Managed to fry a voltage regulator earlier today attempting to solder it in place. It just wasn't wetting properly and when I came to test it was well off the correct voltage - I noticed it had got a little warm when working on it. Now cooking a 7805 is no big deal in itself - after all they cost approximately nothing
- but it could just as easily have been a more interesting component. I've finally given up on lead free solder. I've really tried to make it work but no, forget it.
The thing is I've noticed that 60/40 has literally doubled in price over the last couple of years and it is only going to get more expensive in future, not to mention more difficult to obtain. I've seen a job lot going locally - 15 kg of 1.2mm wire for £120 which seems a good deal to me, and more than a lifetime's supply of hobby use. This is genuine Multicore solder with ersin flux. Does anyone have any ideas how it will keep over the decades? £120 is a lot to spend on solder in one go but I'll go for it if it solves the problem once and for all.
Looking around the net the answers seem contradictory. Some of the more negative views are directly contradicted by my own observations.