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Solder choice AIM Sn62/Pb36/Ag2 vs MG Chemicals 63/37 No Clean Leaded Solder

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Psi:
My vote is for KESTER 285
- Mildly activated rosin
- 63/37


If your soldering bigger things that take some time to heat up try adding extra flux 1/2 way through, and/or using a bigger iron tip.

Sometimes you can think the solder is shit but it's just that the flux burns off to quick for the type of job you're doing and extra flux is needed to make the joint good.

David Hess:

--- Quote from: Rango on December 19, 2019, 03:50:02 am ---Does solder with Rosin inside have any shelf life, like rosin loosing it's properties after certain period of time. I think not but might as well ask?
--- End quote ---

If it does, I have not noticed with rosin cored solder which is 40+ years old at least with Kester 44 flux.  I think there is a warning about water soluble organic fluxes degrading in less than a year.

FlyWizard:

--- Quote from: David Hess on December 19, 2019, 05:58:40 pm ---
--- Quote from: Rango on December 19, 2019, 03:50:02 am ---Does solder with Rosin inside have any shelf life, like rosin loosing it's properties after certain period of time. I think not but might as well ask?
--- End quote ---

If it does, I have not noticed with rosin cored solder which is 40+ years old at least with Kester 44 flux.  I think there is a warning about water soluble organic fluxes degrading in less than a year.


--- End quote ---

I agree with David. I have a Kester Rosin 60/40 spool that's 39+ years old and it still works great! I did a YouTube video a few weeks ago on solder shelf life: https://youtu.be/fadBnecsvUE
 

reboots:

--- Quote from: tooki on December 18, 2019, 11:24:09 pm ---Both MG and AIM are respected brands, but as of a week or two ago, my daily driver solder — Kester 63/37, 0.031” with type 44 flux (rosin) — was just $25 on Amazon (from Amazon itself, not third party marketplace BS). It seems to be more this week, though the 0.020” version is under $30.

Bear in mind that I consider it a false economy to penny-pinch on solder, given that the amount used in a project is so tiny as to be negligible. (In my entire lifetime, with 30 years of doing electronics as a small-time hobby, I’ve spent no more than $150 in solder, and the bulk of that has yet to be used!) In contrast, bad solder (or solder that’s simply inappropriate for the job) will cost you a lot in both time and damaged components.

--- End quote ---

Amazon.com has good pricing on both Kester 44 rosin-core and 245 no-clean, respectively:

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0149K4JTY
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00068IJOU

Agreed that a 1lb spool might last for many years of hobby use, and that name brand solder is worth it. (I would expect MG Chemicals to be reliable.)

I have read that the flux core in wire solder can degrade over time, but I haven't noticed that myself. I have seen some very old rolls of solder which had visible surface oxidization, and didn't work very well.

FlyWizard:
You can also get smaller lengths of the Kester 63/37, 0.031” with type 44 flux (rosin) on Amazon at:

https://amzn.to/2PCLxv2

and Kester 63/37, 0.010” with type 44 flux (rosin) on Amazon at:

https://amzn.to/2S9EV9a

Among many other varieties and assortments. Same high quality solder but you don't have to buy a full spool.
Disclaimer: These are my listings.

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