Thanks for this great post. I work in aviation and am a certified solder technician working on aircraft and aircraft test sets for over 30 years. Lead free solder has been banned from aviation equipment due to its discovery of unreliability after several deadly aviation accidents. The reason is it cracks under vibration and temperature changes over time. Lead free solder is also one of the major causes of modern electronics ending up in the landfills. It is also the major cause of automotive electronic failures particularly in those MPG/KPG, compass and trip overhead displays. In fact most of those displays can be repaired just by re-soldering them with lead solder. If you fly RC aircraft STAY AWAY from this stuff, as it cracks under vibration and temperature changes over time. If you have the capability I would open and check you radio equipment twice a year particularly at the start of summer and the start of winter after the over all temperature changes. Make any repairs with lead solder, 60/40 or the 67/37 Eutectic solder. Thanks again for the post. Best Wishes n Blessings Keith
What ever the drawbacks are I still prefer lead free over leaded because expectancy of our life and quality of our health matters more than that of the solder used in electronics.
@@ultrababa4723 I know this is an old post, but there is no risk unless you plan on licking your fingers after soldering or eating your devices.... lead absorbency through skin is not a thing, unless it is an organic lead compound, which it is not.
As a matter of fact, I ended up here looking for solder differences. Currently studying to be avionics technician, so I find this comment quite interesting. Got my hands on soldering tools and wires to practice at home... and bought a crappy tin solder without knowing, "60/40"... but results were just like the crap solder in this video. I could NOT manage to prepare the wire tips, let alone solder things together: thing just slushes and goes solid when it touches the wire, and iiiffff you manage to solder it, its weak and quite crap.
@@kevinyamil2103 Hey Kevin if you're serious about learning to solder Pace World Wide the maker of professional soldering equipment has some nice videos on it here: th-cam.com/channels/T5e-XjqHPfA3_9wF3CgY1w.html I also have some lengthy soldering videos on repairing bad or corroded circuit boards here: th-cam.com/play/PLVLXGvrQp0Os1DY1r_iUETKdLR2u-cAfY.html You'll have to skip through to the soldering videos you want to view. Best Wishes and Blessings in you learning. Keith Noneya
Lead free is harder to work with but I made a personal decision to up my game, not for myself, but for everyone else who will have to live with the soldered fixtures I create which will eventually turn into waste.
FFS After 2 years messing with my soldering iron I purchased new, I was convinced I suck at soldering I now know why I am experiencing issues! This video just saved me some grey hairs Thank you mate
Thanks Bruce, interesting. I've been soldering since 1964, and I now use lead-free, and I find that it's basically just a different technique to get a good joint. That 'tin spread' effect is a vaild point though. As to health issues, well you've been using leaded solder for decades so obviously it can't affect the brain as some have said. (Wait a minute though.......)
This was one of the first things I found out when I started the hobby. My solder was terrible and I was blaming the iron. So I got a new iron and it was the same, so I blamed myself. Then I happened to try some solder that a well known UK Quadcopter shop was using and tadaaaa! Beautiful solder joints. This video will no doubt help many people. Don't forget the link to you old video mate. Have a good one.
+ThatHPI GUY Same story here, matey. Hated soldering for a long time and thought I just didn't have the knack for it. It put me right off getting anything past breadboard prototype stage. Got myself some nice and thin 60/40 and realised I actually CAN solder quite well. Now I actively look for excuses to solder stuff!
+ThatHPI GUY Ill try this 60/40 solder asap. :-) Flying a 250 quad for a year now and with the build and repairs i was using the lead-free solder all the time.. Now i see the problem. hehehe Thanks bruce!
+starlino Yes... I measured some leads I made... less resistance with the silver based unleaded solder so better flight times using small wires and connectors to save weight.
I work for a company that builds military grade equipment and I will tell you that lead free is more brittle and that's why we still use leaded we mostly use .032 and solder paste for reflow oven and we always have great quality solder joints also I do want to point out that lead free requires higher Temps and are more difficult to solder
Taking soldering courses right now, and most of the time I'm just waiting for the teacher to get to the stuff I've already learned on youtube. We're using 97% tin solder in the courses, btw, as well as old style irons that take forever to recover after losing heat. Great combo.
Ideal temp for lead free soldering is 700F (371C) and no hotter. Also, do NOT use a wet sponge to 'clean' your iron tip. Only use the metal 'brillo' pad type of cleaner. The thermal shock of the wet sponge when combined with lead free solder will ruin your tip very quickly. Also, the sponge does not adequately clean the tip.
I wipe it on my cheep jeans one time I was in shorts an wiped on my leg I did say F%$^& B£$^ T£$^^ C^&$£%^ then B£$^$$ again almost 40 years of soldering I always grab the solder in my mouth pull it an solder hows much have I eaten
I believe he was using flux core lead-free (s**t) solder, besides adding flux does not address the issue which is metallurgical! Lead-free solder SUCKS!
It would help certainly even if your using rosin cored solder anyways. You don't avoid using liquid rosin flux just cause your wire has rosin flux in it. Despite what this video says lead free with a decent liquid flux used on the larger joints will yield perfectly satisfactory results that will be fine for any hobbyist. Yes leaded 60/40 or 63/37 melts easier but people who say less free is useless either don't know how to solder very well, are using cheap crap solder wire, or don't account for the higher melting point. If you can get leaded and it's for an application your kids won't be playing with have at it. But if your working on a small repair and you just wanna grab some solder locally an all they have is less free that's certainly usable. Just remember to use an extra 100 degrees or so, flux larger joints or joints that you don't want getting to hot ( the flux will reduce the amount of time it takes to solder the joint by cleaning the surfaces and heating the solder more consistently so you can avoid damaging small components not to mention that extra flux will result in better solder flow in your joint) and if you do those things you'll be fine.
@@ronplucksstrings7112 Yes that's exactly what adding flux does it address the efficiency of melting and adhesion of your joint. Extra flux is certainly meant to be used with rosin core smh. Do you think that just cause it's rosin core you don't have to use flux with it on some joints Lol? Smh, you obviously have no clue what your talking about and weren't qualified to answer the question. Which wasn't a stupid question at all. Sadly you decided to give a really stupid answer even though the OP has a better understanding than you do of how soldering works.
Extra heat will help but extra Flux wont. Maybe there is a brand of lead free solder is better than other brands but regardless of what brand won't stop the tin whiskers that unleaded solder causes.
Save the earth by recycling electronics, you should not need to buy a power adapter for each new electronics you buy. Standardization is best for all electronics manufactured. Keyboards and mice should work on all computers that have usb connections. Also memory cards should also be transferable from one computer to another. Just these two features would save money and reduce waste.
+SlavjanA Tin is good stuff for bullet casting, too. Tin is added to the lead alloy, because is improves casting properties. Hippies don't cast bullets.
I only use lead free solder on copper water supply plumbing. Then I use Mapps gas to get enough heat. Adding 1lb of 60/40 solder to 10lb of wheel weights makes a perfect bullet casting alloy. Just the correct amount of lead, tin and antimony.
I use 99/1% tin/copper solder(atleast that's what it says on the spool), and it works fine with a normal non-copper tip, basically as well as leaded solder.
@@rallekralle11 Stop using that. Get yourself some 63/37 Tin/lead Eutectic solder in whatever diameter you prefer .....Kester brand is the best.....made in USA and very affordable. Donate that crap you have to a school that teaches kids how to solder. You'll thank me.
@@JasonKaler you using lead free chinese solder use good one the chinese crap its a recicled mix of diferent materials recicled in illegal scrap yards in china thats why is so crapy coz is a mix of every thing the real solder leaf free cos like 30 euros for 200 grams try using the brand ELTO AND YOU SEE THE DIFERENCE
63 37 replaced 60 40 in the telephone market place. Moisture was a problem in phone electronics. I did not make the change just the engineering department did. The ECO changed the ratio of solder.
+Scott Mccurley I've been collecting a whole lot of material to create this series -- and I'm interviewing a couple of "old-school" ham radio operators as well so it'll be sometime in the New Year.
Lead free solder causes tin whiskers and the military will not use lead free solder on any of their electronics. I won't use lead free in production where I work.
