Soldering Iron / Station recommendations

[mansr]

Some things I like about my Weller station:

• Thin and light soldering pencil (WTP 90) with flexible cord is much easier to handle than many cheaper options.
• Tip heats up in seconds rather than minutes.
• Hot-swappable tips is sometimes convenient.
• Motion sensor in the pencil lets it go into standby mode (pick it up to wake) if unused for a few minutes. Good for tip life.
• Dual power outputs on base unit (WT 2M). I use the second for soldering tweezers (WMRT), great for SMD work.

The only thing I dislike is the price.

 

[JeffS7444]

it's not something i would have any use for personally i'm just trying to refute the idea that Weller has somehow turned to trash, is outdated and so on ...

i'm just not seeing how that is the case ...

i looked at the competition from Hakko, JBC and Metcal and i just don't see how they are better.

I'm not aware of Weller quality going downhill, but for the individual hobbyist or technician, they never seemed to promote a clear follow-up to the old WPTCN / TC201 combo, whereas Hakko must have sold a lot of FX-888Ds! The fact that a lot of Chinese tools use Hakko-type accessories says a lot.

Metcal, JBC, who cares? They seem to be targeting manufacturers, not hobbyists or individual techs. Users who may wear the things out after a few years, then go shopping for something shinier and newer. Not someone like me who may be using the same tools 20+ years from now.

 

[Doodski]

I'm not aware of Weller quality going downhill, but for the individual hobbyist or technician, they never seemed to promote a clear follow-up to the old WPTCN / TC201 combo, whereas Hakko must have sold a lot of FX-888Ds! The fact that a lot of Chinese tools use Hakko-type accessories says a lot.

Metcal, JBC, who cares? They seem to be targeting manufacturers, not hobbyists or individual techs. Users who may wear the things out after a few years, then go shopping for something shinier and newer. Not someone like me who may be using the same tools 20+ years from now.

I always found Weller irons to burn tips. When I went to Ungar I never had a burned tip ever.

 

[rdenney]

I've always used regular plug-in irons, and found that Wellers had the best tips of those sorts. 40-60 watts.

Then, at a hamfest, I bought a no-name soldering station that I used for a while, and really it was no better than the individual pens.

Recently, I gifted myself a Weller WE1010NA from Amazon. It was cheaper than the Hakko, but it is not an active tip. No problem--it is temperature-controlled and heats up in ten seconds. I'm sure there are better irons out there, but this one has been fine for me.

But we have to realize that a soldering iron has about four major application contexts that will affect the choice. First is an solder station for SMD work. Others will have to comment on that--I can't hold my hand steady enough to solder SMD boards.

The main one for the Weller station I bought is for PCB's that have discrete components and inline-pin chips. It works great for that.

The third use case is for heavy wire connections, like power connections that have to carry more than an amp or two. These takes some serious heat (not merely high temperature, but total head) to get the big wire hot enough to make the solder flow. My last experience with that was trying to solder the power connections for a 600-watt radio transmitter amplifier. I needed to borrow my wife's fat-tip 100-watt stained glass iron to get enough heat into that heavy wire and those big terminals to make the solder flow.

Finally, there is soldering of heavy wires to other heavy wires, and for that I prefer a 150-watt soldering gun. The big 100-watt iron would do that, too, of course. I use either for soldering radio antenna terminals, where soldering the shield of, say, RG-213 to the shell of, say, a UHF plug takes some serious heat.

I once soldered welding cable to a copper terminal for a battery connection, because I lacked the appropriate crimper and time was of the essence. I had to use a propane torch for that one. Bigger stuff than that (plumbing, brass musical instrument repair) requires a torch.

Rick "recognizing that the Weller station is old school, but think a hell of a lot of very nice stuff was made when that stuff was the SOTA" Denney

 

[airborne]

I'm not aware of Weller quality going downhill, but for the individual hobbyist or technician, they never seemed to promote a clear follow-up to the old WPTCN / TC201 combo, whereas Hakko must have sold a lot of FX-888Ds! The fact that a lot of Chinese tools use Hakko-type accessories says a lot.

