Where to buy breadboards
So if you’ve found this page that means you’ve probably decided you want to buy a solderless breadboard and you want to know where to buy breadboards from. This article will help you to make the best decision.
If you are looking to buy a complete breadboard kit, with all the components, connectors and instructions guide for building projects, be sure to check out my
Best breadboard kit buyers guide.
If you are a beginner in electronics and want everything together with instructions or a present for a child, this guide will help you decide what you need.
Shop on the high street?
There are not many places you can go on the high street any more. You used to be able to walk into Maplins or Tandy and come away with a solderless breadboard but not any more. In 2009 Woolworths closed all UK Tandy stores and Maplins did the same in 2018. In fact I’d go as far as saying you can’t go out to the shops and buy one.
That leaves us with online stores. There are lots of reputable electronic component suppliers on the internet.
Information
Where would electronics be without soldering? Unbelievably, the modern soldering iron was patented way back in 1896 by Richard Schneider and August Tinnerhol and was known as an “Electric heating apparatus”.
Online component stores
I’ve got an article about online component suppliers here offering my advice on the good ones. Most of these supply solderless breadboards. The problem is if you don’t really want to buy anything else as most of them have minimum order values.
Not that I have a problem with this as I’m sure profit margins are tight and postage isn’t cheap. If you don’t get to the minimum order level for free postage you can be looking at carriage charges that are more than the item you are buying.
You’ll find loads of solderless breadboards on eBay. You’ll find loads of everything on eBay. The problem is, and you may already have found what I’ve found out. Not everything you buy looks anything like the picture or description on eBay. Try getting a replacement and you get some bizarre answers. I have to say eBay aren’t exactly helpful either, are they? While I’m sure there are reputable sellers on eBay I’d sooner not play that lottery any more.
Where to buy breadboards – Amazon prime
For me it’s Amazon and in particular Amazon Prime. I wasn’t that bothered when Amazon Prime was launched. Not being too into television or what they were offering on that front. But the free next-day delivery looked more like something that would appeal to me.
I noticed that they were offering free 28-day trials and still are.
I waited till I wanted something from Amazon and then opted to take the free 28-day trial so I could get my stuff free the next day. There was no delivery charge and there it was in my hand about 12 hours after I’d ordered it. In the following weeks, I needed some other things so again I got them the next day Amazon Prime.
When your 28 days is coming to an end you have to cancel your subscription or you will get charged but it was £7.99 for the month. I reckon I’d got my money’s worth easily and that was without watching any of their TV programs. So I decided I’d have it another month and I got to the point where I really didn’t want to get rid of it. You can cancel whenever you want, it’s just a monthly rolling contract. But after about a year going to Amazon Prime was a good decision. Not only can I get stuff the next day but some things are the next day before 1 pm you can order at night and get it a few hours later.
Amazon Prime customer service
Yes, they actually have customer service unlike some places online where you can only online message.
Oh and another thing, if there’s any problem Amazon will actually help. Unlike some of the other online stores. If your not happy they will let you return it and you get emailed a return label so you don’t pay anything either.
This may sound like an advert for Amazon and I’m not apologising for that.
I’ve ordered stuff on the internet for years and encountered problems like stuff not arriving and companies telling me it’s been delivered. Stuff arriving and looking nothing like it did in the pictures or stuff broken. Stuff arriving with the royal mail telling me I’ve got to pay £27 import duty and VAT for an item that only cost £17!
So I’ll stick with Amazon Prime. I’m not trying to promote them but I haven’t found anyone else as good at online shopping. If you know of a better company to shop online with please let me know.
So back to the story if you want a solderless breadboard and other components that add up to the minimum order, you can use an electronics online supplier. If you want one on its own or a couple of things it’s Amazon Prime for me.
Mb 102 breadboard
This is probably the most popular solderless breadboard that you can buy and what most people picture if you mention a breadboard.
It has 830 holes for the insertion of components and connecting wires and is 165mm by 55 mm and 10mm thick. If you need something bigger you can slot two of them together it’s that simple.
If you want to slot a few of them together to make a larger breadboard it’s worth getting a piece of MDF large enough to fit them all on and then sticking them on the board using the self-adhesive backing.
Where to buy breadboards – Final thoughts
Where to buy breadboards has meant online since the demise of the high street. Make sure you avoid some of the dubious online stores.
Once you have bought your breadboards if you are looking for a project check out my article “Breadboard synthesizer”. This shows you how to build a complete synthesizer with full instructions and diagrams. You can build a synthesizer similar to the Sequential Circuits Pro 1.
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The Sequential Circuits Pro 1 was used for lots of the sounds on the Yazoo – Upstairs at Eric’s album.
Vince Clarke says it is his favourite synthesiser of all time.
Also check out my post, Breadboards – the complete guide, for everything you need to know about breadboards.
“Hi, I’m Graham Moore and I’ve been building electronic projects since I was 12. I had a fascination for old radios and taking them to pieces but when my Nan bought me an electric soldering iron, I realised with a few components I could build stuff.
Learning to solder opened up many doors for me as electronics also became a career. I hope you get as much from it as i did”.
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