Any recommendations for Soldering Iron

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Weller is said to be the Mercedes of soldering irons.

I got myself the WHS-40 (analog), that was like 5 or 6 years ago. No regrets ever.

Watch it, some of them are not grounded (plug has only phase an neutral, no earth-ground), so the tip is a few Volts above ground. But I don't know how much current it may deliver.
 
I've got a Weller, I'm pretty sure it's the WES51. Very nice.

Whatever you do, get a temperature controlled iron. I've also got a 10W, a 20W, and a 50W iron. Not having to switch between them for different jobs makes it worth it to spend the extra money. I was very glad to put them all away and just use one.
 
hotscot said:
I ended up buying a WES51 Weller iron for around $140.
So hopefully that will keep me going.

Yes, you will not be disappointed, but just search for WESD51 at Mouser and you will. 10$ more and you could have got the digital temp version.

I paid my WES51 200$ CAD + 15% tax.

That's more than 150$ USD (+15$ shipping) : It's a tax-free 190$ CAD...
 
i would love to see a guide concerning temps.

for me, i just kinda know what soldering applications dictate which temperature. i know that for small solder pads and smaller components i need x temp, and for larger stuff i need y, and for BIG stuff like lugs and binding posts, etc, i need z temp. it just takes practice.

but im sure there is a guide to explain it. it depends on the solder you use as well.
 
Something I'm unclear about is where to set the temp. Is there a guide somewhere?

You have to discover it ;-)

It's around 650-700F with Sn60/Pb40 solder. 700F is sometimes a bit too much with some cable shields and LEDs. Use 650 for these. When doing solders with a lot of surface to heat, use 750F. If you're soldering wires in some places meant to be heat-resistant, turn it up to the max(Example : Electrical BBQ) ;-)
 
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