Buying components from China.

[sureshot]

Hi all ! Been a while since i was last here, trying to get some small projects going......
Here in the UK components cost a fare bit, even more so with vat at 20%.
I've ordered a few semiconductors, does any one else buy much from the far east with any luck ? more on quality than any thing else.

I would be interested to hear your buying experiences.

 

[Bluejets]

Works ok for me.
Cost can be as much as 1/4 the price and delivered to ones door included.
Minimum cost of post alone in Aus is usually more than the cost of the components.
As far as quality, most that are ok for the hobbyist.
If it was for a commercial product, ok for testing prototypes but would go for good gear for final product.
I think one has to remember, most of this stuff comes from there now anyway, regardless of packaging.

 

[Kiwi]

I haven't had too many issues buying individual components from China.
Did get some ATmega328P (Auduino) IC's that didn't have the bootloader, but that was easily cured.
Just look for a supplier with lots of orders and read the feedback.

I have been buying repeats of a dc-dc converter module from one supplier for some time with great success. The last couple I got were different and didn't work so I raised a complaint and got fully reimbursed.
The supplier is still advertising the module using the photos of the original type.
There are three feedbacks for this module, all mine. One is 5 star from original module, and two are 1 star from latest purchase. Module still has a 5 star rating, so don't know how that works.
Now have to find another supplier of a replacement dc-dc module.

 

[Doug3004]

I've bought a lot of different parts from the China-direct sites, and almost all of it was good.
The one that was not is the "1% metal film resistor" assortments.

It's tempting to buy them because the sellers have big assortment packs for very cheap, and it is a convenient way for a newbie to get a working supply of resistors.

These resistors are painted light blue (so that they look like normal metal-film resistors) but they are always either carbon-film, or sometimes carbon-composition. Some people have received carbon-composition resistors that varied so wildly with temperature that they were basically unusable.

It's not a law, but it is an industry convention that there is usual background colors that are used for different resistor types. The normal background color for 5% carbon-film resistors is tan; the normal background color for 1% metal film resistors is light blue.

This is not just one Chinese seller, it is ALL of them. Even the ones on eBay, Amazon and other similar non-China-based sites.
And this problem is not new, there are reports of it on Google going back at least 9 years.
The company manufacturing these is not making a simple mistake.
https://www.google.com/search?q=chinese+1%+metal+film+resistors+are+fake&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

At one point I looked around on Google for any instance of ANYONE who ordered these resistors and tested them,and actually got metal-films,,,, and I could not find even one single person who claimed that.

The good news is, you can usually still use these resistors, but they are 5% carbon-film--not 1% metal films.

If you need 1% metal film resistors, you should probably forget about ordering them from China.

 

[sureshot]

Thank you for your replys, and links. It looks promising then, in my case I've used eBay, but its still from the far east. I was just a bit dubious as you see TO3 transistor packages with nothing in them, also lower uf capacitors stuffed in a larger uf can. Just things I've seen others get ripped off in the past, or the scams exposed. Thanks again for your feedback, much appreciated. It the huge savings on quantity that's appealing, and its a fraction of UK prices.

 

[Ratch]

Thank you for your replys, and links. It looks promising then, in my case I've used eBay, but its still from the far east. I was just a bit dubious as you see TO3 transistor packages with nothing in them, also lower uf capacitors stuffed in a larger uf can. Just things I've seen others get ripped off in the past, or the scams exposed. Thanks again for your feedback, much appreciated. It the huge savings on quantity that's appealing, and its a fraction of UK prices.

Need I say more?



Ratch

 

[HellasTechn]

I would be interested to hear your buying experiences.

When it comes down to individual chips or components 99% of what i have got so far where very good.

Keep in mind that even chineese have different quality products, Their cost is not always a mirror of their quality.

 

[darren adcock]

I've bought loads and loads from china. And haven't had any problems. Much cheaper.

 

[HellasTechn]

Need I say more?

WOW this capacitor picture is crazy !!!

Two things i would NEVER buy from china. 1st is capacitors, mostly because they use awful electrolytes that tend to fail very quickly.

The second is Batteries. I have seen 18650 batterys that had a tiny cell inside and the rest was filled with flowr.

 

[sureshot]

WOW this capacitor picture is crazy !!!

Two things i would NEVER buy from china. 1st is capacitors, mostly because they use awful electrolytes that tend to fail very quickly.

The second is Batterys. I have seen 18650 batterys that had a tiny cell inside and the rest was filled with flowr.

That's the capacitor picture I've seen before, this is a taste it and see thing really. I've no previous of international buying, be really good if it works out. Its a fraction of UK prices. Thank you for all your replays, much appreciated.

 

[HellasTechn]

Its a fraction of UK prices.

This is true.
Dont get me wrong i buy from china all the time but like i sayd when it comes to capacitors or Batteries i do not.

Keep in mind that in circuits there may be a few or more "critical" components that their quality can not be sacrificed for price.

Do you get the point ?