How long does your solder wire spool last ?

[Denkarn]

Hello,

How long does a tin spool last you?

I hesitate to take 250g or 2x 250g I don't know how long it will last me

on average, I know it depends on usage, but to get an idea

[RoGeorge]

Regarding the quantity, 250g is a lot.  If you solder only occasionally that will last you many, many, years, maybe even a few decades.

You may want to buy two of them, but different diameters.  Say, a 0.5mm for thin SMD soldering, and a 1.2mm diameter solder for gross work and other TH components.

[bidrohini]

For occasional use, I agree with the above answer. If it is for a small business purpose, like soldering 10-20 PCBs every day, 250g can last approximately 3 months.

[CaptDon]

Here in the states Kester solder was sold on 1 pound (454g) spools. I do a lot of repairs and restorations and I keep one spool of .062" and one of .031" and I obtained 1/2 spool of something smaller like .010. I use up the .062 stuff in about 3 years, the .031 lasts longer, maybe 4 to 5 years and the tiny stuff .010 has been around here for a decade. If you merely tinker or are a hobbyist 454g would last you a decade. I snatch up the 60/40 tin/lead stuff when I can find it, mostly at ham radio flea markets (hamfests). I truly hate the lead free stuff although I own some for repairs of circuit boards that used it. The old Ersin 'multicore' 60/40 stuff was incredible although it left a lot of flux behind that I would scrape off with a dental pick. Cheers mate!!

[tszaboo]

Get the 250g, and if you really want a lot of solder, get another with different diameter. Or one which comes with that forbidden red spool (non lead free). But unless you run an assembly line, there is nothing wrong with the 100g spools, they last long.

[themadhippy]

Bought when maplins panicked about the incoming lead solder restrictions  in the early 2000's and bogof'ed  there lead solder ,work got 1 reel,as per invoice and i got the other.

[Denkarn]

Thank you for your help

Indeed I'm also afraid that there is no more leaded tin that's why I wanted to make a small stock but it may not be necessary

I know Kester brand is famous but I live in Europe so I have to pay 75€ for a 500G spool

At the moment I am finishing my roll of blue Kaina that I liked, but it is no longer produced

There is a very good quality local brand of tin which costs around €30 for 250g, I know it's just a bit cheaper than the Kester but I could take 250g each time

The problem is that it's 60/40, what do you think?

I use 0.8mm, is 0.5mm perfect for SMD or do I have to find 0.3mm?

[jonpaul]

found boxes of 60/40 and 63/37 at USA ham fleas and silent key estates.

My Kester #44 core 63/37 is a 5# roll, lasted about 20 yrs and still about 3# left!

Jon

[BillyO]

I solder a lot and go through about 125g per year.  I buy in 454g spools and my mainstay is 0.8mm but I keep a spool of 1.6mm around as well for heavier work.  It won't go bad and will last decades.  Solder is not cheap especially in small spools so I tend to buy the larger spools because I am cheap.  Buy good stuff if you can.  I usually buy Kester but the last spool of 1.6mm I bought was a 60/40 from MG Chemicals.  It was quite a bit cheaper than the Kester and is turning out to be a very nice solder.

[james_s]

How long is a piece of string?

For me a 1lb spool typically lasts me around 10 years.

[sokoloff]

Indeed I'm also afraid that there is no more leaded tin that's why I wanted to make a small stock but it may not be necessary

Leaded solder is readily available in other parts of the world and bringing a spool of it back with you on a trip (or having a friend do the same) would be trivial, so I wouldn't worry too much about creating a stockpile of it. (In the US, I can buy it from DigiKey or Amazon right now, no questions asked.)

It's not going to be substantially easier (nor harder) to make that stockpile now as it will be in 2028.

[ebastler]

My Kester #44 core 63/37 is a 5# roll, lasted about 20 yrs and still about 3# left!

Is that 5# as in "5 pound"?! I didn't realize they make spools that large. Sounds like a workplace hazard if you drop it on your foot... 

[tooki]

My main solder is Kester 44 63/37 0.031”, and the 1lb roll I bought in 2015 still has almost half left.

[james_s]

Leaded solder is readily available in other parts of the world and bringing a spool of it back with you on a trip (or having a friend do the same) would be trivial, so I wouldn't worry too much about creating a stockpile of it. (In the US, I can buy it from DigiKey or Amazon right now, no questions asked.)

It's not going to be substantially easier (nor harder) to make that stockpile now as it will be in 2028.

