Should I trust these cheap Chinese resistors? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: mcovington
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 05:37:42 pm
content: Should I trust these? Resistors for less than 1 cent each (US$).https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P3MFG5D/

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 05:59:15 pm
content: Oh FFS, why just because its from China shouldn't you trust it ?For just $12 take the gamble why don'y you.

author: mcovington
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 06:31:34 pm
content: It's the low price, not the nationality, that led me to ask.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 06:41:13 pm
content: The thing I don't like about super cheap resistors is that they usually have very thin flimsy leads which are a bit of a pain to work with. Otherwise they work ok, I guess whether to trust them depends on what you plan to do with them. I wouldn't use them to build something critical.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 07:05:05 pm
content: Quote from: mcovington on November 19, 2019, 06:31:34 pmOK.Have another look at the listing and:Customers who viewed this item also viewedI think you could find even better value for money.

author: mcovington
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 07:07:50 pm
content: Which did you have in mind? I saw some competitors that looked comparable, but not appreciably cheaper. It may not show the same alternatives every time someone views the listing.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 07:17:08 pm
content: Quote from: mcovington on November 19, 2019, 07:07:50 pmThose with more values in the kit.While we try to use common values in designs they don't always fit our needs especially for voltage dividers into some particular threshold level.EG. My TH resistor kit has 96 values.

author: george.b
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 08:16:15 pm
content: I dunno, there are instances such as this:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/ebay-1-resistors-off-now-what/I wouldn't trust them to be within the claimed 1% tolerance.

author: mark03
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 08:24:14 pm
content: When buying something this  inexpensive, what's wrong with Digikey and Mouser? At least that way you know the parts are from a reputable source. Just order 25, 50, or 100 of each value as you need them, along with your other project parts. Before long you'll have a junk box tailored to your needs.I've just never understood the allure of cheap parts on ebay/amazon/aliexpress (assuming it's not something intrinsically expensive, and you're finding a "deal"). It's like the folks who go on about $0.02 Padauk MCUs or whatever. If you live in the US and can afford to buy food, clothing, and shelter, then electronics parts expense is an insignificant fraction of your hobby budget.

author: mcovington
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 09:42:07 pm
content: Quote from: george.b on November 19, 2019, 08:16:15 pmThanks, that is just the kind of information I was looking for.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2019, 05:07:10 pm
content: I’ve had no trouble with the values of my eBay resistors (I haven’t systematically tested, but the ones I’ve measured at random have all been in spec.), but I wouldn’t buy them again, just because the leads are so aggravatingly thin, as others have said. They’re grudgingly tolerable for soldered projects, but no good at all for breadboarding. And of course the fact that the assortment I bought meets it’s spec is no predictor of whether other ones will.Given how cheap decent quality ones are on Digi-Key, mouser, etc., I’d just buy an assortment there. (Up to you whether to buy an actual assortment kit or to just order some a la carte. But for what it’s worth, if I had it to do over again, I would splurge on an assortment kit that comes in a proper quality set of drawers. The time it saves over organizing them yourself is worth it.)(I actually now mostly buy resistors at the local mom-and-pop shop, since if you count and cut them yourself, they even give you the quantity discount on mixed values! If I buy 100 resistors at once, it’s down to something like 5 cents a piece, which I think is fine for mixed-value name-brand product.)

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2019, 05:36:34 pm
content: Admittedly, resistor kits in the little drawers are getting harder and harder to find. (Since everything is going SMD, and SMD resistor kits come in handy binders.)Here’s examples of what I mean, though:https://www.jameco.com/z/00081832-540-Piece-1-4-Watt-5-Carbon-Film-Resistor-Component-Kit_81832.htmlhttps://www.newark.com/nte-electronics/rk-01/pre-packaged-resistor-kits-1-8w/dp/32M3458

author: JohnnyBerg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2019, 06:50:32 pm
content: Disadvantage are the thin lead wires, they don't fit nicely in a breadboard .. a bit wonky.

author: 741
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2019, 05:36:48 pm
content: QuoteYes, very true!My own Ebay purchase had flimsy but usable leads. A friend bought some from another EBay source, and when I tried to squash the leads flat with 'flat-faced' pliers, the lead 'snipped'. It kept happening. He was laughing a me, but then he got the same result. So, those particular resistors are junk, even if they are accurate.

author: milordy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 25, 2019, 03:13:51 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on November 23, 2019, 05:53:01 pmTaking advantage of the topic, are these mosfet makers (HUAYI, NIKO Semicon, JESTEK, VBsemi Elec) reliable?I see them on the LCSC website.

