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Breaktru Forum  |  eCigarette Forum  |  Modding  |  Topic: Soldering Station
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Author Topic: Soldering Station  (Read 37933 times)

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Online Breaktru

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Soldering Station
« on: October 11, 2011, 07:57:56 PM »
I finally sprang for a new Solder Station and retired my 30 year old Radio Shack 15/30 watt Soldering Iron.
I had previously bought a new iron from the Rat Shack only to have it crap out after about a month.

I went with a Weller because lets face it, Weller is a well know company who has been in the soldering business for many years.
Besides I figured if I need spare parts, the company will still be there and they stand behind their product. Not like Radio Shack not supporting their products. Lots of horror stories reading the customer comments. Surprised they leave them posted.
I did look at the Aoyue and the Hakko but wasn't sure about spare parts and accessories. Hakko is a good product and is highly recommended but the recommended model was discontinued plus dozens of other models. Hope no one needs spare parts for them.

Here is my new baby can't wait to crank out some mods:



Here is where I bought it, plus extra tips and stuff: http://goo.gl/T52NI

Ohh, for got to mention it, ordered last night and got it this afternoon. Free Shipping through my daughters Super Saver account w/ Amazon.
« Last Edit: July 10, 2013, 08:17:42 PM by Breaktru »

Online Dasen22

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2011, 08:39:59 PM »
Now that's what I'm talkin bout!  :thumbsup:
Go crank out some .44's and send me one  :begging:

Online Breaktru

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2011, 08:43:12 PM »
Yeah Das, it's a pleasure using it. Maintains a perfect temperature and is ready to use in less than a minute.

Sorry but only very few .44's were made and I'm picking and choosing who will get one. Be patient. I'll let you know.

Online yogi

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #3 on: October 13, 2011, 09:46:53 AM »
Cool breaktru. Very nice.  :rockin smiley:

Offline horton

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2011, 11:04:26 AM »
Nice soldering station, Breaktru.  I'm sure you will enjoy it.  Weller certainly is one of the best irons you can buy. 
One thing you might want to consider is  using a low abrasive tip cleaner rather than the wet sponge.  You can find it on the Jameco site, part # 156777.  Comes with a  weighted base that won't slide around and the brass "Brillo pad".   Several advantages with the brass vs sponge to me.   Biggest  is you don't lose temp cleaning the tip with a wet sponge, so you don't have to wait for the tip to come back to temp after cleaning.  Also, the shavings on the "pad" tend to get more junk off the tip than the sponge.  After cleaning the tip in the pad, it comes out nice and shiny.  They last a long, long time and all you have to do  once in a while is fluff up the brass.  It tends to get flattened down after repeated use.  But new "pads" are less than $3, so to me, it's a very  worthwhile investment to keep your tips in tip top condition.
 
Another good place to find all sorts of soldering equipment and tools is SRA ( http://sra-solder.com/ ) .  Hope adding the link was OK.  They sell a  liquid flux that is sticky and hence  is great for holding down surface mounted parts prior to soldering.  Forget the name of it, but it comes in a 6 or 8 oz bottle and is not terribly expensive.  You can use a small bore blunt tip needle to apply it to the PCB for good accuracy.  Great for drag soldering. 

Thanks so much for hosting this wonderful forum.  So many great ideas.  Just my couple of pennies worth of thoughts......lol     

Online Breaktru

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2011, 11:18:51 AM »
Nice soldering station, Breaktru.  I'm sure you will enjoy it.  Weller certainly is one of the best irons you can buy. 
One thing you might want to consider is  using a low abrasive tip cleaner rather than the wet sponge.  You can find it on the Jameco site, part # 156777.  Comes with a  weighted base that won't slide around and the brass "Brillo pad".   Several advantages with the brass vs sponge to me.   Biggest  is you don't lose temp cleaning the tip with a wet sponge, so you don't have to wait for the tip to come back to temp after cleaning.  Also, the shavings on the "pad" tend to get more junk off the tip than the sponge.  After cleaning the tip in the pad, it comes out nice and shiny.  They last a long, long time and all you have to do  once in a while is fluff up the brass.  It tends to get flattened down after repeated use.  But new "pads" are less than $3, so to me, it's a very  worthwhile investment to keep your tips in tip top condition.
 
