Soldering Iron Recommendations

[tunghaichuan***]

Getting ready to perform surgery on the Washburn soon, any more suggestions on irons, tips, supplies?

I am not going to become a mod nut (I remember saying I don't see the need for more than one guitar), so I want something that provides quality results, but not something that will break the bank (small bank)

Considering two already mentioned:


http://www.mpja.com/productsdirect.a...item4=15141+TL

http://www.kimcodistributing.com/sto...FQZlswodVQLC-w

Hmm... Neither one of those links worked for me.

I get a catalog from MCM Electronics all the time. This looks like a decent iron:

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/produc...S-3124-/21-980

and is not that much.

This Weller station might not be that bad:

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/produc...LC100-/21-3475

I don't know much about this brand, but it has a 1-year warranty:

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/produc...-7945-/21-7945

tung

[just strum]

Hmm... Neither one of those links worked for me.

try this

http://www.mpja.com/productsdirect.a...item4=15141+TL

http://www.kimcodistributing.com/sto...FQRkswodjXUC9w

[tunghaichuan***]

try this

http://www.mpja.com/productsdirect.a...item4=15141+TL

http://www.kimcodistributing.com/sto...FQRkswodjXUC9w

I have the Hakko station, so I'm biased towards that one. The other station is half the price of the Hakko. The ZD Electronic Tools station may last as long, or it may not. It is hard to say; I have no experience with it.

I've had my Hakko station for at least 10 years, and the two replacement tips I got for it are still going strong. It may be overkill for what you want to do, so take that into account.

tung

[F_BSurfer]

Pass on the the ZD you will spend a lot of time trying to keep your tip ready to solder and they don't last long... tips are cheap pot metal

[just strum]

I found this

http://store.cs-sales.net/welowcosoirs.html

they are selling it for $8 to $20 less than some of the other sites. Read some reviews and people say they've been using theirs for 10+ years.

Any suggestions on tips?

[tunghaichuan***]

I found this

http://store.cs-sales.net/welowcosoirs.html

they are selling it for $8 to $20 less than some of the other sites. Read some reviews and people say they've been using theirs for 10+ years.

Any suggestions on tips?

That station looks like a winner for light duty hobby work. :

For tips, I'd get:

http://store.cs-sales.net/wesctip2wiw.html

http://store.cs-sales.net/wesctip3wiw.html

I like the screw driver tips (also called "chisel tips") better than the conical types.

Those two should get you through most guitar soldering projects. If you think you want to start amp projects, I'd get a bit bigger tip as well:

http://store.cs-sales.net/wesctip4wiw.html

tung

[mrmudcat]

nice suggestions

[just strum]

a few more questions and any additional suggestions/recommendations welcome:

Solder: what size do you find is best to use for working on pups and pots?. Watching video and reading some articles it seems to run from 025 to 050, I was going to get something like 032.

Solder: 63/37 rosin is what I was planning on getting, but having problems locating the right solder - where do you buy yours and is this ok? The place where I am buying the station only has lead free.

http://wassco.com/Departments/Solder...re-Solder.aspx

Tweezers: I see them from a few dollars to $75, will something like this take care of the work I am doing?

http://wassco.com/Products/Tweezer--...-03-98100.aspx

Helping hands:

http://store.cs-sales.net/hh55.html

I've settled on this station (I think)

http://store.cs-sales.net/welowcosoirs.html