I've been using the cheap lead free solder you get from Harbor Freight for a while. It does take a little longer to melt and a little longer to solidify, but as long as you properly heat your surfaces the joints are quite strong. if i were doing more delicate work, I'd probably use thinner 60/40 solder.
05:00 That kinda pissed me off, when you solder you need to heat up the base, don't expect to solder on a cold PCB ofc the soldering wire will get "pasty" or solidify if you don't give it the necessary temperature, as you can see from the vid. you/he get's the soldering iron away fast, the PCB is COLD and the hot liquid transfers the heat fast to the copper PCB. Use the right temperature, even if you don't have a high heat soldering iron hold it on the PCB to heat up then solder, like that you always will have a PERFECT soldering with any soldering wire.
The Great Mechanized Ape, get the right tip size (so that it doesnt heat the board but it does heat the base/lead) and one way to know if the board is damaged is if it turns black or starts to smell!
I use Pb free solder at work for some customers but other customers I use 1%Cu which is harder to use and needs a hotter iron too. Bring back 60/40, it works so well.
I've been using 99.3Sn0.7Cu, which is also eutectic and I have had none of your problems so far. Granted, it needs higher temperature, but that's about it.
Regarding the claim unleaded solder will not last as long as leaded solder I just found this in Navy files on solder: “The typical life of commercial electronic devices is three to seven years compared to decades for DoD systems,” said Lloyd Condra, Chairman of the Lead Free Electronics in Aerospace Project (LEAP). “In fact, we’re seeing device manufactures optimizing the design of microcircuits to wear out in that same timeframe.” (end of excerpt) Well looks like the claims of planned obsolescence are true and not just a few companies like Samsung getting caught.
I have built a handful of quads and am quite good at soldering now.. thankfully I have been using the correct solder. I use 2mm but after watching this vid I will be purchasing some thinner solder. Very useful information. Thanks Bruce.
Thanks for the Video Bruce! I solder for a living and we use mostly 60/40 lead solder, we have a small area where we have to use lead free, and everyone says tge same that lead free is horrible to work with, you need extremely hi quality hi temperature irons to do the job. Currently taking a recert course at work and tou guessed it they've changed to lead free for the practical🤦♀️ its bloody horrible for tiny little surface mounts I can tell you, nevermind the 100 pin components. It barely just copes with through pin and if you get a bridge that's damn near impossible to get rid of. Leaded solder all the way for me, we where gloves and have extraction units so it's safe for us. 🙂
i just started working at a solder manufacturer...i love it!! today i ran the draw machine and was making .125 solder wire this stuff had tin copper silver and lead in it...I LEARNED TO SOLDER A SOLDER WIRE BACK TOGETHER lol ots not hard bit the thought never crossed my mind!!
The thing that concerns me most about working with lead solder is actually DE-soldering, especially with a pump. Those tiny, barely visible bits of removed solder get everywhere; all over my desk, under my fingernails, on the floor, on my arms, etc. I'm sure I even had lead dust in my bed at times. Over long period time that can be ingested and could build up to become harmful. As someone who does almost as much desoldering as soldering and has cats, I'm moving on to lead free. I'll still use 60/40 for some things but won't whenever I can avoid it.
I was suffering trying to understand why my soldering iron stopped melting the solder, sometimes it would sometimes wouldn't. I had one more solder wire with me from different product. Applied the other one and it took flawlessly. So at least I know the issue was a low quality solder wire. Thanks for the video ,you confirmed my issue.
I have a roll that is a similar size as the one you show from Banggood....and when I removed all the solder...I found that the hub was 10 mm thick.. giving the impression that there was a lot more on the roll.
Most experienced people who can actually solder or those that have taken some form of IPC-A-610 course would disagree with this video. That’s not to say leaded solder is bad. Its actually pretty good if you’re new to soldering. Its easier to use than ROHS solder. I always recommend new people to use leaded solder if they haven’t touched a soldering iron before.
Biggest proplem I found with leadfree solder was that if you use the same tip as non leadfree, it will add bit of lead to the soldering mixture which causes exactly what you show in the video (you need to have atleast 25% or 0.00000% lead to make good solder). I think one big Japanese electronics company had issues with the tin whiskers when they changed to leadfree and didn't change their manufacturing equipment, because of the small lead contamination. There are good leadfree solders available (SnAgCu), but need to find one that you like to use. Also since melting temperature is much higher, which makes the soldering much harder. BiSn (57%,43%) has pretty low melting temperature at 140C and makes it easier to use, while having only 1 degree of difference in liquid and solid. But it has problems with the strength. Btw, did you even change the temperature between the solders? Before all the hate, I use leaded solder for my own projects, but at work we pretty much need to use leadfree and I'm not having issues with it.
Honestly... Since lead is heavy, I bought lead free - which was way cheaper per volume. It was not labled, so I did not even know, if it had rosin core - luckyly it has! It is 0.5mm solder. It is great for SMD and ultra fine pitch through hole. (The distance between to 1.27mm pads can be almost 0, if the pads are large!) I dissolved cheap rosin from ebay for 4€ 100 grams (!) in a few ml of ethanol. It is like runny honey, but perfectly clear. I preflux on ANY soldering. The solder flows amazingly. It is very easy to work with and the spool is not close to get used up. I am on the cheap site all the time - skill and flux fixes all the problems! Oh, and good soldering tip. Don't forget to always brush of any remaining flux, or in high humidity environment your PCB will slowly rot away over time. (Metal corosion)
You should put the whole roll into a pot and make a brick of solder. I have no idea what you could use it for (maybe a paperweight) but I think it would be cool to watch it all melt. Also, what exactly is flux and why does it make solder flow so well?
+rabinator33 Flux inhibits (and sometimes reverses) the oxidation of the solder. The oxide usually forms on the surface of molten solder and creates a kind of skin that encapsulates the liquid metal and stops it from flowing smoothly. Flux can also stop oxidation of the metals your actually soldering -- thus improving the alloying between the solder and the copper (or other metals) you're joining.
Got to agree, lead free solder is absolute rubbish, bought a roll of what stated on the label as 63/37, tried to use it and quickly found out that it had no lead in at all, had to turn the solder station up way higher than normal and even then it never flowed properly, left me with poor joints and a horrible dull finish. Went on to buy a new roll of 60/40 solder from a UK electronics supplier and immediately saw a huge improvement plus I could solder perfectly at 320 degrees :)
This video opened my eyes. I agree with the author. No need to explain why lead-free is suck. Notice that fact old computers and another tech stuff still working our days because old school soldering with lead! today first problem of all tech is BAD CONNECTION )) because Lead free soldering poor conductive and after a few years, unconnected My english is sucks like lead free soldering but you got my point lol
Thanks for sharing this video & information. I haven’t soldered for years. But an renewing my interest in designing & prototype projects. I a few days ago I decided to order Maiyum 63-37 Tin-Lead Rosin core soldering wire Just to explore the eutecric aspects discussed in several soldering tutorials including your own. Hoping to learn something new.
Dear Bruce. Thanks for informative vid. It explains why I always had stodgy solder and wouldn't flow!! I was on the point of buying a new soldering iron thinking it wasn't getting to the right temperature. What is the best way to sean the tip of my soldering iron? Cheers.
Thank you for this excellent video and GREAT info! I wish I would have had more training in this area while I was getting my High Tech Automation Robotics college degree. Luckily, I learned it extremely fast in practice! Just be careful you don't inhale the LEAD fumes, because it will literally drive you insane!!! Also, wash your hands, and keep the kids away from.
The fumes don't contain any lead. Lead does not vaporize at such low temperatures. The fumes are from the flux and the flux in lead free solder is actually even more toxic than the flux from leaded solder.
I use Mercury 703.450 lead-free solder and am quite happy with it, mainly use it for cables and so. It has 99.3% Tin and 0.7% Copper with 2.2% flux. It might have been worth explaining why lead in solder is not actually that dangerous. As I understand, boiling point of lead is so high that you cannot reach it with a measly soldering iron. So the vapour (while not healthy) that happens during soldering does not actually contain lead. Is that the correct explanation?