Another good place to find all sorts of soldering equipment and tools is SRA ( http://sra-solder.com/ ) .  Hope adding the link was OK.  They sell a  liquid flux that is sticky and hence  is great for holding down surface mounted parts prior to soldering.  Forget the name of it, but it comes in a 6 or 8 oz bottle and is not terribly expensive.  You can use a small bore blunt tip needle to apply it to the PCB for good accuracy.  Great for drag soldering. 

Thanks so much for hosting this wonderful forum.  So many great ideas.  Just my couple of pennies worth of thoughts......lol     


Thank you Matt for your input. Yes I did buy the abrasive pad when I bought the station and if works wonderful and yes the wet sponge really brings down the temp.
I would love to try the flux liquid, been using paste which is a pain to get on tiny parts. I'll look in to it. Thanks for the heads up.
You're welcome and it's wonderful to see you here in the forum. I love your couple of penny thoughts  :laughing2:

Offline horton

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2011, 11:54:56 AM »
I'm glad to be getting back into the swing of things again.  Been way too long, but now that I'm feeling a little better, hope to be around more. 

Here's a link to the  flux I mentioned.  It's on the SRA site......   http://sra-solder.com/product.php/6446/11   I bought a bottle probably 4 years ago and still have half left.  You don't need much.  I just noticed on the bottle that it's good for either leaded or lead free solder.  MG is a good chemical company.  You won't go wrong with it and you will find the liquid is so much nicer to work with.  So much neater and you can put it exactly where you want it.  Hope you find it as useful as I did.   

Offline timesarerough

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #7 on: October 21, 2011, 02:52:29 PM »
That's a really good price for that Rosin Flux, Horton.

I use paste too. Can it be thinned for something like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/100ml-rosin-flux-alcohol-container-bottle-needle-/200593209161?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2eb4497749

Or I'm sure these'll work good too, hm?

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l2736&_nkw=micro+paint+brush

Offline horton

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #8 on: October 21, 2011, 03:44:28 PM »
The listing eBay is exactly what I use to dispense the liquid flux.  I'm not exactly sure of the gauge of the needle, but I'm guessing it's in the 16 - 18 range (blunt).  I just what amount of flux in the dispensing bottle that I think I'll need and go to town.  I've even considered using a syringe for dispensing. 
I let the flux sit on the PCB for a few minutes and it gets a little tacky and then put the component on using the little suction device you use for chips.  It gives me enough "adhesive power" to hold the part, but I can still move it to get it just in the right position for soldering.  It makes life so much easier than paste, at least the for applications I was using it for.  Once you have one leg soldered, you are home free. 
That bottle is probably a lifetime supply for me.....lol and yes, the price sure is right!!!
That SRA site has some very nice equipment on it.  I got the combination soldering, hot air, and desoldering system for under $250 a few years ago and just for snickers I took it apart.  It looked like they used the same components as Pace.  Not bad for the money.   

Online Breaktru

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #9 on: October 21, 2011, 03:57:53 PM »
I put it in my Cart and realized that shipping was more than the flux ($8.90), so out it went.
Found it on Amazon for $5.79 w/ only $4.55 for shipping. http://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Soldering-Flux-4-oz/dp/B000BQPX8W/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1319224206&sr=1-1
« Last Edit: October 21, 2011, 04:01:34 PM by Breaktru Admin »

Offline horton

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #10 on: October 21, 2011, 06:24:29 PM »
I bought mine with a bunch of other items and never even thought about shipping on one item..... Glad you found it at a better price..... Gonna save that link just in case I tip over the bottle I have.....LOL

Offline CraigHB

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #11 on: November 21, 2011, 06:39:46 AM »
I've been using a similar one for quite some time.  Works great for me.  I use a .015" tip with it (ETS).  It's got a ton of mileage on it.  I've gone through two one pound rolls of solder and about 10 tips.  Keep thinking it's going to break down any day, but it keeps right on going.

