Leaded solder recommendation (China import?) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2021, 10:57:07 am
content: While I have moved to lead-free solder for some of my hobby work, I still need leaded for repairing old stuff, and I do prefer it for through-hole joints. I didn't see the EU ban on leaded solder for consumer customers coming, so my stock is running low.Buying directly from AliExpress seems to be one of the few remaining options. Can anyone recommend a brand of leaded solder with good flux which is available there? (Good activation, easy cleaning, not-too-nasty smell while soldering? I had some Stannol solder with halogen-free flux which gave off a terrible vapor; would prefer not to repeat that experience...)Thanks for your recommendations!

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2021, 03:35:17 pm
content: I once bought some no-name solder from an auction site and the flux had an absolutely awful smell. Kinda like reflowing solder joints in bottom of the barrel electronics from China, go figure. So I would be careful with AliExpress specials too.Try brick and mortar stores or even hobby oriented internet stores selling brand name solder. A least here, many of them still haven't got the memo (or pretend so).

author: Phaseseeker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2021, 03:56:07 pm
content: I checked Mouser and they seem to still carry leaded solder (both 60/40 and 63/37) with no apparent restrictions. Also, my local electronics store (I'm in Italy) still has it and the last time I bought some (a couple years ago max) they didn't even say a thing about it being banned; no idea which brand it is (the spool simply says "super solder wire") but I've never had problems with it (it doesn't have that nice rosin smell though)

author: tunk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2021, 03:59:45 pm
content: Not used it myself, but I think it has been mentionedin other threads that the Mechanic brand is ok.

author: paul_g_787
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2021, 04:09:31 pm
content: I buy my solder from CPC in the UK. I only use leaded solder. I never bother with the lead free.https://cpc.farnell.com/multicore-loctite/x-39-60en-2c-0-7mm-s-500g/solder-wire-x39-22swg-500g/dp/SD02681

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2021, 06:48:44 pm
content: Thank you all!Local shops -- brick & mortar as well as mail order -- don't seem to be an option any longer. They all seem to have taken leaded sholder off their shelves in the course of the past year or two.(Long after RoHS became effective, and frankly I am unsure what regulatory requirement was driving this. RoHS only applies to electrical and electronicequipment. I.e. one can't use leaded solder in the manufacture of such equipment, but one can use it to make non-electrical stuff, repair old equipment, and of course for any hobby work which does not result in products that will be "put on the market". And I can't find any clause in the RoHS directioves that would stop a company from selling leaded solder in Europe.)Anyway -- you seem to be right that non-EU vendors based e.g. in the US and the UK will still happily ship to Europe. I am pretty sure that Mouser told me "sorry, can't ship this to Europe" when I tried to order leaded solder early this year -- but today I could get all the way to the "pay now" button without any objection. Same for CPC/Farnell. I have not pulled the trigger yet since I want to combine this with other parts to be ordered, but it seems to work now.So thanks! I am much more comfortable buying solder from a known brand than some no-name import.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2021, 07:12:37 pm
content: It's not RoHS but some other idiocy about toxic substances and whatnot. There have been a few threads about it here.You can't buy lead alloys of any sort at all. But you still can buy lead ammunition and fishing weights so that's how I source lead when I need it

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2021, 07:21:19 pm
content: Amazon has Kester 44 solder in the US:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=kester+44&crid=25ROIXGCIKUXM&sprefix=kester+%2Caps%2C198&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_9_7I only mention it, because it may have cheaper shipping.

