Not all sockets are the same. In years of doing repairs I have never come across a turned pin header socket I preferred over the dual leaf style.

Although popular opinion is turned pins are the best, I had nothing but problems using them. Mainly from IC's lifting out or creeping out over time. See here https://www.tiktok.com/@retrosix/video/73658180029...

However, I always try new brands, new products and re-visit how I work and what I use regularly. Since then I have discovered an amazing brand of turned pin sockets that work amazingly well. They have no creep, super-tight grip and high temperature plastic that doesn't melt.

See the new sockets in action here https://www.tiktok.com/@retrosix/video/74060156319...

The benefits this now gives over dual leaf sockets are:

• Gold plated higher conductive contacts
• Thicker stronger pins through board
• No re-use fatigue (dual leaf bend and break very easy with removal/re-insertion over time)
• Higher temperature plastic housing for better rework and reflow

Now granted these are much more expensive sockets than dual leaf, but they are the best and the only thing I will use going forward!

I have put together a kit that contains almost all of the sockets used in retro consoles, and using our supplier contacts got the unit price down from what is usually £2 to £3 or more per single socket right down to £0.30 per item in this kit.

The kit contains all 2.54mm pitch gold-plated sockets:

• DIP-8 (30pcs, 7.62mm spacing)
• DIP-14 (30pcs, 7.62mm spacing)
• DIP-16 (30pcs, 7.62mm spacing)
• DIP-18 (30pcs, 7.62mm spacing)
• DIP-20 (20pcs, 7.62mm spacing)
• DIP-24 (20pcs, 7.62mm spacing)
• DIP-24 (20pcs, 15.24mm spacing)
• DIP-28 (20pcs, 7.62mm spacing)
• DIP-28 (20pcs, 15.24mm spacing)
• DIP-32 (20pcs, 15.24mm spacing)
• DIP-40 (20pcs, 15.24mm spacing)
• 40P Single Rows (100pcs)