Soldering issues with new solder

[gmc]

I'm a hobbyist that's been soldering on and off for the past 20 years. I've had a stash of solder from around 2000 that's finally finished and had to order a new roll.

I"m now finding it almost impossible to solder with the new stuff.

Found the spec for the old solder:
Tin 60%
Lead 40%
Diameter 0.5mm
Flux content 1.15% (0.1%Tol.)
Melting point 185ºC

The new stuff I first ordered a roll of 63/37 from eBay. 0.5mm. Flux 2% which when I try to solder it doesn't flow as easily as the old stuff, and I have a big issue with heating up and soldering pins to ground planes. The solder almost seems to break off in chunks.  Soldering single pins is a bit easier. Electronics  solder pump is also having issues removing the solder cleanly.

I then tried ordering 60/40, 0.5mm, Flux 2% which is a little better but still not as good as the orignal. It just doesn't flow the same. Also same issues with soldering ground pins.

Is this just a problem with this modern rubbish?  I've been reading about lead free solder and the problems people have with it. Could I just bought rubbish solder from eBay? Perhaps its lead free even though labels say different?

Both the 60/40 and 63/37 rolls are Jinhu from China. Maybe that's the  issue 


 

[jpanhalt]

You propose a solution in your last sentence.

I use Kester solder and stick to that brand.  Whatever brand you are used to, stick with it.

[NivagSwerdna]

If you are soldering for fun, not profit, treat yourself to some solder with Pb and Ag

Sn62PbAg2 - 0,35mm 100g, EDSYN

(Some people prefer slightly thicker... 0.5mm)

[Ian.M]

... and others prefer a *LOT* thicker.   Get whatever diameter you are used to, maybe going down a size if you find fine SMD work excessively challenging.


You can test your solder for its ability to wet a clean copper surface.  The procedure is to place a short length of solder on a freshly cleaned copper (or copper clad PCB)  test coupon, and either heat it from below on a 250 deg C hotplate or by hot air till the solder melts.  The copper *MUST* have a freshly abraded bright surface and be 'waterbreak' clean, with no fingerprints or other gross contamination.  If it flows out and wets the copper surface, its OK, the larger the wetted area without disturbing it the better.  If it balls up its flux is ineffective - either fake or too much oxides and other dross in the solder alloy for the flux to cope with.  If it doesn't (eventually) fully melt at 250 deg C its fake solder alloy, not Sn60/Pb40 (edit) or even any normal Pb-free solder alloy.

If you have a temperature controlled soldering iron that you are reasonably confident is accurately calibrated, you can also check the solder's melting point range is reasonably close to that for Sn60/Pb40.  If it isn't calibrated, but can hold a stable temperature, compare with 'known good' Sn60/Pb40 solder.  Freshly tin and wipe the bit before each temperature test run so you aren't working with badly oxidized or contaminated solder, and prod the puddle on the bit with a wooden toothpick to determine whether or not its fully melted.   Applying extra flux with the toothpick may also help.

[gmc]

Thanks. I'll try and get a decent brand and see how it goes.

[NivagSwerdna]

Actually I was commenting on diameter with my SMD hat on... for connectors and Thru hole... definitely a bit thicker.

I have some horrible 1mm Sn99.3Cu.7 stuff from Maplin which I use on connectors.

[GreyWoolfe]

2nd vote for Kester.  I use Kester 44 63/37 and it flows well.

[Cerebus]

60/40 "Ersin Multicore Solder" is God's own solder and I'll fight anyone who says different. 

Seriously, you won't find Kesler in the UK without parting with an arm or a leg. Good old British "Multicore" brand is the old reliable but is nowadays sold under the Loc-Tite brand.

[CharlotteSwiss]

I use Multicore Loctite 60-40, I have always enjoyed it

[bob91343]

I too fell for the Chinese solder.  I bought a pound or so of 63/37 and it was terrible.  I got a refund without having to return it.

So out of curiosity I tried some old paste flux and that seemed to work.  Now I use the new solder when touching up old joints that probably still have some flux residue and it's fine.  So it's not the solder; it's the flux.

