where to buy inexpensive test lab supplies?

Ebay, Amazon.

If I am in "December stock-up mode" I first scan the discounters like MPJA and Jameco. Also Harborfreight for the occasional electronics gizmo. Then Mouser because while their search engine is mediocre prices are often a little more favorable than Digikey's. But when I need to find something right now and preferably in the next 10 seconds it's always Digikey.

Also, don't forget "maker scene" outlets such as Sparkfun because if they have something it's often a good deal.

I like this place..

Jamie

If your time is worth zero, buy cheap ones on eBay or maybe AliExpress.

Try buying one set of those test leads, and see the difference for yourself. One of the best fourteen buckses I ever spent.

A solder sucker lasts me probably 5 years. You seem to be trying to do some fairly difficult stuff--do you really have zero budget for supplies, or are you just being terminally cheap?

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

Anywhere you can.

Seriously.

Some of the local "electronics stores" are outrageously priced when it comes to components, etc. So, I mail-order those from Digikey.

OTOH, they (apparently) don't keep upgrading the prices on items unless they make a new purchase. So, something that has been sitting on the shelf for YEARS will often have an old, LOW price!

I've been exploiting that to purchase Kester solder that sells on Digikey for ~$50-$65 at a local, no-shipping-required price of $35! Of course, you need ot be "eyes on" to see these prices...

Consider buying some test lead wire and MAKING leads (if you're just making leads for DMM's, etc.). I've done that many times in the past when I wanted longer leads than I had available. Or, when I wanted a higher quality (flexible) wire, etc.

Jameco:

Jameco has two different solder pumps for $8.95. American Science and Surplus has one for $4.95.

Also Adafruit has a solder sucker for $5.00 :

exact URLs, too! will explore. THANK YOU!

I'll add to that: AS&S (ASS..?) is best seen in person. If there's a branch nearby, give it a look. You might walk out with more than you expected.

BG Micro:

Surplus Sales of Nebraska:

Tim

If you know the part you want octoparts can help you find cheaper suppliers. (findchips too, but I'm using octoparts more these days.)

George H.

I warn people to stay away from $5 soldering irons and cheap solder suckers for the simple reason they're complete crap, virtually unusable and cause more problems than they solve. Want to ruin a circuit board? Just gouge at it for a few minutes with a junk soldering iron and solder sucker. There's nothing like a burned up, delaminated board with lifted off traces and all the other parts and wires in the area melted from being hit with a wimpy, physically oversized iron.

Unless it's something way old, the cheapest acceptable solder sucker is about $15 and comes from OK Industries. Anything they make is suitable, although I find the tiny one handed models sort of dumb.

The cheapest acceptable soldering irons are the blue ones from Weller, starting at maybe $25. They're good quality, even for the price and actually temperature controlled. None of that ching chang ebay s*it is. Also, good luck getting new tips for a Peoples' Lead Mining, Food Production and Electrical Industries soldering iron anyways. A dusty hardware store with 30 year old stock can be a good source of soldering iron tips for classic irons too.

You can get this stuff off ebay, but honestly, just get it new from a distributor and you'll be ok knowing it's real and wasn't overpriced, old, used garbage.

Like Phil, I buy only the Soldapullt model by Edsyn, these last on average about ten to fifteen years in my shop. The knockoffs sometimes only last a few weeks, and one broke after the first suck!

Better quality tools cost more than the cheap ones - you just can't get around that easily.

John :-#)#

You seem to be trying to do

If the latter, here are some hot tips :-)

With integrated LED voltmeter

Bare necessities, 1.3-35V, $1.44 -- no expense spared!!

Cheers! James Arthur

I've bought a few of those LM2596 gizmos, and the ones I got work fine. Of course, I was only running bulbs and RC airplane servos off them, but still. ;)

Cheers

Phil Hobbs (Back from Verdun. Fort Douaumont is not to be missed.)

Not exactly lab supplies but I was checking prices and found Amazon has lower prices than Ebay. At least on some items.

An example is a UNI-T UT61E digital multimeter. $46.74 on Amazon and $50.99 on Ebay. Not the cheapest multimeter, but it can connect to a computer and has a 22000 count.

Dan

I have both Soldapllt and two BG micro models; they're of equal quality as far as I can tell. Other than kilobuck solder stations, they're the only hot-solder suckers I'd recommend.

Someone actually LIKES the rubber-bulb models, I hear; but, I don't comprehend.

I've used them for about 50 years. The Endeco desoldering iron was $35 at that time, and I was making $1 working part time, as a junior high school kid.

The problem with the spring-loaded solder pullers is that they kick the workpiece when triggered, making precision hard to achieve. I have both, but most commonly use the rubber bulb.

Joe Gwinn