eBay Solder Test
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 พ.ค. 2024
- I need some new solder, rather than just buy some I bought a selection of the leaded solder commonly available on ebay to give a more complete test.
The boards I use for testing are the constant register boards from part 37 of my CPU series. I only needed one so I ended up with 9 spare boards. The resistors are the 1206 ones I original bought for the address registers but the revised design used 0805's. - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
I bought a spool of that same Loctite solder 2+ years ago and I've still got plenty of it left. It's really great stuff. It's fantastic for through-hole soldering. Any mutli-core solder is great for that. Instead of having to add additional flux, the multicore will contain enough flux that you can just "paint" the solder into the component lead.
About the usage scenarios of additional flux, that really just depends on what you are soldering. On SMD components it's recommended to use additional flux IF you are soldering by hot air. In these cases, the components are usually too small to solder reliably by hand. So the idea is, you tin up the pads with your iron, drop some flux on the pads, position the component on the pads, then heat the area with hot air. Without any extra flux, proper joints wouldn't form at all. But with the extra flux, it'll activate and properly flow the solder on the tinned pads. You'll actually see when this happens. The component will "snap" into place.
In the case of large SMD components, if you can get away with using an iron there's no real point to adding extra flux. But when you start getting down to the really tiny things, hot air is basically the only way to do it. In that world of soldering, flux is an absolute necessity.
Great video by the way. Straight and to the point. At the end of the day, I would say you're better off picking up any name brand solder. Spend the extra $5 and pick up something that is guaranteed to work. I wish more people would realize this. $4 solder is $4 for a reason, and not all solder is created equal. The same applies to tools and hardware. Not all soldering irons are the same, and there's probably a reason a $8 plug in mains iron is only $8.
Thanks for the kind words! I'm expecting that reel to last me a while. You can read between the lines, I bought some rubbish solder and got bad results. I went to buy the good stuff and thought I'd turn it into a quick bit of "research". Your right about not needing flux for the most part, I think the source of that argument is that the good solder doesn't really need it, but the cheap junk does benefit from some extra flux.
Nicely done review! Your microscope is a handy & compact setup for quick inspections.
With my OCD?, the first thing I noticed @7:03 was the inconsistent SMD orientation. LOL
(Note also, the bottom one possibly has a bad joint... on the left side).
So it was amusing when you even apologised for the SMD orientation @9:30 :-)
I recently moved from using my old 60/40 solder reels, to investing in some quality Felder Lottechnik lead-free solder.
I’m now using their ISO-Core Clear Sn96.5Ag3.0Cu0.5 Solder Wire, which I’m absolutely loving!
High quality solder, with the latest in flux recipes, is an investment I wish I'd discovered earlier. Soldering is a pleasure again! :-)
I’ve always used 0.5mm as well. Always found I had much more control with the finer solder, even with larger joints.
Thanks. On an extra watch I think you may be right about the bad joint, that real of solder really is awful though!
Good solders are Kester, MBO, Broquetas, Chemet, Asahi, Felder. Not bad are Alpha, Stannol, Loctite, Duratool, as well as polish Cynel and soviet POS. Naturally, this is all 63/37 (to the extreme - 60/40).
Not heard of many of those, but I'm happy with the Loctite.
Is Duratool really decent? Have you tried MG Chemicals no Clean, 63/37 or Mechanic (or Classical Mechanic) HX-T100 63/37?
I had the same cheap solder as you, I also tried another solder I wasn't happy with. Now I'm saving for the "Multicore" or Locktite stuff. Iron, solder, practice, flux, practice, solder wick, practice, more solder, practice, flux pens, more solder... I'm going to use up my solder on more practice projects before I sink more money into this. Thanks James.
I’ve seen a few videos of cheaper lead-free solder acting like this, so I have a suspicion that we were sold a mislabelled batch.
That is probaby true, to me it seems like chinese solder, especially cheap solder is different composition compared what label says. I have got kaina 63/37 and it does not flow as well as kaina 60/40. Suspicious. Also melts harder than 60/40. No way its eutectic imo
I needed this. Thanks for the great video. I'm off to buy some multi core now! I'm new to all this and I've been using the cheap stuff.. and it cost me dear last week. Cheers
Glad to hear it was helpful. There are a few places where I bought cheep stuff and later had cause to regret it.
Loctite bought Multicore. Helpful video, thanks!
Glad it helped Phillip!