[Teti]

Multicore Loctite 60/40 all the way. I'm done with Chinese solders 

[tkamiya]

I was using 60/40 but switched to 63/37.  I'm not sure which one I like better.

They do behave quite differently.  60/40 stays molten longer than 63/37.  I also found 60/40 to become more liquid than 63/37 which stays somewhat plastic. (lumpy?)  Please keep in mind, when you go for non-brand name stuff, spec they say isn't a promise.  Sometimes it's not even a suggestion.  Quite often, it's a wishful thinking....

I bet what you have isn't even close to what it says on the label.

As to "flow" compared to old solders, I agree with you.  There is something different.  I'm thinking flux.  I remember a roll I bought 30 years ago flowed a lot more.  It's probably the flux being more active and corrosive.

[David Hess]

Is this just a problem with this modern rubbish?  I've been reading about lead free solder and the problems people have with it. Could I just bought rubbish solder from eBay? Perhaps its lead free even though labels say different?

Both the 60/40 and 63/37 rolls are Jinhu from China. Maybe that's the  issue 

That sounds like a quality control issue or since you ordered from China, a counterfeit product.

63/37 should perform practically identically to 60/40

[janoc]

That sounds like a quality control issue or since you ordered from China, a counterfeit product.

63/37 should perform practically identically to 60/40

Counterfeit probably not, given that they are selling it under their own brand (what would they be counterfeiting?). Low quality - for sure.

One certainly can get decent stuff from AliExpress and such but one has to stick to well known brands - e.g. the Mechanic one seems to have decent reputation. Or not be a cheapskate saving pennies on things like solder.

[tooki]

I was using 60/40 but switched to 63/37.  I'm not sure which one I like better.

They do behave quite differently.  60/40 stays molten longer than 63/37.  I also found 60/40 to become more liquid than 63/37 which stays somewhat plastic. (lumpy?)  Please keep in mind, when you go for non-brand name stuff, spec they say isn't a promise.  Sometimes it's not even a suggestion.  Quite often, it's a wishful thinking....

I bet what you have isn't even close to what it says on the label.

As to "flow" compared to old solders, I agree with you.  There is something different.  I'm thinking flux.  I remember a roll I bought 30 years ago flowed a lot more.  It's probably the flux being more active and corrosive.

63/37 solder is eutectic, meaning it has no plastic phase whatsoever. So either you’re confusing the two or the 63/37 is fake.

[tooki]

Is this just a problem with this modern rubbish?  I've been reading about lead free solder and the problems people have with it. Could I just bought rubbish solder from eBay? Perhaps its lead free even though labels say different?

Both the 60/40 and 63/37 rolls are Jinhu from China. Maybe that's the  issue 

The horrors of Chinese solders are well documented. Considering how little solder one uses, it’s silly to try and go cheap, IMHO.

[tooki]

If you are soldering for fun, not profit, treat yourself to some solder with Pb and Ag

Sn62PbAg2 - 0,35mm 100g, EDSYN

(Some people prefer slightly thicker... 0.5mm)

Why? Sn62PbAg2 is harder to work with than 63/37; you only need the Sn62PbAg2 to prevent excessive dissolving of silver-plated terminals.

[Humanoid]

I'm new to electronics work, and after doing research I went with Kester 44 63/37 .031" (.8mm) and .02" (.5mm). I bought them from Amazon, 1lb. spools, for around $25 USD each. I'm using it primarily to make cables and the smaller solder to do some repairs.

So far it works great. Flows really nice, hardens up fast since it's eutectic, and looks nice and shiny.

You'll pay a bit more if you buy from Amazon or a parts dealer, but I chose to do that to make sure I got the legit stuff. Very happy with it so far and I like how fast the 63/37 solidifies. 350º C seems to be a good heat (for my cable work). I tested at 300 and 320 and it wasn't heating the conductors quick enough. At 350 I could heat the wire quickly and thoroughly tin it without the jacket melting. YMMV.

[David Hess]

Why? Sn62PbAg2 is harder to work with than 63/37; you only need the Sn62PbAg2 to prevent excessive dissolving of silver-plated terminals.

I suspect Sn62PbAg2 is more difficult to work with because it is usually accompanied by a worse flux or less of it for whatever reason.  I can always tell when soldering with Sn62PbAg2 because it smells different.

