How long does your solder wire spool last ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Denkarn
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 09, 2023, 07:42:52 am
content: Hello,How long does a tin spool last you?I hesitate to take 250g or 2x 250g I don't know how long it will last meon average, I know it depends on usage, but to get an idea

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2023, 08:11:00 am
content: Regarding the quantity, 250g is a lot. If you solder only occasionally that will last you many, many, years, maybe even a few decades.You may want to buy two of them, but different diameters. Say, a 0.5mm for thin SMD soldering, and a 1.2mm diameter solder for gross work and other TH components.

author: bidrohini
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2023, 12:30:57 pm
content: For occasional use, I agree with the above answer. If it is for a small business purpose, like soldering 10-20 PCBs every day, 250g can last approximately 3 months.

author: CaptDon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2023, 01:19:47 pm
content: Here in the states Kester solder was sold on 1 pound (454g) spools. I do a lot of repairs and restorations and I keep one spool of .062" and one of .031" and I obtained 1/2 spool of something smaller like .010. I use up the .062 stuff in about 3 years, the .031 lasts longer, maybe 4 to 5 years and the tiny stuff .010 has been around here for a decade. If you merely tinker or are a hobbyist 454g would last you a decade. I snatch up the 60/40 tin/lead stuff when I can find it, mostly at ham radio flea markets (hamfests). I truly hate the lead free stuff although I own some for repairs of circuit boards that used it. The old Ersin 'multicore' 60/40 stuff was incredible although it left a lot of flux behind that I would scrape off with a dental pick. Cheers mate!!

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2023, 01:27:37 pm
content: Get the 250g, and if you really want a lot of solder, get another with different diameter. Or one which comes with that forbidden red spool (non lead free). But unless you run an assembly line, there is nothing wrong with the 100g spools, they last long.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2023, 02:00:20 pm
content: Bought when maplins panicked about the incoming lead solder restrictions in the early 2000's and bogof'ed there lead solder ,work got 1 reel,as per invoice and i got the other.

author: Denkarn
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 09, 2023, 04:29:48 pm
content: Thank you for your helpIndeed I'm also afraid that there is no more leaded tin that's why I wanted to make a small stock but it may not be necessaryI know Kester brand is famous but I live in Europe so I have to pay 75€ for a 500G spoolAt the moment I am finishing my roll of blue Kaina that I liked, but it is no longer producedThere is a very good quality local brand of tin which costs around €30 for 250g, I know it's just a bit cheaper than the Kester but I could take 250g each timeThe problem is that it's 60/40, what do you think?I use 0.8mm, is 0.5mm perfect for SMD or do I have to find 0.3mm?

author: jonpaul
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2023, 05:29:36 pm
content: found boxes of 60/40 and 63/37 at USA ham fleas and silent key estates.My Kester #44 core 63/37 is a 5# roll, lasted about 20 yrs and still about 3# left!Jon

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2023, 06:04:33 pm
content: I solder a lot and go through about 125g per year. I buy in 454g spools and my mainstay is 0.8mm but I keep a spool of 1.6mm around as well for heavier work. It won't go bad and will last decades. Solder is not cheap especially in small spools so I tend to buy the larger spools because I am cheap. Buy good stuff if you can. I usually buy Kester but the last spool of 1.6mm I bought was a 60/40 from MG Chemicals. It was quite a bit cheaper than the Kester and is turning out to be a very nice solder.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2023, 07:45:37 pm
content: How long is a piece of string?For me a 1lb spool typically lasts me around 10 years.

author: sokoloff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2023, 08:46:03 pm
content: Quote from: Denkarn on January 09, 2023, 04:29:48 pmLeaded solder is readily available in other parts of the world and bringing a spool of it back with you on a trip (or having a friend do the same) would be trivial, so I wouldn't worry too much about creating a stockpile of it. (In the US, I can buy it from DigiKey or Amazon right now, no questions asked.)It's not going to be substantially easier (nor harder) to make that stockpile now as it will be in 2028.

