Holy thread revival batman!
What kind of work are you doing (i.e. through hole, smt) and whats your budget?
I would definately say go for a temperature controlled Iron if possible.
Higher wattage (when temp conrolled) heat up faster and this makes them better IMHO.
I recently bought a Kada 852D smt solder station off of ebay, and although it has some weaknesses, it is way better than the house burner that I was using before.
My website has a write up on it,
Price wise its more expensive than your bog standard 15w Antec, but it has a hot air attachment for smt, temp controlled iron and is of a sufficiently high wattage that I can be soldering in less than a minute from cold.
What kind of work are you doing (i.e. through hole, smt) and whats your budget?
I would definately say go for a temperature controlled Iron if possible.
Higher wattage (when temp conrolled) heat up faster and this makes them better IMHO.
I recently bought a Kada 852D smt solder station off of ebay, and although it has some weaknesses, it is way better than the house burner that I was using before.
My website has a write up on it,
Price wise its more expensive than your bog standard 15w Antec, but it has a hot air attachment for smt, temp controlled iron and is of a sufficiently high wattage that I can be soldering in less than a minute from cold.
Soldering is 99% practice, 1% iron
Short of soldering dense lead SMD's, you can do just about anything you want with a $5 iron from Maplin / Radio Shack. I have soldered 0603 sized components with such an iron.
Get one with at least 25W. The higher the wattage, the less heat will leak out from the area being heated before it reaches the soldering temperature - not the other way round. And the higher the tip temperature, the quicker the heat will be transferred and again the less likely it is to be conducted away in the mean time. Provided you heat, solder and then remove the iron, rather than lingering, you don't need perfect tip temperature regulation.
When you first start welding, you're overwhelmed by the sparks and heat. The welds you make are terrible, brittle, none stuck rubbish. They turn into perfection when you learn to watch the metal as it melts at the centre of the arc. Soldering is similar, study the solder as you work and check that it's whetting and flowing correctly. Oh.... and make sure important connections are nice a grease free. Solvent or flux. Some really nasty cheap wire is practically impossible to solder it has so much waxy muck on the conductors, the solder won't stick. A touch of solvent and flux and it'll work a dream.
This topic obviously needs stickying, it seems to be asked every week.
Short of soldering dense lead SMD's, you can do just about anything you want with a $5 iron from Maplin / Radio Shack. I have soldered 0603 sized components with such an iron.
Get one with at least 25W. The higher the wattage, the less heat will leak out from the area being heated before it reaches the soldering temperature - not the other way round. And the higher the tip temperature, the quicker the heat will be transferred and again the less likely it is to be conducted away in the mean time. Provided you heat, solder and then remove the iron, rather than lingering, you don't need perfect tip temperature regulation.
When you first start welding, you're overwhelmed by the sparks and heat. The welds you make are terrible, brittle, none stuck rubbish. They turn into perfection when you learn to watch the metal as it melts at the centre of the arc. Soldering is similar, study the solder as you work and check that it's whetting and flowing correctly. Oh.... and make sure important connections are nice a grease free. Solvent or flux. Some really nasty cheap wire is practically impossible to solder it has so much waxy muck on the conductors, the solder won't stick. A touch of solvent and flux and it'll work a dream.
This topic obviously needs stickying, it seems to be asked every week.
Hakko Dash
By far and away the absolute BEST soldering irons I have ever owned for the price are 'Hakko'.
I use 452 and 454 Dash models with various tips.
I am lucky enough to get hese things retail from a local Frye's department store.
20 to 30 bucks for the soldering iron, tips are $5.
They have ceramic heaters and the tips last forever if you take care of them.
By far and away the absolute BEST soldering irons I have ever owned for the price are 'Hakko'.
I use 452 and 454 Dash models with various tips.
I am lucky enough to get hese things retail from a local Frye's department store.
20 to 30 bucks for the soldering iron, tips are $5.
They have ceramic heaters and the tips last forever if you take care of them.
Get a 30ish Watt Weller as people here suggest, can't go wrong with that 
And if you don't mind it - look for a lead solder. I'm not a guru with the soldering gun, it's been a while since I last touched it, but with the 60tin/40lead, resin-core solder I have, I can't seem to be able to make a messy joint.
And if you don't mind it - look for a lead solder. I'm not a guru with the soldering gun, it's been a while since I last touched it, but with the 60tin/40lead, resin-core solder I have, I can't seem to be able to make a messy joint.
Re: Hakko Dash
If you are spending money on one, I can entirely agree with HF with regards to Hakko.
I'm sure Weller and Hakko are similar in terms of reliability, but I prefer the slimer handpieces on Hakkos.
I've been in contact with Hakko USA before and they have a particularly friendly, personal way of replying.
They're Japanese - that's pretty much all I should need to say.
HaflerFreak said:
If you are spending money on one, I can entirely agree with HF with regards to Hakko.
I'm sure Weller and Hakko are similar in terms of reliability, but I prefer the slimer handpieces on Hakkos.
I've been in contact with Hakko USA before and they have a particularly friendly, personal way of replying.
They're Japanese - that's pretty much all I should need to say.
I used a Weller WLC100 soldering station for several years and liked it a lot, though I had no point of comparison. I recently upgraded to a Hakko 936, and there really is no comparison -- the Hakko is easier to use, heats up faster, has a wider variety of tips and the tips are cheaper. If you can afford the Hakko (or something like it) and plan to use your iron frequently, consider spending the extra money; otherwise, the WLC100 is quite serviceable and takes a beating.
Regards,
Scott
Regards,
Scott
Second that on the Hakko 936. Best iron I've ever used, for all the reasons you describe. Wish I could justify that luxury for my DIY use, but I get by with this Velleman station
http://www.vellemanusa.com/us/enu/product/view/?id=522806
Before that, it was a 30 watt Hakko and a $5 dimmer switch.
http://www.vellemanusa.com/us/enu/product/view/?id=522806
Before that, it was a 30 watt Hakko and a $5 dimmer switch.
soldering porn
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
I'm a cheap buzzard, but you definitely want to spring for a station type in the $100 or so neighborhood. The Hakkos and Wellers. Good choice of tips and they will improve your technique. Nothing like having the right tools for the job. I sprang for the WESD51, about $120 shipped from HMC Electronics and have never regretted it. I'm an occasional user, 1 or 2 a month, but still think its worth having the right tools for the job--makes life easier. These better quality irons will also last you a lifetime. Just do it, a good soldering iron is important. Sort of like having an education.
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