Chinese toggle switches, Red vs Blue?  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 02:08:28 am
content: Hi, need about 100 DPDT toggle switches for a project and looking on Aliexpress 90% are branded as MTS, but come in a cheaper blue and more expensive red, but I can find any information on what you get in the reds that make them cost more?

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 02:19:21 am
content: I would advise against going with the cheapest switches you can find on aliexpress.The cheap stuff is usually cheap for a reason.I don't think there is any real difference between ones that use red plastic vs blue plastics. Especially with switches from aliexpress that may not conform to any standard.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 02:31:34 am
content: Red dyes for plastic are one of the more expensive colours. It may be that their margins are so paper thin that they actually have to account for this in their pricing. If their margins are that thin, then perhaps they aren't the best ones to be buying from.

author: peps1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 02:41:37 am
content: Quote from: Cerebus on February 11, 2022, 02:31:34 amThat's genuinely interesting to know!Quote from: Cerebus on February 11, 2022, 02:31:34 amLooking at the prices on RS and Mouser, I wonder just how much better a Chinese made switch from them is going to beI'm a big believer in you getting what you pay for but 18p a switch vs £2.71 can't help but feel UK resellers are making a much larger mark up than the people on Aliexpress.Any brand names worth looking out for, that are good value for money?

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 04:00:27 am
content: Quote from: peps1 on February 11, 2022, 02:41:37 amIt's not that the dyes themselves are necessarily any more expensive than other colours, it's just that in most materials you need a lot more red dye to get a good solid colour that people wouldn't call washed out. A little blue dye in something looks blue, even if it's a pale blue. Ditto green. A little red dye doesn't look like a light red, or even pink, it just looks faded, translucent and not right. Have a look around the red plastic things you have to hand and you'll soon pick up the ones where they've skimped on the dye.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 06:32:06 pm
content: Are they dyes or pigments??

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 07:26:30 pm
content: Can be either depending on the material, intended usage, the actual colour, and other factors, but anthraquinone dyes, azo dyes, and their cousins tend to be the workhorses. Some colours (e.g. black and white) are almost invariably pigments.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 07:51:22 pm
content: Quote from: peps1 on February 11, 2022, 02:41:37 amThe problem I have had with the cheap Chinese toggle switches (both blue and red) is that the plastic body is much meltier than on classic brands like Alco and CTS. It's a real challenge to solder on wires without making a mess. I haven't ruined a switch yet, but it seems like it would not be hard. However, I have not noticed any difference between the 2 colors.

author: BrokenYugo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 08:00:04 pm
content: On Aliexpress you have to pay attention to who you're buying from. "Bob's electronics" is less likely to sell you dumpster dived factory reject junk than "Super Life Wellness store" that sells a little bit of everything and has little to no technical information in the listing beyond what's printed on the part.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 09:18:19 pm
content: Quote from: BrokenYugo on February 11, 2022, 08:00:04 pmOK, please point us to a good AliExpress supplier for toggle switches that don't melt when you solder them

author: SmallCog
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2022, 09:33:52 pm
content: Quote from: peps1 on February 11, 2022, 02:41:37 amI had a look, out of curiosity, at the local price difference here.Seems I can buy switches from a local bricks and mortar supplier over the counter for about 53p each. I can play with them first and return them if there’s issues.If it matters the plastic on the brand they stock is red tooI’ve used but never torture tested or tore down these switches, but the supplier doesn't sell junk, so perhaps see if anyone local to you has Salecom switchesI wouldn’t buy from Ali as there’s risks of seconds or counterfeits as well as taking a lot longer than me popping to the shops.

author: ve7xen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2022, 12:24:37 am
content: Buying from a 'reputable' Chinese distributor like LCSC might be a decent middle-ground. QC on stuff from Ali will be nonexistent, but while overall quality might not be up to the $5 premium switch from a local disti, you probably won't get junk from LCSC.https://lcsc.com/products/Toggle-Switches_11276.html

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2022, 04:52:24 am
content: Quote from: ve7xen on February 12, 2022, 12:24:37 amHas anyone tried the Yuen Fung brand switches?

