Looking for Flux and Alcohol dispenser bottles in the US, preferablly retail

[Cyber Akuma]

I am trying to get two types of dispenser bottles for soldering. One with a needle-like tip to dispense liquid flux, and one with a pump for alcohol that lets the liquid pool at the top so I can dip it in a brush to clean off flux.

You would think this would be simple, and I am probably over-thinking it, but whenever I try to find one of these I see a lot of bad reviews all over the place saying how the bottles broke after a few days and/or leak everywhere, especially the pump kind.

Seems that Weller makes two types of bottles for dispensing flux, the FD2 and FD2D (Apparently the only difference is that the FD2D is ESD? Not sure how a plastic bottle would matter one way or the other) but it's hard to find. Sure it's listed on Amazon, but it's being sold by third parties so I am worried I would just be overpaying for a bootleg 50 cent bottle from Aliexpress.

The real hard to find one though is one to dispense alcohol, there are plenty of those, the types of bottles that have a pump which lets the liquid pool on the top, but the reviews are all filled with 1/5 star "It broke/leaks in a few days" type reviews.

I hear the name Menda tossed around a lot, but there doesn't seem to be an easy way to get them. Just about all of the official/trusted sources are from distributors intended for mass bulk purchases by corporations, and shipping tends to be expensive because of this, some of them even wanted to charge an extra fee because my order total was BELOW a certain amount. Also... I have to admit, $20-30 for a little 6oz pump bottle is rather expensive. If there was at least physical retailers in the US I could buy them from it would not be so bad, but as far as I am aware that is not an option.

Does anyone know a good one either online or even preferably in a physical store in the US that are decent and aren't so expensive? Also, how important it is that they are ESD safe?

[thm_w]

ESD safe is meaningless here.
You can find some on digikey: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/menda-easybraid/35283/2779492

The branded ones are definitely better. And having a glass bottle, for example, is nice.
But they all have similar flaws and can fail over time.
Even branded one I got has issues with pumping liquid and evaporation.

This was one of the best I've used, its lasted 2 years so far: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08XZH4PPW/

[TimFox]

I am trying to get two types of dispenser bottles for soldering. One with a needle-like tip to dispense liquid flux, and one with a pump for alcohol that lets the liquid pool at the top so I can dip it in a brush to clean off flux.

You would think this would be simple, and I am probably over-thinking it, but whenever I try to find one of these I see a lot of bad reviews all over the place saying how the bottles broke after a few days and/or leak everywhere, especially the pump kind.

Seems that Weller makes two types of bottles for dispensing flux, the FD2 and FD2D (Apparently the only difference is that the FD2D is ESD? Not sure how a plastic bottle would matter one way or the other) but it's hard to find. Sure it's listed on Amazon, but it's being sold by third parties so I am worried I would just be overpaying for a bootleg 50 cent bottle from Aliexpress.

The real hard to find one though is one to dispense alcohol, there are plenty of those, the types of bottles that have a pump which lets the liquid pool on the top, but the reviews are all filled with 1/5 star "It broke/leaks in a few days" type reviews.

I hear the name Menda tossed around a lot, but there doesn't seem to be an easy way to get them. Just about all of the official/trusted sources are from distributors intended for mass bulk purchases by corporations, and shipping tends to be expensive because of this, some of them even wanted to charge an extra fee because my order total was BELOW a certain amount. Also... I have to admit, $20-30 for a little 6oz pump bottle is rather expensive. If there was at least physical retailers in the US I could buy them from it would not be so bad, but as far as I am aware that is not an option.

Does anyone know a good one either online or even preferably in a physical store in the US that are decent and aren't so expensive? Also, how important it is that they are ESD safe?

US Plastic Corp has a huge range of bottles, including laboratory and dispensing bottles:  https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/default.aspx?catid=469&clickid=leftnav-icons
Cole-Parmer is another source of laboratory stuff:  https://www.coleparmer.com/search?N=CPDomestic&Ntt=bottles&Ns=P_ItemSortCPVH|1&Nf=category%7cBottles+and+Jars&Format=json&Rgn=P_ISUUSA&Rlg=en-US&Uty=dflt&Keyword=bottles&searchterm=bottles
Both will sell to individuals.  Cole-Parmer has a bricks-and-mortar store in Illinois:


    Cole-Parmer
    Address:
    625 East Bunker Court
    Vernon Hills, Illinois 60061
    United States
    Telephone:
    1-847-549-7600
    Free call:
    1-800-323-4340
    Fax:
    1-847-247-2929
    E-mail:
    sales@coleparmer.com

[Pariah_Zero]

one with a pump for alcohol that lets the liquid pool at the top so I can dip it in a brush to clean off flux.