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2019, 03:21:07 am
content: " Should I trust these cheap Chinese resistors?"This set is far away to be cheap, in fact, is very expensive

author: hamster_nz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2019, 03:41:40 am
content: I wouldn't hesitate - you even get a handy cardboard box for storage!You can get 2,600 for under $11, if you are willing to wait and not bothered about a box...https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32662753709.htmlOr pay an extra couple of dollars and get a *plastic case* :https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32865017857.htmlOr dip your toes in the water with 600 resistors for under $4, in a case:https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32636020144.html

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2019, 01:58:07 pm
content: Quality components will have a datasheet with the specs. Reputable brands are less likely to lie or omit things, as a proven track record is how they become a reputable brand. That essentially sums up who to trust.If you brought a random box of resistors from China, that is all you have. They aren't comparable to anything unless you test them thoroughly (which takes time/gear and skill) and you won't easily know the long term performance.It may not matter if you are just tinkering, but this is why people will tell you to avoid cheap Chinese sourced components, the price difference is not worth the effort in time to correct problems.Especially if you are you are commercializing a product, now more than ever there is also an environmental cost which should be considered. We want the most reliable to rise to the top not the cheapest. Familiarizing yourself with datasheets is good experience as well.

author: schmitt trigger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2019, 02:26:52 pm
content: These remind me of the "$1 packs" that used to be advertised in the pages of electronics magazines like Popular Electronics, Radio Electronics and the like.As a student living in Mexico in the 1970s, it was very expensive for me to acquire the proper catalog components. Grab packs were the means I could afford to enjoy my hobby. Please note the word:hobby.So in many instances I purchased a few of those packs. Be prepared to spend some time testing them, though.I remember purchasing a pack of more than 100 LEDs, but half of them were so dim that were worthless. But the remaining 50 still were a bargain for $1.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2019, 07:01:51 pm
content: Quote from: JohnnyBerg on November 21, 2019, 06:50:32 pmAlso usually steel, not copper. Sometimes that's a help, as I can use one of my magnetic dishes (for holding screws) to collect all the cutoff ends to keep them from falling into places I wouldn't want a small conductive scrap.All the ones that came in various component kits I've gotten (those 'Arduino" or "Raspberry Pi" experimenter kits get you lots of interesting parts for cheap) have been fine on values. I have one of those assortment kits of ceramic caps - they don't seem to match their values, at all. A few random ones do, but the majority are way off - not 20%, more like 80% off. I bought a pack of a specific value - 20pF for oscillators - and they are all fine. For my project, I just bought packs of each value needed, cost was no more than the assortment, so no real point in trying to be cheap on these low cost parts, and they've all checked out so far. OK, maybe I paid $0.004 each instead of $0.003 each - I'll gladly pay a tenth of a cent more for ones that have correct values. It's not like I'm buying a million, in which case it would cost me $1000 more. I'm buying like 100 - so it's 10 cents more. I can make up the 10 cents by pulling away a little slower from one stop sign on my way home tonight.

author: schmitt trigger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2019, 07:09:48 pm
content: I googled it and grab packs are still being offered. They cost more than US$ 1.00 though:https://www.smcelectronics.com/grabag.htm

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2019, 07:51:48 pm
content: As a compromise between US distributors and random China assortments, you might consider ordering resistors from Tayda Electronics:https://www.taydaelectronics.com/resistors.htmlThe price is very reasonable, they are good quality parts with datasheets, and shipping is fast (about a week). The parts come in labeled ziplock bags, suitable for lab stock.They often publish discount codes on Facebook, that cover a lot of the shipping cost.LCSC is also worth a look, if you don't mind buying at least 50 per value:https://lcsc.com/products/Metal-Film-Resistor-TH_310.htmlhttps://lcsc.com/products/Through-Hole-Resistors_11239.html

author: alex-sh
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2019, 08:05:55 pm
content: Quote from: mcovington on November 19, 2019, 05:37:42 pmThey may be good, but (1) it depends on your application. If you require 1% or below tolerance, It would not touch these (2) why bother buying from unknown source? I would rather pay to know what exactly I am getting.

author: Yansi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 25, 2019, 08:26:31 pm
content: Quote from: schmitt trigger on November 25, 2019, 07:09:48 pmRofl. Paying for these?https://www.smcelectronics.com/PCBGRAB.JPGI've used to grab a wheelbarrow and go to the local scrapyard/trash facility, and load it full of these for just a bottle of beer. Not that long time ago, in the late 2000s. Still probably possible.

author: robbie1949
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 24, 2022, 10:43:14 pm
content: Quite frankly the smaller wattage resistors with the very thin leads are not very good. If you want reasonable quality 1% resistors consider buying from Element14. Full copper leads are definitely a better way to go. In 50 or 100 quantity the price difference is immaterial.

author: Calambres
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2022, 08:14:51 am
content: I once bought an assortment of about 1000 1/4W 1% chinese resistors on ebay. I always test them prior to using and always for low voltage, low tension circuits. What I've found so far is that they're a very good option for hobby purposes and also that they're almost never 1% as stated but mostly in the vicinity of 2% which is good enough for me. I think they are factory 1% rejects and thus the low price. Of course, the thin legs issue is indeed a problem for breadboard use.