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Damn right, there's absolutely no justifiable reason for using leaded solder for hobby projects today. Get a good iron, and a nice roll of SAC305 from a reputable vendor and you won't have any issues.

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Does modern lead-free soldering still end up having tin whiskers? That was always the big downside as far as I was concerned. A quick internet search implies it's still a thing.

From what I understand SAC305 if not exposed to corrosive environments has a relatively low (but nonzero) risk of whisker formation. But in practice in a hobby environment it's not going to be a big issue.

Pure tin (or Sn99.3Cu0.7 alloy) is garbage, the silver helps a bunch.

For demanding applications there's apparently some even more performant alloys available today, eg. Innolot [1].

1. https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/55827

Working on vintage computers, it's unavoidable. Removing failed components like recapping usually involve desoldering machines which use heat and suction which creates spatter and waste inside of the machine and who knows maybe even toxicity that isn't part of normal soldering.

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