Which soldering wire is the best?

[dusan]

I just ran out of my soldering wire. The shop where I bought it no longer sells it so I bought different brand and it's LITERAL GARBAGE. So I bought different brand and it's also very poor. They are all leaded so it's not leaded vs. lead free issue. At one point literal gray dust fell of my soldering tip. The old one was nice and shiny, and the flow, man, people were singing songs how well it flowed. It weted like crazy, it was amazing. I could solder SOT-23 using soldering gun, that's how good it was. Now the world become gray, dark place. If I just start buying random solders it will became expensive very quick. I need new soldering wire. The one just as amazing as the old one. Please recommend me specific product. The old one was 0.7mm but can be thinner as long as it is good the best soldering wire on earth.

[JohanH]

Polish Cynel SN60PB40 works fine for me. In comparison, unknown brand cheap solder I've tried from online stores has been utter garbage. I've only been using leaded so far. Somebody on this forum recommended German Felder SN100Ni+ ISO-Core "Clear", I might try it if I need lead-free.

[calzap]

Kester lead solder has worked well for me.                     Mike

[BILLPOD]

Good Morning Dusan, I love the Kester leaded solder with 2% silver, as in this Amazon ad.   And I love the tube dispenser, which I refill from a 1 pound roll.
https://www.amazon.com/Kester-83-7145-0415-Electronic-Silver-Diameter/dp/B004DEUYBY?gQT=1

[mariush]

Go on eBay and buy new old stock from sellers in US or Canada (as it's higher chance it's genuine stuff, not fakes). Sometimes UK and Germany sellers are also worth looking at.

In EU in theory regular persons (not companies) can no longer by leaded solder, that's why most choices will be lead free in stores.

TME.eu should ship solders to Slovakia, but they'll probably refuse to ship lead based solders to private person addresses. Maybe you could work around by shipping to the company you work for pretending it's for the company), they may ask you for company info to make invoice, I don't know.

Here's the link for the solders :

lead based : https://www.tme.eu/sk/en/katalog/solder-wires-lead-based_113747/    and lead free :  https://www.tme.eu/sk/en/katalog/solder-wires-lead-free_113748/

If you don't mind lead free, the Stannol ones should be fine : https://www.tme.eu/sk/en/katalog/solder-wires-lead-free_113748/?params=2:300_manufacturer:stannol&productListOrderBy=1000014&onlyInStock=1

Sn 99.3 Cu 0.7 is cheap, is euctetic, but has higher melting temperature at around 228 degrees so it can suck for some surface mount stuff.

[TimFox]

With leaded solders, there is a huge difference between 60% Sn/40% Pb or the better binary eutectic 63% Sn/37% Pb, versus the cheaper 40% Sn/60% Pb (with its higher melting point).
Personally, I prefer the ternary eutectic 62% Sn/2% Ag/36% Pb:  nice and shiny and somewhat stronger, but more expensive.
Eutectic alloys melt cleanly, while non-eutectic alloys have separate melting and freezing points, with a mushy state in between.
When comparing solder wires, it is also important to consider the flux core. 
Suitable solders from Kester:  https://www.kester.com/products/product/44-flux-cored-wire  including eutectic and non-eutectic alloys.

[Solder_Junkie]

Like JohanH, I have some Cynel solder that works great for hand soldering SMD parts. Picture attached. It came from an eBay supplier.

SJ

[MrAl]

I just ran out of my soldering wire. The shop where I bought it no longer sells it so I bought different brand and it's LITERAL GARBAGE. So I bought different brand and it's also very poor. They are all leaded so it's not leaded vs. lead free issue. At one point literal gray dust fell of my soldering tip. The old one was nice and shiny, and the flow, man, people were singing songs how well it flowed. It weted like crazy, it was amazing. I could solder SOT-23 using soldering gun, that's how good it was. Now the world become gray, dark place. If I just start buying random solders it will became expensive very quick. I need new soldering wire. The one just as amazing as the old one. Please recommend me specific product. The old one was 0.7mm but can be thinner as long as it is good the best soldering wire on earth.

Hello there,

I have to agree with others here on the choice of solders.  There are a couple I used.

Also note that there is a stated expiration date for all solders, but I've used one solder roll for something like 40 years and it still works well.  It's a Kester brand.

