Unlike most of you, I only dabble in electronics ... just started playing with my first Arduino.
I do a bit of everything ... solder wires in my truck ... repair some old tube equipment ... I don't trust crimp connections so I solder all of them ...
I am a machinist by trade but also build a control panel every so often .. industrial, all screw terminals.
I just got a job that requires me to solder 6 Amphenol connectors (9 pins on each).
I just checked my stock ... my 1 lb roll of solder is almost out! I got it about 20 years ago ... Philips ECG SN60 .031 RA
I was given this roll and a Hakko 937 iron when I did a rush job for one of my supplies (learned on the fly ... designed a PC board .. go it made online in 3 days .. put a bunch of LED's and switches on it ... still working today).
OK .. did a bunch of reading ... WOW!
I "think" I have it down to two solders but I am stuck and after a day of reading and watching videos I figure I better reach out to someone who knows what they are doing.
I am looking at Kester 63/37 RA Flux "44" core size 66 (so 3.3% rosin) .031 and MG Chemicals 63/37 RA 2.2% .032
They seem soooooo close .. both even got a 92% 5 starts on Amazon.
It seems to come down to the flux .... I see people saying the Kester is aggressive and hard to clean ... but does a great job. The MG also seems to do a good job might be a bit less aggressive .. which might be good or bad.
“ I do a bit of everything ... solder wires in my truck ... repair some old tube equipment ... I don't trust crimp connections so I solder all of them ...”
Properly crimped wires (they have a bit of flex) are better than soldering.
Kester 44 has been around for years. I look at it as a standard. If you parts (connectors and wire) are new it doesn't matter. However for your current job it doesn't matter.
Perhaps you can aid in making your decision by thinking what you might use the rest of the roll of solder for.
Really? I would've guess that the improvement going from 60/40 to 63/37 would make any differences between the two current choices.
(not to mention: did you know that solder is supposed to have a use-by date? I don't know if it's realistic, but it's far shorter than 20 years. Although I'm also using solder of that vintage, and "it seems fine." Kester Shelf Life Policy
I have a number of projects that need a controller ... that is why I started looking at Arduino's ... PLC's get expensive for home use. I think it all started when I wanted to put a clock tower on the new shop ... figure I could use stepping motors ... needed a controller ... still thinking about that one.
Last year I built a remote panel to control 12 wells at an unmanned site. Used a PLC ... a touch panel with a communications package so I can control it over the web. I put a micro PC in it so I can program the PLC remotely. There was no internet to I used a cell modem. First try at something like this ... normally I build small local panels with relay logic. It's been running for over a year now .. sends an e-mail each night reporting flows ... also reports if a well has a problem (had a lighting strike ... lost one phase ... popped all 12 overloads ... sent out 12 e-mails).
My wife was paralyzed in a diving accident when she was 12. I built an elevator out of the mast of an old forklift ... $40k to buy .. $2K to build.
I have an old CNC mill ... controls are dead ... I need to build a controller for it.
I'd say its pretty essential to have a eutectic alloy for hand soldering, especially rework, if you want reliable results (especially if parts can move during cooling). For unleaded solder that means the sort with 4% silver (its more important for unleaded solders as the tin/copper only alloy is a beast to rework), for leaded eutectic point is 63/37, I have no idea why 60/40 is a thing, perhaps it affects surface properties.
Just be sure to avoid plumber's flux at all costs! Rosin flux for electronics.
