) how do you navigate this in your personal setup? Could go all true bypass, but even putting say a DM-2 in a true bypass loop would fuck with my EQ whenever I turn it on if I'm using a mkI, so I guess maybe it's better to just pick whichever fuzz sounds better for your setup with a buffer after it...

any other thoughts welcome

[Spook]

I have noticed the same, use an malekko id600 at home, i always have the buffer engaged since it evens out the levels...but some fuzzes are a no go 4 sure

[sledz]

MKIs (and even worse - Zonks) in most cases have much higher output impedance than other fuzzers. Together with output cable's capacitance that causes a severe treble cut - the longer and shitter the cable, the worse it gets. Also input impedance of following device (amp) often won't be high enough to keep from further degradation of the signal. Buffer placed close after MKI greatly improves quality of signal that is further amplified. Compare MKI sounds plugged straight into amp with a 5meter cord versus a 10cm patch cable - which one is more 'MKI' sound and which one do you prefer? ;)

[anemochore]

For a live setup I have all my fuzz separated by a bypass looper then a simple buffer between that and modulation Pedals. Why? Because everytime I would switch on my Memory Lane analog delay, the volume would substantially jump and the signal would brighten up because of the Memory Lane's buffer. The buffer in between would balance it out. I don't notice much of a difference in the fuzz using this method and only having one fuzz between the guitar and amp. This is how I would record anyway if I were using a Mk I only. The same as with a MkI and an Ep3. Live I've got a lot of modulation pedals after the fuzz and without the buffer inbetween it gets comparatively dull. Note this is with Germanium, I forget how Si are effected.