Metcal, JBC, who cares? They seem to be targeting manufacturers, not hobbyists or individual techs. Users who may wear the things out after a few years, then go shopping for something shinier and newer. Not someone like me who may be using the same tools 20+ years from now.

they created the "WE" model to compete with the Hakko

but then this EEVblog decided to make a viral video by setting one on fire and now nobody wants to buy it because it doesn't have a fuse ...

if i was Weller i would add the fuse even though it's not needed - it would be good for their image. it is an opportunity for them to show they are "in touch" with the DIY community.

but it's an old company and they don't understand viral marketing and thus they are losing the DIYer not because the product is bad but because they don't know how to market it.

 

[freemansteve]

Pretty much anything from Amazon with 50W, temp control of the iron, and a variety of bits.
In the UK, £15.
Don't sweat it for occasional home use, no pun intended.

 

[airborne]

Bigger stuff than that (plumbing, brass musical instrument repair) requires a torch.

newer plumbing is PEX ( plastic ) and simply crimps together, but when i was renovating my bathroom i had an old school plumber who used copper tubing, solder and a torch and it was fascinating to watch him solder plumbing

i wish i was that skilled with soldering ...

 

[rdenney]

When I was doing the comparison before buying the Weller, the temperature control fiddliness of the Hakko was what turned me off to it. I don't need presets when I can change the temperature so easily.

The first half of the YouTube review posted above was a classic subjective review. There was much better testing in the last half, where the two were much more even in their performance.

I prefer the old spring holder, but I'm old. I also bought a brass-wool holder, though, which the Hakko apparently includes. Since using that, I've never even felt like I needed to wet the sponge.

Rick "bought a set of tips but now can't find them" Denney

 

[Ricardus]

When I was doing the comparison before buying the Weller, the temperature control fiddliness of the Hakko was what turned me off to it. I don't need presets when I can change the temperature so easily.

It is a little odd to change temp on the FX888D, but I can't remember the last time I changed it. I usually run pretty hot and don't linger on joints very long.

 

[JeffS7444]

Really liking my Hakko FX-951, don't see myself replacing it anytime soon. I expect to accessorize it with a micro iron at some point, but the standard iron is pretty svelte too.

 

[rdenney]

newer plumbing is PEX ( plastic ) and simply crimps together, but when i was renovating my bathroom i had an old school plumber who used copper tubing, solder and a torch and it was fascinating to watch him solder plumbing

i wish i was that skilled with soldering ...

It depends on what you are building I used Pex for all the in-floor radiant heating in my new shop building, but all of the rest of that system was either iron pipe or copper (up to 1-1/4"). Been a while since I soldered a heavy brass adapter ring onto copper pipe (needed for the connection between iron and copper that includes a dielectric break), but it doesn't leak.

Those manifolds in plastic would be much harder to make than in copper.

Rick "who'd rather solder copper pipes than an SMD component" Denney

 

[Doodski]

Rick "who'd rather solder copper pipes than an SMD component" Denney

I worked SMD PCBs extensively and removed and reinstalled large and small flatpacks. The secret sauce is lots and lots of liquid flux. Not that no clean flux stuff. The dark rosin stuff is what one needs. The iron has to be suitable for the gauge of work being done. If removing flat packs it can be done the old fashioned way with guitar string/wire but a proper hot air tool is realllly easy to use comparatively and gives good results every time. Unfortunately a good hot air tool wand with a assortment of different size tips starts at about CDN $1200. I bit the bullet and bought that hot air removal tool and it saved my butt several times. So if things are difficult with SMD it might be the tools you have are not suitable for the task.

