3M SOIC8 clip, waste of time/money

[Zero999]

well mine was from Farnell, so you'd hope that they were genuine.

According to the Farnell link you posted above, it's no longer manufactured, so it must've been a bad/defective design from the start. I'm surprised a supposidly good brand would let through such a shoddy design.

[brucehoult]

If you are doing a lot of work or need to do this to the same design repeatedly then jigs can be made to hold the PCB and hold the pin assembly and then lower the pins to the installed board assembly.

Sure, but that's a production line thing, not a hobbyist thing.

[jpanhalt]

Digikey still lists it as active, $27.53 each :https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/3m/208-7391-55-1902/1130108  It has 512 in stock.

EDIT:

I wrote 3M and asked whether product was discontinued.  "Jason" responded with this link to authorized distributors and stock on hand: https://www.findchips.com/search/208-7391-55-1902?&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6-PMl7ay7wIVEb7ACh3-TACOEAAYAiAAEgK8zfD_BwE

Farnell is listed as showing 395 in stock.  However, Jason said noting about the product's status.

[Simon]

well mine was from Farnell, so you'd hope that they were genuine.

According to the Farnell link you posted above, it's no longer manufactured, so it must've been a bad/defective design from the start. I'm surprised a supposidly good brand would let through such a shoddy design.

That is what amazed me, 3M are not cheap, you expect their stuff to be good, I was doubtful at the time and only bought it as it was made by a brand such as 3M. I was recently looking for some kapton tape, ahem i mean poly-something tape....... I soon found that kapton is likely a trademark of 3M and it's dammed expensive like 5x or more the price of the same thing calleh poly-something.