Everything I know about solder wick

solder-wicks-ranked.md

solder wick ranking table

inspection criteria

by visual inspection only, ranked overall by these factors:

• individual copper strands diameter (thin=best, low=almost best)
• tightness of the copper weave (max=best, good=almost best)
• if the braid is a flattened tube (double sided), or just a 1 sided strip
• if has flux on it (good=stays on the wick, shed=keeps falling off)

prices

• prices were not used for the ranking, it did not change the positions
• price is given in $ USD per 5 feet length for 2.0mm - 3.0mm diameter
• so you might get a cheaper price with buying in larger quantities
• price includes local sales tax, VAT @ 20%, but not shipping etc.

tldr

• chemwick and prowick ARE BOTH ranked the best in this visual inspection. because they are 100% identical to each other, it is same source, same manufacturer, same exact product with no uncertainty about that aspect
• however chipquick seems best value for money at half the price? and cheaper than the goot wick?

sourced from

• from digikey were: chemwick, prowick, chipquick, easybraid, aven tools
• mg chemicals superwick = amazon uk
• goot wick jap markings = 'easy100fix Store' on aliexpress, i have no way to verify it
• servisol = deprecated uk brand, used to be sold at maplins, used as a reference
• fake goot wick = unknown random aliexpress seller, its inferior, has chinese markings
• hakko fr150-86 = amazon uk, (*but have tested here the item fr150-84 instead of it)

the rankings table

by visual inspection criteria only

first place
===========================

1* chemtronics chemwick    - thin strands, max  weave, double sided, good flux ($6.43)
1* techspray prowick       - thin strands, max  weave, double sided, good flux ($5.89)

2a* chipquick              - thin strands, med  weave, double sided, some flux ($2.41)
2a* hakko FR150-86         - thin strands, med  weave, double sided, good flux ($3.30)

2.5* easybraid quickbraid  - med  strands, good weave, double sided, some flux ($5.24)

3* goot wick jap markings  - thin strands, med  weave, single sided, some flux ($3.79)

4a* mg chemicals superwick - low  strands, good weave, single sided, some flux ($4.00)
4b* servisol               - low  strands, good weave, double sided, no   flux ($5.74)

5* fake goot wick, china   - low  strands, low  weave, single sided, no   flux ($0.00)
6* aven tools 17542        - big  strands, zero weave, double sided, shed flux ($2.59)

n* hakko fr150-84          - n/a, was not available for testing at the time    ($2.80)

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last place

note:

• requested: mechanic solder wick