Soldering Irons

[bigspider]

What kind of soldering iron does everybody use? I need to get a new iron and I'm thinking of getting my first somewhat nice one, such as a Hakko.

[Soloman Tump]

I'm going to treat myself soon to, so keeping an eye on this thread

[NoiseWiki]

hakko is good.. I'd also reccomend one that has a digital temp readout and a stand.

[crochambeau]

I've been using a Weller WES50 for about fifteen years. Any proper temperature controlled station should fit the bill (and are generally a dream to use in comparison to the plug directly into the wall units that I have used).

I'm planning on scooping another station in case the one I have ever fails, but am probably as wet behind the ears as anyone else with regards to current offerings.

Seriously considering getting a station that also does hot air as I incorporate more SMT into my work, might opt to get a vacuum de-soldering station first though.

Weller, Hakko, Xytronic have seemed decent in the past. I may also take a chance at one of the cheap exotics now widely available..

[bigspider]

Some of the cheap stations seem to have decent reputations, which is one reason I've been having trouble deciding. I read someone somewhere say that Hakko clones are just as good as the real thing if they have good tips on them. I have only ever used Radioshack soldering irons, and I think a good station that is high watt and has a temperature readout would save me so much frustration that it would be worth it.
I could never get my iron to work with a desoldering wick, then one day while I was at a friend's house I used a higher watt generic soldering Iron that I don't even think was intended for electronics and the wick worked instantly.

[FAP]

I've been using a Weller WES50 for about fifteen years. Any proper temperature controlled station should fit the bill (and are generally a dream to use in comparison to the plug directly into the wall units that I have used).

QFT. Donxe2x80x99t even bother with those shitty pen-only type irons.

Hakko stuff is generally nicer than a lot of their competitorsxe2x80x99 stuff, but keep in mind the Hakko tips tend to be almost twice as expensive (at least thatxe2x80x98s how it was when I was in school). I ended up buying a Weller partially for that reason. It can also be found much cheaper than most Hakko soldering stations and is beautifully simple, So keep that in mind as well if youxe2x80x99re just starting out soldering.

With all that said, Ixe2x80x99d still recommend investing in a Hakko tip cleaner (one with brass coils instead of the standard sponge you get with a Weller): much nicer & cleaner, plus it fits neatly in the base where the sponge would otherwise be.

Herexe2x80x99s some photos for reference:

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[bigspider]

I've been using a Weller WES50 for about fifteen years. Any proper temperature controlled station should fit the bill (and are generally a dream to use in comparison to the plug directly into the wall units that I have used).

QFT. Donxe2x80x99t even bother with those shitty pen-only type irons.

Hakko stuff is generally nicer than a lot of their competitorsxe2x80x99 stuff, but keep in mind the Hakko tips tend to be almost twice as expensive (at least thatxe2x80x98s how it was when I was in school). I ended up buying a Weller partially for that reason. It can also be found much cheaper than most Hakko soldering stations and is beautifully simple, So keep that in mind as well if youxe2x80x99re just starting out soldering.

With all that said, Ixe2x80x99d still recommend investing in a Hakko tip cleaner (one with brass coils instead of the standard sponge you get with a Weller): much nicer & cleaner, plus it fits neatly in the base where the sponge would otherwise be.

Herexe2x80x99s some photos for reference:

Considering the cost of replacement tips is a great point. Now I'm leaning toward the current Weller model. I'm not new to soldering, but I don't make anything very complex as of now. I'm learning more over time, though, and eventually would like to have something that will be useful for bigger builds.

[crochambeau]

You can also just grab a replacement Hakko "Brillo pad" and slap that mofo on your iron stand.

That said, I have a cat that likes to walk around my work space, and the proper Hakko enclosure minimizes cat hair contamination, and that shit stinks at 700 degrees.

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(those are scope probe wires laying over the worst possible position on the iron. I'm a slob)

[FAP]

just ... slap that mofo on your iron stand ... cat hair contamination ... shit stinks ... I'm a slob)

There are... no words.





Before croch fills my head with any more, ahem, disturbing images, I'd further recommend getting some flux. This is the kind I've been getting recently:

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Unfortunately this particular one is out of stock, but the seller/brand(?) sells other, similar "syringe"-style flux for slightly different applications: I'd assume they're basically the same thing, though I can't speak from personal experience.
I was intimidated by them for years since they weren't anything like we used in school, but once I got over that mental hurdle, man, they're great. They last you a while, the tips allow for super precision, and best of all they don't stick: they just help the solder flow, just as they should.

As for desoldering, without investing in a separate dedicated work station, the method that's worked best for me time and time again is using a solder sucker in combination with the soldering iron. You can get one like in the picture below, but I have a cheaper, smaller one that's even better; I got it in a package dealie with some solder wick, another desoldering route (albieta less reliable one IMO). Scroll through Amazon and you'll find all sorts of weird package deals like that.

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[NoiseWiki]

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