Decent alligator test leads?

[xtian]

Cheap alligator test leads are...cheap. The wires are just crimped, not soldered, and they have a high failure rate. It's never fun to be tricked by a failed alligator clip.

Know of any that are actually soldered? Or do I have to rip all mine apart and solder them back together?

[mozz]

You may have to solder them yourself, or build the entire jumper yourself. Problem I had buying new ones recently was the stupid silicone slips out of your fingers trying to use them.

[nsubulysses]

https://www.zoro.com/pomona-patchcor...SABEgK8mfD_BwE

mini grabber ?

[nevetslab]

The insulation on those alligator leads is low temp, and tends to melt while soldering.

[Leo_Gnardo]

https://www.zoro.com/pomona-patchcor...SABEgK8mfD_BwE

mini grabber ?

Those Pomonas are mighty nice but kind of light duty. Can't grab anything large. Good price on the pair of leads too. I've seen the clips alone selling for over $7 each, and they are a royal PIA to solder a wire in. Only very thin wire works, and it's a fiddly assembly. But they are a useful design. I'm lucky, someone gave me a handful of ready made Pomona leads, I'm set for life.

The insulation on those alligator leads is low temp, and tends to melt while soldering.

On some of my home made gator clip leads, I thread the wire through heat shrink tube when assembling. Reduces the risk of inadvertent short circuits due to cracked or melted insulation.

[The Dude]

I have had and still have lots of the cheapies like in the original post. In fact, I've had some of them since tech school. It's not a big deal at all to slide the insulator back and add solder.

[Enzo]

I have a bunch of the cheapies, and every now and then I have to fix one, just as I do with guitar cords, mic cords, and even the heavy duty clip leads I make from Mueller 60 clips and the rubber boots with heavy Belden probe wire. The big clips are fine, but can be clumsy for close work, where the smaller cheapies work well. I also use the gripper hook clip leads, they are not intended for heavy use, they are great for hooking around a resistor lead on a pc board, or around a leg on a TO92.

[SoulFetish]

Those Pomonas are mighty nice but kind of light duty. Can't grab anything large. Good price on the pair of leads too. I've seen the clips alone selling for over $7 each, and they are a royal PIA to solder a wire in. Only very thin wire works, and it's a fiddly assembly. But they are a useful design. I'm lucky, someone gave me a handful of ready made Pomona leads, I'm set for life.

I've become a big fan using a nice set of silicone leads with banana plugs on both ends and swapping different head accessories. Pamona makes these great cable mount banana plugs with retractable sleeves. Love 'em.
The best Minigrabber I've used is these Extech ones here:


The are pretty robust, well made, and I use them all the time.

https://www.zoro.com/extech-hook-tes...48/i/G4744537/

[Enzo]

Mueller 60 clips have been around for a long as I can remember, at least 60 years.

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail...S2pQTqvw%3D%3D

But the neat thing is the wire end of that clip is a perfect fit for a standard banana male. SO I have often used them in the same way as Soul describes.

[jskeen]

Those come in handy soldered to the end of a 12 in piece of 12 gauge solid copper wire. I have several of them laying around to use to hold wires in position for soldering, with the other end either wedged under something handy or in a small block of wood with a snug hole drilled in several places. I like them much better than the little jointed third hand gadgets.

[SoulFetish]

Those come in handy soldered to the end of a 12 in piece of 12 gauge solid copper wire. I have several of them laying around to use to hold wires in position for soldering, with the other end either wedged under something handy or in a small block of wood with a snug hole drilled in several places. I like them much better than the little jointed third hand gadgets.

I do that to!
Handy tip: i had some small random cheap sockets lying around and I epoxied the “gooseneck” alligator clips unto the top and a neodymium magnet the same diameter to the bottom and use it as a helper when I’m working around steel chassis

[Tone Meister]

Mueller 60 clips have been around for a long as I can remember, at least 60 years.

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail...S2pQTqvw%3D%3D

But the neat thing is the wire end of that clip is a perfect fit for a standard banana male. SO I have often used them in the same way as Soul describes.

Yep, that female banana fitting is nice. Somehow I ended up with a large jar of the Muellers and they are indeed heavy duty and flexible.

[jskeen]

That sounds like a nifty idea, if you either don't work on pickups or have the luxury of a separate amp service bench and guitar service area/pickup winding station. Unfortunately, I end up having to do all that in the same spot, and neodymium magnets and guitar pickups don't play very well together.