Source for lead solder in EU?

[audiotubes]

I found some 60/37 from AIM that looked good and tried to order. I had to register for an account on the site, and then after that the page changed to say the product is not available in my country. And that's even though my country was selected at the top of the page and I had changed from net (business) to gross (private) while adding the items to my cart. What bullshit.

Does anybody know of a reliable online shop that sells leaded solder in the EU?

Thank you.

[Zenith]

Farnell?

https://cz.farnell.com/w/c/naradi-a-vybaveni-pro-vyrobu/pajeci-stanice-prislusenstvi?st=60%2F40&gs=true

I haven't dealt with them outside the UK. It looks as if they sell leaded solder in the Czech Republic. I chose their Czech website and searched on "60/40". I don't know whether there are requirements, such as having to be a registered business. There must be other on line suppliers.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Aliexpress may be  better bet than more reputable places that follow pesky rules & stuff...

[magic]

No major distributor in the EUSSR will sell to consumers in the EUSSR.

Look at auction sites like eBay, Aukro, etc. but it may be overpriced nowadays, the ban has been in place for a few years and supplies are slowly drying up.
I also heard that US distributors (DigiKey, Mouser) don't give rat's ass, or didn't when I heard about it, but it will cost to ship it.

Ali only as last resort; I'm sure you would find it there but that one time I bought Chinese solder it contained crap flux and smelled awful. YMMV.

[audiotubes]

Thanks guys. The major outlets list it on their websites but it was one of those giant shops that changed the deal at the last minute when everything looked fine as I added products to my cart. The other thing is getting it through Customs here, there's a risk I could pay a couple hundred euros for the shipment and taxes and then have it impounded (stolen). Not sure what to do.

I can't use ali or ebay right now, Czech Post has been dysfunctional in our area ever since they closed a few hundred branches.

[doktor pyta]

Have You tried here? :
https://www.tme.eu/pl/details/lc60-0.80_0.1/druty-lutownicze-olowiowe/cynel/
https://www.tme.eu/pl/details/brof63-08_01h/druty-lutownicze-olowiowe/broquetas/brofil-63-b2-1-0-8mm-100g/

[bookaboo]

In the UK Rapid still do it : https://www.rapidonline.com/Catalogue/Search?Query=60%2F40%20solder

I think their EU sister company is Conrad.

[Dan123456]

Oh yeah, I completely forgot this was a thing over there!

You could try some companies based out of Australia as they all still sell it here (it is the only type of solder I use  )

I don’t want to give any specific names as don’t want to get any of them in trouble (I dunno what the laws are and if the buyer or seller is liable etc.) but wouldn’t be surprised to find that some of the smaller outlets might sell it to you.

That said, you’d probably be paying a premium due to them being a reseller + the shipping so buying some name brand solder off eBay might honestly be the best option 

[Ian.M]

Try local independent component distributors rather than EU wide or multinational distributors.  If possible, visit in person and pay cash!

[magic]

Have You tried here? :
https://www.tme.eu/

I tried.

No major distributor in the EUSSR will sell to consumers in the EUSSR.

[JohanH]

I've been happy with Cynel soldering wire from Poland (smells good!). You can find some on ebay.

[mikeselectricstuff]

In the UK Rapid still do it : https://www.rapidonline.com/Catalogue/Search?Query=60%2F40%20solder

I think their EU sister company is Conrad.

Rapid need a business account to buy lead - I rceently set this up for this purpose after buying from them for 20+ years. I don't recall what they needed to show I was a businees but don't think it was much.
I know they sell Conrad products via Rapid UK but not sure it works the other way.
Aliexpress or Ebay is likely to be your easiest bet.

[Zenith]

In the UK Rapid still do it : https://www.rapidonline.com/Catalogue/Search?Query=60%2F40%20solder

I think their EU sister company is Conrad.

Rapid need a business account to buy lead - I rceently set this up for this purpose after buying from them for 20+ years. I don't recall what they needed to show I was a businees but don't think it was much.
I know they sell Conrad products via Rapid UK but not sure it works the other way.
Aliexpress or Ebay is likely to be your easiest bet.

ESR Components in the UK are aimed mainly at the amateur and they sell Cynel 60/40. I can't imagine they sell much to businesses. There's a warning about how it's only for personal use and must not be used for projects for a third party or sold. I don't know if they ship to the EU, or whether it might be seized as contraband. There may be similar outfits in the EU.

I've never bought from Rapid. I do buy from CPC and Farnell without a business account, and I haven't got the impression that there's a restriction on leaded solder. I've just accessed CPC and put a reel of 60/40 into the basket and went to checkout and no warnings popped up, but there and again, I didn't actually try to buy it.

I tried unleaded solder and didn't like it. When the talk of a ban on leaded solder started about 20 years ago, I stocked up. It turned out to be not really a ban because there were so many exceptions for avionics etc. Basically it wasn't to be used in consumer products, which I suppose is fair enough. To be honest, I haven't had to buy any leaded solder for many years.

I've been happy with what I've bought from Aliexpress, but I wouldn't buy semiconductors from there and solder would be a last resort.

[shapirus]

I've been happy with Cynel soldering wire from Poland (smells good!). You can find some on ebay.

