Need a new soldering iron...

[Discharged]

I'm fed up with my current iron - the tip keeps rotating in the end and there's no way to tighten it like I think I have seen on other irons, so I'm thinking of spending a bit more this time.

The one I had was 30w, but I need a faster heat up time, to be honest, so I'm considering one of those little stations with a ceramic tip (I think) and variable heat setting with LED etc flashy stuff. Cost around £50.

What does anyone think of these units? Worth the £'s?

It's for basic electronicky stuff, not PCBs particularly, but that might come later.

Thanks.

 

[topquark]

I'm fed up with my current iron - the tip keeps rotating in the end and there's no way to tighten it like I think I have seen on other irons, so I'm thinking of spending a bit more this time.

The one I had was 30w, but I need a faster heat up time, to be honest, so I'm considering one of those little stations with a ceramic tip (I think) and variable heat setting with LED etc flashy stuff. Cost around £50.

What does anyone think of these units? Worth the £'s?

It's for basic electronicky stuff, not PCBs particularly, but that might come later.

Thanks.

Can you be a little more specific? Electrics (cable core jointing etc) or electronics, if it's the former then a few folk seem to prefer the little gas ones rather than electric. If the latter then decide how many diff tips you might want (18W-35W for choice of power is normally a good range).

 

[Discharged]

I solder a lot of these in one go:

- is there any risk that a gas flame could damage that plastic? I guess it's a hard plastic, what I would call 'bakelite'. I really only refer to 'electronics' insofar as I'd like my boy to get into circuit building and the like and it'd be good to have something suitable for that too, although that's somewhere in the future. For now it's these panel fuses mainly.

 

[Specialist]

I'm fed up with my current iron - the tip keeps rotating in the end and there's no way to tighten it like I think I have seen on other irons, so I'm thinking of spending a bit more this time.

The one I had was 30w, but I need a faster heat up time, to be honest, so I'm considering one of those little stations with a ceramic tip (I think) and variable heat setting with LED etc flashy stuff. Cost around £50.

What does anyone think of these units? Worth the £'s?

It's for basic electronicky stuff, not PCBs particularly, but that might come later.

Thanks.

Hi Matey: I've had a few over the years all been reasonably good but the 1 I liked best for bench work was a Soldering station I bought from Maplins for about £40 had in daily use for about 4 years & never had a problem, you could vary it from the equivalent of about 20 watts to 50 & heated up to temp in seconds. Only problem i'm damned if i can remember the make, I know they still sell them though.

 

[Discharged]

@Specialist - was it Silverline or Skytronic?

 

[topquark]

In that case I'd stick to the lower power (18W or so) electric ones, should be more than adequate for that.

 

[Discharged]

Is the heat up time much different from a 30w one?

 

[topquark]

Is the heat up time much different from a 30w one?

Heat up time, not to get to the lower temp of the smaller iron, final temp, yes ... will take longer for the more powerful iron. If your doing loads of them surely that's a pretty much one off cost though.

 

[Discharged]

Hmmm, yes, I guess so. I'll pitch around the £20 mark I think.

I'll tell you what, while I think about it, I wouldn't mind some of those crocodile clip things with is it a mirror or magnifying glass - the idea being that the clips hold the item in question in place while you have your hands free for feeding in the solder and holding the iron.

Christmas is just around the corner!

 

[topquark]

Hmmm, yes, I guess so. I'll pitch around the £20 mark I think.

I'll tell you what, while I think about it, I wouldn't mind some of those crocodile clip things with is it a mirror or magnifying glass - the idea being that the clips hold the item in question in place while you have your hands free for feeding in the solder and holding the iron.

Christmas is just around the corner!

Nice in theory they are (used to be called helping hands) don't work so well in practice unless you go for the better models as the joints move slowly when holding slightly heavier stuff.

 

[Discharged]

Cheers for that, I'll keep an eye out.

 

[Specialist]

@Specialist - was it Silverline or Skytronic?

I think it was the Skytronic 1, White station with a digital read-out & a nicely balanced iron. Only had to use my Weller 100 watt gun for a couple of heavy chassis connections. Take a look at the Soldering section at www.cpc.co.uk they do some nice stuff.

 

[Guest123]

Maplins have, or at least did, have discounts on some of their soldering equipment, think they were only on the gas ones though.

 

[Discharged]

I just got back from Maplins, and yes, they did have one on offer, but I was a bit suspicious when thighs look like they are being sold off, so I went for a basic 30w again, but also bought a little station for holding the iron and has a sponge in it too.

So I'm happy enough with this.

 

[Specialist]

They do that every Crimbo, have massive sales on meters etc. Bought my Handheld scope there a few years back & got £30 off in the christmas sale.