+YensR Yes, you are correct about soldering at normal temperatures not producing lead vapor. The environmental/health impact seems to come mainly from the effects of e-waste where landfills are full of old electronic junk and the solder contained within.
+YensR Funnybthin though is that the fluxes used with lead free solder are actually more toxic than the rosin flux used for 60/40. You really shouldn;t solder with lead free indoors without a fume hood.
+Atomicskull That sounds scary. Do you have a source for that? I found the report from the Danish Toxicology Centre, but it is not very specific regarding the dangers of the fluxes (page 49) or seem to indicate that flux for lead-free solder might be better (page 66): www.ems007.com/PDFs/Survey_on_Lead_free_solder_systems1.pdf
***** Yes, I understand that. As you can see above in my reply, I have done some research. The question was: Which flux vapour is more dangerous: The flux in leaded or the flux in unleaded solder.
The BEST solder for both electrical and structural uses, available on the easy to get consumer market is: Radio Shack 64-013 E It is a Silver Bearing Solder with a Rosin Core. I use the .022" diameter all the time, but have both fine and heavier versions too. It is FAR stronger than the lead solder you like, but flows very nicely with a medium heat iron. Try it, you'll like it.
Lead isn't an eviromental issue, its a health issue. Lead is incredibly dangerous if consumed and it never leaves your body, so always wash your hands thoroughly directly after soldering to prevent any lead from transferring into your body.
+Marc Stollmeyer It's still an environmental issue though -- it affects every living organism that ingests it. This is why they've banned lead shot for duck shooting in many countries. Like most heavy metals, it can accumulate in the food chain but will most affect those at the top of the chain (us).
Not to be an ass, but if you do a quick google search you will find that lead solder is pretty darn safe (in terms of direct affects on human health). There is no lead in the smoke and you won't ingest any if you wash your hands. Also, don't eat it.
+Marc Stollmeyer I grew up washing my hands in leaded gas, breathing car fumes from leaded gas, and using leaded paint, etc like a lot of other people did. But I never tested positive for too much lead so I think filling up the land fills with lead solder electronics that gets into the water is the main issue and that is a real concern to prevent. But lets face it... we are experimental and Nature is not done with us and it will take hundreds of years to really see the damage/changes we have caused to our own biology.
Hi. I just found your videos. I think your antenna videos were the best I have seen. I am an extra class amatuer in the us. I have also been a tech for 45 years. Your explaination was fantastic. I agree with you. For years all we had was 60-40 for our work. All of a sudden we get that lead free crap came out. I bought one roll and trashed it. Keep up the great videos and Thanks W5DN.
It's the smoke from flux you have to worry about,it is toxic.A soldering iron can never get tin or lead hot enough to boil.when lead is boiled then it will give off toxic gases.I do prefer 60/40 over nonlead though
I don't have these issues with sa305 and nice flux. also I find that a good quality soldering iron is necessary with lead-free, you need higher temp and better thermal transfer.
At work we used lead free solder for a few years now because we have to and I have never seen anything like that happening. Perhaps a matter of temperature? We solder at 232°C for SMD and a bit above that by hand. Never had issues. Our customers need very high quality for prototypes and smaller serial production, and nobody ever complained over the years.
@RCModelReview, I only buy 60/40 Lead bearing rosin solder. always great results. I accidently bought some Silver bearing rosin core solder . haven't used it yet. not sure I will. I know it takes a higher heat range to work with the Silver say 430F Melt temp and the good old Lead says 361F melt temp. I like to use as a cool temp as when working with thin circuit boards. some say the sliver is stronger bond. is that true?? Good Video.
Another thing to keep in mind, is to re-tin leads that are pre-tinned - most of that is the same ROHS junk. Re-tinning these with good solder will help a ton for a good quality joint.
Could you use the lead-free solder when preparing PCBs and baking them in the oven? Also, question, I've noticed my soldering iron tip is being eaten away, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't have copper in the mix. I bought some solder from Hobbyking which works really well, but as I can't read chinese, I was wondering if they'd possibly use an acid flux? Would that explain the tip being eaten away?
Or use some of the tin/silver/copper based solders. If you buy any of the "not-cheap" stuff, you can easily use lead-free solder. Especially important if you want to comply with RoHS stuff.
I have known this for many years from my years in the electronic repair business. Lead free is crap. One of the biggest problems with modern electronics is the use of lead free solder in manufacturing
Remember the Red Ring of Death? that was a direct result of the EPA mandate that electronics be lead-free, so microsoft had to use lead free solder from then on. the 360 got very, very hot during its operation. after many heat cycles of heating up and cooling down, the garbage lead-free solder would start the crack microscopically and cause intermittent shorts. eventually the graphics processor would become so poorly connected it would give up and throw the three red lights error code. the way to fix it? melt off the processor and "re-flow" all the solder, removing the lead free stuff and replacing it with the 60/40 goodness. Never breaks again after that.
RoHS was adopted by the EU, not the US. It does however have global impact as most manufacturers will make their products RoHS compliant to sell their products in the EU.
Oh my. The first solder I ever bought was pasty I just assumed my iron was not getting hot enuf and learnt to work with that. Today I realised mine was the lead free type. It was also very difficult to take off the board via a wick. 😱
Thanks for the heads-up. I saw the Lead Free solder in store (Jaycar in Dunedin NZ) when I was buying my usual Duratech 60/40, aside from being way dearer I thought to myself "yeah, nah". The idea of "lead free" alone was enough to deter me.
One other problem with non-lead based solder is lack of ductility. This results in cracked joints on surface mount components after repeated heating/cooling cycles or after flexing of the board. It is problematic especially on larger chips and chips that run hot.
I have used them both when i use to do small electronic projects at college, it takes some time to get use to using lead free solder. Like every thing lead free will get better over time it might be as good as leaded solder in the near future.
Funny thing about lead free solder; it was phased into the only solder for production use via the RoHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) Act (2006) in the EU alongside the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Eqipment) Directive (2002) in a vain attempt to reduce the quantities of heavy metals in landfills. Ironically, as we have all seen since then, these two acts combined have lead to more consumer electronic waste in the last 10 years than the previous 50. I mean, who can forget infamous problems caused by lead free solder like the RRoD, Y(A)LoD, countless TV failures, laptops that just die, etc? If anything the attempt at being green has horribly backfired and created a bigger problem everyone (politicians) is looking the other way and pretending it's not happening. There is very good reason the entire aerospace and automotive industries are not using lead free solder in their electronic manufacturing processes. Blah, blah blah blahhhh. . . . *is probably gagged, blindfolded and carted away by some Greenpeace nut jobs*
I find the 63/37 stuff is definitely worthwhile. Flows better, looks better, etc, as you've said. The stuff I use is made by Yulong DingDong Industries. That Jaycar stuff is OK, but not brilliant. I think the flux is a bit ordinary. Get yourself a few rolls of a good 63/37 and you will never look back. Kester is apparently the pick of the litter.
Lead-free is best used in factories with BGA machines, where the conditions can be perfectly tuned for tin solder. It has its uses, but none of those include hobbyist projects.
Bro, 60/40 solder is good for good quality solder joints and easy to work, but is a bit toxic if you are not careful. The lead-free solder is har to work (you need to wse higher temeprature), but is safer. To use lead-free solder properly, you will need to incerase the soldering iron temperatoure. The liquid-solid transition will take a bit longer(1-2 secons) not 5-6. I'm not a lead-free solder fan, but i presentet advantajes/devantajes of the solder. I hope this were useful.
would you pls give a tip to use solder wire ? what type of solder wire should use for any pcb board? and how much watt should be for iron solder to use? thanks
I need a soldering wire that’s for general purpose things to solder gutters battery terminals or just anything. I got a air compressor head that’s got a small crack on head want some solder what would ya recommend on amazon or eBay
Please help I run Rc cars and sometimes the bullet connectors can de solder with the 60/40 would I be better using the lead free with can take more heat thanks
so i used my soldering iron to melt some perfect holes in a plastic sheet fire insulating carbon parts. Anyway I cannot seem to clean the tip of residue and solder will not sick to it anymore. Do you have any tip cleaning tips? I've used Flux and then a wire brush. Not being cheap, i did but a new tip, but no sense in throwing out good parts of they can be cleaned.
is soldier conductive? i have always wrapped my leads together and then soldier them however i have seen a person build a copter by putting blobs of soldier on each end of a wire and then melting them together and it appears to work consequently it appears that the wires don't have to make contact,
I have a friend that 'has always used lead free'. I wrapped my leaded solder on their lead free solder reel, and they raved for a week about the stuff. I never told them and they is still trying to find that 'good stuff'.