I really can vouch for that Loctite solder. I bought the same reel as you did in March 2019 and in the same way the listing showed Multicore but came as Loctite. At first I was pissed because I thought I got scammed... then I tried it. By FAR the BEST solder on the market, no joke. And 250g will go a long way, today it's 18th April 2021 and it's only JUST ran out. 2 years of reliable solder. Well worth £30. Just purchased some more and I was checking around TH-cam to see if other people also had a good experience and they did.
Exactly! It turns out that Loctite and Multi core are the same stuff, one company owns the other and there are variations in branding around the world.
@@weirdboyjim Multicore as a brand isn't actively branded outside the americas I think. That could be why.
The joint being shiny and then suddenly taking on a dull appearance as it cools is very characteristic of lead free solder. Not saying it is lead free, but I wouldn’t be surprised.
I agree, also wondering just how much contamination from a previous lead free batch on the production line it would take to do this to 60/40. Most likely containment would actual be silver, so might be easy to test for.
The same reason lead free solder does this also happens with contaminated alloys. Just a small amount is enough. It can even be just tin oxide. But the first solder you bought is notorious for this result. Not a bad batch. It's a cheap product.
Good, from the welds that made comparisons in the video What is the best solder for soldering smd components ?
The best I have used is the multicore/loctite. That said SMD is really supposed to be done with solderpaste and a reflow oven. I'll have an experiment with that at some point and make a video.
I've still got the reel of solder I bought from Maplin in the early 90s. I'm pretty sure it'll last me the rest of my life. I haven't soldered a PCB in a long time and never done any SMD work, but it's been used to solder a lot of connectors over the years and done a good enough job that I've never thought about buying anything else.
I have sneaking suspicion that the blue real I show at the start came from Maplin. I got into electronics properly after it closed, in hindsight I should have bought lots of stuff in the closing down sale.
Looking at the size of this 250g roll, that has to be pretty big!
Great video. This definitely summarizes my experiences. As a child I used a cheap iron and cheap solder and had a terrible time with my first soldering project. So much so I didn't try gain until I was adult. This time around after getting a decent soldering station and quality solder + flux this have been going a lot better.
Thanks! If you look back in my videos a couple of months you can see my first experience SMD soldering. Getting a half decent iron made all the difference. It's pretty obvious in hindsight that I shouldn't have grabbed the first solder with the right words on it.
Thanks for the vid. I need to buy some new solder, probably from Ebay in a large reel. There's a few to choose from. I've got one of those free cheap tubes you get free with some irons (all that's at hand) & that's just terrible. I had to splice some wires & it just wouldn't flow properly with lots of heat, just about done the job, real hard work though, constant dirty tip etc. Some cheap import stuff I don't want to end up basically with the same rubbish on a bigger reel. I use to buy the mulitcore in a small white tube & that was great. Anything in the workplace in the past was whatever they had got. I seen there is also a reel from 'Silverline'. That's obviously come from 'somewhere' & badged. If that Loctite is the same stuff as the Multicore it's likely a fair bet. I could get a nice flow even with a 12v car cigarrete lighter plug iron with it RC modeling.
I couldn't find anything the conclusively stated the Loctite and Multicore are exactly the same stuff, but it looks the same under the microscope and the performance feels the same. I suspect it's the same stuff solder under both brands but it could just be good quality product made to the same spec, either way I recommend it.
@@weirdboyjim it would seem it's the same. They're both under the 'Henkel Loctite' label. Multicore was likely taken over by Henkel. So they likely use the good Multicore product to promote the Loctite brand in certain places.
Hi James, interesting topic! I'm just an amateur, but hardly ever use flux. The thin resin (single) core solder I use works fine for the things I solder...
I kind of say this in the video, but it before I did the first address register I researched smd soldering and bought some 63/37 0.5mm solder thinking that was the right thing to do. It was rubbish, so I was curious how much variation there was. (Edit: typo)
yup just got some Multicore solder from Mouser & its indeed being branded now as 'Multicore by Loctite'. thanks good vid!
Glad it was useful. That roll has lasted, but I might pickup a thinker gauge when I next order from mouser.
Have you tried MG Chemicals no Clean, 63/37 or Mechanic (or Classical Mechanic) HX-T100 63/37?
No sorry, I've stuck with the Loctite for the time being. I want to experiment with lead free solders in the future.
I need to get myself some multi-core. Been on my todo list for ages :(
Experience so far is that’s it’s good, I was quite honestly surprised when I looked under the microscope and it actually looked like the picture. Aren’t you mostly lead free these days?
