This can be a real problem when you are using them for for trouble shooting or bread boarding a project . they don't cost much, so i buy them anyway, but i always move back the hood and solder them. For an example you are measuring resistance between two points that are greator than the length of the leads you are using.
Interesting. I bought leads from Amazon and because of your video I checked them out. The wires were soldered to the clips so all good. They tested at .1 ohm. They are WGGE brand w/copper wire. The discriminating buyer needs to be careful what they buy. There's good stuff out there. If you buy the cheapest, that's what you'll get. I tested some leads that I bought years ago and they are just like yours. No solder. Iron alloy wires. Almost 1 ohm resistance. Thanks for the video. It was an eye opener.
Useful info. One additional point: the leads you are testing should measure lower than a tenth of an ohm if they are made of any reasonable gauge of copper wire and aren't twenty feet long! It is tricky to measure low ohms with a VOM that hasn't got four-wire ohms capability, since the connection between your test probes and the UUT can strongly impact the measurement. And if it's a HF meter and not one made by an actual instrument company, all bets are off. ;)
I make my own test cables and starter buttons with different gauge wire and different lengths. I use copper clips a nice bead of solder and finish them off with heat shrink tubing.
I am very hesitant to buy stuff on Amazon now. The amount of junk is over any reasonable limits. Recently bought some brand new bearings to repair angle grinder. The stuff was actually worse (had unbelivable amount of loose) than the worn out bearing I planned to replace. Returned them immediately.
You’re so right! It’s very much hit-and-miss now. At least with Amazon items can usually be returned for credit. Still, it’s a waste of time & resources to ship garbage back and forth until someone gets stuck with it.
@@Mr.BrownsBasement ...and there was your clue to STAY AWAY! from any such product. UNLESS it is from a well-known legitimate and L-A-R-G-E public brand with a reputation to lose ONLY order from "sold by Amazon" and even then, beware of off-brand no-name merchandise.
Yes. I had the exact same ones. I tore them all apart and reused the alligator clips with old stranded copper wire and SOLDERED them to the clips. Those things caused some grief with intermittent poor connection problems.
I have always made my own alligator clip test leads. Going back to the 70s, test leads were made this way, albeit with copper wire, not iron. I recently needed more test leads, so I ordered the alligator clips ONLY from DigiKey. With the rolls of wire I had, I then soldered everything together (not simply folding the wire and crimping it together). I then folded the 2 large "ears" over the wire insulation for stability. I've always homemade them this way. My old clip leads that I made so many years ago still work.
The wire is 24 ga steel! The advertised 18 ga is the insulation OD. I replaced the wire on mine with 18 ga GXL wire from Wirebarn. Soldered it with a shunt made from solderwick. Resistance went from 0.52 Ω to 0.05Ω. The clips and boots are nice 🙂
Howdy. Yeah. Also. The jaws are so skewed they won't grip on. Trying to open the jaws only makes the clip rotate between the fingers. The clip insulation splits easily making shocks possible. Regards.
What amazes me is how many people (especially people with channels on RUclips), seem to have no idea where to appropriately source stuff for their labs and projects. I guess a lot of people have never worked in industry, and perhaps thus never learned what the good brands are, and the distributors who only sell good products. I have seem a lot of people who purport to be teaching electronics to viewers, who claim to buy everything from eBay and Amazon sellers or Banggood. They really should make the acquaintance of companies such as Mouser Electronics, Digikey, etc; who only carry good quality parts, no off-brands or unknown brands, no cloned products, just the real stuff from reputable companies. Certainly there are many times when Amazon or eBay can supply adequate products and tools, but you really have to be careful and know which characteristics are important.
Self styled experts having RUclips channels is what gives electronic either commercial or as hobby a bad name. For everyone that is knowledgeable and makes good videos, there are 100 charlatans that believe they know and disseminate rubbish.
Anyone can have a RUclips channel. And the viewers (or lack of them) decide whether that RUclips channel will thrive, monetize, and takeoff. Or die. It’s a market economy, for better or worse. I’m a regular customer of Digi-Key, not so much of Mouser for electronic components. If you watch the repair videos I’ve made you’ll see I’ve made no effort to conceal that. However, if I were manufacturing a product for worldwide distribution, I probably couldn’t compete if I had to buy all my parts from Digi-Key or Mouser. That’s the economic reality.
@@germanjohn5626 Especially on the Audiophool channels! 🙂 There seem to be some clueless idiots in the network channels too. For the record, I have worked as a technician in telecom, computers and networks for over half a century and studied Electrical Engineering in college.
@Mr.BrownsBasement , I was not actually referring to your channel, but generally to so many channels where the creator only sources stuff from low reliability sellers, often spending a lot of video time chasing defects caused by crappy parts.
I gave up on prefab jumper cables. I bought some good multiple fine strand silicone insulated wire and some decent alligator clips and soldered my own test leads. I have no regrets at all about spending the time and money to do it. In the electronics tech business test leads are used every day, and mostly when something's wrong, or used in a way that you haven't used them before, a 1-time application. So you're already unsure about something, and high-resistance or intermittent test leads are the last thing you want to have to deal with in those applications. It's like having a multi-meter that gives you random readings when you're trying to troubleshoot something. A professional won't have those junk jumpers in his shop. He'll toss them in the trash, as I did.
I tried to use a friend's jumpers when we were working on a project of his and in addition to every other problem with Chinese alligator jumpers, as you tried to squeeze the jaws open they twisted around in the insulation sleeve making them impossible to even clip onto anything. It's insane how many different ways they can screw up something as simple as jumper wires with alligator clips on the ends.
Usually i replace the wires with good ones. Soldering the conductor to the clip is a quick and easy job and results in perfect connection. A big advantage to do so is to cut and make different lengths. I like to have some short ones, 10cm is great for so many uses...
Good Show. I keep a trusty magnet near buy while opening packages from China. Wires made from Chinesium are difficult to solder after the plating rubs off. Chinesium is magnetitic.
Good video. You're 100% correct. I bought the same leads on Amazon and almost immediately after receipt tossed them in the trash. The insulator voltage rating and wire current carrying capability are below safety standards for use with old electronics. Radio Shack test leads are the best, even though they're pretty scarce. Making your own will give you much better peace of mind.
Thank you for the kind words. I wouldn’t mind a set of Radio Shack test leads - I wouldn’t mind a neighbourhood Radio Shack store around the corner either!