I've been debating on buying a hot air rework station.  I have some pretty screwy methods of desoldering stuff without one.   Picture an an iron in each hand and lots of desoldering braid.

I've also been thinking about trying my own reflow.  I've been soldering electronics with an iron since I was a kid so that's many years of that business.  It's hard to make the shift though.  I know I'm going to trash some stuff getting the hang of it, but it takes sooo long to solder stuff by hand and I'm pretty tired of it by now.

Offline timesarerough

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #12 on: November 21, 2011, 08:04:16 AM »
With your skills Craig, I'm kinda surprised that you haven't tried the latest technology....

LASER SOLDERING!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25pDxYrMFA0

Offline CraigHB

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #13 on: November 21, 2011, 07:07:12 PM »
Hehe, I'd like to see that done on a 28 pin IC with .5mm pin pitch, or better yet, a leadless 3x3mm DFN chip.

Reflow is actually how the majority of electronics are assembled these days.  There's a reason why and it is possible to do it yourself with some home crafted tools.  Namely, an oven or plate that can be closely monitored and controlled to produce a specific temperature curve.  It's fast, but applying the paste by hand is tedious and messy.  That's the main reason I haven't jumped on the reflow wagon yet.  Factories use a machine that resembles an inkjet printer to spray the solder paste over a template.  Then a robot places all the parts and it runs through a special oven on a conveyor belt.  It's incredibly fast.

Offline timesarerough

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #14 on: November 22, 2011, 01:59:30 PM »
Yeah, I've watched videos on YouTube that show the robotic assembly machines....

Pretty amazing stuff!

Offline Bocephus

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #15 on: December 14, 2011, 09:48:09 PM »
I was just looking at soldering stations and was about to make a post on which one to buy. I have a $50 sears gift card and was looking at this
one here
thats on sale a bit.  I know it can probably be had elsewhere but im pretty much locked to sears and that gift card for the purchase.

Was thinking that kit and a ST7 conical tip. What do ya think? Im also wondering if I even need a station and would be better off getting a 40 watt marksman and a couple tips and extra's instead. Decisions, decisions...
« Last Edit: December 14, 2011, 10:56:05 PM by Bocephus »

Offline horton

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #16 on: December 14, 2011, 10:50:51 PM »
I couldn't get the link to work to see the soldering station you are considering, but if you have a Sears gift card, that sounds like the best place to shop!! lol 
From my experience, you want to try and find one that you can control the temp. with  for sure so that heads you toward a station rather than just an iron.  There are both analog and digital readouts, but the analog is less cost and you aren't really needing to dial in the temp. to an exact degree.  Certainly, the digital readout is cooler looking, but I go for function over form.   In terms of tips, I'd suggest a selection so you can pick the right one for the particular job.  For example, much of my soldering is through hole and I use a 3/32 "pointed tip" or a chisel tip.  If I'm doing something heavier, I can put in a larger tip to help get the heat better distributed.  If you do any surface mount work, you can get away with an iron many times, but you will want a really tiny tip.   You shouldn't need more than a 30 watt station, especially if you have temp. control.  That gives you a wide range of heat for different jobs.  You won't be disappointed with a good soldering station. 
Also, use the "brillo pads" to clean your tips rather than a wet sponge.  The damp sponge will drop the tip temp. and also will decrease the life of the tip.  The brillo's really get the excess solder off and you end up with a nice clean tip.  If you can't find one at Sears, I'd try somewhere like Jameco.  They have ones for under ten bucks. 
Hope this helped.
« Last Edit: December 14, 2011, 10:54:17 PM by horton »

Offline Bocephus

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #17 on: December 14, 2011, 10:56:23 PM »
Fixed the link sorry about that!

