GarageFactory
Member
Recently I have had really bad luck with soldering irons and I was wondering what people used for their personal one
Soldering Irons?
- Thread starter GarageFactory
- Start date
Blargaman91
Well-Known Member
Get a soldering station if you can, one with a variable temperature. I've had a Weller and a Tenma, and I love them both, but the Weller broke a couple of times. Just don't buy them from Radioshack; those tend to melt.
legofan623
Well-Known Member
I'd stay away from the cheaper Weller irons, they start sucking really fast, and the tips get eaten away pretty bad after a month. If you're on a budget, this one will do you well:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MCVCHJM/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_wU0QvbB0H8DMS
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MCVCHJM/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_wU0QvbB0H8DMS
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
( did i just type up another long and winded post??? well you better read the whole thing anyways or you will miss out )
there are many good soldering stations out there but the problem i see is most people dont want to spend the money for a good station....
as demonstrated above...cheap iron, while maybe 2x better than a typical 15$ lightning rod iron its still hard to confirm its worth without a side by side showdown with a real soldering station..
these irons are build down to a target cost to out sell the other crap irons on the market...
legofan623 does at least have the right idea of looking for a temp control soldering station....but with a range showing 1-8, how can you be certain of your actual temp...you dont know the temp ramp unless you buy another piece of equipment to test temperature at the irons tip...
while a digital display is not mandatory, at least you can have an actual degree displayed for reference and monitor performance based on the temp degree shown....
even if the temp is off by actual 15*, you still have a constant reference to go by rather than a position on a dial to hope you are at your desired temp...
the main thing to consider is if you want to spend as little as possible and hope your purchase was a good buy or spend a solid 100$ on a known, tried, tested, and proven brand that will perform and make your life so much easier....
as stated above these are good choices and you cannot go wrong with either of of these:
Weller WES-51 / WESD51 with 50w iron is a good choice....
Hakko FX-888D with 70w is a better choice for the price with a little more power available for thermal recovery....
watch out with hakko clones, they have flooded the market, only buy from distributor or hakko.com or hakkousa.com
also one more important variable to this:
do not be scared of used irons on ebay...
at the most you might need a new 5$ tip...
this is an easy way to pick up a great performing iron at maybe 1/2 the price of new...
whats 1/2 of 100$......50$
what do some of those clones and low budget irons sell for....30$-60$
factor that into your consideration on which iron to choose....
so you are recommending to avoid a cheaper weller yet also recommending to buy a 3rd class piece of crap?legofan623 said:
there are many good soldering stations out there but the problem i see is most people dont want to spend the money for a good station....
as demonstrated above...cheap iron, while maybe 2x better than a typical 15$ lightning rod iron its still hard to confirm its worth without a side by side showdown with a real soldering station..
these irons are build down to a target cost to out sell the other crap irons on the market...
legofan623 does at least have the right idea of looking for a temp control soldering station....but with a range showing 1-8, how can you be certain of your actual temp...you dont know the temp ramp unless you buy another piece of equipment to test temperature at the irons tip...
while a digital display is not mandatory, at least you can have an actual degree displayed for reference and monitor performance based on the temp degree shown....
even if the temp is off by actual 15*, you still have a constant reference to go by rather than a position on a dial to hope you are at your desired temp...
the main thing to consider is if you want to spend as little as possible and hope your purchase was a good buy or spend a solid 100$ on a known, tried, tested, and proven brand that will perform and make your life so much easier....
as stated above these are good choices and you cannot go wrong with either of of these:
Weller WES-51 / WESD51 with 50w iron is a good choice....
Hakko FX-888D with 70w is a better choice for the price with a little more power available for thermal recovery....
watch out with hakko clones, they have flooded the market, only buy from distributor or hakko.com or hakkousa.com
also one more important variable to this:
do not be scared of used irons on ebay...
at the most you might need a new 5$ tip...
this is an easy way to pick up a great performing iron at maybe 1/2 the price of new...
whats 1/2 of 100$......50$
what do some of those clones and low budget irons sell for....30$-60$
factor that into your consideration on which iron to choose....
GarageFactory
Member
Thank you all so much for the advice and yeah I was planning to buy a high end soldering iron that would last me a long time so when I have enough money to spend on one I might be getting the Hakko you suggested because it looks really reliable and I am tired of buying crappy ones I paid 30 dollars for one that didn't even melt solder. Buying a high end one will probably be the best option for me
legofan623
Well-Known Member
Buying a used iron never even crossed my mind... guess I know where I'll get my next iron 
.
.stuckonarock
Member
I have a weller wes-51 and can't complain. Heats up to 700F (850F max on the dial) within seconds and its definitely affordable. Take care of your tip and it will serve its purpose. I can't believe how long I went without it. It's a game changer...seriously
The_Next_Guy
Active Member
I use a variable temp weller iron. I don't know if this is the exact model but I've been using this iron since I was five, (almost 11 years). I never had it fail on me. I do have to change the tips about every year or so though.
Hermaphroditus
Well-Known Member
If you're going to buy a used soldering station, I would suggest looking into a Metcal station. OKI bought them out, so the tips and whatnot are a bit cheaper nowadays, even. You can get a used power supply/station for under about 50-60 if you look hard enough, hand piece/actual iron part for another 50 or so, together 100 bucks for an iron worth about 300+ new. Only downside is there is no variable temperature, but in all honesty with this particular soldering iron system it's not needed considering the iron itself regulates the amount of power the iron will use depending on the heat capacity of what you're soldering.
At any rate, definitely the best iron I have used, and exclusively the only iron my grandfather uses in his electronics engineering business.
At any rate, definitely the best iron I have used, and exclusively the only iron my grandfather uses in his electronics engineering business.
