Solderless Breadboards - cheap Chinese crap; when will I ever learn

[rfclown]

The general problem is that even though I'm 60 yrs old I don't seem to learn from my mistakes and keep buying cheap Chinese crap (not to offend any Chinese here). The prices are just too low to resist. Why can't I learn from all the wasted time and tremendous stress from frustration in using absolutely crap products?

The specific issue here is solderless breadboards. I LOVE these things and have a pile of them... but I've got a bunch that I've picked up on eBay because I thought, "Oooh! Only $1! I could use more of those." (I looked at other stuff the seller was listing) The crap ones I have are mostly the small ones. It is UNBELIEVABLE how bad these can be. You are trying to debug your circuit, and in frustration probe two adjacent holes with your DVM and get readings that bounce all over. Aaaagghhhh! These have to go in the trash. This happened just now, so I pulled an OLD breadboard I had out of my stash (RadioShack 276-174) and all my problems went away (the circuits works as I designed it).

Any sugguestions on small (roughly 30 rows) breadboard? I looked on Digikey, remembered from the past that Global Specialties used to make good stuff, and saw something for $7.55 (EXP-355) . I don't care so much the price, I just want something that works.

The reason I ask is because I've also found that buying what you thought was a good brand in the past isn't always so. For instance, I've had so much trouble with FTDI USB-serial chips that I've given up on them. I now use the cheaper stuff (like CH340 that's too cheap to clone) because I can't guarantee that FTDI parts are genuine. This isn't a slam on FTDI, it's just that their parts go for such a premium price (amoung USB-serial converters) that you can't guarantee you are getting the real thing independent of who you buy it from. The crap clone chips are everywhere.

So, back to my original question before I started ranting, any suggestions for where to get a solderless breadboard like this one:
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/global-specialties/EXP-355/5231298
that justs works?

[ledtester]

There's been a lot of thread on solderless breadboards, e.g.:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/the-best-brand-of-the-breadboard/

Perhaps, though, the way forward is to just kick the breadboard habit:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/new-video-some-circuit-prototype-construction-techniques/

[rfclown]

Thanks for the thread link on solderless breadboards. I do other techniques such a deadbugging and cutting blank PCB with exacto and dremel (I do RF stuff), but for low frequency, solderless breadboards are awesome.

(edit)... after perusing the thread, I'm inclined to order some Jameco WBU-301-R for $4.95 each. I used to use James Electronics when I was a lad. Haven't used them for eons. Before I click the button I'll peruse some more and see if anyone else has a suggestion. If 3M is really much better, then I'll probably buy some of the larger ones since I can't find the smaller ones for less than $22 which don't have supply rails.

[Peabody]

I've found that breadboards made by BusBoard Prototype Systems work well, and their prices are reasonable.  Arrow sells them.

https://www.arrow.com/en/products/bb400t/busboard-prototype-systems

[Dabbot]

Wisher.

Jameco sells a bunch. These are either Wisher or Wisher rebranded to Jameco Valuepro:
https://www.jameco.com/z/WPB-317-USA-Jameco-Valuepro-Patriotic-3-Pack-170-point-Solderless-Breadboards_2246426.html
https://www.jameco.com/z/WBP-323-Jameco-Valuepro-270-POINT-1-TERMINAL-2-BUS-STRIP-BREADBOARD_2155461.html
https://www.jameco.com/z/WBU-301-R-Jameco-Valuepro-400-Point-Solderless-Breadboard-3-3-Lx2-1-W_20601.html
https://www.jameco.com/z/WBU-202-R-Jameco-Valuepro-830-Point-Solderless-Breadboard-6-5-x-2-125-_20723.html
https://www.jameco.com/z/WBU-204-3-R-Jameco-Valuepro-1360-Point-Solderless-Breadboard-6-5-Lx3-1-W_20758.html
https://www.jameco.com/z/WBU-204-R-Jameco-Valuepro-1660-Point-Solderless-Breadboard-6-5-Lx4-3-W_20774.html
https://www.jameco.com/z/WBU-206-R-Jameco-Valuepro-2390-Point-Solderless-Breadboard-6-9-Lx5-8-W_20791.html
https://www.jameco.com/z/WBU-208-R-Jameco-Valuepro-3220-Point-Solderless-Breadboard-7-3-Lx7-5-W_20812.html

[tooki]

FYI, you can get 3M breadboards a bit cheaper by ordering them directly from 3M’s supplier: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/3m-breadboards-for-cheap/

The savings are no longer as big as they were back in 2017, so check eBay for 3M breadboards too. Sometimes there are good deals on them.

[GeeBee2020]

Well, I haven't read mention of these bad boys:
https://protosupplies.com/product/solderless-breadboard-snap-lock-830-pro-series/

I've used this line since university days farther back than I will admit.  Never had a bad one{knock on bricks  } The snap lock series is not really, really more expensive on cost over time basis. I had too have given into temptation once or twice to use an allegedly "cheap" Chinese units, regretted it every time without exception.

My 2¢

[rsjsouza]

Over the years I have purchased several of them at Microcenter and they have decent quality. If you have a store near you, it is worth paying a visit.