zewango
Well-known member
Need a new soldering gun.
What's good out there?
What's good out there?
Phrygian
Active member
I really like the corded Weller soldering irons.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Capulin Overdrive
New member
Hakko or Weller.
probably talking out my ass as usual, think Hakko has a little better name? Weller are good, but need to be picky on which model to get.
probably talking out my ass as usual, think Hakko has a little better name? Weller are good, but need to be picky on which model to get.
jet66
Member
Not so much a gun, but a digital soldering station, from Radio Shack. I know, normally, this might be considered a bad recommendation, but it's reasonably priced (especially if you had a coupon, which I did.) It also turns out to just be a re-branded Madell which is a decent unit. I don't think RS carries the tips, but you can order them right from Madell, and I think Hakko's 900M tips are the same. (I think Hakko actually makes the tips.) You can even order the station from Madell, it's a little cheaper, but I think the shipping might offset the savings.
Regardless, except for situations where I need portable, I'll stick with a digital soldering station from now on.
Regardless, except for situations where I need portable, I'll stick with a digital soldering station from now on.
glip22
Well-known member
Weller WLC-100 is a great bang for the buck.
cyndicate
Well-known member
I've been using the Hakko 936,works really great.. but either a Weller or Hakko and you can't go wrong. Having a good iron goes a long way 
droptrd
Active member
I cant remember the brand I picked up, but the shop guy recomended I pick up one with a ceramic heater. I have 2. a 25 watt and a 45 watt. I can really notice the difference from my Radio shack irons. And I think I paid $12 a peice for them.
zewango
Well-known member
Thanks it's going to be a big upgrade from the home depot special I have now.
titanamps
New member
i've got a hakko 936, and i'm 100% happy with it. i've used higher end wellers (read: way more $$$) and they didn't work any better. i've put some serious hours and abuse on the hakko, and it takes it like a champ.
Mudder
Active member
I just use a 25w Weller cheapo and decent habits. Works great.
H
Heritage Softail
New member
Whatever quick heating iron you get, make sure to use a heat sink to protect other components you don't want to get heated up. A quick heating element will get hot quick and also heat up the joint you want to solder quickly. The heat sink will limit the spread of heat.
A
Anonymous
Guest
I soldered just about every type of component in my new amp including LDRs and I found that none were destroyed by heat even though I sometimes held the iron on a long time because I was using the wrong tip for my eyelets. Components can handle a lot MORE heat than I thought because I was definitely concerned about that and didn't find a single bad component. I'd say unless you are doing a lot of ICs you don't need to worry about heat sinks...Heritage Softail":2784pzw6 said:
Steve
cyndicate
Well-known member
sah5150":3gx4f5az said:
Same here, I found the same thing. Crazy how heat resistant a lot of the components are, I know I've done the same on more than one occassion when I did my first build and non got fried.
jet66
Member
What tip were you using, and what tip should you have been using?sah5150":qsul5h93 said:
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Anonymous
Guest
I was using a standard pointed tip and I should have been using a screwdriver-type tip. The screwdriver tips have much more surface area and can heat the big eyelets much faster enabling quicker soldering of components to the eyelets. The pointed tip with less surface area took longer to heat the eyelets and had to be positioned just right to enable decent solder joints... I'd use the standard pointed tip for everything but my eyelet boards though... worked fine... Using the standard pointed tip worked ok in the long run since none of the components were heat damaged, I just made things more difficult on myself than they needed to be... Ya live and ya learn, ya know?jet66":210xteqi said:
Steve
jet66
Member
I hear you. When I switched over to the adjustable soldering station, I would forget to turn the heat down after soldering all of my pot and spring claw grounds. As soon as I would touch that tip to a pickup wire (them tiny ones from a 4-wire cable) on the switch's lug, a good 1/4" of insulation would immediately shrink away from the joint.sah5150":wud5pb7r said:I was using a standard pointed tip and I should have been using a screwdriver-type tip. The screwdriver tips have much more surface area and can heat the big eyelets much faster enabling quicker soldering of components to the eyelets. The pointed tip with less surface area took longer to heat the eyelets and had to be positioned just right to enable decent solder joints... I'd use the standard pointed tip for everything but my eyelet boards though... worked fine... Using the standard pointed tip worked ok in the long run since none of the components were heat damaged, I just made things more difficult on myself than they needed to be... Ya live and ya learn, ya know?
Steve
I've got a smaller screwdriver/chisel point I'll use, thanks for the tip.
No pun intended.
racerevlon
Active member
I've used many different ones and my current setup is a soldering station from Radio Shack. I don't think the maker is as important as getting the right tips for what you're doing (as noted above) and using the correct/applicable wattage. My current station is switchable between 20W and 40W. I use 20W for most of my soldering but on some more high-quality components and most Les Paul guitars they use higher-gauge/higher-temp solder so you need the 40W to melt without waiting for 20 min.
Stay away from the "Cold Heat" junk. Eats batteries quick, hard to navigate and make proper contact on small surfaces or in restricted spaces, and I've had tips actually fracture on me.
The propane-based ones are cool as well when you can't plug in, and they double as a nice torch to close up your heat-shrink tubing.
Cheers,
Stay away from the "Cold Heat" junk. Eats batteries quick, hard to navigate and make proper contact on small surfaces or in restricted spaces, and I've had tips actually fracture on me.
The propane-based ones are cool as well when you can't plug in, and they double as a nice torch to close up your heat-shrink tubing.
Cheers,
guitarslinger
New member
Weller WES-51.
not cheap, but, I'm 100% satisfied.
This is what Bruce Egnater uses in his shop.
not cheap, but, I'm 100% satisfied.
This is what Bruce Egnater uses in his shop.
A
Anonymous
Guest
For a few bucks more, I do like the WESD-51 more, just so I know the exact temp I'm soldering at from the digital readout...guitarslinger":3bvm9h5q said:Weller WES-51.
not cheap, but, I'm 100% satisfied.
This is what Bruce Egnater uses in his shop.
Steve