Thank you. I had similar, but it was copper wire. I soldered the wires on the clips and was down to 0.1-ohm. I think if I buy them again, it will be at the local electronics store in person.
Thank you for posting this. I bought the similar one at Harbor Freight - Cen-tech 18" low voltage multi colored test leads Item number 66717 . They are also NOT soldered.
I bought the same. I soldered all the wires to the clips and it's fine. Not for high current obviously. For the price and if you're willing to make some improvements, then worth the money.
Harbor Freight sells a set of alligator clips without wires, solder a wire any length you want and you are set. The only downside side I can see is they only come in black and red.
I've purchased these very same ones from amazon or ebay years ago and in fact I still have the bag with plenty left in them. I took three of them and changed the wires with slightly heavier gauge and soldered the connection straight to the alligator clip. Only thing I'm using original is the clip and rubber boot around the clip. I need to make a few more since the boots and clips are worn
TIN leads would be worse than iron, and much worse than copper. TINNED copper leads, i.e., copper dipped in tin is better than copper because it resists oxidation & corrosion.
I remember the good mini test clips wires from 50 yrs ago with the wire soldered in place. This tiny piecing is a poor connection, I make my own sets of alligator test leads and solder them.
The funny thing is it probably costs 5x more to buy a package of aligator clips, and crimp your own wires, compared to the 'free' clips you take off the wires (which get tossed) from this test lead package.
I haven't found any decent alligator test leads. I have an old set that I bought at Radio Shack many years ago, and they are pretty good. I think wur e will need to make our own, buying decent copper wire. The clips they sell are also sub-par.
These are pretty good (at least well crimped and real copper wire): Manufacturer: Cinch Connectivity Solutions AIM-Cambridge Manufacturer Product Number: 46-400 I buy these 24" alligator clip leads in bags of 10 (two each of red, black, white, yellow, green) from Digikey.
Geeezzz.. Thanks for pointing this out.. (I've Always assumed) they would have Copper Wire .. Now I need to test all of my Clip Leads.. Typical Chinese Crap.. It's a Shame.. They are happy to take your Money and never be seen again.
On the antique radio forums, a supporter is Parts Candy. Hand made leads with quality parts. There is always Pomona but few are willing to pay their prices.
Thank you for the heads up. If push comes to shove I will make my own. My hope is to find something satisfactory for a moderate price. If/when I do, I will add it to the video description.
A lot of what I do is with higher current than data signals. With 1A flow, I lose >½ a volt and the darn wire dissipates >½ watt. I thought of replacing the wire… throwing good money after bad… but the clips aren’t very good. There must be better choices out there!
@@Mr.BrownsBasement everything has become manufactured for a price not for quality..... That's how I see all my purchases now, as parts to be improved and built into decent items.
I made the same mistake of buying theese a while back. On the other hand though, 2 of theese in series is enough resistance to run my 12 volt LED room light off a 15 volt supply.
I bought some clip leads on Amazon a few years ago and found I had to check them for continuity after getting fooled into thinking they were good. Also when trying to pinch the clips with my fingers the cover on them slipped and made them hard to use.
Had some of these garbage test leads too, after a while replaced the wire with proper stuff and soldered them to the alligator clips. The next this that was crap is the clips would slip in the outer insulation cover and you couldn't open the clip without it twisting. After a bit more time threw them away !
They're not worth using. Mine are going to e-waste. I'm looking for better test leads. If I find some good ones I'll add them to my video's description.
I bought a bunch of test leads years ago and noted the poor connection to the clips. They've been sitting my workbench waiting to be soldered. I'm going to pull out my specialize piece of test equipment and see if they are magnetic. If so, into the trash they go!
I got those same bad jumpers from Amazon too and they went into the trash 🗑️. I then ordered the 18 AWG soldered at the factory from Amazon 😊. Much much better 😃😃😁😁
Best investment I ever made was a collection of Pomona banana-jack leads of various lengths and colors, and an assortment of insulated alligator clips. They have very low resistance, durable, stackable ends.
At least here in Toronto, there are very few electronic parts stores left where you can examine a product before buying it. If I want to get test leads I either have to buy them online, or I have to buy the parts to make them, online. Very few local “brick and mortar” electronic parts stores can compete with Amazon, eBay, Ali Express, Temu, etc.
I vaporized a couple of these with current somewhere under 200 ma, and was amazed to find out how thin the wire was inside all that plastic insulation. Anyway, I'll be soldering some lamp cord to the clips and considering it as a fairly cheap source of alligator clips.
You got 0.6 ohms? Many of the ones I bought on Ebay had no continuity at all. I wish someone would start making and selling decent test leads. I'd pay a lot for them. I buy nothing from Amazon, at least Ebay will refund your money.
The other problem is the insulator is so cheap and slippery that it's nearly impossible to squeeze them without the metal part rotating or shooting out. So there really isn't anything salvageable from these. For the record, the 5-color wire set from Harbor Freight is much better quality. They still require creating proper solder joints instead of folded-over wires, but with a better result. Another economical high quality option is Cleqee.
😮not to mention the insulating jacket becomes oily and you can't squeeze the freakin thing without bending the cheap alligator clip. Yeah I bought em.........😮😮
There has been nothing about the experience with this test leads that I've enjoyed other than making this video to share my experience. Hopefully warn other people to AVOID.
We used to use great made in USA copper alligator clips that had a screw to attach wire. Would apply a thin coat if solder on good test lead eire then wrap that sround screw then closed the clamp on insulation on wire.
I always solder my test leads as soon as I get them, before I even use them. I despise crimp connections on them. I also make my own heavy gauge leads using 8 gauge wire. Somewhere in my stash I even have some homemade leads made from 15Kv high voltage wire for special applications.
@@Mr.BrownsBasement 22 years in commercial broadcasting doing all kinds of electronic service from building small audio amps to putting multi-kilowatt broadcast transmitters, both AM and FM, back on the air after a failure. You are only as good as the gear you work with.
Back in the day, Radio Shack sold some decent stuff and some junk. Their ICs were test-outs that failed to meet commercial standards but were good enough for hobbyist's projects (in theory). Of course, some ICs didn't work at all. Yes those clips are crap but I don't think most people buying them on Amazon will notice the slight resistance. Also, these are "test" leads and are not intended to carry any current.
