Where are the best places to buy smd components, parts, and supplies for microsoldering?
I get a lot of my stuff from Aliexpress.com. Aliexpress.com is the Amazon of China. There are tons of suppliers, prices are great, but the quality is unknown. Mainly, I buy BGA chips and connectors (touch IC, backlight IC, backlight coils, all connectors, tristar, etc.) from Aliexpress. Just beware though, I bought a few U2 IC chips from one of their suppliers and one of them was chipped coming out of the plastic container. Shipping times vary too. Usually a minimum of 12-20 days via ePacket. The good thing is that they have just about everything there.
The next best thing to do is to buy a few old logic boards for their parts. Just a few old logic boards and you should just have about all that you need to perform a repair. You can look on Ebay.com for old non-working phones.
Now, if you’re looking for common smd components like backlight filters, commonly damaged capacitors or resistors, then Digikey.com and Mouser.com are probably your best bets. For instance, FL11 is a common component near the battery connector that is pry’d off the logic board during repairs. If you look at the schematic for the device, FL11 is an inductor with a value of 120OHM-210MA. So, in Digikey, you just do a search for “120 ohm 210ma”, then scroll down to “Filters”, and click on “Ferrite Beads and Chips”. From there, just make sure that you have the correct size package (01005) and that’s it. I wouldn’t load up on too many single components though because one donor board will be a much better investment.
For screens and small parts, your best bet is one of the following sites:
All of these sites have quality parts with great return policies.
Of course, Ebay.com is also a good bet. I think most USA suppliers on Ebay buy their parts from China, then resell on Ebay for a marked up price. The good thing is that you will get the items a lot faster with domestic shipping. Especially if you only need one or two connectors or a chip or something like that.
Then, there’s Amazon.com. Amazon doesn’t have as many small parts and components as the other sites, but if you’re looking for screens or flex cables or batteries or something like that, then Amazon will definitely have it. You might even get lucky and get it with free Prime shipping.