+mmerry2 on TH-cam Cold solder joints are what you get when your materials you're soldering together aren't heated properly when you apply solder. Hot solder doesn't stick to cold surfaces very well and it's common for those joints to come loose. With braided wire, the solder actually gets pulled into the gaps in the braiding when it achieves the correct temperature, that results in a very strong joint.
+Josh Grebe Thanks, but I understand what cold solder joints are. My question was is a dry solder joint the same as a cold solder joint? Bruce mentioned a "dry solder joint" at 3:31 and I have never heard that term.
+mmerry2 on TH-cam Yes it is the same. although some would say a dry joint is when you dont tin the pad , pin or wire before soldering. So it doesnt bond properly, and a cold joint is one that has moved/crystalised or was never hot enough to properly flow. Also if you rework a poor joint and it doesnt look shiny a little dab of new solder will fix that. its just where the solder has oxidised as the flux has been used up or flowed away
I use lead free solder on my drones, I love it. But mine is 96% tin, 3% silver, and 1%copper (Kester lead free rosin core) I do have to use a iron that goes above 750deg tho. Amazon had one for $40 on sale. I think the silver and copper in mine gives it just the right amount of malleability so it isn’t brittle.
Lead free solder is one the reasons I stay busy as a repairman. Not a day goes buy where re-soldering components or a connection doesn't resolve a problem. On my personal work, I always use leaded solder. So in reality; I hate lead-free and and also love it.
Excelent. Banggood ripped me of also. Not the exact the same solder as you got, but behaves just like it. Even though i ordered 60/40 or 63/37.. Couldnt figure out why it was crap. Thanks. What about tin/silver solder though? how does that compare?
Lead free seems to need more heat, have to bump my iron up a notch when I use it. Biggest problem I find is that the higher temperature I use burns the flux off significantly faster. Have to use a flux pen or the like to make it work. I don't see any problems using lead free for reflow. BUT... I use leaded with the iron at home as I can use a lower heat, I don't need a flux pen, and it's far less likely to give a dry joint soldering the large power wires I use in my electric models. Got the same solder myself from Jaycar, only bought my second roll ever about 1 year ago but my usage seems to have accelerated since I started soldering XT-60's.
I've been having a heck of a problem with a RTF DYS BG250. I'ts one of those quads with integrated esc's and wiring. I had to replace the bottom part of the frame and solder the wires from the motors to the built in esc's. All the motors spin when they are the lowest motor and spin at completely irregular rates. I have no idea if my awful soldering skills have shorted something or if its just the settings need re-calibrating. Either way next time I fork out for a quad I will stay away from the RTF models as they are as far from modular as possible.
+Vividcg In openpilot when finding the point where the motors start spinning none of the motors spin at all. very confused. I marked all the wires to make sure they're the right way around. any thoughts?
The increase of electronics equipment going to landfill as a result of lead free solder connection issues will greatly outnumber the benefits of it being free from lead. A more appropriate action would be to continue using leaded solder, but *not* ingest it or any electronics equipment made with it. For example, if I buy a TV made with leaded solder on the PCBs, I wouldn't smash it to bits, and try eating it. This way, I get the quality of connection given only by leaded solder, but none of the health associated drawbacks that come with ingesting lead. To be honest, I don't know why anyone else hadn't thought of doing this back in the 80s and 90s before leaded solder became such a big health concern...
Lead free solder flows differently and looks dull keeps me wondering every time if the joint is good! If I'm doing repairs, I suck up the lead free solder with litze, tin the pad with lead solder and suck it up again. Then I can have my beautiful leaded solder joint.
I have been using 60/40 for a while with no problems. I went to get more and could only get at the time was 60/38/2% resin flux, with no mention of rosin. Would this be ok for soldering joints needed for modeling? I get a wee bit confused when it comes to something different. By the way I always look forward to your videos, you have been so helpful. Thank you.
+adriancjones I use this thing and it's a beast - www.ebay.com.au/itm/Desoldering-Station-80W-Temperature-controlled-Vacuum-Suction-de-soldering-gun-/361322066052?hash=item5420793084
I knew it! I thought my tip was bad or my iron was not hot enough. Turns out I got lead-free solder wire as I used to buy it per meter from a repair shop. Terribly brittle and flaky.
I recently started soldering and was having a few issues. I ran out of solder and bought 60 40 rosin core and am having much better results. while I admit I'm no professional the lead free solder is just not as good as 60 40
Great lesson! Moving to college soon and hope I get a teacher like you. when my solder doesn't melt I always blame it on my soldering tip for not being hot enough. Them eventually my soldering iron tip gets messed up and doesnt allow solder to stick on it anymore! Can someone explain this please? From now on I've followed someones advice to always leave a bit of solder on the end of the tip when its not in use. Thanks
Recently bought some Wonder Solder Signature, which is has silver in it, before I used Cardas, as I always found solder with silver to be better to use, also it might be more expensive, however a roll last years!
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Thanks for this great post. I work in aviation and am a certified solder technician working on aircraft and aircraft test sets for over 30 years. Lead free solder has been banned from aviation equipment due to its discovery of unreliability after several deadly aviation accidents. The reason is it cracks under vibration and temperature changes over time. Lead free solder is also one of the major causes of modern electronics ending up in the landfills. It is also the major cause of automotive electronic failures particularly in those MPG/KPG, compass and trip overhead displays. In fact most of those displays can be repaired just by re-soldering them with lead solder. If you fly RC aircraft STAY AWAY from this stuff, as it cracks under vibration and temperature changes over time. If you have the capability I would open and check you radio equipment twice a year particularly at the start of summer and the start of winter after the over all temperature changes. Make any repairs with lead solder, 60/40 or the 67/37 Eutectic solder. Thanks again for the post. Best Wishes n Blessings Keith
What ever the drawbacks are I still prefer lead free over leaded because expectancy of our life and quality of our health matters more than that of the solder used in electronics.
@@ultrababa4723 If you wash your hands after soldering and don't do the obvious stupid stuff, there is no health risk.
@@ultrababa4723 I know this is an old post, but there is no risk unless you plan on licking your fingers after soldering or eating your devices.... lead absorbency through skin is not a thing, unless it is an organic lead compound, which it is not.
As a matter of fact, I ended up here looking for solder differences. Currently studying to be avionics technician, so I find this comment quite interesting.
Got my hands on soldering tools and wires to practice at home... and bought a crappy tin solder without knowing, "60/40"... but results were just like the crap solder in this video. I could NOT manage to prepare the wire tips, let alone solder things together: thing just slushes and goes solid when it touches the wire, and iiiffff you manage to solder it, its weak and quite crap.
@@kevinyamil2103 Hey Kevin if you're serious about learning to solder Pace World Wide the maker of professional soldering equipment has some nice videos on it here: th-cam.com/channels/T5e-XjqHPfA3_9wF3CgY1w.html
I also have some lengthy soldering videos on repairing bad or corroded circuit boards here: th-cam.com/play/PLVLXGvrQp0Os1DY1r_iUETKdLR2u-cAfY.html You'll have to skip through to the soldering videos you want to view. Best Wishes and Blessings in you learning. Keith Noneya
Lead free is harder to work with but I made a personal decision to up my game, not for myself, but for everyone else who will have to live with the soldered fixtures I create which will eventually turn into waste.
the only reason why i use lead free is because i like to lick my pcb and lead is bad for my health
fume extractor does the job
+Spoder Man , no it doesn't.
Martín Varela get a better fume extractor
Spoder Man You have no idea what you're talking about.
You don't breath trough your tongue.
Martín Varela no shit
FFS
After 2 years messing with my soldering iron I purchased new, I was convinced I suck at soldering
I now know why I am experiencing issues!