Yeah man. My favourite. Ive lot lots of them 😊 a 2.5kilo roll aswell 😄
wow all that light and you still cannot see anything, crazy, must be hard to magnify solder because of the color?
I did some experiments after, on a darker background it’s better. The base is very reflective so as I add light it doesn’t help the contrast.
I have bought the "A" solder. It seems to be lead-free solder, the result looks dull and not shiny. Anyway, I have never had electrical problems with the connections, I can even solder SMD with it, it certainly does the job. Although, I wouldn't risk using it for critical applications.
I bought some lead-free paste by mistake once and it definitely didn't flow to the pads as well. You pick lead or lead-free coating for this reason. I'd definitely worry about what was in it.
@@weirdboyjim Yes, it is not only a tin/lead alloy. It probably contains a lot of impurities. I have also noticed that my soldering iron tip oxidizes super fast when using that solder wire.
@@smashshoot1389 Yup indeed. Cheap flux, recycled tin; you're just soldering with tin oxide extruded into a tube. Quite impressive they manage to actually make it that round for a bunch of slag.
The Jinhu eventuallt ended up in a solder pot for me, where, diluted with pewter, it did not make as much a fuss.
In the UK, it's hard to beat LOCTITE 363 60EN .... it's leaded, but that doesn't cause no harm if you're not selling your builds.... I get it in my local model railway shop.
I quite like Cynel Sn60Pb40 PRO from Poland too (I think I got that off E. Bay too).... Think it's the same as your Z Topnikiem ("with flux") that you've got, so it'll be interesting to see what you think.
Yeah.... the upside down resistors made me cringe unnecessarily! When I do through-hole, I don't mind if it's tolerance band to the left or to the right... but they all MUST be the same!
Solder wise... I'm very pleased to see you've got pretty much the same conclusions from your far more scientific test as I got from my intuition.
If you're sticking to Loctite in future, feel free to drop your spool of Cynel in the post to me. ;)
If you asked for one of the other two I would have sent them to you ;-) The loctite is definitely the best but the price difference on the Topnikem means I’ve been using that a bit as well. You’ll be pleased to know I’ve been aligning my resistors better in more resent modules.
@@weirdboyjim Oh no... you can keep the other two! ;-P
translate.google.com/?client=ubuntu&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&client=tw-ob#view=home&op=translate&sl=pl&tl=en&text=z%20topnikiem
Mg chemicals and warton metals are great solders. Loctite and multicore are the same brand I believe. I'm finding it harder and harder to find lead based solder now ?
I know some people are stocking up on good leaded solder while they can.
Have you tried Mechanic HX-T100 63/37? Witch Warton have you used? I see one with Omega flux which is meant to be some type of rosin free.
Cynel is great. High quality solder, arguably one of the very few good things this country has to offer.
The third one along in the opening shot? Do you get they same dull finish on the solder beads? I couldn't work out if that was supposed to happen. Which country?
It was the one you labeled with C. I have been using this solder for over a decade and it consistently produce shiny joints, but the label on yours is quite old so perhaps flux core went bad or something? I'm not sure if it can go bad tbh... I am buying it locally here in Poland.
I went on the Loctite website for more information on this solder. There is no mention of this solder, or any kind of solder on there website. I also did a search for "Loctite multicore solder" on the Henkel website which is the company that owns Loctite. Not a single mention of solder. Very strange.
Weird, the Farnell website has the technical details. uk.farnell.com/multicore-loctite/3096122-m/solder-wire-60-40-1-2mm-250g/dp/5090817
Good video :)
Stay away from the "A" weld, I also made this mistake to go for a cheaper one, bad results on the 60/40.
I'm still using the same roll of Loctite from this video, unless you get through a lot it's really not worth going for cheap stuff.
Loctite appeared quite good. I've used several brands, I like Velleman and Prok, despite finding them expensive. I normally use 0.8mm, and 0.5mm for SMT.
Once again, thanks for the video, it made it possible to compare different brands well. I also found out that solder "A" has a nucleus, I didn't suspect it. ;)@@weirdboyjim
You don't need more light on the microscope but a less reflective background around the object instead. If you put black tape on the microscope table the camera will correct its exposition and you'll get alot more details on the object ;-)
You are right that the shiny background doesn't help at all. I get better results but turning the stand round so it's pointing at the cutting/anti static mat. More light definitely helps as well though.
I also bought the solder you labeled 'A', it's no good at all. I got it from Aliexpress. It's either lead free, or contaminated. It gets all gooey and crusty, and like you said a dull finish, I replaced it with a roll of Stannol kristall 505, brilliant quality solder.
