Kits, Construction: SMT or THT

[T3sl4co1l]

Curious what people prefer.

FWIW, I'm meaning the easier kinds of SMT.  SOT-23, SOIC, 0805 chip resistors and capacitors; at worst, 0603s, TSSOP and QFP.

For that matter, the easier kinds of THT, too.  Since, you can come up with all sorts of creative ways of assembling them (e.g. "cordwood construction"), but no, I mean just traditional TO-92s and DIPs and axial resistors and radial caps and all that.

What do you think?  Vote!

Tim

[alsetalokin4017]

What's your target market? Consider: People who can do SM can also do thru-hole. But people who can do TH may not be able to, or care to do SM.

Personally I'm sort of a "professional hobbyist" so I prefer thru-hole simply because it's easier to handle the parts. But I've done some SM rework lately with success, purchased some necessary equipment (hot air station, stereo microscope) and I notice that more modern components are sometimes not even available at all in TH packages any more. Would I take on a complex, doublesided SM kit though? Probably not, unless there was no alternative.

[BravoV]

THT ... as I'm forever enthusiast and my eyes are deteriorating. 

[nugglix]

What's your target market? Consider: People who can do SM can also do thru-hole. But people who can do TH may not be able to, or care to do SM.

THT ... as I'm forever enthusiast and my eyes are deteriorating. 

+1

Eyes are not getting better, not to mention manual dexterity.
I wouldn't consider anything that forces me to buy microscope... no really..

[Tandy]

You kind of need a third option of not bothered. As long as SMT components are reasonable size hand placable variants I don't mind either way. Through hole is marginally easier in most cases but many parts are not available in a through hole package any more and SMT tends to result in a smaller board. So I have no real preference.

I have to say I was quite concerned about the difficulty of surface mount to start with but once you take the plunge it isn't particularly difficult for most things.

[krivx]

I think this depends on what the kit is and who it's for.

[rstofer]

I buy the MiniBoards from ExpressPCB and I am limited to board size.  There is a real need to use smaller packages.

I stayed away from SMD for a while but now they are the only parts I order.  If there is no other choice, I will use Thru-Hole but I prefer to avoid them.

Soldering SMD ICs is dead simple:  Tack a couple of corners and drag solder the rest.  If there are solder bridges, remove them with SolderWick.  Small packages like 0805 and smaller are best soldered in a reflow oven - a converted toaster oven.

I really don't want to have to hold smaller components in place with tweezers while I solder each end.  It's much easier to just place them all in solder paste and cook the board.

Before I built the reflow oven, I used a GE Hotplate.  This is perfect for the MiniBoards.  Set the board on top, turn the hotplate on high, wait until the solder flows and remove the board (without shaking all the parts off).  Really, it doesn't get any easier than this.  I have one board with something north of 80 0805 packages and I certainly didn't solder them by hand!

BTW, I'm an old man with dubious eyesight and the only visual aid I use is an OptiVisor 10.  I would like a microscope but I can't justify it.

ETA:  This is STRICTLY a hobby.  I have never worked as an Electronics Technician or Electronics Engineer.  It's just for fun so I can't rush out and buy everything I want.  Fixed income and all that...

[charlespax]

I think SMT is much easier than TH. There's no flipping around of the board, not clipping leads. You could even mist the two if you want. Have 1206 passive components and TH chips.

[RobertHolcombe]

Agree with charlespax - I'd rather deal with small components than lead bending, trimming and board handling 

[tmk854]

If PCB dimensions are not an factor, than TH is more "compatible" if you are planning on selling the kits to the general hobbyist. I myself prefer SM and love a 0402 challenge any day

[Raj]

I prefer 0201 & 0402 all the way,unless high tolerance is needed why go big, small parts costs less because they save the amount of pcb used