Best soldering iron for electronics

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Andrew Johnston on 19/07/2021 14:15:56:

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Of course I fall into SoDs category of those who like good tools and are prepared to pay for them. Probably makes me a dilettante on this forum.

Andrew

Only wrong if you buy good tools for bad reasons! No point in dabblers wasting money on expensive toys. I never do…

Davw

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Posted by Andrew Johnston on 19/07/2021 14:15:56:

I had a 15W Antex iron when i was a kid. Still got it but never use it. I now use Weller dual 80W irons set at 360°C. With a range of tips that suffices for all my electronics needs, thru hole and surface mount. I've been soldering and de-soldering 0402 Rs and Cs this morning. That's about as small as I'd want to go with manual soldering. If only because i can't see anything smaller without magnification. Even with 0402s several disappeared for no adequately explained reason.

At the last company where I worked they had some irons that I hated. Might have been Metcal, but either way they never felt right and got in the way of the work in hand. The same company also had a hot air desolderer. Useful on occasion, but by no means essential. Surface mount is divided into those compenents that can be manually soldered and those that can't, hot air or not. I've also got a large 100W Weller iron for workshop use, primarily for sheet metal and screening cans.

Of course I fall into SoDs category of those who like good tools and are prepared to pay for them. Probably makes me a dilettante on this forum.

Andrew

My only complaint with the new Weller Iron's is they go to sleep when I am doing a lot of surface mount work under the microscope. I find I don't move the Iron enough to keep it awake so it goes to standby and stops melting the solder.

:O)

regards Martin

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Antex, weller and Henly solon ! 15w to 120w for all work AND a £80 suction desolderer. This last turned Pain in the bottom jobs into almost a joy, components would fall off the board. Noel.

[John Doe 2Participant @johndoe2]

I used Weller magnastat irons professionally for many years, and I continue to do so at home. The temperature is set by selecting the tip itself, and you change tips if you change the solder you use or the size of the joint you are making.

For general electronics, I recommend an iron with an output of around 45W. Too weak an output can cause more damage since all the wires and components around get heated for longer while you wait for the joint to get hot enough.

Weller are not the cheapest, but they are one of the best, and poor quality stuff is a waste of time. Something like a Weller W61 is good for general electronics; i.e. PCBs and switch terminals etc. RS sell them.

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