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2022, 05:42:36 am
content: Assuming we are talking about typical 6mm switches, the blue ones come in a light blue and a dark blue.Highly anecdotal, but the only bad batch of these I have purchased were light blue, the dark blue batches I've purchased have always been good so far. I have purchased other light blue batches before and they were OK AFAIK so it could have just been that batch, but the dark blue ones do have an indeterminate feel of a slightly better quality.The bad ones were bad in that the contact pins were not properly adhered into the plastic, you could push on the pin and it would disappear into the body, or jam the switch.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2022, 10:45:26 am
content: I think I'd be more interested in whether any of them specify the contact material and rating. If they don't specify them then they are bound to be crap anyway. There's nothing worse than having 100 switches that are intermittent.

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 12, 2022, 11:56:20 am
content: I agree with Gyro on this.If you are dealing with 100 switches rather than just one or two, imagine the heartache of suffering intermittent connection or complete failure to make a decent connection.The OP has not stated the intended application, intended current that will flow through the switches or any need for longevity.If you are dealing with very low currents for something like a sensor, it may appear that any old switch contacts will work, but this is not the case. The quality of the contact material and resistance of the contacts when closed can be very important for a decent connection at low currents. A really cheap switch is unlikely to use silver plated contacts if they can get away with cheaper plating. As for platinum contacts…. Not a chance ! The thickness of the plating material will also be a factor. For generic ‘bulb and battery’ applications the really cheap switches may be fine. For more important applications where reliability and longevity is important, cost cut at your peril ! There are very real and good reasons why a C&K switch will cost you more than a no-name ‘minimum cost’ switch. As has already been stated, a switch that uses such poor materials for its casing that it melts whilst soldering, is not likely to spend adequate money on what goes inside that inferior casing material ! Mechanical parts can be an expensive component to produce compared to mass production of silicon based products.Switches can be a relatively expensive part of the BoM, even with quantity price breaks. In your position I would be looking at surplus electronics sellers for branded switches at reduced prices. There are many such companies that buy end-of-line or production surplus and you get good quality parts at a far more affordable price…. Especially if wanting a 100 of a part like a switch.Look in the big name catalogues for well respected brands of switch and then start a search on eBay for those brands of switches and you might get lucky with a surplus dealer.As a little side story, I bought a faulty Stanley branded electric air compressor from a guy for £10. It was in ‘like new’ condition because it had not been used much during its warranty period. It started to cut out and eventually would not start at all. I bought it as scrap and had it running in less than 5 minutes…. The cause of the failure ? A cheap, ‘no-name’ Rocker type power switch….. the poorly plated contacts had arced under heavy load and the plastic supporting the contact pads and Lucar connectors melted until all contact was lost. A nice C&K replacement was fitted and the compressor has been reliable for several years of regular use. A cheaply made critical component can ruin a products reliability.https://www.ckswitches.com/Fraser

author: donlisms
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2022, 03:51:49 am
content: I honestly don't know... can you buy switches one at a time from aliexpress? If I needed 100 of something I wasn't sure of, I think I'd make my best guesses for a short list and try to buy 1 or 2 of each (maybe from another source if necessary, if it's clear they're the same thing). Then examine them and test them, and destroy some of them to see how hard that is, and what's inside. I might also throw in a "normal" switch for comparison, to see what's the difference between the normal quality and the low-cost version. When I've done such things, the decision sort of makes itself...

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2022, 06:39:57 am
content: Of course you can, why would you have the idea you can’t? AliExpress isn’t a wholesale site, it’s intended for retail sale to consumers.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2022, 08:25:26 am
content: Quote from: donlisms on February 16, 2022, 03:51:49 amYa, aliexpress is for small quantity and alibaba is for larger quantity.If the aliexpress seller lists them in lots of 1 item you can order just 1 if you want.Sometimes I do just that, order 1 or 2 from a seller. Check them out, then immediacy order 100 from the same seller.

author: strawberry
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2022, 08:58:24 am
content: cheapest is tin plating. it doesn't oxidize much but it is one of softest metals