Serious question, did I mess up choosing lead free solder?

I had to pick between leaded solder and lead free for a repair on a vintage radio from the 60s. Went with lead free since the customer mentioned kids around the house, but now the joints look brittle and I'm worried about long term reliability. Should have just used the good stuff and warned them to wash hands. Anyone else run into this catch-22 on older gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

simon7176d ago

Lead free solder can definitely look more dull and brittle compared to 60/40 tin lead. The issue is more about the lower melting point of lead free and how it flows on old copper that might have some oxidation. For vintage gear, the original pads and traces were often designed with leaded solder in mind. Using lead free means you really have to crank up the heat a bit and make sure the joint is properly wetted, otherwise you get that cold, crumbly look. If the joints are shiny and smooth after reflowing at a slightly higher temp, they'll likely hold up fine.

lisak266d ago

Ugh, this is so real. I've been fighting with some old Tektronix scope recently and the original pads are just so fragile, you know? I tried lead free at first and it was pulling up traces like crazy even with a bit higher temp. Ended up just tracking down some old 60/40 for the critical joints because the flow is just so much more forgiving on that vintage fiberglass board.