Besides soldering to silver plated terminations, it is also useful where extra strength is required; it is the strongest of the low temperature SnPb alloys and several times stronger than Sn63Pb37 or Sn60Pb40.  It should also wet better.

[David Hess]

I'm new to electronics work, and after doing research I went with Kester 44 63/37 .031" (.8mm) and .02" (.5mm).

That is my preferred solder also, but I have found that Kester 44 60/40 works just as well and so do the spools of similar solder from Alpha Metals that I have.

I think the problem is mostly about avoiding low quality and counterfeit products.

I have heard high praise for solder from Multicore but never got to use it myself.  I guess Loctite owns them now.

One thing you can do to get better results is to wipe down the outside of the solder as you use it to remove oxides.

[Cerebus]

63/37 solder is eutectic, meaning it has no plastic phase whatsoever. So either you’re confusing the two or the 63/37 is fake.

Erm, to be pedantic, no. Eutectic means that there is a sudden, well defined transition from the liquid to the solid phase at a specific characteristic temperature, with no temperature where there is an intermediate interphase state where there is both solid and liquid present (and possibly vapour too). The solid phase, for both eutectic and non-eutectic alloys still exhibits plasticity (and elasticity too for that matter). There's more to eutectics than this (like melting point) if one wants to be truly pedantic but I'm concentrating on the most notable characteristic of a Tin-Lead eutectic and it's the use of the phrase 'plastic phase' here that I find problematic enough to moan about.

[Humanoid]

I think the problem is mostly about avoiding low quality and counterfeit products.

I agree. I just extrapolated a bit on my limited experience. To stay within budget, I got one type at 2 sizes. I would have liked to try both as they seem like the go-to standards. C'est la vie.

Are you wiping down with a simple cloth or with something else?

Thanks for the additional info. 

[WildCamper]

I use the Multicore (Loc-tite) brand of solder in 60/40 & 63/37.
I have tried cheap solder, once. I got a roll with a cheap iron years ago and after that nightmarish experience vowed to stick to know good stuff.

Multicore like most brands make a full range of products so you can match your solder, wick & flux for best compatibility.

Buy cheap, buy twice is normally how it goes and tbh unless you are a pro or hardcore hobbyist, a 500g roll is a lifetimes worth so worth the investment imo

[tooki]

63/37 solder is eutectic, meaning it has no plastic phase whatsoever. So either you’re confusing the two or the 63/37 is fake.

Erm, to be pedantic, no. Eutectic means that there is a sudden, well defined transition from the liquid to the solid phase at a specific characteristic temperature, with no temperature where there is an intermediate interphase state where there is both solid and liquid present (and possibly vapour too). The solid phase, for both eutectic and non-eutectic alloys still exhibits plasticity (and elasticity too for that matter). There's more to eutectics than this (like melting point) if one wants to be truly pedantic but I'm concentrating on the most notable characteristic of a Tin-Lead eutectic and it's the use of the phrase 'plastic phase' here that I find problematic enough to moan about.

You are being pedantic for sure, but you’re also wrong. The plastic phase doesn’t refer to the plasticity of the solid phase. It refers to the slushy “interphase state”. I didn’t invent the term “plastic phase”, it’s the term ordinarily used in the solder industry to refer to said state. So if you’re going to argue with me about it, you’ll also have to argue with the entire industry...

[tooki]

Why? Sn62PbAg2 is harder to work with than 63/37; you only need the Sn62PbAg2 to prevent excessive dissolving of silver-plated terminals.

I suspect Sn62PbAg2 is more difficult to work with because it is usually accompanied by a worse flux or less of it for whatever reason.  I can always tell when soldering with Sn62PbAg2 because it smells different.

Not likely the reason, given that you can get some Sn62PbAg2 with the same flux as 63/37. That’s down to the vendor. But it’s my understanding that the former has poorer wetting characteristics than the latter.

Besides soldering to silver plated terminations, it is also useful where extra strength is required; it is the strongest of the low temperature SnPb alloys and several times stronger than Sn63Pb37 or Sn60Pb40.  It should also wet better.

That is interesting, I’ll have to remember that.