author: NorthernWing
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2021, 07:31:35 pm
content: I'd obviously keep looking for a source for good Kester #44/etc, but if you absolutely have to buy from Asia then I've usedMechanicbranded 63/37 solder from LCSC and it's acceptable - the flux core was basically nonexistent in the spool I had and so I used a lot more RMA flux out of a can on those projects, but the solder itself turned out to be decent.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 09:18:21 am
content: Quote from: ebastler on November 30, 2021, 06:48:44 pmYou are correct: you couldn’t find a relevant RoHS clause because there is no RoHS clause that applies to components. The reason shops can’t sell you leaded solder is because of the separate REACH regulation:https://blog.assentcompliance.com/index.php/difference-reach-rohs-compliance/But yeah, you can readily order it from Mouser, Digi-Key, Farnell, etc. And many shops in the EU will sell you leaded solder if you say it’s for commercial use.With that said, I don’t think modern lead-free solder is hard to work with at all. My favorite one so far has been the Felder ISO-Core "Ultra-Clear", Sn100Ni, which I got from Reichelt. I like it better than the Stannol, and it’s even a bit cheaper. Is itquiteas nice as Kester 44 63/37? No. But it’s close. I’d choose the Felder over Stannol 60/40.The only time you see difficulties with lead-free that you wouldn’t with leaded is when you are working at the absolute thermal limits of your soldering equipment, when your board is sucking away so much heat that you need every little bit. But frankly, the real solution is to choose a larger tip and maybe get a more powerful station.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 09:19:39 am
content: Quote from: jpanhalt on November 30, 2021, 07:21:19 pmMouser, Digi-Key and Farnell all offer free shipping to Western Europe on orders above around €50, so it’s easy to just add a roll of solder to an order you’re placing anyway.

author: maxwelllls
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 09:52:47 am
content: T12 solder is highly recommended, it can rise to 350℃ in about 10 seconds with a fast heating speed. You can find many brands, all of which are designed based on HAKKO's solder tip. You can even DIY a set through open source solutions, and the price is very cheap, less than 30 DOLLARS. A good alternative is' MECHANIC T12 Pro 'from AliExpress.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 12:31:02 pm
content: Quote from: maxwelllls on December 01, 2021, 09:52:47 amThis discussion is about solder, not soldering stations!Solder is the metal that you melt when soldering. It’s the material, not the equipment.

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 07:10:22 pm
content: Thank you again to all recent contributors. I will add a roll of leaded solder to my next Mouser order (who knows when importing will be restricted too...), but will also try the Felder ISO-Core "Ultra-Clear" lead-free which tooki recommended. Maybe there is room for improvement over the Broquetas ECO-4 (Sn96.5Ag3Cu0.5, bought from TME) which I currently use for lead-free soldering.By the way, I had looked at the REACH shortly after posting my earlier message, when it occurred to me that this might be the relevant regulation which prohibits sales of leaded solder. But it seemed to me that REACH onlyrestrictslead for use in jewelry, shot, or things children are expected to put into their mouths.Of course, the REACHregistrationrequirements do apply for all lead products -- maybe the European sellers just couldn't be bothered with those? Not too likely that all major distributors would have reached tha conclusion more or less in sync though; there likely is some regulation which I am overlooking which actually prohibits sales to consumers.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 07:49:05 pm
content: There was a thread or two about it since the ban appeared (March 2018 or 2019 IIRC), complete with links to some EUrocrat website with detailed information. Find it and you will know.edithttps://ila-reach.org/2018/01/new-restrictions-and-labelling-requirements-affect-lead-from-march-1-2018/That has some detail, hopefully you will be able to trace the relevant regulations from there if you are masochist enough to try.I CBA to investigate any further, death to EU, death to America, fuck all this socialist bullshit, gimme nuclear war

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 10:31:54 pm
content: Thanks, magic. So they did indeed extend the scope of the earlier REACH directive which I had found, and have explicitly restricted the supply of lead-based products to consumers. It's not about protecting the environment in this case, but protecting us stupid sods from poisoning ourselves.(Unless we elect to poison ourselves by licking lead-based ammunition, lead sheets for architecture, or lead-based batteries, which are OK.)