The various solders I've used:
The first on the list is Kester 60/40, but better is 63/37 as it flows better.  I only get 63/37 now.
Even better but more expensive: Silver Bearing solder.  It's got a small amount of silver in it, and it flows very well.
The diameter also matters depending on what you are going to solder.  Very thin is good for electronic work maybe 0.5mm to 1mm.
All of these are available on Amazon and other places like Circuit Specialists.

We do not want to leave out "solder paste" though.  That's usually used for SMD work but it also works with a soldering iron.  This is interesting stuff because you apply a small amount to the joint, then you heat it with a soldering iron.  It turns from a crummy green gray color into bright and shiny silver color.  It flows well.
If you use a heat gun this is the choice as it is made for that.
Keep it in the refrigerator and it lasts for years not months like they tell you.  You should put it in a sealed plastic bag though so it cannot contaminate any food in there with it.  A sealed plastic box even better.

[Kasper]

I started in production with a good metcal and lots of choices of solder and tips.  Figured out what I liked and got a personal setup.  Haven't changed much since then, except I went lead free years ago.

Wire: RASWLF.031 4OZ from Chip Quik.
Paste: NC191SNL15T5
Flux: I use solder with variety of fluxes in it.  I rarely add flux, unless I'm soldering a fine pitch IC or connector.
Tip: Chisel, 1.2mm, 2mm, ~4mm
Iron: Pace HW100 for almost 20 years and recently upgraded to Pace ADS200.
Hot air: cheap gun.
Oven: cheap toast oven.
Components: mostly 0402 and 30AWG.

Attached pictures of STM6519, 0.5mm pitch that I soldered with this setup.

[BradC]

I love the Kester leaded solder with 2% silver

I've been soldering for > 40 years, but in the last year I've fallen in love with this combination. I have genuine Kester, and I have a Taiwanese clone. I'd take either over conventional 60/40 any day of the week.

[CharlotteSwiss]

Henkel Loctite Multicore 60/40, It's a good wire.

[tooki]

Henkel Loctite Multicore 60/40, It's a good wire.

It’s… tolerable. It is terrible in comparison to Kester 44 in 60/40 or even better, 63/37. The Multicore/Loctite/Henkel, and its Stannol equivalent, tends to spit more, and I don’t find the flux to be quite as active.

[CharlotteSwiss]

Never had a problem with Henkel Loctite Multicore. Without spending a fortune!

[tooki]

Never had a problem with Henkel Loctite Multicore. Without spending a fortune!

Kester is better and usually a tad cheaper…

[CharlotteSwiss]

There will be people who prefer Kester and others who are satisfied with other brands. I am very happy with Multicore 

[BradC]

There will be people who prefer Kester and others who are satisfied with other brands. I am very happy with Multicore 

And I'm sure it's fine. I used Multicore 60/40 for > 30 years. When I went to buy Sn62Pb36Ag2 Multicore didn't have anything available at the usual suspects, so I bought my first roll of Kester.
If when I next go to purchase, Multicore is available then I'll look at it as a value proposition.

I also have a roll of 8PK-033A-L solder from HobbyKing. Taiwanese "Pro'sKit" solder. A cheap clone, but frankly it's streets above the 60/40 I've been using since I was 6 (44 years ago).

Between the cheap clone, and the real Kester it'll probably outlast me.

[watchmaker]

I just looked at the availability of 62/36/2 Kester in 1 lb rolls which I have used for years.  Not only has its price risen dramatically, but it is also very hard to find in a 1 lb roll on eBay or Amazon.  Even Ali.  I just bought 2 rolls @ $85 USD per from a supplier that had it but with a generic Kester PB free picture.

Had no idea how things are changing.

[watchmaker]

 I just received my two 1 lb rolls of .6mm Kester 63/34/3%silver from the company I love to hate:  Tequipment.

Still w/in "use by" date.

Last year I found a roll for under $50; these cost $85 @.  But I should now have enough to last me until my wife cleans out the shop.

They only had 8 rolls when I bought and it was the only place I could find for under $100 and it is scarce even at that price.

[Laval]

YMMV but for me, Kester 44 0.6mm 63/37 is what works the best.

[tooki]

YMMV but for me, Kester 44 0.6mm 63/37 is what works the best.

That is precisely what I am using as my daily driver solder at work.