I worked in a Radio Shack store as a part time job when I was a pre-teen. They were the only place I could get electronic parts from until I was old enough to go downtown by myself. Yup, some of their parts were 2nd's (or maybe 3rd's?) I recall buying some red 7-segment LED displays from Radio Shack and each segment had a different brightness and some red LEDs that were so dim that you couldn't tell if they were working unless the lights were turned off. On the other hand, they did sell some good stuff; I still use Realistic audio components to this day.
Yeah, those are bad. Got a pack as a "free" gift with a big barrel jack set. Soldered those crocodile contacts right out of the bag and used two of them daily for charging vape Li-Ion cells. Didn't last very long, maybe like a month or so, and I had to replace the wires. 👍 Wouldn't trust them with anything important. 😂
The ones I bought recently from Jaycar seem fine, no problems. Jaycar being a national chain of physical electronics shops in Australia that sells components, cables, meters, magnifying lamps, soldering irons and so on plus an assortment of more mainstream gadgets, toys, speakers etc. They don't sell phones, computers or household appliances.
Do the magnet test on them. Although Jaycar alligator clips do not suffer from the slippery cover syndrome they are still using iron core crimped wires. Using 4 wire Kelvin measurement resistance of 0. 35 ohms. I use the magnet test on ALL Jaycar electronic items nowadays. The results might surprise you :)
Used to be able to find good ones at Mouser Electronics - But they're a bit spendy. Last time I looked they had like a 10 week lead time so they're not an 'in stock' item.
Copper coated steel. Crap wire that is finding it's way into everything. They may not have been soldered because some CCS is impossible to solder, the molten solder dissolves off the thin copper and won't stick to the steel wire. If any wire product seems cheap, CCS is probably what you are getting rather than solid copper.
Pretty sure this is what I recently received, will probably just replace the wire because the alligators seemed reasonable. Good luck finding a decent set at an affordable price!
@@Mr.BrownsBasement I'll have to take a closer look, I did notice the wire went limp when powering a load. Usually I just make my clipleads so not sure how long this junk has been out there.
I was shocked to discover the complete lack of quality of these test leads. That’s why I felt compelled to share on RUclips. I don’t know how long this garbage has been on the market. But if this is all there is then there is no choice but to make your own.
@Mr.BrownsBasement Sure enough, the wire of these is steel and they measure 6/10 ohms or so... I'll see if a search for "copper" produces some results.9
@@Mr.BrownsBasement I found "crimped and soldered copper", considerably more expensive though. Oh well, guess that's how it is anymore. 16AWG, 20" Length On their way...
Bought the same garbage at a "local" webstore. Terribly crimped iron wire, resistance 0.5 Ohm per lead. Sent them back, got my money back. Still a waste for everybody...
A waste of your time, but fortunately not a waste of your money. I am still looking for something better and when I find a decent product will put it into the video description.
Same thing going on with "Jumper Wire" / "Dupont Cable". Make sure it says copper core before buying. You get what you pay for with Chinese manufacturing
The one think I like about things on Amazon is the product review. If I had bought these cables on Amazon, I would be what other people thought of this product.
It's same with jumpstart cables, they look thick, but in fact, it's thin wire inside unnecessarily thick isolation. We all know why. They started to melt and you can throw it away.
P & Moan. If you are a serious electronics hobbyist/experimented you make your own. You don't buy cheap stuff from Amazon. "Separating the men from the boys."
"'SERIOUS' hobbies make their own." LOL. If you think that the purpose of this video was to complain (i.e.,. moan), you are mistaken. That wasn't the intent or the tone of the video. The purpose of the video was to inform so others could recognize crap, and based on the comments the majority of people didn't know. In terms of "cheap stuff", I don't look at the price, I look at the buyer ratings. It looked good. Amazon does have some good stuff. As it turned out, this wasn't good. You're welcome.
Radio Shack used to sell these huge pieces of crap. Several times while jumping out a 480 volt old control circuit one of the alligator clips on them came off. Better to purchase several different very flexible test lead wire snd made in USA copper allugator clips. Retired but believe ba USA company called something lije Mueller made the best in class alligator & car battery jumper ends
I'm a retired hvac tech it's hard to find jumpers heavy enough even with low voltage that why I make my own it's not that hard and they hold up a lot longer
I wish I had been as lucky. Actually, I'm not complaining; if I hadn't received these supremely cheap pieces of trash I wouldn't have made this video to alert others…
Buy Mueller clips , buy high quality wire , and make your own . I use scrap hoist-way wire . I know a bunch of elevator guys . Good clips are not cheap , but worth it . Solder the ends , No mechanical connections.
They are awful. I bought sets from Radio Shack and if they worked at all, they couldn't carry any significant current. My best ones are from Western Electric and they're almost 50 years old. Thanks.
If they are crap, which Amazon is selling, then you should return them back to Amazon. And Amazon should change its policy to have items such as this include more detailed specifications on the wire, especially what they are made of, as well as insulation material. Also, those are the worst possible connections and alligator clip, or any other type of device could have to terminate the wire, extremely poor quality, basically pure junk.🤬
This is a stage we ALL go through. We buy these cheap crappy cables only to find, like you they are 100% useless. We then go out and by decent crock clips, proper copper cable and do what we should have done in the first place. DIY.
The cables I bought off eBay (as mentioned in the video) were okay. They weren't the least expensive or the most expensive. They were copper wire, but crimped. They have lasted 15 years. Now fast forward to 2024. I found cables that weren't the least expensive or the most expensive. I had no reason to believe they were any different than what I bought 15 years ago. So what I "should have done" was buy the most expensive? Is that any guarantee of quality? I tell you what someone "should have done": They should share their experience to warn others. That's that's what I did.
@@Mr.BrownsBasement Agreed ... But sometimes it's a choice of what you want to fail... Would you rather burn up an expensive device or a cheap jumper cord?
Yeah, I bought the same ones and they are garbage and the insulators on the clips get hard as a rock. And the wires break just moving them around and the wire insulation cracks not even being exposed to UV. Total garbage.
True, but it shouldn’t be necessary to make your own. Good quality alligator clip wires have been around forever. When was the technology to build them at scale suddenly lost?