As for cleaning I went to dollar general and got a couple packs of those copper dish sponges like kinda look like a luffa. Hopeing those will work.
« Last Edit: December 14, 2011, 11:04:14 PM by Bocephus »

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #18 on: December 15, 2011, 12:13:46 AM »
That looks like a very nice station.  I'm sure it will do anything you need in electronics work.   
Excellent idea getting the copper dish sponges..... they will do the job!!  Maybe you can find a little metal container ( like a tuna can) you can stuff them in and perhaps put some weight inside the container before stuffing in the sponges and then some kind of non-slip coating on the outside bottom so it doesn't slide around on you. 
You are off to a great start with that device... good luck and happy modding..... horton - out 

Offline Bocephus

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #19 on: December 15, 2011, 12:17:20 AM »
I was gonna buy a helping hands station but harbor was out of them but then I found a DIY site that showed how to make one so I already got the magnifying glass and im gonna make a 4 point hand station with aligator chips. I got some great old solid wire bundles that im gonna make the arms out of for the clips. Figure ill make a cup for the sponge on the side of that.

Offline timesarerough

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #20 on: December 15, 2011, 12:28:20 AM »

Offline Bocephus

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #21 on: December 15, 2011, 12:31:28 AM »
Ya think thats the one Break got. Id love to have it but like I said just have the $50 sears gift card to spend this close to xmas. Hopefully yhe one at sears I linked would do the trick. Hopefully someone is familiar with it.

Still trying to figure out if I should just buy the $20 weller 25 watt instead and buy extra's. I just dont know if I am gonna solder enough to utilize the station. What difference will there be in soldering ease/quality between lets say that station and that 25 watt marsman? BTW this is just for mods. I really dont solder anything else.
« Last Edit: December 15, 2011, 12:38:22 AM by Bocephus »

Offline timesarerough

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #22 on: December 15, 2011, 02:54:19 AM »
Ya think thats the one Break got. Id love to have it but like I said just have the $50 sears gift card to spend this close to xmas. Hopefully yhe one at sears I linked would do the trick. Hopefully someone is familiar with it.

Still trying to figure out if I should just buy the $20 weller 25 watt instead and buy extra's. I just dont know if I am gonna solder enough to utilize the station. What difference will there be in soldering ease/quality between lets say that station and that 25 watt marsman? BTW this is just for mods. I really dont solder anything else.

Save your gift card for something else cuz you can buy the exact same thing right here for under $15:

http://www.mpja.com/ZD-99-MINI-SOLDER-STATION/productinfo/15860+TL/

They're supposed to be in stock middle of next month.

Don't buy anything under 50 watts if you intend on building mods!!

Offline Bocephus

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #23 on: December 15, 2011, 03:25:13 AM »
You really need more than 50 watts? I thought 40 watts would tin 12 gauge or higher without issue? That is a cheap station though is the quality decent?

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #24 on: December 15, 2011, 08:16:11 AM »
You pay like 50 bucks more for the digital display on the Weller station, but it's nice to be able to see the selected temperature on a numeric display.   Whether it's worth the money or not is debatable.  I like the display a lot though. 

The WESD51 and WES51 are 50 Watts.  I've soldered some pretty big stuff with mine, like the outside of atomizer connectors.  Low gauge wires are no problem either.  I don't think I've ever had to take it over 750F and it goes up 850F.

I don't know about cheaping out on an iron.  Weller is an established name and their stuff is reliable.  They've been around as long as the mountains.   The WES51 is the next model up from the WLC100 at Sears.  I'd think about spending a little more and getting the better one.  It's a much nicer station.

Take pride in your work, don't use crappy tools.
« Last Edit: December 15, 2011, 08:29:23 AM by CraigHB »

Offline Bocephus

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #25 on: December 15, 2011, 09:08:08 AM »
Thanks for the info. Its just kinda coming down to cash at this point with xmas almost here and I need a iron soon. would it be better to just get a station later and maybe buy a higher end weller iron on its own? think they had a couple "pro" models and that orange professional model. While I can solder pretty decently from practice on some crappy gun styles and a radio shack model I dont know to terribly much about whats good and not.

Its probably just gonna come down to sears and this $50 card as im tapped out. I might try to see if a friend wants to trade the card for cash but im not gonna hold my breath heh.

