Soldering Iron Recommendations

[duhvoodooman***]

Our resident amp-building guru, Tunghaichuan, highly recommends the following soldering iron for both pedal and amp work. You just need different tips for the small stuff vs. the bigger jobs. This is a temp.-controlled unit and gives you much more control and flexibility than the cheaper non-controlled units:

Iron: Hakko 936-12 ESD temperature controlled station

Tips: 900M-T-2.4D for amp work; 900M-T-2LD for PCB/pedal work

Tip Cleaner: Hakko 599B-02 bronze wool tip cleaner

Solder: Kester #66/34, SN63/PB37 eutectic solder; .062" for amp work, .031" for PCB/pedal work (not RoHS compliant, can't be used in California and Europe)

The only real downside to this iron is that tips are not typcially available locally and you'll need to order them online. But they last a long tme, so that's a minor point.

You can get similar irons from Weller; they cost a bit more for comparable features, but have the advantage of being widely available.

[sunvalleylaw]

So that is better than my el cheapo Radio Shack one, huh? ;-)

[tunghaichuan***]

So that is better than my el cheapo Radio Shack one, huh? ;-)

Uh, yeah

Seriously though, the main problem with the Radio Shack irons is that they burn out tips fast due to crappy, cheapo plating on them. I've used the same two tips for my Hakko since I got it 8 years ago, and they are still going strong.

This is a case of getting what you pay for.

tung

[sunvalleylaw]

Ya, I did not know what I was doing when I got mine. It is a very inexpensive, dual wattage one. Even by RS website standards, it is cheap.

[Spudman***]

Great thread. I was just thinking "what iron should I get to improve my soldering skills?" I appreciate those suggestions Voodoo.

[tunghaichuan***]

Ya, I did not know what I was doing when I got mine. It is a very inexpensive, dual wattage one. Even by RS website standards, it is cheap.

No need to appologize, I started out on one of those Rat Shack irons, too

One thing that a temperature controlled station does is allow you to make nice, consistent joints.

If you don't want to spend the cash on a temperature controlled station, sometimes you can find a nice non-temperature controlled iron (like a high quality version of the Rat Shack iron) made by Hexacon, Weller, Unger, or American Beauty. The tips tend to last longer than RS irons, but not as long as the temp controlled irons.

tung

[tunghaichuan***]

Resources for learning how to solder:

http://www.astro.umd.edu/~harris/doc...rSoldering.pdf

http://www.aaroncake.net/electronics/solder.htm

http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/pdf/7308016.pdf

http://www.robotstore.com/download/How_to_solder_1.pdf

http://www.epemag.wimborne.co.uk/solderfaq.htm

Video tutorials:

http://tangentsoft.net/elec/movies/

Excellent, worth watching. Geared mainly to PCBs, but useful information.

tung

[Bloozcat]

The 25w Weber irons from Home Depot have the same problem...they burn tips out pretty fast. I have one and I've just compensated by having spare tips in stock.

But, as with everything else I seem to do, it's probably just a matter of time until I upgrade to a better unit...

[duhvoodooman***]

The 25w Weber irons from Home Depot have the same problem...they burn tips out pretty fast. I have one and I've just compensated by having spare tips in stock.

Yep, my experience, too. I've had two of these and they do a nice job on small stuff, like effect pedal work:

Weller Marksman 25W Iron

But they go through tips like crazy. The chisel-style tips in particular seem to wear out fast--somewhere between one and two pedal projects, and they need to be replaced. So, like Bloozcat, I keep a stock of spares.

The power cord connection down in the handle seems to be a weak design, though. My first one failed because the power started flickering on and off, and now this 2nd one is starting to do the same thing. Time to go for a Hakko, methinks....

[Rocket]

These are what I've been using on my bench for last 6 years... never had a single problem with either:


MPJA Model 302A, 40W Temperature controlled soldering station with digital temperature control & display, grounded tip, ceramic heater and comfort grip handle. Easy off connector for easy replacement oh handle/heater. Adjustable Temperature range: 200 deg. "C" to 480 deg. "C" (392-896 “F”). Fused line. 117 VAC.
WT: 4.7


MASTECH Model HY3003
Input: 110 VAC 60Hz
Output: 0-30VDC @ 0-3A Constant Voltage or Current
Specifications/Features: Enclosed bench supply with dual LED displays for output Volts & Amps. .02% Line /.01% Load regulation, <1mV RMS ripple. Front binding posts.
CE listed.