author: xavier60
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2021, 11:40:31 pm
content: There are low working temperature lead free solders for sensitive components.This is what I have been using for power LEDs.https://www.caplinq.com/buy-bi58sn42-eutectic-leadfree-low-temperature-melting-solder-spheres-solder-balls-online-bi58sn42.html

author: maxwelllls
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2021, 01:36:18 pm
content: sorry for my poor english,but MECHANIC still is a good choice,It's my favorite brand,You can choose from lead-free wires with a melting point of 210 ℃ or even ultra-low ones with 138 ℃

author: paul_g_787
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2021, 05:35:30 pm
content: Quote from: ebastler on November 30, 2021, 06:48:44 pmI always buy my solder from a reputable manufacturer such as CPC / Farnell / Mouser. Whoever I need to do an order with for free shipping usuallyMulticore is the brand CPC stock.I have not really found a difference using different 'brands' as such.What you want to search for is 60/40 solder (which means 60% tin, 40% lead) with rosin flux core.I am not a fan of the 'no clean' flux for general soldering applications. It is easy enough to use some IPA alcohol and cotton buds to dissolve the remaining rosin residue afterwards.

author: zzattack
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2021, 06:18:53 pm
content: Agreed with Paul, the loctite/multicore 60/40 is affordable, well available, flux is effective but leaves minimal easily cleaned residue, does not smell and exists in a good variety of diameters.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2021, 10:56:39 pm
content: I don’t understand why people recommend 60/40 other than habit: 63/37 is no more expensive these days, and in hand soldering, it is just that little bit better that makes it nicer to work with. 63/37 is true eutectic, 60/40 is near-eutectic, but not quite, meaning it has a brief moment when cooling down during which it’s in a slushy state, subject to disturbance. True eutectic goes straight from liquid to solid with no in between.

author: xavier60
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2021, 11:08:29 pm
content: Quote from: maxwelllls on December 02, 2021, 01:36:18 pmI just noticed, my 138℃ solder wire here is MECHANIC XW5. Works fine. Care needs to be taken as to where 138℃ solder should be used.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2021, 11:13:06 pm
content: For china sourced solder, I prefer "Best" brand myself, or at least I have a few spools of it with good results. According to the label it has a higher flux content than most at 2.25% which probably helps.Of course, from china so YMMV from one day to the next.

author: lfldp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2021, 09:45:23 am
content: Quote from: ebastler on December 01, 2021, 07:10:22 pmhi! if you wants to solder with lead-free solder wire and enjoy similiar effect to leadded solder you may try patented lead-free core wires Sncu+NiGe , ive use STANNOL solder wires lead-free type but with added nikiel+germanium with it you get similiar effect to leadded solder (just dont exceed tip temperature a lot)this is patented core wire type and there also few other companies who manufacture this kind of solder wirei attached photos with solder wires which i use and i can highly recommend it , when i soldering with usuall lead-free solder wire sometimes i must add flux to getting desired effect but by soldering with Sncu+NiGe i have no problem at all its 95% nearly like leadded solder !

author: lfldp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2021, 09:49:25 am
content: and btw. the sciencist still working on to find proper materials for replace leadded alloys to getting desired or similiar soldering effect and i am sure in near future they finally find 100% equal solution to eliminate this poison from soldering products

author: lfldp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2021, 10:15:39 am
content: SN100Cu0,7NiGe is lead free solder wire with nikiel and german but there is also another one called Sn100Ni+ that one have added only nikiel , does someone compared these two solder wires and can write there some opinions ? because ive heard Sn100Ni+ like this onehttps://www.conrad.pl/p/cyna-lutownicza-bezolowiowa-felder-loettechnik-iso-core-ultra-clear-sn100ni-5551941010-szpula-sn9925cu07ni005-0100-2226468is good toothe one from link is completly colophony free formulated from syntetic resins same as solder flux most of syntetic resin based are very pleasant when inhalle