I just got a ten pack (5 pairs) of insulated alligator clips crimp connectors from China, they are much better than anything I've seen on the premade ones
Total garbage I agree, and you can add to the list of crap is the plastic sheath over the crocodile clip goes hard and you literally cant open the clips
Speaking from my personal experience with Amazon.ca, in all fairness Amazon sells a lot of crap (these test leads are perfect example) but also sell some of the same quality items available at brick-and-mortar stores. On the other hand, I have deliberately chosen not buy anything from Temu as their business model and whole raison d’être is to sell poor quality, cheap and/or knockoff garbage. I’m not interested in wasting my money to help fill local landfills.
I've had mixed results with eBay. Some okay and some (as you said), total junk. Sellers who sell good products need to be recognized and rewarded with more sales; sellers who sell crap need to be called out and punished with returns.
Those test leads are just fine if you use them in a responsible manner. They are good for very low currents and low level signals nothing more. Anyone that uses them for more needs to give back their engineering degree should he / she have one.
I would like to examine your statements: “those test leads are fine if you use them in a responsible manner” and “anyone that uses them for more needs to give back their engineering degree should he/she have one”. Who determines what is “responsible” behaviour? Sometimes the government has the authority and it enacts laws. Sometimes society has the authority and it enforces manners. What authority do you have? Don’t I have an equal amount of authority?
The Chinese have solved the problem of trash disposal. They ship it to Amazon.
You're right.
Brother,you got that right.
This can be a real problem when you are using them for for trouble shooting or bread boarding a project . they don't cost much, so i buy them anyway, but i always move back the hood and solder them. For an example you are measuring resistance between two points that are greator than the length of the leads you are using.
The leads I have are so awful that I don’t think soldering will help!
Remember the children's toothpaste with antifreeze in it a few years ago? That's waste disposal.
Genuinely jaw-dropping when you discovered they were iron wire! Thought that went out of fashion in 1900! Jeez...
I wish it had gone out of fashion in 1900 and STAYED out of fashion!
Works fine
@JoeSmith-bw5fb Don't use them to carry a lot of current!
From the factories in China, straight into Canadian landfill. Ya, thats sustainable..
Then Canada sends it across the river to dump here in Michigan.
Sad but true.
Deplorable is the word that comes to my mind.
Interesting. I bought leads from Amazon and because of your video I checked them out. The wires were soldered to the clips so all good. They tested at .1 ohm. They are WGGE brand w/copper wire. The discriminating buyer needs to be careful what they buy. There's good stuff out there. If you buy the cheapest, that's what you'll get.
I tested some leads that I bought years ago and they are just like yours. No solder. Iron alloy wires. Almost 1 ohm resistance. Thanks for the video. It was an eye opener.
Thank you for some truly helpful information. I will check out those WGGE test leads. I am so glad you found my video helpful.
There's no way of knowing what the next batch from the same popup brand will be, these amazon brands are fly by night
Thanks for the good information.
@tedvandell I’m glad it was helpful!
Useful info. One additional point: the leads you are testing should measure lower than a tenth of an ohm if they are made of any reasonable gauge of copper wire and aren't twenty feet long!
It is tricky to measure low ohms with a VOM that hasn't got four-wire ohms capability, since the connection between your test probes and the UUT can strongly impact the measurement.
And if it's a HF meter and not one made by an actual instrument company, all bets are off. ;)
I make my own test cables and starter buttons with different gauge wire and different lengths. I use copper clips a nice bead of solder and finish them off with heat shrink tubing.
Ultimately, that’s the best way to assure that they’re properly assembled, by doing it yourself with high quality parts. You did the right thing.
Yoda, says, this is the way.
I am very hesitant to buy stuff on Amazon now. The amount of junk is over any reasonable limits. Recently bought some brand new bearings to repair angle grinder. The stuff was actually worse (had unbelivable amount of loose) than the worn out bearing I planned to replace. Returned them immediately.
You’re so right! It’s very much hit-and-miss now. At least with Amazon items can usually be returned for credit. Still, it’s a waste of time & resources to ship garbage back and forth until someone gets stuck with it.
Did you buy them from Amazon or an Amazon affiliated vendor? There is a big difference.
I bought off the amazon.ca platform. The product was sold & shipped by Raycue.
@@Mr.BrownsBasement ...and there was your clue to STAY AWAY! from any such product.
UNLESS it is from a well-known legitimate and L-A-R-G-E public brand with a reputation to lose ONLY order from "sold by Amazon" and even then, beware of off-brand no-name merchandise.
Well said.
Yes. I had the exact same ones. I tore them all apart and reused the alligator clips with old stranded copper wire and SOLDERED them to the clips. Those things caused some grief with intermittent poor connection problems.
I’m sure they would!
I have always made my own alligator clip test leads.
Going back to the 70s, test leads were made this way, albeit with copper wire, not iron.
I recently needed more test leads, so I ordered the alligator clips ONLY from DigiKey.
With the rolls of wire I had, I then soldered everything together (not simply folding the wire and crimping it together). I then folded the 2 large "ears" over the wire insulation for stability.
I've always homemade them this way. My old clip leads that I made so many years ago still work.
Can’t go wrong with homemade!
@@Mr.BrownsBasement It never occurred to me to buy pre-made test leads! Now I'm glad it didn't.
I’m glad you didn’t get the ones I got. But I wish I hadn’t got them either.
That would make a good video.
Thanks for the heads up, I checked my Harbor Freight test leads and sure enough they were similar to the ones shown.
I’m happy that you found my video useful. Thanks for the feedback.
@@Mr.BrownsBasement You're more than welcome.
The wire is 24 ga steel! The advertised 18 ga is the insulation OD. I replaced the wire on mine with 18 ga GXL wire from Wirebarn. Soldered it with a shunt made from solderwick. Resistance went from 0.52 Ω to 0.05Ω. The clips and boots are nice 🙂
Big improvement! Well done.
Howdy. Yeah.
Also. The jaws are so skewed they won't grip on. Trying to open the jaws only makes the clip rotate between the fingers. The clip insulation splits easily making shocks possible.
Regards.
Very true. Such a waste of materials.
What amazes me is how many people (especially people with channels on RUclips), seem to have no idea where to appropriately source stuff for their labs and projects. I guess a lot of people have never worked in industry, and perhaps thus never learned what the good brands are, and the distributors who only sell good products. I have seem a lot of people who purport to be teaching electronics to viewers, who claim to buy everything from eBay and Amazon sellers or Banggood. They really should make the acquaintance of companies such as Mouser Electronics, Digikey, etc; who only carry good quality parts, no off-brands or unknown brands, no cloned products, just the real stuff from reputable companies. Certainly there are many times when Amazon or eBay can supply adequate products and tools, but you really have to be careful and know which characteristics are important.