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2023, 09:07:04 pm
content: Quote from: jonpaul on January 09, 2023, 05:29:36 pmIs that 5# as in "5 pound"?! I didn't realize they make spools that large. Sounds like a workplace hazard if you drop it on your foot...

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2023, 09:32:35 pm
content: My main solder is Kester 44 63/37 0.031”, and the 1lb roll I bought in 2015 still has almost half left.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2023, 11:01:14 pm
content: Quote from: sokoloff on January 09, 2023, 08:46:03 pmChina will ship you anything that you want. My state recently banned the sale of fluorescent lamps, I wanted a new blacklight CFL and Amazon refused to take my order so I ordered one from China and it arrived a couple weeks later. They banned the small cans of R134 refrigerant too which I find very annoying because despite the fact that I'm a licensed refrigeration tech and can legally buy large jugs of the stuff, I'm not a volume user so I don't want to spend $400 on a huge jug that I have to store when 3 of the little cans is perfect for filling a car AC. It's looking like I can buy those from China too, otherwise I guess it's an excuse to visit my relatives in Oregon.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2023, 07:49:20 am
content: Yeah but Chinese solder isn’t worth messing with. I’m sure that quality Chinese solder exists (and/or that some high quality non-Chinese company manufactures solder there), but the problem is that ordering from China, you never know what you’re gonna get.As I see it, a hobbyist uses so little solder that even expensive solder is a negligible cost. It’s not worth the time and effort, nor potential risk to expensive components, to mess around with cheap solder.I’m pretty sure I spend considerably more on flux than on solder!

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2023, 03:39:09 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on January 10, 2023, 07:49:20 amYup. Buying better solder is cheaper in the long run.

author: twospoons
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2023, 02:06:06 am
content: My first spool has lasted 45 years so farBut I have since bought several other spools : lead free, low temp and fine gauge.Unless you are doing a lot of soldering your spools will last for ages.

author: Terry Bites
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2023, 06:56:10 am
content: I did some checking. Mine usaully lasts as long as a piece of string.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2023, 05:26:31 pm
content: Kester 44 (63/37) tin/lead solder is readily available in the US for about $50 for a 1 pound spool:https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/kester-solder/24-6337-0039/31099

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2023, 06:28:00 pm
content: Kester is an American company. Their products should be available there.The "44" in Kester 44 refers to the flux and it is available in more than 60 different metal formulation/size/flux amount combinations.https://www.kester.com/products/product/44-flux-cored-wireMy favorite is 2460400027. It is .031" (0.8mm) diameter, has a metal ratio of 60/40 (tin/lead) and it contains 3.3% flux.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2023, 06:34:28 pm
content: The 63/37 version (2463370027) is even nicer.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 11, 2023, 06:43:16 pm
content: Quote from: tooki on January 11, 2023, 06:34:28 pmI have some of that I got based on what somebody here said, but I have to say I prefer the 60/40. I don't know why exactly but it seems to make nicer joints, maybe it's just what I'm used to.

author: Denkarn
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 12, 2023, 01:16:32 am
content: Thank you all for your help,So I can buy pewter from a local store but it's 60/40, what do you think?Is 63/37 better? I read that some people were talking about cold joints with 60/40And is 0.5 enough for SMD? Where do you have to find 0.3?I use 0.8 on a daily basis I don't know if there is a big difference with the 0.5

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2023, 06:11:38 am
content: Quote from: Denkarn on January 12, 2023, 01:16:32 amIt's a factor of 2.5 in cross section. Dosing the solder properly for individual small joints will be noticeably more difficult with 0.8 mm.I used 0.8mm for a long time but have switched to 0.5 mm about 10 years ago, which works fine for me for both, SMD and through-hole work. It's the only size I have on the bench now. I sometimes come across situations where a smaller diameter might make dosing easier, but never bought any. (For populating SMD boards from scratch, I prefer stencil, solder paste and hot air soldering.)

