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This is probably another question with obvious answers, but Googling didn't help.

I bought an N-channel power MOSFET from Adafruit recently. I also bought a breadboard, also from Adafruit. However, the MOSFET doesn't fit directly into the breadboard when it's oriented such that its long side runs parallel to the long side of the breadboard. It does fit when it's perpendicular, but that's not particularly useful to me as that would mean that all of the pins would be electrically connected. Pushing harder on the MOSFET just makes the pins on the MOSFET bend. My best guess is that this caused by the clips on the breadboard not being able to properly clasp at the rectangular pins on the MOSFET. I've been able to work around this by running three M–F jumpers from the breadboard to the MOSFET's pins, but that's admittedly not a pretty solution. Various tutorials all indicate to put MOSFETs directly into the breadboard, so I'm assuming that jumpers aren't intended. Any ideas on how I could fix this? I'd prefer not to break either the MOSFET or the breadboard.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Get sharp nippers and shave them a bit thinner. It's probably a tolerancing issue in either your MOSFET, breadboard or both. If you have a sacrificial part, does a single pin fit if you snip off the others? \$\endgroup\$
    – DKNguyen
    Nov 14, 2021 at 2:02
  • \$\begingroup\$ TO-220s usually only barely fit into breadboards. I wouldn't be surprised if the odd part had leads slightly too large, or the odd breadboard had holes slightly too small. \$\endgroup\$
    – Hearth
    Nov 14, 2021 at 2:04
  • \$\begingroup\$ @DKNguyen Does that mean that they're defective? The fact that I got both from the same seller (even if they're from different manufacturers) should mean they're compatible, right? Also, how should I do that without damaging the MOSFET? I do not have a sacrificial part. \$\endgroup\$
    – A. Owl
    Nov 14, 2021 at 2:04
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    \$\begingroup\$ No, they are not defective because they weren't meant for breadboards. Not, does not imply compatibility, even if they were made by the same company. A file is safer than nippers. A small, fine, clean file. 6" file might be too big so needle file. The leads are soft. One good, stable stroke should do it, maybe even less than a full stroke. Support the pin. Make sure you know how a files handles first on scrap anything. \$\endgroup\$
    – DKNguyen
    Nov 14, 2021 at 2:05
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    \$\begingroup\$ Solder short bits of #22 or #24 solid wire to the MOSFET leads, and stick those bits of wire into the breadboard. the plastic breadboards are not designed to hold TO-220 or other power packages. If you do force the TO-220 leads into the breadboard, you will probably spread the contacts so that they will no longer hold small component leads or the jumper lead pins. \$\endgroup\$ Nov 14, 2021 at 2:10

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