No one is omniscient and you should not find that amazing.
Self styled experts having RUclips channels is what gives electronic either commercial or as hobby a bad name. For everyone that is knowledgeable and makes good videos, there are 100 charlatans that believe they know and disseminate rubbish.
Anyone can have a RUclips channel. And the viewers (or lack of them) decide whether that RUclips channel will thrive, monetize, and takeoff. Or die. It’s a market economy, for better or worse.
I’m a regular customer of Digi-Key, not so much of Mouser for electronic components. If you watch the repair videos I’ve made you’ll see I’ve made no effort to conceal that.
However, if I were manufacturing a product for worldwide distribution, I probably couldn’t compete if I had to buy all my parts from Digi-Key or Mouser. That’s the economic reality.
@@germanjohn5626 Especially on the Audiophool channels! 🙂
There seem to be some clueless idiots in the network channels too.
For the record, I have worked as a technician in telecom, computers and networks for over half a century and studied Electrical Engineering in college.
@Mr.BrownsBasement , I was not actually referring to your channel, but generally to so many channels where the creator only sources stuff from low reliability sellers, often spending a lot of video time chasing defects caused by crappy parts.
I gave up on prefab jumper cables. I bought some good multiple fine strand silicone insulated wire and some decent alligator clips and soldered my own test leads. I have no regrets at all about spending the time and money to do it. In the electronics tech business test leads are used every day, and mostly when something's wrong, or used in a way that you haven't used them before, a 1-time application. So you're already unsure about something, and high-resistance or intermittent test leads are the last thing you want to have to deal with in those applications. It's like having a multi-meter that gives you random readings when you're trying to troubleshoot something. A professional won't have those junk jumpers in his shop. He'll toss them in the trash, as I did.
Yes, mine are going to e-waste.
I tried to use a friend's jumpers when we were working on a project of his and in addition to every other problem with Chinese alligator jumpers, as you tried to squeeze the jaws open they twisted around in the insulation sleeve making them impossible to even clip onto anything. It's insane how many different ways they can screw up something as simple as jumper wires with alligator clips on the ends.
Agreed.
I always make my own cables, that will give you peace of mind and long lasting value.
I hear you. It's just easier for me and a lot of other people to buy them.
Usually i replace the wires with good ones. Soldering the conductor to the clip is a quick and easy job and results in perfect connection. A big advantage to do so is to cut and make different lengths. I like to have some short ones, 10cm is great for so many uses...
That's a good solution if the wires are copper. But for iron wire? I don't think it's worth the time… or the solder.
Good Show. I keep a trusty magnet near buy while opening packages from China. Wires made from Chinesium are difficult to solder after the plating rubs off. Chinesium is magnetitic.
Not worth spending good solder on.
Good video. You're 100% correct. I bought the same leads on Amazon and almost immediately after receipt tossed them in the trash. The insulator voltage rating and wire current carrying capability are below safety standards for use with old electronics. Radio Shack test leads are the best, even though they're pretty scarce. Making your own will give you much better peace of mind.
Thank you for the kind words. I wouldn’t mind a set of Radio Shack test leads - I wouldn’t mind a neighbourhood Radio Shack store around the corner either!
Thank you. I had similar, but it was copper wire. I soldered the wires on the clips and was down to 0.1-ohm. I think if I buy them again, it will be at the local electronics store in person.
Hopefully, the local store can source more of the good ones and won’t get a shipment of the ones I have.
Thank you for posting this. I bought the similar one at Harbor Freight - Cen-tech 18" low voltage multi colored test leads Item number 66717 . They are also NOT soldered.
No problem. I’m glad I could help. Return merchandise, trash or e-waste?
I bought the same. I soldered all the wires to the clips and it's fine. Not for high current obviously.
For the price and if you're willing to make some improvements, then worth the money.
Using two 20” leads, >1v drop to the load @ 1 amp? Not good enough for me!
Harbor Freight sells a set of alligator clips without wires, solder a wire any length you want and you are set. The only downside side I can see is they only come in black and red.
I can obtain the clips, but I was hoping just to have pre-made wires. I can make them but I shouldn't have to. But thanks for the info.
@@Mr.BrownsBasementuse different colored wired for identifying purposes or color coded heat shrink tubing.
I've purchased these very same ones from amazon or ebay years ago and in fact I still have the bag with plenty left in them. I took three of them and changed the wires with slightly heavier gauge and soldered the connection straight to the alligator clip. Only thing I'm using original is the clip and rubber boot around the clip. I need to make a few more since the boots and clips are worn
The alligator clips and boots on mine aren't worth salvaging. But I'm glad it worked for you.
Thanks for the heads up. What about tin wires ?
TIN leads would be worse than iron, and much worse than copper. TINNED copper leads, i.e., copper dipped in tin is better than copper because it resists oxidation & corrosion.
I remember the good mini test clips wires from 50 yrs ago with the wire soldered in place. This tiny piecing is a poor connection, I make my own sets of alligator test leads and solder them.
I either lost or wore out my 50-year old leads. I'll make my own leads if I have to, but I'd rather just buy them.
The funny thing is it probably costs 5x more to buy a package of aligator clips, and crimp your own wires, compared to the 'free' clips you take off the wires (which get tossed) from this test lead package.
You’re probably right. But I wouldn’t salvage anything from these test leads. Even the clips and insulators are garbage.
I haven't found any decent alligator test leads. I have an old set that I bought at Radio Shack many years ago, and they are pretty good. I think wur e will need to make our own, buying decent copper wire. The clips they sell are also sub-par.
I may have to resort to making my own as well. Very disappointing!
These are pretty good (at least well crimped and real copper wire):
Manufacturer: Cinch Connectivity Solutions AIM-Cambridge
Manufacturer Product Number: 46-400
I buy these 24" alligator clip leads in bags of 10 (two each of red, black, white, yellow, green) from Digikey.
@@youtuuba I'm going to check that out now. Thanks.
Update: Added to cart! Thanks again.
Geeezzz.. Thanks for pointing this out.. (I've Always assumed) they would have Copper Wire .. Now I need to test all of my Clip Leads.. Typical Chinese Crap.. It's a Shame.. They are happy to take your Money and never be seen again.