[Bloozcat]

That Hakko must be another big Japanese conglomerate. They make a bunch of optics for a lot of big names in the industry as well. They seem to market very few under their own name, though. I do know them to produce quality stuff. I'll have to check out one of their soldering irons.

[tunghaichuan***]

That Hakko must be another big Japanese conglomerate. They make a bunch of optics for a lot of big names in the industry as well. They seem to market very few under their own name, though. I do know them to produce quality stuff. I'll have to check out one of their soldering irons.

One reason that I recommend the Hakko 936 is that it is inexpensive, sturdy, and works well. There certainly are others worth considering, especially Weller's temperature controlled station. It tends to be a bit more expensive than the Hakko, but I've seen tips for Weller irons at my local electronics store. I don't have any direct experience with the Weller.

The Hakko does offer tremendous bang for the buck, especially when you can get one on sale.

tung

[just strum]

To those making recommendations - does this also apply to doing work on guitars - pups, pots, and switches?

[tunghaichuan***]

To those making recommendations - does this also apply to doing work on guitars - pups, pots, and switches?

For this type of work, I use the 900M-T-2LD tip. It doesn't have as much mass as the other one, so it won't overheat your joints as fast. Still, with good soldering technique, you should be able to use either tip.

Here is another recommendation: get a pair of locking hemostats. They're like $2-$3 at army navy surplus stores. Clamp these on to whatever you're soldering to act as a heat sink.

tung

[duhvoodooman***]

Here is another recommendation: get a pair of locking hemostats. They're like $2-$3 at army navy surplus stores. Clamp these on to whatever you're soldering to act as a heat sink.

Small alligator clips work pretty well, too.

[tunghaichuan***]

Small alligator clips work pretty well, too.

Good point, and alligator clips are less likely to damage fragile components like hemostats can.

tung

[marnold***]

FWIW, I used this DVD to refresh my soldering skills. Well worth the $$, especially if you don't have anyone who can show you firsthand.

[Duff]

At Radio Shack a couple months ago I decided I needed to get a fourty watt iron to supplement my fifteen watt pencil type, so I picked up a RS fourty watt pencil type iron for eight dollars. I thought that was too cheap because my fifteen watt one at Wmart or somewhere similar was at least twice as much.

I was thrilled with the massive heat of the fourty watt iron and its ability to desolder big piles of solder quick, etc.

I found out why it was eight dollars about a month later maybe two months, when it failed. I took off the tip cleaned it up and noticed the electronic parts inside the tube just below the tip were completely burned out, shorted or whatever.

Close examination revealed the RS fourty watt iron to be JUNK. An attempt to return it was frowned upon with the statement that it had a thirty day warranty. I can see why.

My fifteen watt weller is many many years old and is an old standby with the original tip that I scrape off with the back side of an exacto knive and then flux and apply a thin layer of electronic type solder to it which I get from RS because solder with lead in it is hard to find anywhere else. Lead containing solder melts at a much lower temperature than the lead free type, apparantly, unless there is some type of lead free I don't know about.

Using flux when soldering in small amounts and tinning the iron first are major preparatory steps you can take to ensure outstanding solder joints.

I'm going to get a quality higher power iron. Where is a source for the good one discussed in this thread?

Thanks in advance,

Duffy

[tunghaichuan***]

Duff,

I buy most of my soldering supplies here:

http://www.wassco.com/

They are priced higher than most though:

http://www.wassco.com/Products/Hakko...02-126612.aspx

Just Google "Hakko 936" and you'll get a bunch of results under shopping:

http://www.google.com/products?q=hak...num=1&ct=title

Some of the stores are rated, so it give you an idea how good the service is.

There are some problems with the new lead-free solder, namely the one you mentioned: it melts at a much higher temperature than leaded solder. This makes it easier to over heat and damage componenets. Lead-free solder also can develop "whiskers" which can short to other parts of the circuit. Not good.

tung