China will ship you anything that you want. My state recently banned the sale of fluorescent lamps, I wanted a new blacklight CFL and Amazon refused to take my order so I ordered one from China and it arrived a couple weeks later. They banned the small cans of R134 refrigerant too which I find very annoying because despite the fact that I'm a licensed refrigeration tech and can legally buy large jugs of the stuff, I'm not a volume user so I don't want to spend $400 on a huge jug that I have to store when 3 of the little cans is perfect for filling a car AC. It's looking like I can buy those from China too, otherwise I guess it's an excuse to visit my relatives in Oregon.

[tooki]

Yeah but Chinese solder isn’t worth messing with. I’m sure that quality Chinese solder exists (and/or that some high quality non-Chinese company manufactures solder there), but the problem is that ordering from China, you never know what you’re gonna get.

As I see it, a hobbyist uses so little solder that even expensive solder is a negligible cost. It’s not worth the time and effort, nor potential risk to expensive components, to mess around with cheap solder.

I’m pretty sure I spend considerably more on flux than on solder!

[BillyO]

As I see it, a hobbyist uses so little solder that even expensive solder is a negligible cost. It’s not worth the time and effort, nor potential risk to expensive components, to mess around with cheap solder.

Yup.  Buying better solder is cheaper in the long run.

[twospoons]

My first spool has lasted 45 years so far 
But I have since bought several other spools : lead free, low temp and fine gauge.
Unless you are doing a lot of soldering your spools will last for ages.

[Terry Bites]

I did some checking. Mine usaully lasts as long as a piece of string.

[rstofer]

Kester 44 (63/37) tin/lead solder is readily available in the US for about $50 for a 1 pound spool:

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/kester-solder/24-6337-0039/31099

[BillyO]

Kester is an American company.  Their products should be available there.

The "44" in Kester 44 refers to the flux and it is available in more than 60 different metal formulation/size/flux amount combinations.

https://www.kester.com/products/product/44-flux-cored-wire

My favorite is  2460400027.  It is .031" (0.8mm) diameter, has a metal ratio of 60/40 (tin/lead) and it contains 3.3% flux.

[tooki]

The 63/37 version (2463370027) is even nicer.

[james_s]

The 63/37 version (2463370027) is even nicer.

I have some of that I got based on what somebody here said, but I have to say I prefer the 60/40. I don't know why exactly but it seems to make nicer joints, maybe it's just what I'm used to.

[Denkarn]

Thank you all for your help,

So I can buy pewter from a local store but it's 60/40, what do you think?

Is 63/37 better? I read that some people were talking about cold joints with 60/40

And is 0.5 enough for SMD? Where do you have to find 0.3?

I use 0.8 on a daily basis I don't know if there is a big difference with the 0.5

[ebastler]

I use 0.8 on a daily basis I don't know if there is a big difference with the 0.5

It's a factor of 2.5 in cross section. Dosing the solder properly for individual small joints will be noticeably more difficult with 0.8 mm.

I used 0.8mm for a long time but have switched to 0.5 mm about 10 years ago, which works fine for me for both, SMD and through-hole work. It's the only size I have on the bench now. I sometimes come across situations where a smaller diameter might make dosing easier, but never bought any. (For populating SMD boards from scratch, I prefer stencil, solder paste and hot air soldering.)

[tooki]

Is 63/37 better? I read that some people were talking about cold joints with 60/40

Because 60/40 is not eutectic, it has a “slushy” phase where it’s not fully solidified. (Technically, once cooled, 60/40 becomes 63/37 with tiny crystals of lead dispersed throughout.) While in the slushy phase, the joint can still be disturbed.

The upshot is that eutectic alloys like 63/37 go directly from liquid to solid. This reduces the window of time between removing the soldering iron and the joint solidifying, which reduces the chances of a disturbed joint.

And is 0.5 enough for SMD? Where do you have to find 0.3?

”SMD” covers a huge range of pad sizes. There’s no one size of solder that works for everything.

And of course it also depends on technique. For example, if you solder a 0.5mm pitch QFP pin-by-pin under a microscope, you’ll want a really fine solder. If you solder the same chip by drag soldering, the size of the solder is practically irrelevant.

I use 0.8 on a daily basis I don't know if there is a big difference with the 0.5

It’s a huge difference, as ebastler said.

At the bench at work, I have 1mm, 0.7mm, 0.5mm, and 0.3mm, at home I have 0.8mm, 0.5mm, and 0.3mm. (You can always twist together two or three strands of solder to make a bigger one.)

The 1mm I mostly use for tinning the soldering iron tip. I rarely solder joints big enough to need it.