Agreed.
On the antique radio forums, a supporter is Parts Candy. Hand made leads with quality parts.
There is always Pomona but few are willing to pay their prices.
Thank you for the heads up. If push comes to shove I will make my own. My hope is to find something satisfactory for a moderate price. If/when I do, I will add it to the video description.
solder them. done 2 packs. I only use them for data signals like i2c/spi. rewired a few for 5v/1a with real wire
A lot of what I do is with higher current than data signals. With 1A flow, I lose >½ a volt and the darn wire dissipates >½ watt. I thought of replacing the wire… throwing good money after bad… but the clips aren’t very good. There must be better choices out there!
@@Mr.BrownsBasement everything has become manufactured for a price not for quality..... That's how I see all my purchases now, as parts to be improved and built into decent items.
If people will buy it manufacturers will make it. I have no issue with that. I just want to know what I’m getting so I can make an informed decision.
I made the same mistake of buying theese a while back. On the other hand though, 2 of theese in series is enough resistance to run my 12 volt LED room light off a 15 volt supply.
LOL.
I bought some clip leads on Amazon a few years ago and found I had to check them for continuity after getting fooled into thinking they were good. Also when trying to pinch the clips with my fingers the cover on them slipped and made them hard to use.
Unacceptable. 😕
Had some of these garbage test leads too, after a while replaced the wire with proper stuff and soldered them to the alligator clips. The next this that was crap is the clips would slip in the outer insulation cover and you couldn't open the clip without it twisting. After a bit more time threw them away !
They're not worth using. Mine are going to e-waste. I'm looking for better test leads. If I find some good ones I'll add them to my video's description.
I bought a bunch of test leads years ago and noted the poor connection to the clips. They've been sitting my workbench waiting to be soldered. I'm going to pull out my specialize piece of test equipment and see if they are magnetic. If so, into the trash they go!
Let me know what your specialized piece of test equipment finds!
I got those same bad jumpers from Amazon too and they went into the trash 🗑️. I then ordered the 18 AWG soldered at the factory from Amazon 😊. Much much better 😃😃😁😁
What’s the brand/seller?
Best investment I ever made was a collection of Pomona banana-jack leads of various lengths and colors, and an assortment of insulated alligator clips. They have very low resistance, durable, stackable ends.
At least here in Toronto, there are very few electronic parts stores left where you can examine a product before buying it. If I want to get test leads I either have to buy them online, or I have to buy the parts to make them, online. Very few local “brick and mortar” electronic parts stores can compete with Amazon, eBay, Ali Express, Temu, etc.
I vaporized a couple of these with current somewhere under 200 ma, and was amazed to find out how thin the wire was inside all that plastic insulation.
Anyway, I'll be soldering some lamp cord to the clips and considering it as a fairly cheap source of alligator clips.
😮!
Another thing about those cheap leads is is clips spin inside the rubber insulation when you squeeze them. Annoying.
Yes, they scream "cheap". I wish I'd known. But at least now more people will be on the lookout.
You got 0.6 ohms? Many of the ones I bought on Ebay had no continuity at all. I wish someone would start making and selling decent test leads. I'd pay a lot for them. I buy nothing from Amazon, at least Ebay will refund your money.
Agreed.
These are Chinese copies of a clip to hold roaches. They did not think good contact was a requirement.
LOL 🤣
The other problem is the insulator is so cheap and slippery that it's nearly impossible to squeeze them without the metal part rotating or shooting out. So there really isn't anything salvageable from these. For the record, the 5-color wire set from Harbor Freight is much better quality. They still require creating proper solder joints instead of folded-over wires, but with a better result. Another economical high quality option is Cleqee.
Thanks. I’m looking for alternatives. I will add them to the video description if/when I find something satisfactory
Test leads MUST be soldered. Friction fit connection of wire to the clip is not acceptable. Always solder them if they are not already soldered.
Agreed. But it’s not worth my time or my solder to repair the crappy wires I received. They would still be >0.6Ω. Unacceptable.
😮not to mention the insulating jacket becomes oily and you can't squeeze the freakin thing without bending the cheap alligator clip. Yeah I bought em.........😮😮
There has been nothing about the experience with this test leads that I've enjoyed other than making this video to share my experience. Hopefully warn other people to AVOID.
We used to use great made in USA copper alligator clips that had a screw to attach wire. Would apply a thin coat if solder on good test lead eire then wrap that sround screw then closed the clamp on insulation on wire.
It’s hard to get good parts nowadays. 😔
I always solder my test leads as soon as I get them, before I even use them. I despise crimp connections on them. I also make my own heavy gauge leads using 8 gauge wire. Somewhere in my stash I even have some homemade leads made from 15Kv high voltage wire for special applications.
It sounds like you’re very serious about your test leads! 😊
@@Mr.BrownsBasement 22 years in commercial broadcasting doing all kinds of electronic service from building small audio amps to putting multi-kilowatt broadcast transmitters, both AM and FM, back on the air after a failure. You are only as good as the gear you work with.
100% true.
Back in the day, Radio Shack sold some decent stuff and some junk. Their ICs were test-outs that failed to meet commercial standards but were good enough for hobbyist's projects (in theory). Of course, some ICs didn't work at all. Yes those clips are crap but I don't think most people buying them on Amazon will notice the slight resistance. Also, these are "test" leads and are not intended to carry any current.
I worked in a Radio Shack store as a part time job when I was a pre-teen. They were the only place I could get electronic parts from until I was old enough to go downtown by myself. Yup, some of their parts were 2nd's (or maybe 3rd's?) I recall buying some red 7-segment LED displays from Radio Shack and each segment had a different brightness and some red LEDs that were so dim that you couldn't tell if they were working unless the lights were turned off. On the other hand, they did sell some good stuff; I still use Realistic audio components to this day.
@@Mr.BrownsBasement The Realistic 2100 (not the D) was one of the best amps ever made (mine was stolen).
I recall the 2100. It was a monster. Sorry to hear it was taken. I have an STA-225. Much earlier, different style, less power. I like it very much.
Yeah, those are bad. Got a pack as a "free" gift with a big barrel jack set. Soldered those crocodile contacts right out of the bag and used two of them daily for charging vape Li-Ion cells. Didn't last very long, maybe like a month or so, and I had to replace the wires. 👍 Wouldn't trust them with anything important. 😂
Such a waste of time & money.…
The ones I bought recently from Jaycar seem fine, no problems.
