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Which Soldering Iron?


BlackKnight2000

Question

OK, we've been chatting about DMMs, now what about soldering irons? I've seen what they recommend in the Marvins Guides, but what is a good value/quality unit available to us here? I'll be using it on EM and SS so temp control would be required. Anyone know what the ones from the big ebay sellers are like? All recommendations appreciated.
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I agree with Wayne,

Hakko is the Best.

worth the extra few bob.

 

a bit more than a few bob considering the 701 has a desolder too but the 936 (or current equilivant ) is pretty good some of the cheaper stations on ebay can take a hakko iron

i personally use pace predomitally but mainly for the smd rework i still use the hakko for older plate through

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I personally have a DSE soldering iron with temp control, tips available and new elements, pick them up for about 129 have had no worries

even the radio tech that works on my boards uses mine has no worries

 

the DSE $129 is on special at the mo for $99.

Heats up instantly

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I'm interested in this topic too now...because I've been trying to solder some wires directly onto the PCB of a game controller. I've scratched off the green insulating film but I've got a cheap soldering iron and the solder just sticks to the tip, not to the board... and I end up burning the board. :x

 

Can anyone provide some links to these specific models you're talking about, especially the DSE/Jaycar models that go on special from time to time? Its not urgent but I'd like to get a better soldering iron (I haven't soldered in years so I cant justify hundreds of dollars but with this hobby I'm likely to do more in future... looking for a good compromise... around $100).

 

The only one I can find on DSE thats an actual 'soldering station is $200

 

What about this one from Jaycar?

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What about this one from Jaycar?

If that's the "Sunko" branded one stay away from it. One of the distributors quit selling them due to many problems and no spare parts. We tried one and it was a piece of crap. It may look like the Hakko 936 but that's where the similarity ends. A real Hakko 936 will set you back about $170.

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The solder sticking to the tip of the iron is probably down to 2 factors, either the iron temperature is wrong or the solder has no flux.

 

If your cheapy iron is one that you plug directly into the mains then I would ditch it, they get far too hot (and burn off the flux before it has had a chance to help the solder flow) and the wire is usually so springy that it tries to coil up while the iron is in use and can drag the iron off its little wire stand.

 

I bought a dick smith soldering iron for $50 about a year ago when everything was on special, its by no means high end but is a million times better than my clunky old plug in one before.

 

And its on special again $50 down from $99 (I think)

 

http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/4756023f0a866b142741c0a87f9c06ac/Product/View/T1976

 

The whole thing is a bit "chicken and egg", you will probably find yourself using it far more than you thought you would once you have one thats half decent. Its the model the field techs with Telecom NZ are issued with. Does a very neat job on the things I work on, only niggle is you have to order spare tips from their helpline, have done so once and the tips arrive at your nominated store within 48 hours so its almost painless.

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Excellent Womble, thankyou...

 

That looks like just the sort of mid-range compromise I need. I am indeed using a plug-in-fixed-temp-with-curly-cord cheap soldering iron, as my other iron (also direct-plug but had adjustable temp on the iron) kicked the bucket.

 

I think you're right about the flux too. Related question, does solder 'spoil'? The solder reel I'm using is quite old.

 

I reckon I'll pick one of these up on the weekend (its not like the credit card can hurt much more, can it?), thanks mate.

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While we are on this topic i thought that I would share a rather funny story...

 

I was helping my girlfirends little brother re-wire his car. Because they lived out on a farm, i couldnt duck home and get my stuff. I asked him if he had a soldering iron, he said "yeah sure".

 

He came out with a soldering iron, circa 1850 that had a massive block of iron on one end, shapped to a point with a long wire stem attached to a wooden handle.

 

I shit you not, you had to put this thing in a fire for some time, until the massive block of iron was hot enough and then try and solder. i actually managed to get the job done, but it took me all day to do about 15 mins work.

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He came out with a soldering iron, circa 1850 that had a massive block of iron on one end, shapped to a point with a long wire stem attached to a wooden handle.

 

I shit you not, you had to put this thing in a fire for some time, until the massive block of iron was hot enough and then try and solder. i actually managed to get the job done, but it took me all day to do about 15 mins work.

LOL!! I remember using those at high school for my metalwork class! :lol

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The temp you should use is the right one for the solder, I have never actually looked into it much but each type of solder should have a prefered working temperature, too low and its just too low, too hot and the flux is burnt off too quickly. Grab some new solder when you pickup the iron, its cheap as chips anyway.

 

As for solder going off? Well its possible, if the solder loses its flux then it will be like trying to solder with stilton cheese. Thats why often its easier to desolder a joint by added fresh solder to it, and then using the solder sucker. The original flux is long gone but by adding more you get the old solder to flow a bit better. Very old solder may not actually have flux built into the strand, I think if you go back far enough flux was (and still can be) obtained separate to the solder. Actually very old solder may well be suffering from the flux having gone off, the metal component should last for ever and a day. Did you know that the most common form of flux "roisin" is made from pine tree resin?

 

That iron is good for general PCB work, if you are trying to solder very large metal objects together then it will struggle to get everything hot enough. Works fine for the chunky heatsinks in an amplifier I fixed tho. Am happy to submit that its not the finest money can buy but I have yet to find a job it cant do, with the 0.8mm tip from the helpline it can do pretty fine work. I guess more expensive irons have even finer tips, but I read a blog once about a guy who filed his iron tip down to a needle point for the very tiny work.

 

LOL!! I remember using those at high school for my metalwork class! :lol

 

Hehe - I think those soldering irons were used in situations where modern folk would resort to welding or using a blow torch, I don't think they were used for electrical work, perhaps for plumbing and welding stuff? Sounds like a nightmare for car electrics, how much of the wire survived without charred insulation?

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Is there a general rule for the temperature you should use? Or is it trial-and-error with the particular iron/solder you're using until you think you've got it right?

About 375 C (~700 F) for small to medium wires. Larger stuff may need more than that. The size and shape of the tip is also important for good heat transfer.

 

Related question, does solder 'spoil'? The solder reel I'm using is quite old.

I have found that *really* old solder can cause problems but usually only because it's covered in crap from years of rolling around in a drawer. If it's on a roll, maybe try taking a layer off to get to "fresher" stuff. Some cheap solder just has shitty flux though. As they say; "oils ain't oils".

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I bought a DSE one last year. Best thing I bought.

I picked up the 0.8mm tip for it this week and was great for doing fine soldering.

 

The previous link doesn't work, but it's probably the same as mine, which is:

http://www.dse.com.au/isroot/dse/images/products/t2200.jpg

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Yep that looks very very similar (maybe previous model?). Where'd you get the tip from?

 

Mine has the same front (analogue temp gauge and controls), but a larger (than shown in pic) sponge on top.

 

The tip was from DSE. I think it fit's most of their models. There are 3 sizes that I can see.

 

This is the finest:

 

http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/en/product/T2006

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