DaveC wrote:

Today I ordered electrolytic caps. It was frustrating. I had planned to get
the best low-ESR replacements for all the caps in some switching power
supplies. I discovered how limited any one manufacturer's low-ESR catalog is.
Many of what I needed (none of which seem to me to be esoteric values) were
not available. A couple of times I had to leave a particular manufacturer's
catalog altogether to find a value.

Which brings me to my question. I was trying to get all Panasonic FM-series
(hi-temp, low-ESR) caps. I've heard good things about Panasonic's caps, but
being forced to another brand I has no idea of comparable quality. (This, at
Digi-Key and Mouser.)

Also, How important is the type of electrolyte? I've read that low-ESR caps
are frequently made with water-based electrolyte whereas non-water-based
formulae cannot give low ESR value.

The qualities of caps (ie, hi-ripple, hi-temp, low-ESR, etc.) are frequently
discussed on electronics forum, but I haven't seen the different
manufacturers compared.

How do the quality of caps compare by

Nichicon
Panasonic
Vishay / Sprague
Mallory
Rubycon
United Chemi-Con
Cornell Dublier
Xicon

Feel free to add to the list, praise, trash, and/or list in order of your
preference. Extra credit for essays on why you like / hate / prefer a brand
or series of caps.

Toss a coin ?

I'd tend to trust Panasonic btw. They tend to have good specs but even they have
various options. When purchasing for a new project, they are my first choice for
prototyping. At the economy level I'd go for Samwha ( had excellent results ).

Graham