author: lfldp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2021, 10:28:36 am
content: sorry for my bad english ill try to explain deepwhat i mean exactly is by soldering with lead-free type Sn99Ag0,3Cu0,7 usually i getting moustache from solder and to remove this effect i must add more externall flux to remove this but by soldering with SnCu0,7NiGe i dont getting this effect , if i slow down tip temperature a little i getting similiar effect to leadded soldering - didnt getting these moustaches and this is what i need exactlyis a whiskershttps://www.google.com/search?q=lead+free+whiskers&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwj9qfT8tcf0AhVw_SoKHRwDBHwQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=lead+free+whiskers&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQDDoHCCMQ7wMQJzoECAAQEzoICAAQCBAeEBM6BggAEAgQHlCzB1jiEGDzHWgAcAB4AIAB1wGIAfgFkgEFOC4wLjGYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=ZPGpYf3nI_D6qwGchpDgBw&bih=912&biw=1920#imgrc=hlbUoDbXdowTrMand these whiskers are eliminated by nikiel+german added to solder wire so this is big difference beetwen common lead-free solder deffect

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 03, 2021, 09:45:43 pm
content: Tin whiskers have not proven to be the problem they were predicted to be. They apparently almost entirely come from pure (100%) tin plating, not from solder.What do you mean by a mustaches? We don’t use that term regarding soldering.

author: lfldp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2021, 08:05:38 am
content: Quote from: tooki on December 03, 2021, 09:45:43 pmtin whiskers means when you soldering with SAC305 or another lead-free with solder iron usually you get effect like on this photo:https://oscarliang.com/ctt/uploads/2017/07/solder-lead-lead-free-60-40-differences-3.jpgafter that you need add flux and heat again to remove this bad effect , but with SnCu0,7NiGe soldering you wont getting same problems , you dont need to add any other flux to fix lead free soldering effect so this is quite difference and SnCu0,7NiGe it not works exactly like leadded alloy but much more better than usuall lead-free alloysanother question is how this soldering wire works Sn100Ni+ by comparing to SnCu0,7NiGe

author: TomS_
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2021, 08:31:10 am
content: Hmmm no. This is not tin whiskers. Just dodgy soldering. :-)Tin whiskers are extremely fine metallic growths which, in the wrong circumstances, could cause a short from the pin which they grow to an adjacent pin. Or if they become detached could be blown around by air movement and short some other pins elsewhere.At a previous company that I worked at we were even requested to inspect the underside of (raised) floor tiles in some certain telecommunications facilities that we were based in to look for tell tale signs that the floor tiles may pose a tin whisker hazard to our equipment.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2021, 08:42:17 am
content: Quote from: TomS_ on December 04, 2021, 08:31:10 amSpecifically, it looks like inadequate technique for noneutectic alloyAnd more specifically, manipulating such alloy in its intermediate phase.BTW, the saving grace of noneutectic lead-free solder is that the intermediate phase behaves like a paste, which makes it very easy to remove

author: lfldp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2021, 06:32:18 pm
content: Quote from: TomS_ on December 04, 2021, 08:31:10 amok i understand

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2021, 06:51:50 pm
content: Quote from: lfldp on December 04, 2021, 08:05:38 amYeah, something is getting lost in translation here, because that’s gotnothingto do with tin whiskers. (Google the phrase “tin whiskers” to see what it actually means in English.)And I agree that the photo doesn’t show anything other than bad technique. That has little to do with the alloy.

author: strawberry
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2021, 02:05:21 am
content: Made in Polandhttps://www.cynel.com.pl/en/products?type=solder-wireshttps://www.elektronik.micros.pl/led-stop-lutowniczy-%C3%B81,00mm-250g-6040-3198.html

author: Steffalompen
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 06, 2021, 02:30:04 am
content: Quote from: lfldp on December 03, 2021, 09:49:25 amIt continues to amaze me, the too common faith that some future technology will make a perfect substitute, even of chemical elements (and simple alloys thereof), without some other complication arising.