This video just saved me some grey hairs
Thank you mate
Thanks Bruce, interesting. I've been soldering since 1964, and I now use lead-free, and I find that it's basically just a different technique to get a good joint. That 'tin spread' effect is a vaild point though. As to health issues, well you've been using leaded solder for decades so obviously it can't affect the brain as some have said. (Wait a minute though.......)
This was one of the first things I found out when I started the hobby. My solder was terrible and I was blaming the iron. So I got a new iron and it was the same, so I blamed myself. Then I happened to try some solder that a well known UK Quadcopter shop was using and tadaaaa! Beautiful solder joints. This video will no doubt help many people. Don't forget the link to you old video mate. Have a good one.
+ThatHPI GUY that's exactly the same way I discovered that lead free solder is crap.
+ThatHPI GUY Same story here, matey. Hated soldering for a long time and thought I just didn't have the knack for it. It put me right off getting anything past breadboard prototype stage. Got myself some nice and thin 60/40 and realised I actually CAN solder quite well. Now I actively look for excuses to solder stuff!
+ThatHPI GUY
Spot on HPI, I was exactly same:)
+ThatHPI GUY Ill try this 60/40 solder asap. :-) Flying a 250 quad for a year now and with the build and repairs i was using the lead-free solder all the time.. Now i see the problem. hehehe Thanks bruce!
+starlino Yes... I measured some leads I made... less resistance with the silver based unleaded solder so better flight times using small wires and connectors to save weight.
I work for a company that builds military grade equipment and I will tell you that lead free is more brittle and that's why we still use leaded we mostly use .032 and solder paste for reflow oven and we always have great quality solder joints also I do want to point out that lead free requires higher Temps and are more difficult to solder
Taking soldering courses right now, and most of the time I'm just waiting for the teacher to get to the stuff I've already learned on youtube. We're using 97% tin solder in the courses, btw, as well as old style irons that take forever to recover after losing heat. Great combo.
I'm kinda new to this which is like the best to use to last me years?
Ideal temp for lead free soldering is 700F (371C) and no hotter. Also, do NOT use a wet sponge to 'clean' your iron tip. Only use the metal 'brillo' pad type of cleaner. The thermal shock of the wet sponge when combined with lead free solder will ruin your tip very quickly. Also, the sponge does not adequately clean the tip.
I wipe it on my cheep jeans one time I was in shorts an wiped on my leg I did say F%$^& B£$^ T£$^^ C^&$£%^ then B£$^$$ again almost 40 years of soldering I always grab the solder in my mouth pull it an solder hows much have I eaten
Have you tried adding a bit of flux? Might help the lead free solder.
I believe he was using flux core lead-free (s**t) solder, besides adding flux does not address the issue which is metallurgical! Lead-free solder SUCKS!
It would help certainly even if your using rosin cored solder anyways. You don't avoid using liquid rosin flux just cause your wire has rosin flux in it. Despite what this video says lead free with a decent liquid flux used on the larger joints will yield perfectly satisfactory results that will be fine for any hobbyist. Yes leaded 60/40 or 63/37 melts easier but people who say less free is useless either don't know how to solder very well, are using cheap crap solder wire, or don't account for the higher melting point. If you can get leaded and it's for an application your kids won't be playing with have at it. But if your working on a small repair and you just wanna grab some solder locally an all they have is less free that's certainly usable. Just remember to use an extra 100 degrees or so, flux larger joints or joints that you don't want getting to hot ( the flux will reduce the amount of time it takes to solder the joint by cleaning the surfaces and heating the solder more consistently so you can avoid damaging small components not to mention that extra flux will result in better solder flow in your joint) and if you do those things you'll be fine.
@@ronplucksstrings7112 Yes that's exactly what adding flux does it address the efficiency of melting and adhesion of your joint. Extra flux is certainly meant to be used with rosin core smh. Do you think that just cause it's rosin core you don't have to use flux with it on some joints Lol? Smh, you obviously have no clue what your talking about and weren't qualified to answer the question. Which wasn't a stupid question at all. Sadly you decided to give a really stupid answer even though the OP has a better understanding than you do of how soldering works.
Extra heat will help but extra Flux wont. Maybe there is a brand of lead free solder is better than other brands but regardless of what brand won't stop the tin whiskers that unleaded solder causes.
Save the earth by recycling electronics, you should not need to buy a power adapter for each new electronics you buy. Standardization is best for all electronics manufactured. Keyboards and mice should work on all computers that have usb connections.
Also memory cards should also be transferable from one computer to another. Just these two features would save money and reduce waste.
I guess you can use the hippie solder for making some sculptures or something.
i use it when i need to hot air gun reflow. but yeah stick to the 60/40 for everything else.
+SlavjanA Tin is good stuff for bullet casting, too. Tin is added to the lead alloy, because is improves casting properties. Hippies don't cast bullets.
I only use lead free solder on copper water supply plumbing. Then I use Mapps gas to get enough heat.
Adding 1lb of 60/40 solder to 10lb of wheel weights makes a perfect bullet casting alloy. Just the correct amount of lead, tin and antimony.
I use 99/1% tin/copper solder(atleast that's what it says on the spool), and it works fine with a normal non-copper tip, basically as well as leaded solder.
is it stil conductive?
@@caramel7149 yes?
For what??
Please God tell me you don't use that for electronics and HIFI??
@@ryanjofre not hifi, but electronics i guess
@@rallekralle11 Stop using that.
Get yourself some 63/37 Tin/lead Eutectic solder in whatever diameter you prefer .....Kester brand is the best.....made in USA and very affordable.
Donate that crap you have to a school that teaches kids how to solder.
You'll thank me.
63/37 is eutectic. 60/40 is not quite.
and a better choice if you can get it.
Well, it seems to have its pros and cons. Eutectic is -more- less odds of a cold joint, 60/40 is better joints when they're done right.
Jasper Janssen ahh, thanks.
The one time I tried to get it, my supplier was out of stock so I have not tried it out myself.
@@JasonKaler you using lead free chinese solder use good one the chinese crap its a recicled mix of diferent materials recicled in illegal scrap yards in china thats why is so crapy coz is a mix of every thing the real solder leaf free cos like 30 euros for 200 grams try using the brand ELTO AND YOU SEE THE DIFERENCE
63 37 replaced 60 40 in the telephone market place. Moisture was a problem in phone electronics. I did not make the change just the engineering department did. The ECO changed the ratio of solder.
Tin based is great if you have the right flux
Bruce, I am really excited to see your tutorial on Ham radio license. When do you think it will be put out on video?
+Scott Mccurley I've been collecting a whole lot of material to create this series -- and I'm interviewing a couple of "old-school" ham radio operators as well so it'll be sometime in the New Year.
"i would rather save my model than save the planet" LOL nice one bruce! funny guy!
FPVREVIEWS probably because way are not able to save it anyway.
Lead free solder causes tin whiskers and the military will not use lead free solder on any of their electronics. I won't use lead free in production where I work.
I've been using the cheap lead free solder you get from Harbor Freight for a while. It does take a little longer to melt and a little longer to solidify, but as long as you properly heat your surfaces the joints are quite strong. if i were doing more delicate work, I'd probably use thinner 60/40 solder.
05:00 That kinda pissed me off, when you solder you need to heat up the base, don't expect to solder on a cold PCB ofc the soldering wire will get "pasty" or solidify if you don't give it the necessary temperature, as you can see from the vid. you/he get's the soldering iron away fast, the PCB is COLD and the hot liquid transfers the heat fast to the copper PCB. Use the right temperature, even if you don't have a high heat soldering iron hold it on the PCB to heat up then solder, like that you always will have a PERFECT soldering with any soldering wire.
Domino60 how do you know when your are damaging the board tho? what do you look for?
The Great Mechanized Ape, get the right tip size (so that it doesnt heat the board but it does heat the base/lead) and one way to know if the board is damaged is if it turns black or starts to smell!
J3tfuel thanks.
I use Pb free solder at work for some customers but other customers I use 1%Cu which is harder to use and needs a hotter iron too. Bring back 60/40, it works so well.
100% behind you on the solder. I have been in electronics for 40 years now and hate using lead free solder.