 

[rdenney]

I worked SMD PCBs extensively and removed and reinstalled large and small flatpacks. The secret sauce is lots and lots of liquid flux. Not that no clean flux stuff. The dark rosin stuff is what one needs. The iron has to be suitable for the gauge of work being done. If removing flat packs it can be done the old fashioned way with guitar string/wire but a proper hot air tool is realllly easy to use comparatively and gives good results every time. Unfortunately a good hot air tool wand with a assortment of different size tips starts at about CDN $1200. I bit the bullet and bought that hot air removal tool and it saved my butt several times. So if things are difficult with SMD it might be the tools you have are not suitable for the task.

I'm sure I don't have the proper tools. But even more I don't have:

1. Steady hands, or
2. Sufficiently good eyesight. (I lack binocular vision through reading glasses and thus have no depth perception at close range.)

Even soldering vintage discrete components, with which I have plenty of experience, I have to brace my hand to actually place the point on the joint.

Things might improve when I set up my new bench in the attic of my new shop. I may be able to optimize everything there, and I have a bench microscope originally intended for such work (and for work on wristwatches). But I'll have to construct positionable handrests to have any hope of success.

Rick "sticking with vintage stuff for most things" Denney

 

[egellings]

I use the Hakko FX-951 model. It is simply excellent in every way.

 

[Doodski]

I'm sure I don't have the proper tools. But even more I don't have:

1. Steady hands, or
2. Sufficiently good eyesight. (I lack binocular vision through reading glasses and thus have no depth perception at close range.)

Even soldering vintage discrete components, with which I have plenty of experience, I have to brace my hand to actually place the point on the joint.

Things might improve when I set up my new bench in the attic of my new shop. I may be able to optimize everything there, and I have a bench microscope originally intended for such work (and for work on wristwatches). But I'll have to construct positionable handrests to have any hope of success.

Rick "sticking with vintage stuff for most things" Denney

Yes, my eyes are deteriorating as well. Too scared to get laser eye surgery done. So I have 2 pair of glasses. One for PC use and the other for distance vision. These look so dorky...

 

[Digital Mastering System]

I'm pretty happy with this Chinese set-up. I do SM stuff and tube stuff and everything in between. I use three different tips and a liquid flux pen. This iron gets to temp quickly and works well. I have used Wellers in the past, but thought the good adjustable temp stuff was too expensive so I tried this and was pleasantly surprised. https://www.mpja.com/ZD-929C-Solder-Station/products/460/

 

[mansr]

I worked SMD PCBs extensively and removed and reinstalled large and small flatpacks. The secret sauce is lots and lots of liquid flux. Not that no clean flux stuff. The dark rosin stuff is what one needs. The iron has to be suitable for the gauge of work being done. If removing flat packs it can be done the old fashioned way with guitar string/wire but a proper hot air tool is realllly easy to use comparatively and gives good results every time. Unfortunately a good hot air tool wand with a assortment of different size tips starts at about CDN $1200. I bit the bullet and bought that hot air removal tool and it saved my butt several times. So if things are difficult with SMD it might be the tools you have are not suitable for the task.

Hot air is the only way to desolder chips with a thermal pad underneath. The Weller WTHA 1 isn't too expensive. An IR heating plate is also useful.

 

[Doodski]

Hot air is the only way to desolder chips with a thermal pad underneath

I've never seen a thermal pad under a flatpack. Thanks for the heads up that they exist.

 

[mansr]

I've never seen a thermal pad under a flatpack. Thanks for the heads up that they exist.

Thermal pads are quite common in my experience. Components that can be expected to generate some heat, e.g. voltage regulators, almost always one. Most any modern PCB will have several such parts.

 

[Doodski]

Thermal pads are quite common in my experience. Components that can be expected to generate some heat, e.g. voltage regulators, almost always one. Most any modern PCB will have several such parts.

I only serviced domestic/consumer electronics PCB flatpacks that had no thermal pads. Maybe they do now but I have been out of that domestic/consumer electronics stuff for some years. I got out of that whole consumer stuff thing and went industrial as in electromechanical and electronic-over-hydraulic stuff where there is no component level servicing.