Got some lead free solder a while back (didn't realize it was that when I bought it...). That stuff really sucks.
And yes, I blame you EU guys for foisting that garbage off on us...
There is no one in the UK who solders who likes it. As you say it is rubbish and it makes things fail early. It is all to do with the green lobby who mean well but are so stupid that they only make things worse.
I am off to hug a tree.
I Hate the stuff, bought some and tried it once... Makes Great non (relatively) toxic fuse material though. 10 mm of the .5 mm wire 'pops' @ about 3 - 4 A, That and fishing weights are the two real world uses I have found for it.. Oh Yeah if one bends a couple of Cm of that stuff 4 times it makes a great load for a rubber band finger sling shot... What Do you on "The Other Side of the Pond" call Rubber bands? I Love the smell of Rosin Flux... Ersin smells the best IMO.
Doc
I like it wont use solder with lead in. I don't like breathing lead fumes and its the only kind ive ever really used.
Does lead actually vaporize? Maybe I should stop breathing the stuff in. My latest batch of solder is crap, I'm not sure if it is lead-free or not.
Anyway look on the bright side. If you live longer, you'll be able to enjoy the garbage solder for longer. 
Lead-free-solder, from the guys who brought you these rules too 8)
Does lead actually vaporize?
No, not at soldering temperatures. The problem with soldering is fumes from flux.
Lead is no problem as long as you keep it out of your mouth, and wash your hands before you eat/drink/smoke/etc.
-j
a rubber band finger sling shot
in the UK these are called catapults
I like it wont use solder with lead in. I don't like breathing lead fumes
Nobody does, but you don't breath in lead fumes when you solder.
its the only kind ive ever really used
Then you have absolutely no idea how crap it is. You probably think you are not very good at soldering.
Done it as a job for quite a long time Calerec audio and also building radio transmitters both used lead free solder as far as i can remember. I'm good at soldering i'd say.I bought some solder form a iron mongers a bit back when i ran out and all the had was some made by axminster, do you use solder when putting carpets down? Any way it had lead in and it had a noticeably different melting point, threw my auto pilot soldering right out. Didn't like it at all. Still good to know it's not in the air but being a smoker i'm still glad not to use it.
Along withthe fact that the lead free stuff always looks like a cold solder joint. Lead based solder has that nice shiny silver that says you did a good job. I have 2 rols of the good stuff that ought to last a while...
Don't seem to have any lead problems, I chewed on the stuff as a kid and even used my teeth to stretch it out for soldering. What else was I supposed to use? one hand held the soldering iron, and the other held the solder, only thing left was my teeth...
Another one of those places where panic rules over common sense...
I don't understand my solder joints always look fine.
I must have lead-free. My old solder joints used to look shiny, when the roll ran out and I switched to so-called "Super Solder Wire" I thought I was making bad joints all the time because they looked grey.
I was having a heck of a time soldering at work once. I checked the iron, found some tip-tinner, changed tips, nothing helped.
I finally figured out I had solder wire - metal only, no flux. 
-j
Lead based solder makes a nice shiny joint. Only looks gray if it was moved while cooling yielding a cold joint, and a connecton. The lead free stuff I have makes a dull looking connection and looks almost like what I would call a clod connection. Lead Free also doesn't flow or "wet" as well. If you have no experience with lead based solder then I can see how it would seem wierd. Kind of like the response of Europeans to American beer!!!
the stuff we use at work and I hate it, but dont use it unless I have to is like soldering with a coat hanger, but the flux in that crap is just NASTY bad.
Smells like burned coconut cake, but doesnt boil, it burns off into these little black flakes which stick everywhere including your solder joint. better yet is if you even get a wiff of the stuff it actually hurts.
I am a smoker, I have sat infront of soldering irons for most of my life, today the guy next to me was using it, I happened to catch a wiff and it made me gasp like I just inhaled a hot amber. Whenever I use it I have like 4 120mm fans blowing the stuff as far away from me as I can.
I hate the crap
kf2qd:
... I can see how it would seem wierd. Kind of like the response of Europeans to American beer!!!
Well, I suppose that depends on whether you hand them something like Widmer Alt, or Lonestar. ]
Kind of like the response of Europeans to American beer!!!
Don't be loke that there is some excellent American beer. Last year at the NY Maker Fair there was also the NY Craft Beer festival and there were some very unusual but interesting beers on offer. My favorite was Pumpkin Pie beer from the Chelsey Brewery.
Mind you America seems to have more than it's fair share of crap beer as well.
Look at the bright side. Hunters in EU are not allowed to use lead bullets, so if you get hit by a shutgun, you won't die from lead poisoning.
Does lead actually vaporize?
No, not at soldering temperatures.
Now, there's an odd statement.
I'm looking out of my window at quite a few kilotonnes of water vapour floating above me.
This is England, and it is summer, so I'm pretty sure the temperature up there isn't anywhere like 373K.
Erni:
Look at the bright side. Hunters in EU are not allowed to use lead bullets, so if you get hit by a shutgun, you won't die from lead poisoning.
I wonder if that's an incentive for Dick Cheney to hunt in Europe instead of here in the U.S.