Much love from Australia. You kiwis are our best mates in the world and if anyone wants a go at you, they’ll have to get through us first.
Shut up dick head
I've been using 99.3Sn0.7Cu, which is also eutectic and I have had none of your problems so far. Granted, it needs higher temperature, but that's about it.
Regarding the claim unleaded solder will not last as long as leaded solder I just found this in Navy files on solder: “The typical life of commercial electronic devices is three to seven years compared to decades for DoD systems,” said Lloyd Condra, Chairman of the Lead Free Electronics in Aerospace Project (LEAP). “In fact, we’re seeing device manufactures optimizing the design of microcircuits to wear out in that same timeframe.” (end of excerpt) Well looks like the claims of planned obsolescence are true and not just a few companies like Samsung getting caught.
I have built a handful of quads and am quite good at soldering now.. thankfully I have been using the correct solder. I use 2mm but after watching this vid I will be purchasing some thinner solder. Very useful information. Thanks Bruce.
Thanks for the Video Bruce! I solder for a living and we use mostly 60/40 lead solder, we have a small area where we have to use lead free, and everyone says tge same that lead free is horrible to work with, you need extremely hi quality hi temperature irons to do the job. Currently taking a recert course at work and tou guessed it they've changed to lead free for the practical🤦♀️ its bloody horrible for tiny little surface mounts I can tell you, nevermind the 100 pin components. It barely just copes with through pin and if you get a bridge that's damn near impossible to get rid of. Leaded solder all the way for me, we where gloves and have extraction units so it's safe for us. 🙂
i just started working at a solder manufacturer...i love it!! today i ran the draw machine and was making .125 solder wire this stuff had tin copper silver and lead in it...I LEARNED TO SOLDER A SOLDER WIRE BACK TOGETHER lol ots not hard bit the thought never crossed my mind!!
A friend forwarded me this video because i was having solderingen issues. Thanks for opening my eyes
The thing that concerns me most about working with lead solder is actually DE-soldering, especially with a pump. Those tiny, barely visible bits of removed solder get everywhere; all over my desk, under my fingernails, on the floor, on my arms, etc. I'm sure I even had lead dust in my bed at times. Over long period time that can be ingested and could build up to become harmful. As someone who does almost as much desoldering as soldering and has cats, I'm moving on to lead free. I'll still use 60/40 for some things but won't whenever I can avoid it.
I was suffering trying to understand why my soldering iron stopped melting the solder, sometimes it would sometimes wouldn't. I had one more solder wire with me from different product. Applied the other one and it took flawlessly. So at least I know the issue was a low quality solder wire. Thanks for the video ,you confirmed my issue.
I have a roll that is a similar size as the one you show from Banggood....and when I removed all the solder...I found that the hub was 10 mm thick.. giving the impression that there was a lot more on the roll.
Most experienced people who can actually solder or those that have taken some form of IPC-A-610 course would disagree with this video. That’s not to say leaded solder is bad. Its actually pretty good if you’re new to soldering. Its easier to use than ROHS solder. I always recommend new people to use leaded solder if they haven’t touched a soldering iron before.
Biggest proplem I found with leadfree solder was that if you use the same tip as non leadfree, it will add bit of lead to the soldering mixture which causes exactly what you show in the video (you need to have atleast 25% or 0.00000% lead to make good solder). I think one big Japanese electronics company had issues with the tin whiskers when they changed to leadfree and didn't change their manufacturing equipment, because of the small lead contamination.
There are good leadfree solders available (SnAgCu), but need to find one that you like to use. Also since melting temperature is much higher, which makes the soldering much harder.
BiSn (57%,43%) has pretty low melting temperature at 140C and makes it easier to use, while having only 1 degree of difference in liquid and solid. But it has problems with the strength.
Btw, did you even change the temperature between the solders?
Before all the hate, I use leaded solder for my own projects, but at work we pretty much need to use leadfree and I'm not having issues with it.
Honestly... Since lead is heavy, I bought lead free - which was way cheaper per volume. It was not labled, so I did not even know, if it had rosin core - luckyly it has! It is 0.5mm solder. It is great for SMD and ultra fine pitch through hole. (The distance between to 1.27mm pads can be almost 0, if the pads are large!) I dissolved cheap rosin from ebay for 4€ 100 grams (!) in a few ml of ethanol. It is like runny honey, but perfectly clear. I preflux on ANY soldering. The solder flows amazingly. It is very easy to work with and the spool is not close to get used up. I am on the cheap site all the time - skill and flux fixes all the problems! Oh, and good soldering tip.
Don't forget to always brush of any remaining flux, or in high humidity environment your PCB will slowly rot away over time. (Metal corosion)
You should put the whole roll into a pot and make a brick of solder. I have no idea what you could use it for (maybe a paperweight) but I think it would be cool to watch it all melt. Also, what exactly is flux and why does it make solder flow so well?
+rabinator33 Maybe add something on solder paste if you want to do a vid on it
+Lemon Gaming cleans the surface.prep for the solder to flow nicely on the wire
+rabinator33 Flux inhibits (and sometimes reverses) the oxidation of the solder. The oxide usually forms on the surface of molten solder and creates a kind of skin that encapsulates the liquid metal and stops it from flowing smoothly. Flux can also stop oxidation of the metals your actually soldering -- thus improving the alloying between the solder and the copper (or other metals) you're joining.
I've actually done this. it creates a nice brick. it's what I do with unleaded solder.
+leif churchill Same. I find it quite fun :P
Got to agree, lead free solder is absolute rubbish, bought a roll of what stated on the label as 63/37, tried to use it and quickly found out that it had no lead in at all, had to turn the solder station up way higher than normal and even then it never flowed properly, left me with poor joints and a horrible dull finish. Went on to buy a new roll of 60/40 solder from a UK electronics supplier and immediately saw a huge improvement plus I could solder perfectly at 320 degrees :)
It seems like more web stores in Europe are trying to get rid of 60/40. Majority of them supply more lead free crap than 60/40.
This video opened my eyes. I agree with the author. No need to explain why lead-free is suck. Notice that fact old computers and another tech stuff still working our days because old school soldering with lead! today first problem of all tech is BAD CONNECTION )) because Lead free soldering poor conductive and after a few years, unconnected
My english is sucks like lead free soldering but you got my point lol
Thanks for sharing this video & information. I haven’t soldered for years. But an renewing my interest in designing & prototype projects. I a few days ago I decided to order Maiyum 63-37 Tin-Lead Rosin core soldering wire Just to explore the eutecric aspects discussed in several soldering tutorials including your own. Hoping to learn something new.
Dear Bruce. Thanks for informative vid. It explains why I always had stodgy solder and wouldn't flow!! I was on the point of buying a new soldering iron thinking it wasn't getting to the right temperature.
What is the best way to sean the tip of my soldering iron? Cheers.
I just found out I had been using lead free solder and ive had no troubles with it. Might switch to 60/40
Thank you for this excellent video and GREAT info! I wish I would have had more training in this area while I was getting my High Tech Automation Robotics college degree. Luckily, I learned it extremely fast in practice!
Just be careful you don't inhale the LEAD fumes, because it will literally drive you insane!!! Also, wash your hands, and keep the kids away from.
The fumes don't contain any lead. Lead does not vaporize at such low temperatures. The fumes are from the flux and the flux in lead free solder is actually even more toxic than the flux from leaded solder.
I use Mercury 703.450 lead-free solder and am quite happy with it, mainly use it for cables and so. It has 99.3% Tin and 0.7% Copper with 2.2% flux.
It might have been worth explaining why lead in solder is not actually that dangerous. As I understand, boiling point of lead is so high that you cannot reach it with a measly soldering iron. So the vapour (while not healthy) that happens during soldering does not actually contain lead. Is that the correct explanation?
+YensR Yes, you are correct about soldering at normal temperatures not producing lead vapor. The environmental/health impact seems to come mainly from the effects of e-waste where landfills are full of old electronic junk and the solder contained within.
+YensR Funnybthin though is that the fluxes used with lead free solder are actually more toxic than the rosin flux used for 60/40. You really shouldn;t solder with lead free indoors without a fume hood.