I'm partial to Menda Pure-Touch, but if you want something easier to find, look for fingernail polish remover pumps.

They're a very similar pump bottle, for a fraction of the cost - and more importantly, you can probably find them locally/retail. Nail polish remover is usually acetone, the bottles & pump are made to handle that solvent (at which point either Isopropanol or Ethanol is no problem)

Edit: Fix URL, spelling of Menda.

[David Hess]

I have been buying the MENDA "One-Touch" as needed from Mouser, but Amazon has them for the same price.

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Menda/35305?qs=El1T93pd01%252Bf%2FL90526tqQ%3D%3D
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Menda/35309?qs=El1T93pd0196ijYakIw00Q%3D%3D
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Menda/35312?qs=El1T93pd01%252B587rvK0O%252BRg%3D%3D

Sometimes the stainless steel ball in the pump valve does not seat correctly but this is easy to fix by removing the clip on the stem and cleaning the ball and seat.  Other than that and the easy to replace tube falling off, these dispensers last forever.  The plastic tube can be replaced with a length of heat shrink tubing.

[Cyber Akuma]

Thanks for the advice, I just wanted to point out before I start replying to the direct posts, I was looking for both a pump bottle for alcohol to clean off flux, and a needle applicator bottle for APPLYING liquid flux, something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001IUSK3A/

Any recommendations or opinions on something like that? I know that Medna makes that took, but again, hard to get my hands on them for a reasonable cost when you factor in shipping and all that on top. Come to think of it, how would I prevent such a bottle from spilling while in storage? Do any of them have any sort of way to seal/close them when not in use?

Oh, and speaking of the Medna pump bottles, I saw two types, one that let the liquid slowly seep back into the bottle and ones that do not to avoid contamination. Do I have to worry at all about any flux residue from when I dip the brush in the alcohol from causing any problems if it seeps back into the rest of the alcohol? Or is that not an issue?

ESD safe is meaningless here.
You can find some on digikey: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/menda-easybraid/35283/2779492

Yeah, I think Digikey was the cheapest shipping I was able to find. Though the bottles themselves are still rather pricy and the shipping still isn't cheap either. Seems really hard to get a hold of these as an individual purchase without paying out the nose for the privilege. One of the official distributors I tried on top of high shipping fees wanted to charge me an additional fee on top for my total being below $50.

This was one of the best I've used, its lasted 2 years so far: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08XZH4PPW/

Thanks, will look into that one, at the very least as a temporary one for now. Was hard to find ANY ones that seemed decent on Amazon, they were all full of complaints about them breaking/leaking. I know any product will have some 1/5 reviews but they seemed far more than usual for these kinds of bottles than most reviews I tend to see on there.

US Plastic Corp has a huge range of bottles, including laboratory and dispensing bottles:  https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/default.aspx?catid=469&clickid=leftnav-icons
Cole-Parmer is another source of laboratory stuff:  https://www.coleparmer.com/search?N=CPDomestic&Ntt=bottles&Ns=P_ItemSortCPVH|1&Nf=category%7cBottles+and+Jars&Format=json&Rgn=P_ISUUSA&Rlg=en-US&Uty=dflt&Keyword=bottles&searchterm=bottles
Both will sell to individuals.

The ones in that first link cost considerably even more than the Menda bottles, despite looking like the same thing. And I could not find either the pump or needle bottles in the second one.

Cole-Parmer has a bricks-and-mortar store in Illinois:

Hmm, that's not too far, I could take a look. Though if their inventory is not much different than their website it won't help much. I'll give them a call.

I'm partial to Medna Pure-Touch, but if you want something easier to find, look for fingernail polish remover pumps.

They're a very similar pump bottle, for a fraction of the cost - and more importantly, you can probably find them locally/retail. Nail polish remover is usually acetone, the bottles & pump are made to handle that solvent (at which point either Isopropanol or Ethanol is no problem)

Edit: Fix URL

I have been buying the MENDA "One-Touch" as needed from Mouser, but Amazon has them for the same price.