Online Breaktru

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #26 on: December 15, 2011, 10:08:07 AM »
I had a hell of a time deciding when I was looking for a Soldering Station. A concern I had was replacement parts and accessories that would be easy to find and would not be obsolete.

I read some posts about Radio Shack Brand stations and people not able to find replacement parts because of model's being obsolete.

Read some good things about a Hakko 936 but that model was Discontinued and wasn't sure about the replacement model FX-888 being too new for reviews. http://www.amazon.com/Hakko-Soldering-Station-FX-888/dp/B004M3U0VU/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1323961413&sr=1-1

Another consideration I had was the Aoyue 937+ Digital Soldering Station http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I30QBW?ie=UTF8&tag=budbasfis-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000I30QBW

Pace has a number of Stations at: http://www.paceworldwide.com/product/section/id/49.html

Weller has been in business a long time and parts are readily available. That's why I went with the Weller.

Offline horton

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #27 on: December 15, 2011, 12:23:58 PM »
I'm not trying to start an argument or question your judgment, Timesarerough, but could you tell me when you need 50 watts for mods?  I use a Xyronic station rated @ 30 watts and have sold pre-built circuit boards for several years now.  The largest dia. solder I use is Kester 245  .031", which I use for the power jack and to hold the DB9 conn.  The other size I use is .020".   What in the mods calls for the high wattage?   I have not built all that many e-cig mods, but have made a few box mods until I developed a cataract.  That brought my soldering work to a screeching halt...lol.    This question is just for my own edification.   I hope you take my question in this manner, I'm not meaning to cast aspersions upon your abilities. 

Online Breaktru

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #28 on: December 15, 2011, 01:47:44 PM »
If I need more Wattage like soldering a battery connector to a Copper tube, I use a propane torch.
Also have a dual 100/140 wattage Weller Gun/
« Last Edit: January 17, 2012, 08:27:09 PM by Breaktru Admin »

Offline Bocephus

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #29 on: December 15, 2011, 02:45:30 PM »
Well Break thats kinda why I was looking at that Weller 40 watt station at sears. Good news though My sister still needs some presants and can use the sears gift card so that gives me $50 to spend where ever. I dont so much need the station for the holder/sponge as I already have that covered in my DIY helping hands table but the selectible temp is nice.

I am in that zone where I about have information overload because of all the stuff I have read here and other places. What do you guys think of
this station
?

$27 shipped is about what I would pay for the one Time linked since that place charges $12 for shipping. In all honesty I just need a solid gun to get my by til spring when ill have the cash to buy a setup similar to Breaks. With the price on that one I could get the station and extra tip and still come in cheaper than the sears weller and this is 50 watt with temps from 350 to 900.

Thanks for all your guys input so far.

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #30 on: December 15, 2011, 03:31:39 PM »
You really need more than 50 watts? I thought 40 watts would tin 12 gauge or higher without issue? That is a cheap station though is the quality decent?

I agree with what Craig just said.....don't buy a cheapo iron, just ain't worth it.

Weller also makes that same $15 model, but I think its a 40 watt.

Quality?

Think about it...its $15.

As far as I'm concerned, that "design" are all Chinese made garbage....even the Weller one!

Its like any other tool, gotta do your homework before you buy.

If you wanna cheap tool, then expect cheap performance....OR, buy a high quality brand named one, USED.

Lots of options, but I don't recommend buying a cheap iron.

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #31 on: December 15, 2011, 04:00:25 PM »
In a perfect world every tool I have would be top of the line but as I have said the reality is I have $50 to spend on a iron and if I am lucky some flux and maybe a extra tip. I'm just trying to buy a decent iron that will last me til the spring.

Its easy to say don't cheap out but I got xmas as everyone does and I also have all my bills plus my grandmothers insurance premium I pay as well as half of a funeral for my grandfather who passed last Saturday so I will say again I have $50 to spend and am trying to find the best iron I can that will last me to the spring when ill be able to afford a better one.