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2023, 07:43:02 am
content: Quote from: Denkarn on January 12, 2023, 01:16:32 amBecause 60/40 is not eutectic, it has a “slushy” phase where it’s not fully solidified. (Technically, once cooled, 60/40 becomes 63/37 with tiny crystals of lead dispersed throughout.) While in the slushy phase, the joint can still be disturbed.The upshot is that eutectic alloys like 63/37 go directly from liquid to solid. This reduces the window of time between removing the soldering iron and the joint solidifying, which reduces the chances of a disturbed joint.Quote from: Denkarn on January 12, 2023, 01:16:32 am”SMD” covers a huge range of pad sizes. There’s no one size of solder that works for everything.And of course it also depends on technique. For example, if you solder a 0.5mm pitch QFP pin-by-pin under a microscope, you’ll want a really fine solder. If you solder the same chip by drag soldering, the size of the solder is practically irrelevant.Quote from: Denkarn on January 12, 2023, 01:16:32 amIt’s a huge difference, as ebastler said.At the bench at work, I have 1mm, 0.7mm, 0.5mm, and 0.3mm, at home I have 0.8mm, 0.5mm, and 0.3mm. (You can always twist together two or three strands of solder to make a bigger one.)The 1mm I mostly use for tinning the soldering iron tip. I rarely solder joints big enough to need it.

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2023, 04:37:05 pm
content: It used to be that 64/40 solder was a considerably cheaper than 63/37. That no longer seems to be the case, but you get used to what you use over a long period of time and I guess that's why many keep using it. 60/40 does seem to flow a bit better than 63/37 but that would be the only advantage it seems. I do have a small spool of 63/37, but I seem to reach for the 60/40 all the time.Technically 63/37 should be a better solder, but in reality the difference is minor.More important is getting a good quality solder.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2023, 05:20:42 pm
content: I don’t think 63/37 flows any better than 60/40 (the advantage of 63/37 is the that it’s a true eutectic, as I explained above). Any differences will be down to the quality (purity) of the alloy and above all the flux.Thus, I completely agree with your statement that quality is paramount.Kester 44 is great solder because it’s a fantastic flux, and the metal is of top quality. (In contrast, I am not impressed by Stannol, because their fluxes aren’t as good, and I’ve tried multiple of their fluxes.)

author: mwb1100
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 12, 2023, 05:59:29 pm
content: Quote from: Terry Bites on January 11, 2023, 06:56:10 amBut how long does a thread about how long a spool of solder lasts last?

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 13, 2023, 02:11:44 pm
content: um that depends on how big your spool is. The bigger the spool the longer it lasts or so I've been told. A 20 pound spool will last longer than a 1 pound spool, but you need to realize that such spools come in with solder wire of different diameter, flux fills and alloy mixes. So the answer really is it depends upon usage.The funny thing here is that is like an amateur welder how long the MIG wire lasts. It might not last long at all if he has to cut out a rats nest of wire.Quote from: Denkarn on January 09, 2023, 07:42:52 amYou do realize you never mentioned what the usage is. If you are doing tube based amps the solder will not last as long as it might take to solder up a solid state amp based on the latest analog chips. It jsut goes on and on, there is no straight answer.

author: BillyO
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 13, 2023, 10:01:17 pm
content: Still, 250g of solder will more likely last the OP years than it would weeks.

author: Infraviolet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2023, 02:56:33 am
content: I had used some 63/37 once, but mostly use 60/40. the latter has worked more nicely for me, but I suspect solder quality plays a much mroe important role than the exact proportional mixture, the 60/40 is from a better known brand, the 63/37 is something I bought in a hurry once. Also of major importance is the flux used, I think the 63/37 might have had a rather more aggressive (super activated) flux in it which seemed to make it a prone to blobbing a bit, the 60/40 has a very mildly activated rosin flux.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2023, 03:57:32 pm
content: Quote from: Infraviolet on January 14, 2023, 02:56:33 amI totally agree that quality matters more than 63/37 vs 60/40.But why would you think that a more aggressive flux would lead tomoreblob formation? That's exactly the opposite of what I'd expect.