Solder stations…

[JackBootedThug]

Me and japetus are looking for best bang for the buck soldering stations. What do you guys recommend? I have come to the conclusion that my issues are from shit equipment. Iron not getting hot enough etc…. But neither one of us are looking for anything super expensive either… thanks!

 

[Geo]

Either Weller or Hakko, any of them would make you happy.

 

[Chase42147]

I have a Weller soldering station, it's been great. I got it on sale for pretty cheap. Having variable temperature is such a nice feature. Easy to switch between tips too

 

[rsm]

when my son was a child I got a "learn to solder kit". Comes with kits to learn, with more difficulty along the way.

Not pro by any means, but it works to swap pickups. Comes with everything you need, including a stand with clips to hold pieces and wires, and a magnifying glass. It was around $30 IIRC.

If you plan on doing a lot of soldering you may want something better.


I only used it to change pickups in one guitar, and it worked great. A set of DiMarzio D-Activator X, changed the black controls and pickup switch to white and chrome respectively too.

 

[Rottweiler]

I've done my own electronics since 1989. I am no expert, but there are a few fundamentals. Keep the work and tip clean. Makes for great heat transfer. The dirtier it is, the longer you have to heat, the more chance something will burn. Oxides are bad, most sandpaper is Al oxide. You will be loading the surfaces with oxides if you use it.

I have an old radio shack with a low/high switch that I transplanted a Weller pencil style onto. Works great. Butane works great too but has a bigger heat affected zone. Ive used that a lot on my roof for Ham radio solder joints.

A lot of the stuff we do is very low voltage (like pickups) so any lousy joints will affect the sound

 

[LightenUpFrancis]

Either Weller or Hakko, any of them would make you happy.

If for some reason my Hakko went down, I'd get another. Ate the cost once and haven't been let down since.

 

[Geo]

If for some reason my Hakko went down, I'd get another. Ate the cost once and haven't been let down since.

Hakko is better quality IMO, but more expensive.

 

[70 Mach 1]

Im still using a late 70s radio shack 30 watt iron.
Plus the roll of solder i stole from my electric shop in the navy in 1983.
I use a brick as stand.
Why waste money

You can get a 30 watt iron at any box store.
You'll get a lifetime out of it

 

[ChurchHill]

After fighting for years with various irons, I finally broke down and got a Hakko FX-888DX. It's been one of the best investments I've made. Not cheap, but really wasn't that expensive, either, and the time and hassle it's saved me has more than returned my investment. Worth every penny and then some.

 

[311boogieman]

I have come to the conclusion that my issues are from shit equipment. Iron not getting hot enough etc….

same
in