Parts Disparity

[midwayfair]

The 1n60s from Tayda are not the germaium version. They're a silicon workalike, the 1N60P. They're actually one of the best things you can get for rectifier diodes -- they Fv is consistently very low and they're small. (For reference, they're in the Hartman compressor).

Tayda's 1n34As are terrible. They break very easily, they often exhibit runaway leakage with even finger heat (I literally threw away 20 of them the last time I bought any), and they have no consistency at all. Their 1N270s are the same diode with a different paint job.

The cost you're paying elsewhere is for getting a part that will function the first time, every time, right out of the bag, known to be made by the manufacturer printed on the case for certain. For the most part, if something's radically different from the price on Mouser for most passive and active components, you should probably be suspicious unless it's another similar large seller.

1n270s are $0.75 at Smallbear. $2+ for a diode is high unless it's something really rare.

[Orbis_Ignis]

I've gotten almost everything from Tayda, except for rare stuff that they don't carry. Most of my clipping diodes have come from eBay sellers in Russia or Germany. All have been legit. I do test all my resistors, diodes, and caps before I use them. Most have been fine. Now, that I'm getting much better and I'm completely addicted to this hobby, I will probably start buying more bulk from Mouser. I will say that I like the Alpha pot I get from Tayda better than the ones I've gotten from Smallbear.

Which brands of resistors and caps do you guys like? I've used Xicon resistors before and the are noticeable better quality than the ones from Tayda.