Jaycar being a national chain of physical electronics shops in Australia that sells components, cables, meters, magnifying lamps, soldering irons and so on plus an assortment of more mainstream gadgets, toys, speakers etc. They don't sell phones, computers or household appliances.
Unfortunately, Jaycar doesn't exist in Canada. But I'm glad you got yourself some good test leads and not the crap I received.
Do the magnet test on them. Although Jaycar alligator clips do not suffer from the slippery cover syndrome they are still using iron core crimped wires. Using 4 wire Kelvin measurement resistance of 0. 35 ohms. I use the magnet test on ALL Jaycar electronic items nowadays. The results might surprise you :)
@JustMe-dx5xl Uh-oh.
Used to be able to find good ones at Mouser Electronics - But they're a bit spendy. Last time I looked they had like a 10 week lead time so they're not an 'in stock' item.
Thank you for the information. Very helpful!
Copper coated steel. Crap wire that is finding it's way into everything. They may not have been soldered because some CCS is impossible to solder, the molten solder dissolves off the thin copper and won't stick to the steel wire. If any wire product seems cheap, CCS is probably what you are getting rather than solid copper.
Like you said, crap. A waste of material. I never would have bought them if I’d known.
These make great fuses
LOL 🤣
Pretty sure this is what I recently received, will probably just replace the wire because the alligators seemed reasonable.
Good luck finding a decent set at an affordable price!
I hope yours are better than mine. They aren’t worth salvaging anything.
@@Mr.BrownsBasement I'll have to take a closer look, I did notice the wire went limp when powering a load.
Usually I just make my clipleads so not sure how long this junk has been out there.
I was shocked to discover the complete lack of quality of these test leads. That’s why I felt compelled to share on RUclips. I don’t know how long this garbage has been on the market. But if this is all there is then there is no choice but to make your own.
@Mr.BrownsBasement Sure enough, the wire of these is steel and they measure 6/10 ohms or so... I'll see if a search for "copper" produces some results.9
@@Mr.BrownsBasement I found "crimped and soldered copper", considerably more expensive though. Oh well, guess that's how it is anymore.
16AWG, 20" Length
On their way...
Ahhhh never mind the quality , feel the width! They are very cheap.
Very true. I am hoping to find a better product. If/when I do I'll add it to the video description.
maybe could have use for battery charge-discarge case. integrated resistor. cable itself is a resistor eh. but this is only benefit. a singular one
I think they'd make better shoelaces than test leads.
I did get something from this video. I won't be getting those test leads though!
It will be the most memorable purchase you never made!
@@Mr.BrownsBasement Your video got me reaching for the magnets! 🙂
Bought the same garbage at a "local" webstore. Terribly crimped iron wire, resistance 0.5 Ohm per lead.
Sent them back, got my money back.
Still a waste for everybody...
A waste of your time, but fortunately not a waste of your money. I am still looking for something better and when I find a decent product will put it into the video description.
I bought similar/same ones. But honesty I wasn’t expecting quality at that price. I’ve only used them once or twice for some low voltage projects.
I was expecting average quality. I don’t think that’s what they are.
Just bought some leads that look like these from ebay UK.... I'll check them before use 😊
Let me know what you find!
@Mr.BrownsBasement Yup, I've got the rubbish crimp and magnetic copper wire 😂
Sorry to hear that.
@Mr.BrownsBasement I wouldn't have checked without watching your video 👍🏼
I’m very glad that you found it helpful!!
Hmm, I’ll check my leads bought from a local electronics parts supplier here in Australia.
I hope they're better than mine, but please do let me know.
@ They are ferrous but the crimping is better. I can’t find my ESR meter to accurately check the resistance. My multimeter indicates about 0.5 ohms.
@p38arover22 that resistance is five times higher than it should be.
Same thing going on with "Jumper Wire" / "Dupont Cable". Make sure it says copper core before buying. You get what you pay for with Chinese manufacturing
Good to know. Thanks.
The one think I like about things on Amazon is the product review. If I had bought these cables on Amazon, I would be what other people thought of this product.
True.
It's same with jumpstart cables, they look thick, but in fact, it's thin wire inside unnecessarily thick isolation. We all know why. They started to melt and you can throw it away.
I never thought to look. Thank you for the head's up. I'm going to check my automotive starter cables!
I always make my own cables. That way I get exactly what I want and much better quality.
True.
they are ... "UL unlisted" :)
LOL.
P & Moan. If you are a serious electronics hobbyist/experimented you make your own. You don't buy cheap stuff from Amazon. "Separating the men from the boys."
"'SERIOUS' hobbies make their own." LOL. If you think that the purpose of this video was to complain (i.e.,. moan), you are mistaken. That wasn't the intent or the tone of the video. The purpose of the video was to inform so others could recognize crap, and based on the comments the majority of people didn't know. In terms of "cheap stuff", I don't look at the price, I look at the buyer ratings. It looked good. Amazon does have some good stuff. As it turned out, this wasn't good. You're welcome.
Radio Shack used to sell these huge pieces of crap. Several times while jumping out a 480 volt old control circuit one of the alligator clips on them came off. Better to purchase several different very flexible test lead wire snd made in USA copper allugator clips. Retired but believe ba USA company called something lije Mueller made the best in class alligator & car battery jumper ends
I wouldn’t trust these on 220 volts let alone 480 volts!
Thank you, but it's too late 😂😂😂. Now i think they are in a coke can.
LOL. 😆 The Coca-Cola improves their conductivity.
I make my own jumpers but thaks for the heads up ya they look like junk 😢😮
No problem. I hope it helped.
I'm a retired hvac tech it's hard to find jumpers heavy enough even with low voltage that why I make my own it's not that hard and they hold up a lot longer
I will have to resort to that if I can’t find anything satisfactory.
👍
I just checked mine. Copper wire with crimped-only alligator clips
I wish I had been as lucky. Actually, I'm not complaining; if I hadn't received these supremely cheap pieces of trash I wouldn't have made this video to alert others…
Buy Mueller clips , buy high quality wire , and make your own . I use scrap hoist-way wire . I know a bunch of elevator guys . Good clips are not cheap , but worth it . Solder the ends , No mechanical connections.
