What are Untrimmed Leads?
Untrimmed Leads are one of the most common and dangerous mistakes in soldering, but also one that can be easily prevented. It simply occurs when the leads are not trimmed, causing them to stick out. When it sticks out too far and touches other components around it, it could cause short circuits.
How to prevent Untrimmed Leads?
It can be prevented by checking whether there are any leads on the circuit boards that are sticking out and simply cutting off the excess. After soldering, cut off any excess leads that are sticking out or touching other components.
Use wire cutting tools (e.g., Hakko 106 Cutter Series) to trim off the leads at the top of the joint to an appropriate size and of the same height across the circuit board