What brand desoldering wire [solder wire] should I get?

[Margaret]

I was watching an EEVBlog #689.  In it, Dave says to (not in these words...) make sure to get good desouldering iron.  I've been using some cheapo I got off Amazon.com (i.e.: the cheapest I could find).  removing solder with the wick I got is difficult at best.  I thought this is due to my skill level.  But now I believe another factor is the quality of solder wick.

Is there a solder wick brand/product you recommend?  I do not wish to get a desoldering station at this time.

Thank you very much.

[mazurov]

To make a  solder wick I'm using shields from shielded cables, most often USB. For small jobs I buy Techspray's #1, P/N 1808-5F. They make larger sizes too, you may want to give it a try. Don't buy a big spool since as soon as you learn how to use it you'll be able to wick away solder with any random copper braid or even a stranded wire.

[suicidaleggroll]

I use Chemtronics 80-1-10 for general work, no complaints.  For big through holes you might want to go with the #2 or #3 sizes though.
80 = rosin
1 = size #1 (.03")
10 = 10' spool

[mcinque]

Chemtronics 

[22swg]

For my 64 pin TQFP clean up I use Velleman 'solder suck wire' but give it a light wipe with a 'Circuit World Rosin Flux Pen' seems to do the trick...

[Howardlong]

I use Loctite/Multicore in 0.8mm and 2.7mm widths, NC-00 and NC-8B respectively. I have other widths at the back of a drawer but I can't remember ever using them recently.

I buy it in reels of 30m that last me about three years, but I do lift a few hundred chips a year. They're also available in 1.5m reals.

I have used coax outer before now with flux, but it was never quite the same, however that was about 30 odd years ago when I was a teenager without many pennies to rub together.

[AG6QR]

A bit of flux on the solder wick can greatly improve its ability to suck up solder, especially if the wick is a bit tarnished.  Try that if you're having trouble making it work well.

[rob77]

i'm using Pro'sKit solderwick (from a local shop - approx 80eurocents for a 1.5metre spool) - no complaints, works well for the low price solder wire - well i don't even know the brand - the spool says "super solder wire" it's a rosin core 63/37 - surprisingly high quality for the price (9Euro for 250g in a local shop - both 0.5mm and 0.8mm are roughly the same price)

[nanofrog]

The cheap stuff off of eBay, Aliexpress, ... is absolutely awful. Adding quality flux helps, but it's still not that wonderful IMHO. Also beware that name brands on these sites are likely counterfeits (Hakko, Goot, and Amtech are highly counterfeited for example).

As a general rule, stick to name brands, such as Chemtronics, Techspray, MG Chemicals, Loctite/Multicore (Henkel) for example (not all inclusive). And the easiest way to avoid counterfeits, is to buy from authorized distributors. You'll pay a bit more as it's genuine, but it's worth it (i.e. you get what you pay for). Sounds counter-intuitive, but it's actually cheaper in the long run, and you get the added bonus of avoiding the aggravation associated with cheap crap. 

Personally, I've stuck to Chemtronics for years (best I've ever used). As per sizes, I use mostly #3 & 5 for thru-hole, followed by #2 for SMD.

If you don't already have one, one of those spring loaded solder suckers can be handy as well (good at getting the bulk of the molten solder off).

[Totalsolutions]

Servisol Soldermop, priced at UK £15 2.5mm x 10m roll, brought in 2013. Fresh solder wick is priceless and there the magic, fresh, mine came in an air tight container and once opened needs to be sealed from the air so I have been using cling film (plastic wrap) for long time storage. Cut off a working length and keep handy, stored in a small sealable plastic bag.



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[zapta]

Chemtronics works for me.  All Spec has a large selection and reasonable prices. If you buy from ebay and the likes make sure you don't get fake clones.

http://www.all-spec.com/products/Soldering_and_Rework%7CDesoldering_Equipment%7CDES-00/?brand=Chemtronics