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Retail Store to buy a decent soldering iron?

post #1 of 19
5/10/08 at 9:54am
Thread Starter 
Well I want to get into DIY audio fast and I already have everything I need except a decent soldering iron.

I was wondering if there are any hardware stores in the U.S. (specifically Ohio) that carry a decent soldering iron.

I do not think Lowes or Home Depot will have anything, how about Hobby Town, Hobby Land, or other hobby shops.

If there is an obvious place I am forgetting please tell me!

Thank you
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post #2 of 19
5/10/08 at 10:00am
Radio Shack (*shudder*) is the famous fallback position for such pieces of kit, but I rather favor PartsExpress.com for these things. Remember: buy in haste, regret at leisure.
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post #3 of 19
5/10/08 at 10:04am
Thread Starter 
Eh ive already been to Ratshack and they didnt really have anything close to decent.

And I dont have but is it necessary to have a multimeter?
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post #4 of 19
5/10/08 at 10:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snicewicz View Post
And I dont have but is it necessary to have a multimeter?
You didn't mention RatShack, so I did; sometimes thay have the better kit on line. You need a muti meter if what you are building need to be tuned and aligned. I have used one regularly for the last forty years and would recommend you get a decent name brand one you will not have to replace.
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post #5 of 19
5/10/08 at 3:00pm
Don't buy radioshack soldering irons, just don't. I have used a Ratshack iron to build a few amps in the past and it's so frustrating. The tip doesn't heat evenly, there's two hot spots where solder collects that could not be further away from the point. -_-

If you have a real electrical supply store nearby, go visit it and ask one of the clerks what they have. Those kind of places are catering to professionals and not turning themselves into smaller, crappier versions of Best Buy like Ratshack has done.
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post #6 of 19
5/10/08 at 3:32pm
Find a dedicated electronics parts store, they'll have some decent weller irons, with different tips and wattage.
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post #7 of 19
5/11/08 at 8:07am
Lowe's carries two Weller soldering irons for sale in kits. I bought this one to replace a Radio Shack iron and it was an extreme improvement. Here's the more typical looking iron. The shorter iron length has been especially nice, and it fits generic soldering tips that work well for most DIY stuff.
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post #8 of 19
5/11/08 at 10:55am
Thread Starter 
Thanks infinite, i think Ill pick that one up today, just to hold me over until I get one online
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post #9 of 19
5/11/08 at 7:29pm
Do you have Fry's in Ohio? I'd never heard of em until I started hanging around here, so I don't know if they're in ohio

but don't get a ratshack iron whatever you do....or else....
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post #10 of 19
5/11/08 at 7:42pm
There's nothing wrong with that 25-watt Weller. It's a really good iron. Replacing it would only be worthwhile if you replaced it with a nice variable-temp soldering station.

Amazon has the WP100 5-40W soldering station for 30 bux.
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post #11 of 19
5/12/08 at 5:02am
This is the one I use and it does a great job. I've used it for cable jobs and some component replacement. I'll soon see how it works with silver solder.
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post #12 of 19
5/12/08 at 5:22am
How close are you to Dayton?

This coming weekend is the big Hamvention. Details here:

2008 Dayton Hamvention® - The Greatest Amateur Radio Convention in the World!

If you can get there, GO. You will find a soldering iron. You will find a multimeter. You will find more tubes than you will know what to do with. You should also look into a Variac and an isolation transformer. Have you thought about getting a shortwave? Those are terrific fun and restoration is another great avenue into DIY and learning point-to-point. There's no better "teacher" of point-to-point than going through an old Hammarlund, Drake, Collins, or Hallicrafters. The people who built those were amazing. Learning from their work is the best way to learn.

Anyhow, there are 2,500 stalls at the fleamarket. I repeat, 2,500 stalls. Anything you could want and thousands of things you never knew you needed will be there. Further, the people running the stalls will be geeky, knowledgeable and helpful. Tell them what you're up to and you will be led to everything you need.

The annual Hamvention is the biggest hamfest in the country, and it's happening next weekend. I'm jealous - I've been wanting to hit Dayton. I will one of these years.

You have to go. Really. Just go.
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post #13 of 19
3/17/10 at 2:00am
If there is a Grainger store near you, they have good eqipment. Because they carry so many products though, you should probably look online first. Grainger Industrial Supply Also, I'm not sure if you have to have an account set up before you purchase from them. You should probably check that out too. If your looking for a Fluke multimeter, they have an awesome selection. Fluke is one of the best. Hope this helps.
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post #14 of 19
3/17/10 at 2:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimndre View Post
If there is a Grainger store near you, they have good eqipment. Because they carry so many products though, you should probably look online first. Grainger Industrial Supply Also, I'm not sure if you have to have an account set up before you purchase from them. You should probably check that out too. If your looking for a Fluke multimeter, they have an awesome selection. Fluke is one of the best. Hope this helps.
Nothing like quoting yourself is there? Sorry, I just figured out that they may only sell to businesses. Still it is such an awesome resource that I think its worth checking out. If you see something in the Grainger catalog that you need, I can try to help you get it. Good luck.
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post #15 of 19
3/17/10 at 3:05am
the internet ! buy a hakko for like $70 and a different tip then what comes with it and your done.
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