I'm hoping to stock up on some resistors.

I'm hoping to keep it as simple as possible. Should I just go with multiples of 10? Or should I do 1, 4.7, 10, 47, 100?

Thanks.

Edit: This should probably be in resources...

 

It depends on whether you will be doing a lot of analog work or just digital.

With digital you may get by with just 100, 1K, 10K, 100K and 1M.
You may need some 10M across XTAL oscillators.

With analog, the standard 5% set values are commonly used:

1.0
1.2
1.5
2.2
2.7
3.3
3.9
4.7
5.6
6.8
7.5
8.2
9.1

If I were starting out I would get these in the following ranges
x100, x1K, x10k, x100K (assuming that you can buy these as a set or in bulk at discounted prices).

If not, I would limit the 100K values and up to:
100K
220K
330K
470K
1M
10M
22M

Below 100 ohm I would choose:
10
47

The values I use the most are 1K, 10K and 100K.

 

Start with all of the E6 values, then the E12's, etc.
http://www.logwell.com/tech/components/resistor_values.html

You can get a prepackaged set of E12's (61 values, 10@) for about $7-8.
http://www.vellemanusa.com/us/enu/product/view/?id=500317

 

Thank you for all for the information. Yes, I think E6 should be adequate for now. Maybe I'll get E12 in the future. Anything above that...I think I'll just order on demand, if I really need them.

I guess I'll go with carbon composition, as much as I hate them.

 

Something strikes me as wrong about that. Metal film and carbon film seem to be available.

Mouser
Carbon film 5.8 cents ea. in quantities of 10

 

Something strikes me as wrong about that. Metal film and carbon film seem to be available.

Mouser
Carbon film 5.8 cents ea. in quantities of 10

Whooopss. My mistake. I mean't carbon film. Carbon comp is like a 60 year old technology...and they're expensive.

I'd much rather stock metal films, but I'd have to buy 100s at a time to get close to the price of a carbon film.

 

Assuming 5% and 1/2 watt
Metal oxide, 7 cents each, Mouser
metal film, 5 cents @ 1/4 watt or 1/2 watt, Mouser

 

=O

I think I'll try some metal films then. The 1%s don't even seem to far off in most cases, but carbon films are much cheaper if I buy in bulk...which I'm considering. Is it bad to buy say 100s now, and use them maybe in 10 years?

 

Just for stock, I buy 10 of each value.
When I know I have a project that uses, say, 5 volts and LEDs, I'll buy a bunch of 270's because I like to use 10 ma for my LEDs.
I tend to use a lot of 270k with vacuum tubes.

Values less than 1 ohm usually need to be 1 watt or larger.
I have (8) 2 ohm, 25 watt resistors held in a block with zip-ties so I can make any speaker load I want.

 

Just for stock, I buy 10 or each value.
When I know I have a project that uses, say, 5 volts and LEDs, I'll buy a bunch of 270's because I like to use 10 ma for my LEDs.
I tend to use a lot of 270k with vacuum tubes.

Values less than 1 ohm usually need to be 1 watt or larger.
I have (8) 2 ohm, 25 watt resistors held in a block with zip-ties so I can make any speaker load I want.

Thank you. I'll try to put all of the suggestions together to make a nice complete kit.

 

I get mine at Jameco.com, they are $2 per hundred (of the same value) 1/4 watt, never had a problem.

 

Digi-Key has set of 5 each of 73 values, 5%, 1/4W carbon film,
part number RS125-ND, $14.95.

Though the E12 set from Velleman in post#3 appears to be a lot cheaper.

After that I would buy individual values in bulk - a lot cheaper.