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Menda/35305?qs=El1T93pd01%252Bf%2FL90526tqQ%3D%3D
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Menda/35309?qs=El1T93pd0196ijYakIw00Q%3D%3D
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Menda/35312?qs=El1T93pd01%252B587rvK0O%252BRg%3D%3D

Sometimes the stainless steel ball in the pump valve does not seat correctly but this is easy to fix by removing the clip on the stem and cleaning the ball and seat.  Other than that and the easy to replace tube falling off, these dispensers last forever.  The plastic tube can be replaced with a length of heat shrink tubing.

Yeah, I was trying to search Amazon for generic pump bottles or even ones made for nail polish remover/acetone, but like I said, all I could find were ones with an abnormally large number of 1/5 reviews. Many of them were even complaints that bottles listed for acetone would in fact get destroyed if you put acetone in them. That's why I made this thread, to try to find actual good ones, either from Amazon or elsewhere... that won't cost me an arm and a leg. The Menda ones look like the best but on top of the bottle costing $20-25 it's hard to get without paying another $10 or so for shipping, if I would get the bottle at retail then the price tag would not be too bad, but coupled with shipping that is about half their cost it's just a bit too much for a small bottle like that.

The ones being sold on Amazon seem to be priced up to around $30, and they are being sold by random third parties so I am skeptical if they might not just be expensive fakes.

[daisizhou]

Is this the kind you mean?
If so.It cannot store liquids for long periods of time.
I use it to store PCB cleaning fluid，It is not completely sealed,So the liquid consumption is huge

[watchmaker]

I get much of my clean room stuff (finger cots, dust pickups, IPA, pump bottles,etc) from Hisco.

https://www.all-spec.com/

[David Hess]

That's why I made this thread, to try to find actual good ones, either from Amazon or elsewhere... that won't cost me an arm and a leg. The Menda ones look like the best but on top of the bottle costing $20-25 it's hard to get without paying another $10 or so for shipping, if I would get the bottle at retail then the price tag would not be too bad, but coupled with shipping that is about half their cost it's just a bit too much for a small bottle like that.

The MENDA bottles are expensive, but I do not place orders with Mouser until they are more than $100, so the shipping is not such a large part.

The ones being sold on Amazon seem to be priced up to around $30, and they are being sold by random third parties so I am skeptical if they might not just be expensive fakes.

That is always a risk with Amazon, although I would usually trust it if it was shipped by Amazon.

[Cyber Akuma]

Is this the kind you mean?
If so.It cannot store liquids for long periods of time.
I use it to store PCB cleaning fluid，It is not completely sealed,So the liquid consumption is huge

What do you mean exactly by cannot store liquids for long periods of time? Do you mean that the top part of the pump won't hold a pool of liquid for very long before it seeps back into the bottle, or that you can't keep liquids in the bottle itself for a long time?

I get much of my clean room stuff (finger cots, dust pickups, IPA, pump bottles,etc) from Hisco.

https://www.all-spec.com/

Those seem to be just like the Menda bottles, but cost more. Shipping is also more than other places too.

The MENDA bottles are expensive, but I do not place orders with Mouser until they are more than $100, so the shipping is not such a large part.

Yeah, I could wait until I have some other items I also need, but that might be a while since I recently bought most components I would need for my future projects.

That is always a risk with Amazon, although I would usually trust it if it was shipped by Amazon.

Yeah, if these were being sold by Amazon I would not worry as much, or even if Menda had an official storefront there, but these all seem to just be by random third parties.

[thm_w]

I use these for the squeeze bottles and they are fine: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005926707985.html
I'm sure there is always a chance you get something defective, considering how cheap they are.

Is this the kind you mean?
If so.It cannot store liquids for long periods of time.
I use it to store PCB cleaning fluid，It is not completely sealed,So the liquid consumption is huge

What do you mean exactly by cannot store liquids for long periods of time? Do you mean that the top part of the pump won't hold a pool of liquid for very long before it seeps back into the bottle, or that you can't keep liquids in the bottle itself for a long time?

They are saying the evaporation rate is high. I had same issue with a name brand dispenser. Haven't had that issue with the plastic amazon acetone dispensers yet.

[David Hess]

Thanks for the advice, I just wanted to point out before I start replying to the direct posts, I was looking for both a pump bottle for alcohol to clean off flux, and a needle applicator bottle for APPLYING liquid flux, something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001IUSK3A/

Any recommendations or opinions on something like that? I know that Medna makes that took, but again, hard to get my hands on them for a reasonable cost when you factor in shipping and all that on top. Come to think of it, how would I prevent such a bottle from spilling while in storage? Do any of them have any sort of way to seal/close them when not in use?