+Atomicskull That sounds scary. Do you have a source for that? I found the report from the Danish Toxicology Centre, but it is not very specific regarding the dangers of the fluxes (page 49) or seem to indicate that flux for lead-free solder might be better (page 66): www.ems007.com/PDFs/Survey_on_Lead_free_solder_systems1.pdf
***** Yes, I understand that. As you can see above in my reply, I have done some research. The question was: Which flux vapour is more dangerous: The flux in leaded or the flux in unleaded solder.
Yes, definitely - safety first!
The BEST solder for both electrical and structural uses, available on the easy to get consumer market is:
Radio Shack 64-013 E
It is a Silver Bearing Solder with a Rosin Core. I use the .022" diameter all the time, but have both fine and
heavier versions too. It is FAR stronger than the lead solder you like, but flows very nicely with a medium
heat iron. Try it, you'll like it.
I got the 63 37 leaded solder
Took a while of searching on amazon to get it
and it works really good. Super clean
Lead isn't an eviromental issue, its a health issue. Lead is incredibly dangerous if consumed and it never leaves your body, so always wash your hands thoroughly directly after soldering to prevent any lead from transferring into your body.
+Marc Stollmeyer It's still an environmental issue though -- it affects every living organism that ingests it. This is why they've banned lead shot for duck shooting in many countries. Like most heavy metals, it can accumulate in the food chain but will most affect those at the top of the chain (us).
Not to be an ass, but if you do a quick google search you will find that lead solder is pretty darn safe (in terms of direct affects on human health). There is no lead in the smoke and you won't ingest any if you wash your hands. Also, don't eat it.
+Tank Buddy But the smoke from the solder doesn't contain lead but it's bad for your lungs.
+theXpto51 Thanks for pointing that out. Fumes from the flux are toxic, but the risk of inhalation can be mitigated with ventilation pretty easily.
+Marc Stollmeyer I grew up washing my hands in leaded gas, breathing car fumes from leaded gas, and using leaded paint, etc like a lot of other people did. But I never tested positive for too much lead so I think filling up the land fills with lead solder electronics that gets into the water is the main issue and that is a real concern to prevent. But lets face it... we are experimental and Nature is not done with us and it will take hundreds of years to really see the damage/changes we have caused to our own biology.
Hi. I just found your videos. I think your antenna videos were the best I have seen. I am an extra class amatuer in the us. I have also been a tech for 45 years. Your explaination was fantastic. I agree with you. For years all we had was 60-40 for our work. All of a sudden we get that lead free crap came out. I bought one roll and trashed it. Keep up the great videos and Thanks W5DN.
It's the smoke from flux you have to worry about,it is toxic.A soldering iron can never get tin or lead hot enough to boil.when lead is boiled then it will give off toxic gases.I do prefer 60/40 over nonlead though
all this shows is that low quality solder is worse than high quality...
I don't have these issues with sa305 and nice flux. also I find that a good quality soldering iron is necessary with lead-free, you need higher temp and better thermal transfer.
Bruce, I want the cutting/soldering mat like the one you're using here. Do you know where I can get one? Thanks!
At work we used lead free solder for a few years now because we have to and I have never seen anything like that happening. Perhaps a matter of temperature? We solder at 232°C for SMD and a bit above that by hand. Never had issues. Our customers need very high quality for prototypes and smaller serial production, and nobody ever complained over the years.
@RCModelReview, I only buy 60/40 Lead bearing rosin solder. always great results. I accidently bought some Silver bearing rosin core solder . haven't used it yet. not sure I will. I know it takes a higher heat range to work with the Silver say 430F Melt temp and the good old Lead says 361F melt temp. I like to use as a cool temp as when working with thin circuit boards. some say the sliver is stronger bond. is that true?? Good Video.
Very nice video, it's about time I learn the real difference between the different types of solder. Thank you!
I use lead free without any problems for big joins like XT60 and thicker cables. Its a german brand however.
+foamidable You should be able to edit your YT comments. Try clicking the little circle on the right.
+wordreet Thanks, I didn't know that.
+foamidable okys
Another thing to keep in mind, is to re-tin leads that are pre-tinned - most of that is the same ROHS junk. Re-tinning these with good solder will help a ton for a good quality joint.
Could you use the lead-free solder when preparing PCBs and baking them in the oven?
Also, question, I've noticed my soldering iron tip is being eaten away, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't have copper in the mix. I bought some solder from Hobbyking which works really well, but as I can't read chinese, I was wondering if they'd possibly use an acid flux? Would that explain the tip being eaten away?
Hey bruce thanks for this post. Ive tried using lead free just for that reason to be safer, but it sucks.
Or use some of the tin/silver/copper based solders. If you buy any of the "not-cheap" stuff, you can easily use lead-free solder. Especially important if you want to comply with RoHS stuff.
What kind of solder is best to solder a copper wire to a thick (5mm) silver rod?
Lead free solder needs a higher temp to flow and it will have a 'dull' look to it. It will not look shiny as the leaded solder does.
I have known this for many years from my years in the electronic repair business.
Lead free is crap. One of the biggest problems with modern electronics is the use of lead free solder in manufacturing
I got some really good lead rosin core solder from Singapore 5 years ago and the same spool is still going strong.
Hi I need to solder my nitro exhaust but I'm frightened it will melt is there a hight temperature solder out there
Remember the Red Ring of Death?
that was a direct result of the EPA mandate that electronics be lead-free, so microsoft had to use lead free solder from then on.
the 360 got very, very hot during its operation. after many heat cycles of heating up and cooling down, the garbage lead-free solder would start the crack microscopically and cause intermittent shorts. eventually the graphics processor would become so poorly connected it would give up and throw the three red lights error code.
the way to fix it? melt off the processor and "re-flow" all the solder, removing the lead free stuff and replacing it with the 60/40 goodness. Never breaks again after that.
+Ryukachoo I'm not aware of such a mandate for the US. They likely used lead-free solder so that they could sell the Xboxes to people in the EU.
nubowner1
look up ROHS
RoHS was adopted by the EU, not the US. It does however have global impact as most manufacturers will make their products RoHS compliant to sell their products in the EU.
i wrapped my xbox in a towel while being on and let it sit like that for a while. it reflowed the solder for me and worked
Oh my.
The first solder I ever bought was pasty
I just assumed my iron was not getting hot enuf and learnt to work with that.
Today I realised mine was the lead free type.
It was also very difficult to take off the board via a wick. 😱
Thanks for the heads-up. I saw the Lead Free solder in store (Jaycar in Dunedin NZ) when I was buying my usual Duratech 60/40, aside from being way dearer I thought to myself "yeah, nah". The idea of "lead free" alone was enough to deter me.
One other problem with non-lead based solder is lack of ductility. This results in cracked joints on surface mount components after repeated heating/cooling cycles or after flexing of the board. It is problematic especially on larger chips and chips that run hot.
I have used them both when i use to do small electronic projects at college, it takes some time to get use to using lead free solder. Like every thing lead free will get better over time it might be as good as leaded solder in the near future.
Funny thing about lead free solder; it was phased into the only solder for production use via the RoHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) Act (2006) in the EU alongside the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Eqipment) Directive (2002) in a vain attempt to reduce the quantities of heavy metals in landfills. Ironically, as we have all seen since then, these two acts combined have lead to more consumer electronic waste in the last 10 years than the previous 50. I mean, who can forget infamous problems caused by lead free solder like the RRoD, Y(A)LoD, countless TV failures, laptops that just die, etc?
If anything the attempt at being green has horribly backfired and created a bigger problem everyone (politicians) is looking the other way and pretending it's not happening. There is very good reason the entire aerospace and automotive industries are not using lead free solder in their electronic manufacturing processes.
Blah, blah blah blahhhh. . . . *is probably gagged, blindfolded and carted away by some Greenpeace nut jobs*
I find the 63/37 stuff is definitely worthwhile. Flows better, looks better, etc, as you've said. The stuff I use is made by Yulong DingDong Industries.
That Jaycar stuff is OK, but not brilliant. I think the flux is a bit ordinary. Get yourself a few rolls of a good 63/37 and you will never look back. Kester is apparently the pick of the litter.
