Looking for Soldering Iron Recommendations

kevhed72 · June 19

I may give vintage hifi repair a try...looking for recommendations on soldering and de-soldering equipment. Hakoo seems to get a good rap, and I also checked out Parts Express. Any input would be appreciated....

VR3 · June 19

I've been using a Weller wes51 I believe it is for over a decade. Works great

I have a hakko fr301 desoldering vacuum that is all absolute beast

JayCee · June 19

I've purchased cheap in the past and wished I'd paid a bit more. Very solid iron...super fast to target temp and easy to set w/the digital selector:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077JDGY1J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

Can't tell you how frustrating rookie de-soldering can be. Braids, solder suckers, etc...they suck are a PITA for a weekend warrior compared to a Hakko. Not cheap but won't break the bank. Awesome and worth every penny:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BFVFMS9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Had I purchased the above (or similar) when I first joined CP in 2009 I'd have spent once and not had/wanted to upgrade from a cheaper iron and manual desoldering. Assuming they last a good number of years...you'd be set for the long haul.

Also, suggest, buy a tip assortment at the same time that covers small to larger soldering for the respective sets. I was a Boy Scout and no better advice than "be prepared". A "helping hand" is another worthwhile investment.

No doubt you can find comparable soldering irons as the Weller but the Hakko is the bee's knees when it comes to sucking. You'll wonder how you ever lived without it!

pitdogg2 · June 19

I've had one of these for 20 yrs. Heats up quick and holds temp, solid station.

https://www.circuitspecialists.com/60_Watt_Soldering_Station

treitz3 · June 19

I would recommend a Weller. Like Trey and Jaycee, they are worth the extra cost. Being able to heat up quickly is a must in my book, and that they do.

I agree, you don't want to go cheap with these. Low cost soldering gear can wreak havoc on your projects and cost you more money in the long run.

Tom

daddyjt · June 19

Here’s what I use - Amazon even remembers when I bought it, lol..

The key to soldering is high heat and quickness - which takes practice. I go 700 degrees for lead solder and 800 for silver, on and off the traces in <1 second. Low-ish heat is deceptively dangerous, because you have to apply it too long, and you end up heating nearby components.

mhardy6647 · June 19

How serious are you about soldering? Metcal inductive soldering equipment is hard to beat -- it's expensive, but Metcal stations can be found used at reasonable prices. I am continuing to think hard about taking the plunge.

https://store.metcal.com/en-us/shop/soldering-desoldering/soldering-desoldering-systems/

F1nut · June 19

Weller

treitz3 · June 19

Please refrain yourself from a recommendation, Jesse.....

Please, don't hold back...

You are a trip man.....

Tom

msg · June 19

I could barely solder at all until I got a soldering station. Got even better with Cardas Quad.

I once melted a soldering tip. Couldn't understand why it wasn't tinning, and read that that was usually due to a dirty tip. So I cleaned it. No change. Cleaned again. No change. Cleaned furiously. With emery cloth. That's better. Hey, what are these big drops falling heavily on my stuff? Hey, why is the tip scalloped...

During the furious cleaning, I wound up removing the plating. Turns out that stuff is important. The big drops were the tip disintegrating. Seemed like some kind of copper blend in there.

That was with a general purpose Weller pencil type from a big box store. I'm not sure what that thing was supposed to be for, or why I couldn't tin it. Maybe it wasn't the right solder. I don't recall the working temps of either, but I vaguely recall that the solder seemed to be repelled by the iron.

"Heat the connection, not the solder" has never really worked for me. All that did was melt insulation, and who knows what to chips. Kinda figured out that a nice soldering station with a tinned tip at the connection and then adding solder seems to do the trick. Get in and out quickly.

Do you guys ever need a heat sink for anything you work on?

Also, wearing shorts while soldering when you're a rookie may be unwise.

billbillw · June 20

I've been getting by with El cheapo 25w stand alone soldering iron for years. Maybe it was something I picked up from Frys? I wish I had invested in a better setup early on. Most of my big projects are long in the past though. Now it barely sees use unless it is a quick fix of something.
The Weller station is definitely worth the initial cost if you plan on sticking with the hobby.

kevhed72 · June 20

This thread is turning into an invaluable source of information. Thanks dudes...

mhardy6647 · June 21

daddyjt wrote: »

Here’s what I use - Amazon even remembers when I bought it, lol..

The key to soldering is high heat and quickness - which takes practice. I go 700 degrees for lead solder and 800 for silver, on and off the traces in <1 second. Low-ish heat is deceptively dangerous, because you have to apply it too long, and you end up heating nearby components.

Great points! It seems paradoxical, but a lower powered iron can do more damage due to the long contact times required to heat a connection enough for solder to flow. For me, the biggest danger of a too-small iron is lifting traces, especially on old PCBs. Quick, hot, in and out is the way the pros solder.
I am not recommending this, but my father used a Weller soldering gun for almost all of his repair work! If one needs to unsolder the lugs on a twist-lock can capacitor, e.g., a gun's the way to go.

SeleniumFalcon · June 21

My first really good soldering iron was a Heathkit and you assembled all the mechanical parts first and then using it as an iron you soldered all the connections. In effect it soldered itself.

pitdogg2 · June 21

WOW! That is prehistoric.....

SeleniumFalcon · June 21

I believe Thomas Edison used one just like it.

SeleniumFalcon · June 21

Not many people know that Billy the Kid was an avid electronics enthusiast.

mhardy6647 · June 21

Prehistoric soldering irons... you see... predated fire and thus humankind's conquering of heat.

I remember those Heathkit soldering stations.

Never had one, though.
I do have my father's Weller soldering station. It was a good one and served him well -- I don't know if tips are still available for it... but admittedly I've never looked too hard.

msg · June 21

That's my favorite "doing it wrong" photo.

billbillw · June 21

msg wrote: »

That's my favorite "doing it wrong" photo.

I can almost smell the burning flesh!

SeleniumFalcon · June 22

But at least she's wearing safety glasses.

treitz3 · June 22

When marketing goes bad 101....

Tom

mhardy6647 · June 22

SeleniumFalcon wrote: »

But at least she's wearing safety glasses.

she may need them when her reflexes kick in.

gmcman · June 22

Hakko FX888D, very happy with it, heats up super-quick.

Looking for Soldering Iron Recommendations

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