tools

timwebb · 22nd November 2011, 01:09 AM

im looking to buy a new soldering iron and a pump. any good ones i should get?

nigelwright7557 · 22nd November 2011, 01:24 AM

I get away with a $20 iron but I am sure others will suggest you buy something considerably more expensive.

seankane · 22nd November 2011, 01:58 AM

The weller WESD51 is a nice unit. $129 shipped on ebay.

I just get mine at radio shack. They have a good selection, prices are cheap, they work very well, and they are close to me. I get several months out of their irons considering they are on 6 hours a day at least.

They have alot of readily available replacement parts for their products as well. I think I bought my iron and de soldering iron for like $30 out the door and they work awesome even for tinning mosfets and major terminal repairs and such.

RiLoWa · 22nd November 2011, 03:33 AM

I use the WESD51 and like it a lot. The $129 is as good a price as you'll find on it. Very good tip selection available for it. I use a Sterling 7420 Pump, and it works alright. Sometimes, when using it on large pools of solder, it can jam it up after it cools. I haven't bought the $5 replacement tip for it yet so I can't comment on its life span.

sofaspud · 22nd November 2011, 06:07 AM

For a desoldering pump, consider just getting the red bulb type from Radio Shack for about $3. Scrounge a piece of stiff wire to use as a poke to clear the nozzle. Most times this works great for me. My spring action pump stays in the toolbox - like a difficult woman, it's too high maintenance.

Dr Zeus · 05:07 PM

My local car audio distribution center whom I fix a lot of amps for also sells Chineese tools. They had a $10 adjustible soldering iron there which looked pretty good, which I bought. It is most excelent, and a lot better than the RadioShack irons I now keep in the toolbox. You may need a bigger iron or a gun for the much larger work though.

Here it is, but I got mine for $10.
http://www.amazon.com/Stahl-Tools-Va...597974-2462209

seankane · 22nd November 2011, 06:34 PM

Good buy for $10 looks like it would be good for small repairs, but no tinning mosfets or doing big terminal or transformer repairs. The tip looks very small, but great fro getting in tight spots.

Perry Babin · 22nd November 2011, 06:45 PM

Don't confuse an iron with a control that adjusts the power to the heater with an iron that allows you to set the temperature and maintains it. The ones that simply control power will drift significantly in temperature. The ones that monitor the temperature and maintain the preset temperature are MUCH better because the iron doesn't cool when it's on a large solder connection (assuming you're not trying to heat something that sinks a huge amount of heat).

rrae · 28th November 2011, 09:59 AM

And what about DC power supplies - what kind of model/brand each of us are using?

22nd November 2011, 01:09 AM	#1
timwebb diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: memphis tn	tools im looking to buy a new soldering iron and a pump. any good ones i should get?

22nd November 2011, 01:24 AM	#2
nigelwright7557 diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Carlisle, England	I get away with a $20 iron but I am sure others will suggest you buy something considerably more expensive. __________________ http://www.murtonpikesystems.co.uk PCBCAD40 pcb design software.

22nd November 2011, 01:58 AM	#3
seankane diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington State	The weller WESD51 is a nice unit. $129 shipped on ebay. I just get mine at radio shack. They have a good selection, prices are cheap, they work very well, and they are close to me. I get several months out of their irons considering they are on 6 hours a day at least. They have alot of readily available replacement parts for their products as well. I think I bought my iron and de soldering iron for like $30 out the door and they work awesome even for tinning mosfets and major terminal repairs and such. __________________ Pyramid 46 Amp Power Supply----Fluke 787 Processmeter----Tektronix 465 Scope----Velleman HPS40 Scope----Soldering Iron----Desoldering Iron----Hejet HJ 500-S Heatgun----DM4070 Digital LCR Meter----Propane Torch

22nd November 2011, 03:33 AM	#4
RiLoWa diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Illinois	I use the WESD51 and like it a lot. The $129 is as good a price as you'll find on it. Very good tip selection available for it. I use a Sterling 7420 Pump, and it works alright. Sometimes, when using it on large pools of solder, it can jam it up after it cools. I haven't bought the $5 replacement tip for it yet so I can't comment on its life span. __________________ Tools - 1. TPI Scope Plus 440 2. B&K 2125 20MHz Dual Trace 3. Sorensen DCR20-50B 4. B&K 4011 5MHz Function Generator 5. Weller WESD51

22nd November 2011, 06:07 AM	#5
sofaspud diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Antonio TX	For a desoldering pump, consider just getting the red bulb type from Radio Shack for about $3. Scrounge a piece of stiff wire to use as a poke to clear the nozzle. Most times this works great for me. My spring action pump stays in the toolbox - like a difficult woman, it's too high maintenance. __________________ It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from enquiry. - Thomas Paine


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22nd November 2011, 05:05 PM	#6
Dr Zeus diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2010	My local car audio distribution center whom I fix a lot of amps for also sells Chineese tools. They had a $10 adjustible soldering iron there which looked pretty good, which I bought. It is most excelent, and a lot better than the RadioShack irons I now keep in the toolbox. You may need a bigger iron or a gun for the much larger work though. Here it is, but I got mine for $10. http://www.amazon.com/Stahl-Tools-Va...597974-2462209 Last edited by Dr Zeus; 22nd November 2011 at 05:07 PM.

22nd November 2011, 06:34 PM	#7
seankane diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington State	Good buy for $10 looks like it would be good for small repairs, but no tinning mosfets or doing big terminal or transformer repairs. The tip looks very small, but great fro getting in tight spots. __________________ Pyramid 46 Amp Power Supply----Fluke 787 Processmeter----Tektronix 465 Scope----Velleman HPS40 Scope----Soldering Iron----Desoldering Iron----Hejet HJ 500-S Heatgun----DM4070 Digital LCR Meter----Propane Torch

22nd November 2011, 06:45 PM	#8
Perry Babin diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Louisiana	Don't confuse an iron with a control that adjusts the power to the heater with an iron that allows you to set the temperature and maintains it. The ones that simply control power will drift significantly in temperature. The ones that monitor the temperature and maintain the preset temperature are MUCH better because the iron doesn't cool when it's on a large solder connection (assuming you're not trying to heat something that sinks a huge amount of heat). __________________ Links >> Basic Car Audio Amp Repair --- Basic Car Audio Electronics --- Basic Transistor Testing --- Basic Switching Power Supply Design --- Basic Computer Skills << Links

28th November 2011, 09:59 AM	#9
rrae diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2011	And what about DC power supplies - what kind of model/brand each of us are using? __________________ DMM

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