Indeed, this video probably wouldn't have happened if I'd bought 'A' and it had worked ok. I've not come across the Stannol before, I'll take a look if I'm ever shopping around again. Mind you I may end up doing an lead-free solder review before too long, there definitely seems to be a big push to remove leaded solder from the chain.
@@weirdboyjim Stannol is a German brand I believe. Easy to get here since I live in the country next door (the Netherlands). I am not sure if they are pushing to get leaded solder banned here in my country but I have been stockpiling 60/40 a bit before it happens haha.
Would like to see your take on the lead free stuff. Need to switch to it someday probably so would be nice to see a comparison.
Same experience. It's a contaminated alloy; and it's intentional. They are recycling solder which means tin oxide makes it in. I now also use Stannol, 63-37 I think. Not sure of the exact model but it comes on red reels, and reeeeeeks of rosin. Perhaps toxic, but it's the smell of victory!
You didn't get "a bad batch" of that cheap crap - it's all like that. I discovered a while back that you really do get what you pay for with solder, and it's false economy to go cheap. Any branded stuff is good enough for me. I can't tell the difference between Multi, Loctite or Weller so I buy whichever is available when I need it.
Sounds about right, I’m pretty sure that Multi and Loctite are the same stuff with different branding now though.
where do u do ur nails? i need to weld my bike...
I recomend ThisOldTony (th-cam.com/users/featony) for welding related content. Not sure about his nails.
i always wonder what good multiple cores are if it all melts into a bubbly mass...
i think the more important factor is clean high quality base material and i guess that's as usual "you get what you pay for"
i'm quite happy soldering with single core wire from a good name brand company with certain quality standards that produces here in Germany.
mixed my own flux out of rosin IPA and wd40 though ^^
you can never have enough flux ... ask louis rossman !
i don't like those resistor nazis ... i mean diodes.. okay, i get that but resistors c'mon...
I wish there were pink resistors ... sigh
I assume that the multicore increases the odds of good distribution over the surface during “Melt into bubble mass” stage. If it just has one core there is a change the bottom will melt out first and just drain it all away. I’ve definitely found it easier since I started to wipe the boards down with a bit of ipa before soldering.
I think you got the best of sample A, I got it with 0.8 and it is just trash.
Nasty! It's very easy to think about the good solder as expensive, but when you measure it against the components it's totally worth getting the good stuff.
Can confirm that the orange solder is absolute garbage. It barely melts at 350°C especially not if it's on a PCB, and just gets clumpy and never shiny.
Yep, it's horrible stuff. My experience was different but maybe it's not very consistent.
red/orange is Jinhu and its not good to use, I will be trying Kaina as many say its an OK chinese solder. Mulicore i have used before and its great.
Yep, that's pretty much my thoughts, especially after a bit more use.
Using kaina 60/40 and its good but "63/37 c1" is not. Also mechanic brand from alexpress is good but far more expensive than kaina
@James you should ask @Sdgelectronics to hook you up with Solder King. Steve knows his solders
I'm really happy with the multi core stuff!
cant get on with A , i use B !!
63/37 is best with tht.
tht? These days all the cheaper stuff is labeled 63/37 but doesn't appear to be any different than the older stuff labeled 60/40
@@weirdboyjim it gets solid faster.
@@pascalhogstrom2203 The 63/37 tin lead alloy is know as an Eutectic mixture. It has the lowest melting point, and no "pasty" range. It's either liquid, or solid and doesn't have an intermediate pasty transition between the two. The further from 63/37, the higher the melting point and the larger the pasty transition range. The significance of the pasty transition is that if the joint is moved while the solder is pasty, that will cause a cold joint. A 60/40 joint is vulnerable when its temperature is between 183°C and 188°C, whereas a 63/37 joint isn't.
Melting point:
63/37 183°C
60/40 188°C, pasty between 183°C and 188°C.
I Didn't See Any Soldiering. Just Someone Playing With Their Camera. Sad Very Sad.
This video is 726 seconds long and 96 joints are soldered. That's more than one every 8 seconds on average. I'm not sure what you wanted but with the volume of content on youtube I'm sure you'll find it somewhere.
You missed the point
the bad one is really rubbish! I´ve got 2 reels of it and I´m going to throw it away! Kaina B-1 cf-10 it´s not what it says it is...do not buy!
I've been using that loctite stuff ever since, I'm not planning on switching anytime soon.
@@weirdboyjim Cynel is really good, I am using it since 98 i think