I could but shouldn’t have to. If I find something satisfactory I’ll add it to the video description.
They are awful. I bought sets from Radio Shack and if they worked at all, they couldn't carry any significant current. My best ones are from Western Electric and they're almost 50 years old. Thanks.
Hopefully you’re able to return them to RadioShack.
LOL@@Mr.BrownsBasement
I prefer the Pomona Minigrabber type instead of the aligator style. Look up Pomona 3781. Availble in various lengthss.
I looked up Pomona 3781. At Mouser they’re almost $10 CAD each! 😮
A lot of the stuff you buy on Amazon comes from China. The major difference is that the price is two or three fold.
There must be quality products out there. It's just a matter of finding them.
If they are crap, which Amazon is selling, then you should return them back to Amazon.
And Amazon should change its policy to have items such as this include more detailed specifications on the wire, especially what they are made of, as well as insulation material.
Also, those are the worst possible connections and alligator clip, or any other type of device could have to terminate the wire, extremely poor quality, basically pure junk.🤬
Yes, pure junk.
This is a stage we ALL go through. We buy these cheap crappy cables only to find, like you they are 100% useless. We then go out and by decent crock clips, proper copper cable and do what we should have done in the first place. DIY.
The cables I bought off eBay (as mentioned in the video) were okay. They weren't the least expensive or the most expensive. They were copper wire, but crimped. They have lasted 15 years.
Now fast forward to 2024. I found cables that weren't the least expensive or the most expensive. I had no reason to believe they were any different than what I bought 15 years ago. So what I "should have done" was buy the most expensive? Is that any guarantee of quality? I tell you what someone "should have done": They should share their experience to warn others. That's that's what I did.
If you would like a nice set of clip leads to test I would be happy to send you a set .
That’s very kind of you to offer. I’m hoping to find a solution I can share with the viewers who watch my channel.
Best bet ... buy the aligator clips and some #26 copper wire then get out your soldering iron and build a proper set.
I can, but I shouldn’t have to. Incidentally, I wouldn’t use 26 gauge wire, probably #22 copper stranded.
@@Mr.BrownsBasement
I agree. #22 is good, depending what you're working on.
My thinking is that #22 has lower resistance and has more strands so is less likely to fatigue and fail at the solder joints.
@@Mr.BrownsBasement
Agreed ...
But sometimes it's a choice of what you want to fail... Would you rather burn up an expensive device or a cheap jumper cord?
@@Douglas_Blake Good point!
Things like this and counterfeit parts are about to ruin E-Bay and Amazon.
Edit: …Have already ruined…
Yeah, I bought the same ones and they are garbage and the insulators on the clips get hard as a rock. And the wires break just moving them around and the wire insulation cracks not even being exposed to UV. Total garbage.
Very disappointing.
There is no better source for alligator clips for cheap. You just have to rip the old wire and add your own!
True, but it shouldn’t be necessary to make your own. Good quality alligator clip wires have been around forever. When was the technology to build them at scale suddenly lost?
@@Mr.BrownsBasement all I know is don't buy from the big ones. Try to find quality products from dedicated sources, not from a book company 👍
When Amazon was a book company the world was much younger!
A race to the bottom with price and quality. I would rather pay double or more and get decent quality products.
I agree 100 percent.
I just got a ten pack (5 pairs) of insulated alligator clips crimp connectors from China, they are much better than anything I've seen on the premade ones
Interesting. Where did you get them from?
Who would have expected this.
Not me.
I just build my own cables, that why I don't have to worry about the quality of what I'm using.
I could do that, but I would rather just go out and buy them.
Thanks for this video
You’re welcome. I hope you enjoyed.
old news, buy cheap get crap
Sometimes people don’t know. Now they know.
Total garbage I agree, and you can add to the list of crap is the plastic sheath over the crocodile clip goes hard and you literally cant open the clips
True.
You’re right. I failed to mention that.
Just buy the crocodile clips and make your own out of decent condition wire it takes like 5 minutes
I can, but I shouldn’t have to. When I find a satisfactory set of test leads, I will leave the information in the video description.
Wow, those are absolutely terrible. Maybe re-use the clips?
Honestly, they’re not worth salvaging.
So you make and repair electronics all the time but don't make your own test leads!
@shaun8256 If you saw the queue of stuff on my workbench you’d understand the magnitude of the problem!
Matthias covered this about a month ago. He went a little deeper. Same outcome with the magnet. ruclips.net/video/15sMogK3vTI/видео.html
Thank you. I’ll take a look.
Definately DIY project, i think all of the leads sold are dodgy. good luck
Somebody suggested that I order set from Digi-key. They’re much more expensive, but I don’t care. But they better be decent quality!
👍👍
Thank you.
Temu and Amazon will drain your countries finances 1 purchase at at time. Just to save 1 dollar.
Speaking from my personal experience with Amazon.ca, in all fairness Amazon sells a lot of crap (these test leads are perfect example) but also sell some of the same quality items available at brick-and-mortar stores. On the other hand, I have deliberately chosen not buy anything from Temu as their business model and whole raison d’être is to sell poor quality, cheap and/or knockoff garbage. I’m not interested in wasting my money to help fill local landfills.
pomona makes nice leads
Thanks. I have some equipment made by Pomona. When I find some satisfactory test leads, I will leave the information in the video description.
Brought some electrical items from eBay. Total junk. Fluke only for me and not from eBay.
I've had mixed results with eBay. Some okay and some (as you said), total junk. Sellers who sell good products need to be recognized and rewarded with more sales; sellers who sell crap need to be called out and punished with returns.
Save the clips and use your own wire.
I could, but I shouldn't have to. There is good quality stuff out there; it's just getting harder to find.
Teeth don't line up - bad alligator!
You’re right, it must go to a reptilian dentist to get that perfect smile that every carnivore dreams of.
@@jw200 😆
Those test leads are just fine if you use them in a responsible manner. They are good for very low currents and low level signals nothing more. Anyone that uses them for more needs to give back their engineering degree should he / she have one.
I would like to examine your statements: “those test leads are fine if you use them in a responsible manner” and “anyone that uses them for more needs to give back their engineering degree should he/she have one”.
Who determines what is “responsible” behaviour? Sometimes the government has the authority and it enacts laws. Sometimes society has the authority and it enforces manners. What authority do you have? Don’t I have an equal amount of authority?
if it aint copper it aint good