Im not stupid and know full well a iron that costs that little isn't gonna be high quality but it doesn't mean if I look hard I can not find(or I hope I can) find a decent quality stop gap iron that will do a better job that the crap radio shack I have now that doesn't work very well. Just trying to get the opinions of those who might have tried some of these or who have the experience to gauge what I can expect out of them so I don't totally waste what little money I have to spend on it.

I am just not familiar enough with all the different irons and types to know what to look for in the cheaper irons.



Online Breaktru

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #32 on: December 15, 2011, 04:31:29 PM »
In a perfect world every tool I have would be top of the line but as I have said the reality is I have $50 to spend on a iron and if I am lucky some flux and maybe a extra tip. I'm just trying to buy a decent iron that will last me til the spring.

Its easy to say don't cheap out but I got xmas as everyone does and I also have all my bills plus my grandmothers insurance premium I pay as well as half of a funeral for my grandfather who passed last Saturday so I will say again I have $50 to spend and am trying to find the best iron I can that will last me to the spring when ill be able to afford a better one.

Im not stupid and know full well a iron that costs that little isn't gonna be high quality but it doesn't mean if I look hard I can not find(or I hope I can) find a decent quality stop gap iron that will do a better job that the crap radio shack I have now that doesn't work very well. Just trying to get the opinions of those who might have tried some of these or who have the experience to gauge what I can expect out of them so I don't totally waste what little money I have to spend on it.

I am just not familiar enough with all the different irons and types to know what to look for in the cheaper irons.


If you are looking for a low price Weller for use until you save up for a station, check out this $7 iron: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=weller+iron+soldering&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&cid=5559833554265310192&ei=UmXqTsufEc3imAf0iZXNAQ&ved=0CEMQrhI

I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather passing.

Offline Bocephus

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #33 on: December 15, 2011, 04:49:37 PM »
Thanks. He lived a good life and went peacefully. My question Break is will a iron like that solder close to what one of those cheap stations do? I dont mind spending the $50 I just dont have more than that. I also dont know what the stations can do compared to lets say a $25-30 weller in the style you linked at like 40 or more watts.

I liked that 937+ you linked and after a search they have a 936 which is basiclly the same thing but without the digital LCD and has the dial and a couple lights. I could live without the LCD.

What about
this guy
or would a
plain jane weller 40 watt
be better?

I know im asking a ton of questions so sorry to be a pain. money wise either of those would fit nice with some extras cash for some supplies but I an still considering that 936 but not sure how much better the soldering would be with it because I have no frame of reference.

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #34 on: December 15, 2011, 05:31:45 PM »
From what I read on a couple of forums is that Aoyue's entire line are Chinese clones of Hakko units
Also it's only 35watts.

How about this 40 Watt Weller station WLC100:
http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC

P.S.
It's not temperature controlled.


Offline Bocephus

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #35 on: December 15, 2011, 05:51:31 PM »
Ya thats the original one I was looking at when I had the $50 sears gift card. My only question would be from a performance standpoint how much better will a unit like that perform compared to a standard non-station 40 watt weller? I mean Ill assume it wont hold temps as steady as the station but Im kinda slow when I solder due to lack of experiance so I wont be busting out 10 connections in 15 seconds lol.

Offline timesarerough

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #36 on: December 15, 2011, 06:46:08 PM »
Something like this might an viable option for you:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/60W-Electric-Temperature-Adjustable-Soldering-Iron-Tool-/180557962134?pt=Radio_Control_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a0a17db96

The link about claims 60 watts, but I kinda doubt it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Adjustable-Electric-Temperature-Soldering-Iron-Tool-790-/190509706696?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c5b436dc8

And this one claims 40 watts, which is probably accurate.

But I dunno how long it'll last though....cheap enough not to worry about blowing a fortune before you're able to afford something better.

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Re: Soldering Station
« Reply #37 on: December 18, 2011, 11:22:49 PM »
Here's an outstanding deal on a brand new FX-888 and comes equipped with a pile of extra accessories!!:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Hakko-FX-888-FX888-23BY-Soldering-Station-Factory-AUTHORIZED-Distributor-/270842901473?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f0f7eb3e1

Even has the "Make Offer" option available, could get a really good deal on this soldering station!

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