[Kitarist]

So i'm not really new to the DIY scene i have already dont some Guitar pedals etc.. I was using some cheap Soldering iron that died.. now i'm looking for a good soldering station or just another good soldering iron.I'm usually making Guitar Pedals but now i'll also switch to making a Headphone amps

So what do you recommened ? (around 50eu..) Small tip is the best righT?

I saw this but looks kinda "cheap" but its only 23w and you can adjust heat so thats great or should i spend on something more pricey lol

Adjustable Temperature Controlled Soldering Station on eBay, also, Soldering Equipment, Power Tools, Business, Office Industrial (end time 11-Feb-09 20:00:00 GMT)

Thanks!!!

 

[SinnerG]

This kind of looks good:

SMD KADA 852D+ Soldering Station Rework SMT Welder 852 on eBay, also Assemblies EM Devices, Electronic Components, Electrical Test Equipment, Business Industrial (end time 14-Feb-09 10:23:34 GMT)

It's on my list of cheap things to get from China.

I've seen other hobbyists using the Kada soldering stations without complaints. The soldering station can be found on dealextreme:

DealExtreme: $46.58 Kada 936D Digital soldering Station with English Manual (60W 24V AC)

It's a clone of the Hakko. I need a station as well, so I'll be ordering that one in a month or so. Whether it is better than a true Hakko, I can't say. On the brighter side, at least true Hakko replacement parts/tips/etc will work with it.

 

[mojo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SinnerG /img/forum/go_quote.gif This kind of looks good: SMD KADA 852D+ Soldering Station Rework SMT Welder 852 on eBay, also Assemblies EM Devices, Electronic Components, Electrical Test Equipment, Business Industrial (end time 14-Feb-09 10:23:34 GMT)

It does look good... Having hot air re-work is really worth it IMHO. I had never used one before but since having a go at work I have come to appreciate it's usefulness.

For DIY audio I'm not sure how much use it would get. For surface mount work it's the only way to go, and it's also the best option for re-working / de-soldering stuff too.

Be warned though that the really cheap ones are kinda nasty. The Aoyue one at work is noisy, even when not using the hot air part, which I find distracting. It vibrates a lot too when in use.

On the soldering side a 50W+ iron is a good diea. Even when only working on small joints it can help, and obviously for cables or large components it's invaluable.

 

[SinnerG]

I can well imagine. Some China-produced products can be very dodgey in construction. Others on the other hand can be pretty good.

I do like the fact that it can use genuine Hakko parts should anything go wrong.

I'll definitely be ordering the Kada soldering station. Not in any rush for a hot-air unit, but that price is tempting. Just have to watch the expenses.

 

[mojo]

Let us know how you get on with it!

 

[Kitarist]

i will

 

[rhys h]

If you want a simple iron, i would find one of the 'Antex' brand.

 

[Kitarist]

i'll just go with the one i mentioned i think its ok enough. hehe

 

[Kitarist]

so guys is this worth it

Velleman 3 in 1 Lab Unit

it seems like a good deal but i want to ask how do you usually know that a soldering station is bad or good quality.

Thanks!!!

 

[mojo]

I'd steer clear of that thing. It sounds like a good idea but to work all three components would have to be good.

Multimeters vary a lot, and for audio sometimes you will want a better quality one. PSUs do vary a bit, not as important for audio since typically you only use one for testing then connect a different PSU when done. The iron is something of an unknown.

To be honest I'm quite happy with my little 18W Antec iron, which cost the princely sum of £15. It's actually a very nice iron to work with, and the tips are cheap. Has enough power for most tasks and although not temperature controlled I have had no issues with it. It's also 10 years old and still going strong.

I keep looking at Hakko etc, but so far have not found a need for them. A more powerful iron does help when soldering large cables but most of what I do is small wires or components. About the only thing I would say is that a hot air gun, even a cheap one, is fantastic for re-work and SMT stuff. Even just de-soldering multi-pole connectors or components is so much easier with one as you can heat all joints at the same time.

Having used cheap Aoyue temperature controlled irons I'd say you were probably better off getting a quality Antec one without temperature control, or saving up for a Hakko or similar. The cheap ones tend to vary a lot in terms of quality and durability, particularly the tips. Our one at work went bang three times in it's first year and had to be replaced under warranty. We didn't even push it that hard, mainly just component replacement. The tips get worn down quickly and tend to make poor contact with the heater anyway.

 

[odigg]

I don't know about Europe, but I was very impressed with the Hakko 936ESD. If I did enough DIY to justify the price ($77 on Amazon) I would buy it. It had a wide range of tips for all sorts of work.

I know somebody who does a lot of design/building of usb interfaces. This requires a good bit of SMD work. For a long time he had a very basic iron with no temperature control. When they were throwing away a bunch of Metcal irons at work he took one home. I don't think he would have ever spent his own money to buy such a thing.

Moral of the story. Person doing the soldering is generally more important than soldering iron

Also, I'd rather get a seperate multimeter than an all in one unit. You might wake up one day and want to watch the voltage output of an amp as you eat breakfast on your dining table.

 

[mojo]

Funnily enough I too have been doing a lot of USB development, and so SMD stuff with just the 18W Antec.

I have to agree with odigg, expensive irons are only worth it if you do masses of really complex soldering.