Kester Eutectic 63/37 is the best unless you need some silver for HIFI then Cards audio and others are tops
DingDong......lmao.
Lead-free is best used in factories with BGA machines, where the conditions can be perfectly tuned for tin solder. It has its uses, but none of those include hobbyist projects.
Hey Bruce, I like you're going to do a video on an inverter cable. I wanted to ask if you are going to do one on setting up a gps for a Naze32 board?
Bro, 60/40 solder is good for good quality solder joints and easy to work, but is a bit toxic if you are not careful. The lead-free solder is har to work (you need to wse higher temeprature), but is safer. To use lead-free solder properly, you will need to incerase the soldering iron temperatoure. The liquid-solid transition will take a bit longer(1-2 secons) not 5-6. I'm not a lead-free solder fan, but i presentet advantajes/devantajes of the solder. I hope this were useful.
would you pls give a tip to use solder wire ? what type of solder wire should use for any pcb board? and how much watt should be for iron solder to use? thanks
I need a soldering wire that’s for general purpose things to solder gutters battery terminals or just anything. I got a air compressor head that’s got a small crack on head want some solder what would ya recommend on amazon or eBay
Please help I run Rc cars and sometimes the bullet connectors can de solder with the 60/40 would I be better using the lead free with can take more heat thanks
so i used my soldering iron to melt some perfect holes in a plastic sheet fire insulating carbon parts. Anyway I cannot seem to clean the tip of residue and solder will not sick to it anymore. Do you have any tip cleaning tips? I've used Flux and then a wire brush. Not being cheap, i did but a new tip, but no sense in throwing out good parts of they can be cleaned.
If the tip is solid copper, you can file down to a clean suface, otherwise it's time to throw that tip out.
is soldier conductive? i have always wrapped my leads together and then
soldier them however i have seen a person build a copter by putting
blobs of soldier on each end of a wire and then melting them together
and it appears to work consequently it appears that the wires don't have
to make contact,
I have a friend that 'has always used lead free'. I wrapped my leaded solder on their lead free solder reel, and they raved for a week about the stuff. I never told them and they is still trying to find that 'good stuff'.
+Christine Stone Haha... oops.
Awkward...
Yes,,, u r right sir, I hv used ths Pb Solder & hv gone through a horrible struggling to join smethng. It is really bothering while on wrk.
Hey there,
Can you please tell me the power rating of your soldering iron?
Thanks.
Bruce, is "dry" solder joint the same as a "cold" solder joint? Thanks for the video sir.
+mmerry2 on TH-cam Cold solder joints are what you get when your materials you're soldering together aren't heated properly when you apply solder. Hot solder doesn't stick to cold surfaces very well and it's common for those joints to come loose. With braided wire, the solder actually gets pulled into the gaps in the braiding when it achieves the correct temperature, that results in a very strong joint.
+Josh Grebe Thanks, but I understand what cold solder joints are. My question was is a dry solder joint the same as a cold solder joint? Bruce mentioned a "dry solder joint" at 3:31 and I have never heard that term.
+mmerry2 on TH-cam Yes it is the same. although some would say a dry joint is when you dont tin the pad , pin or wire before soldering. So it doesnt bond properly, and a cold joint is one that has moved/crystalised or was never hot enough to properly flow.
Also if you rework a poor joint and it doesnt look shiny a little dab of new solder will fix that. its just where the solder has oxidised as the flux has been used up or flowed away
when are the rest of the UHF series coming up? I am very eager to watch it :D
I use lead free solder on my drones, I love it. But mine is 96% tin, 3% silver, and 1%copper (Kester lead free rosin core) I do have to use a iron that goes above 750deg tho. Amazon had one for $40 on sale. I think the silver and copper in mine gives it just the right amount of malleability so it isn’t brittle.
Lead free solder is one the reasons I stay busy as a repairman. Not a day goes buy where re-soldering components or a connection doesn't resolve a problem. On my personal work, I always use leaded solder. So in reality; I hate lead-free and and also love it.
umm if lead & tin eat away at copper then how come they are still used to solder copper wires ?
Excelent. Banggood ripped me of also. Not the exact the same solder as you got, but behaves just like it. Even though i ordered 60/40 or 63/37.. Couldnt figure out why it was crap. Thanks.
What about tin/silver solder though? how does that compare?
"but it's cr4p"
Made my laugh. Love it brother
Lead free seems to need more heat, have to bump my iron up a notch when I use it. Biggest problem I find is that the higher temperature I use burns the flux off significantly faster. Have to use a flux pen or the like to make it work. I don't see any problems using lead free for reflow. BUT... I use leaded with the iron at home as I can use a lower heat, I don't need a flux pen, and it's far less likely to give a dry joint soldering the large power wires I use in my electric models. Got the same solder myself from Jaycar, only bought my second roll ever about 1 year ago but my usage seems to have accelerated since I started soldering XT-60's.
I've been having a heck of a problem with a RTF DYS BG250. I'ts one of those quads with integrated esc's and wiring. I had to replace the bottom part of the frame and solder the wires from the motors to the built in esc's. All the motors spin when they are the lowest motor and spin at completely irregular rates. I have no idea if my awful soldering skills have shorted something or if its just the settings need re-calibrating. Either way next time I fork out for a quad I will stay away from the RTF models as they are as far from modular as possible.
+Vividcg In openpilot when finding the point where the motors start spinning none of the motors spin at all. very confused. I marked all the wires to make sure they're the right way around. any thoughts?
+Vividcg callibrate esc's
The increase of electronics equipment going to landfill as a result of lead free solder connection issues will greatly outnumber the benefits of it being free from lead.
A more appropriate action would be to continue using leaded solder, but *not* ingest it or any electronics equipment made with it.
For example, if I buy a TV made with leaded solder on the PCBs, I wouldn't smash it to bits, and try eating it. This way, I get the quality of connection given only by leaded solder, but none of the health associated drawbacks that come with ingesting lead.
To be honest, I don't know why anyone else hadn't thought of doing this back in the 80s and 90s before leaded solder became such a big health concern...
Lead free solder flows differently and looks dull keeps me wondering every time if the joint is good!
If I'm doing repairs, I suck up the lead free solder with litze, tin the pad with lead solder and suck it up again. Then I can have my beautiful leaded solder joint.
Man after my own heart here! I do love 60/40 solder!
I have been using 60/40 for a while with no problems. I went to get more and could only get at the time was 60/38/2% resin flux, with no mention of rosin. Would this be ok for soldering joints needed for modeling? I get a wee bit confused when it comes to something different. By the way I always look forward to your videos, you have been so helpful. Thank you.
What is that keyword you used in the video?
"Utiptic?" How do you spell that?
Eutectic, i'm pretty sure.
Hey Bruce can you recommend a solder removal pump machine or gun that works? There seem to be a lot of them at a varying prices.
Check eevblog channel as Dave has a desoldering vid or two
Desolder wick is cheap and worth trying too
+adriancjones I use this thing and it's a beast - www.ebay.com.au/itm/Desoldering-Station-80W-Temperature-controlled-Vacuum-Suction-de-soldering-gun-/361322066052?hash=item5420793084
+Brendan Halliday. Thanks. Just what I was looking for.
I knew it! I thought my tip was bad or my iron was not hot enough. Turns out I got lead-free solder wire as I used to buy it per meter from a repair shop. Terribly brittle and flaky.
I really appreciate your educational videos. I always learn something useful even if I'm familiar with the topic.
I recently started soldering and was having a few issues. I ran out of solder and bought 60 40 rosin core and am having much better results. while I admit I'm no professional the lead free solder is just not as good as 60 40
Great lesson! Moving to college soon and hope I get a teacher like you. when my solder doesn't melt I always blame it on my soldering tip for not being hot enough. Them eventually my soldering iron tip gets messed up and doesnt allow solder to stick on it anymore! Can someone explain this please? From now on I've followed someones advice to always leave a bit of solder on the end of the tip when its not in use.
Thanks
Recently bought some Wonder Solder Signature, which is has silver in it, before I used Cardas, as I always found solder with silver to be better to use, also it might be more expensive, however a roll last years!