Want to buy a soldering iron

[lefam]

Hi guys,

I want to buy a soldering iron that I will be using in my hobby electronic projects.

I have never used one before, so I have some questions:

- What is the recommended wattage for small projects?
- Can you recommend me a good soldering iron?
- What about helping hands?

Thank you!!!

 

[MrAl]

Hi,

30 to 40 watts is good for small stuff, get some extra tips. SM parts require small tips or special equipment.
Helping hands help to solder things together like two wires or wire and component, etc.
Solder is important too. Get solder recommended for electronics work, but for SM parts thin silver bearing solder works better.
Im sure others here will have some more info to give you about solder.

 

[Reloadron]

Personally I have a few 15 / 30 watt switchable units that are fine for everyday hobby task. They aren't fancy but get the job done. Their cost is in the $8.00 to about $12.00 USD range. I also have a few much higher end controlled heat soldering stations that I really like, however, they come with a higher price tag, exceeding $100 USD. So budget figures into things. Here are some examples on an incomplete web page. As MrAl points out, buy extra tips if you can and if possible different size and design tips.

Ron

 

[lefam]

Is the brand important? Or just the wattage?

At local shops I find only soldering irons made in china and with strange brands. Is there any problem if I just by one of them with a 15/30 watt switch?

 

[Reloadron]

Is the brand important? Or just the wattage?

At local shops I find only soldering irons made in china and with strange brands. Is there any problem if I just by one of them with a 15/30 watt switch?

Truth is all the "strange brands" were likely made in the same factory in China.

Personally I avoid the real cheap stuff as it doesn't last long and I have this fear of fire, not that you should ever turn your back on a hot soldering iron. I suggest as mentioned a small 15 to 30 watt unit for light work. The switchable 15 / 30 watt units should work. You buy based on your budget.

Ron

 

[grim]

if you're new to soldering, a couple of 'tips' for you
don't leave it on for long periods un used, this just wastes the bits life
clean it with a damp sponge - if the sponge is on the solder station, don't put the whole thing under the tap, just the sponge


personally i find small irons awkward to use, the flex weighs as much as the iron

 

[lefam]

Thank you for all your replies. Very useful!!!

 

[dknguyen]

How much money do you have to spend? If possible, I fidn station irons to be much better if only that the cord gets in the way less when it goes to a station on the table than when it goes to an outlet on the wall. Stations for the most part heat up better too, plus have things like temp control etc..

Hakko is a very reputable brand from Japan and makes a good one that costs about $80- $100 which is very good. (There's only one that costs that much, the others from Hakko costs at least a few times more. Then there's all the Chinese knock-offs of Hakko stations)

The Hakko 936 is the older model, and it's update is the FX-8801:
**broken link removed**

 

[cr0sh]

if you're new to soldering, a couple of 'tips' for you
don't leave it on for long periods un used, this just wastes the bits life

Plug your iron into a timer, then set the timer for 30 minutes or so; if you forget to unplug or reset the timer, it will auto-shutoff.

clean it with a damp sponge - if the sponge is on the solder station, don't put the whole thing under the tap, just the sponge

A damp sponge is good for "final cleanup", but during a soldering session, it is better to use a brass or copper metal scrubbie (make sure it is metal, and doesn't have any soap on it - and don't use steel wool!); put the scrubbie into something heavy, like a 2 inch metal pipe cap (steel or copper). If you're cheap, you could even use a 2 inch ABS cap. When you need to clean off excess solder, just stab the iron into the scrubbie a few times.

The reason why you want to avoid a wet sponge is because when you use such a thing to wipe the tip off, you lower the temperature of the tip, and the iron has to recover; if you try to use the iron immediately after wiping, you can sometimes run into cold solder joints because the solder isn't flowing right.

Plus, there's the issue of the hot iron making steam, and causing hot solder/flux to pop and potentially hit you in the face - but you are wearing safety goggles, right?

personally i find small irons awkward to use, the flex weighs as much as the iron

What do you mean by "flex" - the cord? Perhaps; I was recently reading an old 1957 popular science, and they had an iron inside that was standalone and truly pencil sized; it looked perfect for SMT work (but that didn't really exist back then - though tight soldering could still happen). I wouldn't mind having an iron that small for some things...