[scottder]

Lots of people seem to like Weller. Whats a good selection in the $50-$100 range?

Scott

 

[Voodoochile]

Yes, I also like Weller!
I have the WES51, which is ~$98.00 from Grainger Industrial Supply. It's ESD-safe, and has excellent temperature control from 350-850f.
Linkage here...

 

[scottder]

Friend of mine recommended that model as well. what tips are you using with that?

 

[Voodoochile]

The ST7... tiny, but still a chisel tip. Good for SOIC mounting.

Two things I like about this station- the pencil is light and the cord is very limber; and temp control is very responsive. The stand is also fairly decent... not always the case.

 

[jopi]

Got the same iron a couple of month ago. Sounds expensive at first, but well worth the investment in my case.

 

[Voodoochile]

Yeah, it seemed expensive to me, too. I put it off for a long time. But after about ten minutes of use, I wish I had it a long time ago. It's just so much easier to solder with a proper iron (and proper solder, of course).

People who are put off by soldering are usually using a really cheap iron with a stiff cord and a fat tip, no flux, and 60/40 solder, the diameter of a coathanger. Not a good time at all

.

If you solder more than occasionally, this is a great tool to have.

 

[scottder]

Quote:

Originally posted by Voodoochile Yeah, it seemed expensive to me, too. I put it off for a long time. But after about ten minutes of use, I wish I had it a long time ago. It's just so much easier to solder with a proper iron (and proper solder, of course). People who are put off by soldering are usually using a really cheap iron with a stiff cord and a fat tip, no flux, and 60/40 solder, the diameter of a coathanger. Not a good time at all . If you solder more than occasionally, this is a great tool to have.

I may ask for this as an xmas gift, get off to the right start on my adventures in DIY audio

BTW, what solders do you use? Most people mention solder with at least some silver content for audio projects.

 

[Tomo]

Hey,

I am getting an ANTEX soldering pencil.

They are pretty good. (except for the fact that tips break after severe use ...)

Tomo

 

[puppyslugg]

Quote:

Originally posted by scottder BTW, what solders do you use? Most people mention solder with at least some silver content for audio projects.

Cardas or Wonder solder. Some solder with silver is very difficult to work with ie: Radio Shack.

 

[pcyeh]

Hakko is also a good option for the soldering iron. I bought my Hakko 936-9 SOLDERING STATION (soldering iron included) from ebay for $80. It has temperature control and works really well. I just found some store is having it on sale for $79.95: http://www.aedwis.com/hakko.html.

As to the solder, I also use Cardas solder. I bought my Cardas solder from: http://www.soniccraft.com/parts/cardas.htm , $38.00 per lb.. I think this should be the cheapest price of Cardas solder you can get. Welborne lab sells Cardas solder $90.00 per lb.

 

[scottder]

Quote:

Originally posted by pcyeh Hakko is also a good option for the soldering iron. I bought my Hakko 936-9 SOLDERING STATION (soldering iron included) from ebay for $80. It has temperature control and works really well. I just found some store is having it on sale for $79.95: www.aedwis.com/hakko.html . As to the solder, I also use Cardas solder. I bought my Cardas solder from: www.soniccraft.com/parts/cardas.htm , $38.00 per lb.. I think this should be the cheapest price of Cardas solder you can get. Welborne lab sells Cardas solder $90.00 per lb.

Another thing to think about when I look into buying a soldering iron, thanks! Are tips for the Hakko easy to come by as well?

 

[pcyeh]

Since I haven't replaced my tip yet, I don't really know if Hakko tips are easy to get or not. However, I searched for "Hakko tips" on Google and I saw quite a few store selling the Hakko tips. I assume that it should not be a problem to get tip replacement for Hakko irons.

 

[puppyslugg]

Quote:

Originally posted by pcyeh I assume that it should not be a problem to get tip replacement for Hakko irons.

It still wouldn't be a bad idea to have few around. Just in case. It would really suck to have a working station and no tip. The station will probably last many, many years. The question is: will the manufacturer? I am speaking from personal experience.

 

[scottder]

Good idea puppyslug, better safe than sorry, besides, tips aren't that expensive anyway.

 

[Gariver]

Hakko tips are excellent and easy to get. Here's two places that have them (see below). Of the two, Wassco has the tips at a much lower price. However, Action Elec has nice diagrams that are useful in selecting tips. My favorites? I happen to like the 1.2 mm Chisel and the 0.8 mm pointed tip. The last one is great for SMD work.

Solder? I use Cardas Quad Eutectic. It's the best solder I've tried. It solders clean! So you don't have to waste time cleaning your boards! Where to buy? I got 1/4 lb roll for $11 over at PercyAudio.com.

Please notice that Action-Electronics has the Hakko 936 Soldering Station for $99.00. That other store mentioned above has it for $80. Hmm...that's a great price! Anyway, the 936 is an excellent soldering station. It exudes quality! Oh, yes! You can get it in either black or white.

http://www.action-electronics.com/hakko.htm

http://www.wassco.com/soleq.html

I have a black Hakko 937 digital soldering station. Is it better than the 936? Not really. With the 937, you do get high precision for setting the temperature. However, at times, I would love to change temp fast! That, of course, can be done easily with the 936, but not with the digital 937.