Yeah quite good solder btw. I use Sn62Pb36Ag2. Quite nice, except that I can't find it locally in a wire thinner than 1.0mm at a reasonable price.
It's EU-made, do they not sell it inside the EU? That sounds a bit weird.

[magic]

That sounds a bit weird.

EUSSR concluded that lead is too dangereous to sell to individuals because it causes birth defects if ingested.
Business as usual

[nali]

Rapid need a business account to buy lead - I rceently set this up for this purpose after buying from them for 20+ years. I don't recall what they needed to show I was a businees but don't think it was much.

Same with RS components, I got an email with:

This product contains a substance that is restricted under Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation: LEAD
It is restricted to professional users and cannot be supplied to the general public (non-trade customers).

...so I had to literally just phone them and say I was operating as a sole trader and thus a "professional user"!

[shapirus]

So THAT is what's meant by the "Restricted to professional users" sentence on the bobin of solder that I have. I thought it was more like a "not a toy" warning, but apparently you need to be a "professional", whatever what means, simply to be able to buy it.
Well, that sucks. But apparently there are workarounds.

[JohanH]

That sounds a bit weird.

EUSSR concluded that lead is too dangereous to sell to individuals because it causes birth defects if ingested.
Business as usual

I believe it's a larger strategy to lower the total usage of lead. Unfortunately makes it worse for hobbyists that don't impact the big picture at all. I like EU, it's the biggest successful peace project in Europe in centuries, don't ridicule us (yeah, we are in it together). If you have a nearby electronics shop, you can still buy lead solder if you tell them a company name (they usually don't check if it's valid).

[magic]

Lobbying and corruption is another matter, but "toxicity and birth defects" was the official justification IIRC.
It doesn't take much to ridicule an organization which is ridiculous by itself

[Zenith]

Rapid need a business account to buy lead - I rceently set this up for this purpose after buying from them for 20+ years. I don't recall what they needed to show I was a businees but don't think it was much.

Same with RS components, I got an email with:

This product contains a substance that is restricted under Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation: LEAD
It is restricted to professional users and cannot be supplied to the general public (non-trade customers).

...so I had to literally just phone them and say I was operating as a sole trader and thus a "professional user"!

Worth remembering. I had a business account with RS some years back. As I recall they were happy to see a business card, which was for a registered company, but had been printed with an inkjet printer. The account was opened in store and they didn't look up the company or anything. A glance at something looking like a business card with the name I gave was enough.

As for this business about not supplying to non-trade customers, I wonder how much of that is actual law as opposed to something they are being breathed on to show they are making an effort with. I was in a car parts shop about four years back, a place open to the public, and they sold small reels of 60/40. I didn't get the impression that if I tried to buy it, I'd get the third degree about whether I was a professional user or not.

I don't know the way things work in the Czech Republic, but Audiotubes' solution may be simply to declare himself a professional user, or maybe he has a friend with a registered company who could buy a few reels for him.

[JohanH]

It doesn't take much to ridicule an organization which is ridiculous by itself

I don't agree. Nothing can be perfect, though. And there are much, much worse "organizations".

[audiotubes]

Have You tried here? :
https://www.tme.eu/pl/details/lc60-0.80_0.1/druty-lutownicze-olowiowe/cynel/
https://www.tme.eu/pl/details/brof63-08_01h/druty-lutownicze-olowiowe/broquetas/brofil-63-b2-1-0-8mm-100g/

Yeah, this is the shop that changed the rules of the game at the last minute. When I opened the links to the products I wanted, I was able to add them to my cart. When I went to checkout, "Not available in your country."

I ordered from mouser last night, let's see if it arrives at my door next week.

[audiotubes]

Oh yeah, I completely forgot this was a thing over there!

You could try some companies based out of Australia as they all still sell it here (it is the only type of solder I use  )

I don’t want to give any specific names as don’t want to get any of them in trouble (I dunno what the laws are and if the buyer or seller is liable etc.) but wouldn’t be surprised to find that some of the smaller outlets might sell it to you.

That said, you’d probably be paying a premium due to them being a reseller + the shipping so buying some name brand solder off eBay might honestly be the best option 

We're triple-screwed here at the moment. EU - fail, Czech Post- fail (so I can't use ebay anymore though I was able to for years) and Brexit- fail, lost ability to buy from shops I had long, established business with.

 

[tooki]

I found some 60/37 from AIM that looked good and tried to order. I had to register for an account on the site, and then after that the page changed to say the product is not available in my country. And that's even though my country was selected at the top of the page and I had changed from net (business) to gross (private) while adding the items to my cart. What bullshit.

Does anybody know of a reliable online shop that sells leaded solder in the EU?

Thank you.

https://www.digikey.cz/en/products/filter/solder/262

All except one of those (Kester 44 in 63/37) exceed the €50 threshold needed for free shipping. Choose UPS shipping because then it ships with DDP incoterms, which means customs is pre-cleared, so no surprise bills on delivery.

[tooki]

I also heard that US distributors (DigiKey, Mouser) don't give rat's ass, or didn't when I heard about it, but it will cost to ship it.

The threshold varies by country, but for the Czech Republic and Poland (and Switzerland) the threshold for free shipping on digikey is just €50. And with UPS, it ships DDP, as I mentioned above.