I did not recommend any needle applicators because I stopped using them for flux.  I prefer using a brush because the flux clogs the needle too readily.  But I do use needle applicators for solvents and lubricants, so I will describe what I did.

I bought bottles and separate needles of different sizes, like those linked below:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NKT2KJ9
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LK7LTD5
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LKRKGLM

The needle attachment to the bottle is not very reliable and will leak, so I screw the needle onto the cap, and then pour clear Gorilla glue into the gap sealing it.

[daisizhou]

Is this the kind you mean?
If so.It cannot store liquids for long periods of time.
I use it to store PCB cleaning fluid，It is not completely sealed,So the liquid consumption is huge

What do you mean exactly by cannot store liquids for long periods of time? Do you mean that the top part of the pump won't hold a pool of liquid for very long before it seeps back into the bottle, or that you can't keep liquids in the bottle itself for a long time?

The hand pump seal is not tight,The liquid inside is easy to evaporate.
in other words,If not used for a long time, the liquid inside will evaporate and reduce

[Cyber Akuma]

They are saying the evaporation rate is high. I had same issue with a name brand dispenser. Haven't had that issue with the plastic amazon acetone dispensers yet.

The hand pump seal is not tight,The liquid inside is easy to evaporate.
in other words,If not used for a long time, the liquid inside will evaporate and reduce

I see, not good for alcohol since that evaporates pretty easily. What about flux? Would that evaporate quickly too?

I did not recommend any needle applicators because I stopped using them for flux.  I prefer using a brush because the flux clogs the needle too readily.  But I do use needle applicators for solvents and lubricants, so I will describe what I did.

I bought bottles and separate needles of different sizes, like those linked below:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NKT2KJ9
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LK7LTD5
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LKRKGLM

The needle attachment to the bottle is not very reliable and will leak, so I screw the needle onto the cap, and then pour clear Gorilla glue into the gap sealing it.

The last two links are not in stock but I get what you mean, would those bottles be good for storing flux? They say they are intended for oil, is flux more corrosive than oil?

[thm_w]

You wouldn't store flux in a top dispensing container like that.

You would normally either use flux syringe (for thicker gel/paste) or flux pen, squeeze bottles linked above (for thin flux).

[Cyber Akuma]

You wouldn't store flux in a top dispensing container like that.

You would normally either use flux syringe (for thicker gel/paste) or flux pen, squeeze bottles linked above (for thin flux).

What about specifically for this kind of liquid flux?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYEE84K

I have been trying the gel kind too but that comes with it's own syringe-like dispenser.

[thm_w]

Its thin liquid, so I would use a metal tip squeeze bottle or a flux pen.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005626369839.html
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/manufacture/best-reuseable-flux-pen-for-0603-components/
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/liquid-flux-pen-vs-bottle/

[David Hess]

I did not recommend any needle applicators because I stopped using them for flux.  I prefer using a brush because the flux clogs the needle too readily.  But I do use needle applicators for solvents and lubricants, so I will describe what I did.

I bought bottles and separate needles of different sizes, like those linked below:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NKT2KJ9
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LK7LTD5
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LKRKGLM

The needle attachment to the bottle is not very reliable and will leak, so I screw the needle onto the cap, and then pour clear Gorilla glue into the gap sealing it.

The last two links are not in stock but I get what you mean, would those bottles be good for storing flux? They say they are intended for oil, is flux more corrosive than oil?

They will store solvents and acetone, so flux should not be a problem.  The bottle itself is polyethylene or polypropylene.  I am not sure what the cap is made of.

[Psi]

PSA, Don't accidently fill your IPA bottle up with used IPA from the SLA printer.
It wont end well for the push-pump.

[CatalinaWOW]

If you want local check make up stores.  Women use the pump bottles for various products, including fingernail polish remover and Isopropyl.

[Simmed]

amazon sometimes call it acetone dispenser

https://www.amazon.com/Acetone-Remover-Dispenser-Non-Woven-Supplies/dp/B0CPJRYH73?crid=U4QL8YK2Y3D&sprefix=js%2Bempty%2Bnail%2Bpolish%2Bmakeup%2Bremover%2Caps%2C1138&sr=8-5&th=1

[u666sa]

The bottle you looking for is called RL-054. It's available on ali, eBay, amazon. On ali just select filter to ship from the U.S.
Here is the link to one that ships from the U.S. -- https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256808171806607.html

But, you can get them from China in about a week. Price is 3 bucks for 5 pieces.