soldering Iron

[aron]

I haven't had to change the tip at all. I did buy a number of different tips, but they have lasted a long time. The Radio Shack tips would always go bad quickly.

[Luke51411]

I haven't had to change the tip at all. I did buy a number of different tips, but they have lasted a long time. The Radio Shack tips would always go bad quickly.

I've been buying weller tips for my 25 watt iron... maybe it's just user error

[GGBB]

found this video, and in my short time (im a noob), completely agree with these old instructional videos. solder and solder tools are essential - almost every failure in a build was due to soldering issues ..I bet in the 95% tile anyways

wanted to post this for any other newbies to the hobby. Or even if you are an ole time - they are well made videos and worth a watch especially for noobs like me. lots of good pointers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIT4ra6Mo0s&list=PL926EC0F1F93C1837

I was not aware that the original Troy McClure did instructional videos. And that opening theme!  

[italianguy63]

I'm still on my 1st tip on my Hakko.. Had it since November... still not worn at all..  MC

[Jdansti]

I really like the performance of the Weller WLC100 station, and for $37.90 + free shipping, you can't beat it. My only complaint is that the first one I had died after about 5 years. One reviewer has gotten over 10 years of use, so I'm hoping my second one will last longer than the first.

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

I might try this one I'm getting sick of replacing tips every 3 builds. Have you had good luck with tips?

Weller tips, if properly taken care of can last for years.

I have a weller 25 watt iron right now and the tips seem to just be getting eaten up... the first few tips lasted me quite a while but not so much lately. I bought a bunch of weller 15 watt irons with screwdriver tips when they were on sale for $3 each a while ago, those tips didn't last very long either and I haven't been able to find replacements but tips for my other iron are $4 each so it worked out ok except now I'm about out of both...

No problem at all with tips. They last forever. I clean the tip after every joint by dabbing it in one of those brass pads, and I apply a thick coat of solder to the tip just before I turn it off. That's  the only care I give the tip.

[CodeMonk]

I really like the performance of the Weller WLC100 station, and for $37.90 + free shipping, you can't beat it. My only complaint is that the first one I had died after about 5 years. One reviewer has gotten over 10 years of use, so I'm hoping my second one will last longer than the first.

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

I might try this one I'm getting sick of replacing tips every 3 builds. Have you had good luck with tips?

Weller tips, if properly taken care of can last for years.

I have a weller 25 watt iron right now and the tips seem to just be getting eaten up... the first few tips lasted me quite a while but not so much lately. I bought a bunch of weller 15 watt irons with screwdriver tips when they were on sale for $3 each a while ago, those tips didn't last very long either and I haven't been able to find replacements but tips for my other iron are $4 each so it worked out ok except now I'm about out of both...

No problem at all with tips. They last forever. I clean the tip after every joint by dabbing it in one of those brass pads, and I apply a thick coat of solder to the tip just before I turn it off. That's  the only care I give the tip.

In my sponge tray, I have a normal sponge and a sponge with one of the green scotchbrite type pads on the other side with the scotchbrite side facing up.
I replace both sponge pieces every few months.

I haven't been soldering much of anything lately except replacing a JFET in an EA Tremolo I'm working on.
Damn thing still isn't working even though it has a slightly bassier output, just no modulation

[karbomusic]

I might try this one I'm getting sick of replacing tips every 3 builds. Have you had good luck with tips?

WOW.

[CodeMonk]

I might try this one I'm getting sick of replacing tips every 3 builds. Have you had good luck with tips?

WOW.

I bought a soldering at both Walmart and Radio Shack.
On both of them, the tip were wasted after one build.

[vigilante397]

The Wellers are rock-solid. I've got the WESD51 (the one with the digital display) and it's been working flawlessly for a little over a year now. Lots of tip selection, and the tips last forever. Well worth the price.

I also have the WESD51 and I love it. I wasn't very careful packing it around so the temperature sensor on the iron part stopped working, but I was able to replace the whole iron part for about $30 and it's just like new Plus I learned my lesson about packing it around

[karbomusic]

I also have the WESD51 and I love it.

Same here, going strong for a couple of years now. Excellent piece of gear.

[alanp]

I think I once used sandpaper on my 40W cheapie iron (that has been used for several dozen pedals, a score of synth modules, and a few guitar amps) to get slag off it, but other than that it's still the same tip it came with (which is good, since Dick Smith sell replacement irons, not replacement tips).

I use a Goot ST-40 brass wool thingy, not a wet sponge though.

[Greenmachine]

I really like the performance of the Weller WLC100 station, and for $37.90 + free shipping, you can't beat it. My only complaint is that the first one I had died after about 5 years. One reviewer has gotten over 10 years of use, so I'm hoping my second one will last longer than the first.

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

That's a damn fine deal right there.  Good post.

[LightSoundGeometry]

found this video, and in my short time (im a noob), completely agree with these old instructional videos. solder and solder tools are essential - almost every failure in a build was due to soldering issues ..I bet in the 95% tile anyways

wanted to post this for any other newbies to the hobby. Or even if you are an ole time - they are well made videos and worth a watch especially for noobs like me. lots of good pointers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIT4ra6Mo0s&list=PL926EC0F1F93C1837

I was not aware that the original Troy McClure did instructional videos. And that opening theme!  

who is troy mclure lol ? only this board would know the physicist ....

[GGBB]

https://youtu.be/AtIpdvPDXQU

The similarities are eerie.

[CodeMonk]

Now, I can be a real stubborn SOB.
You've seen me post abut using a sponge to clean soldering iron tips.
The scotchbrite type thing was my idea (Well, maybe not my original idea, but ya'll should know what I mean).
And it's doubtful I will ever get rid of the sponge thing (Damn government training really is brainwashing I guess). Well, not impossible. If I find a better way of doing something, I'll ump the old ways in a heartbeat.

Most of you here know that I have been at this game (using soldering irons for fun, profit, therapeutic purposes, and to see if there actually is a burn level classification between 2 and 3) longer than some of the members have been alive (please excuse my babbling as I have not been awake for very long).

Due to my government brainwashing doing metal on metal is not usually considered a good thing if you want longevity and durability (at least in the case of soldering irons)..
Now I do realize that brass as pretty as it is, is a much softer metal, than a nice hardened soldering iron tip and is not going to be threatened by something as soft as brass wool, but what I really want to know is how much more effective is it than my scotchbrite type stuff on sponge and sponge idea?
Obviously it's not going to cool off the soldering iron tip.

Educate and enlighten me please.

[Jdansti]

I don't know whether brass wool is better than Scotchbrite or not. I just offered what works for me. Two possible advantages for using brass wool come to mind: 1) The little cup doohickey that holds the pad in place doubles as a solder ball waste receptacle, and 2) some brands of brass wool come with a flux coating which helps to clean the tip.

When I was growing up, we used a folded wet paper towel placed on one of Mom's Corelle saucers. That worked too.

[CodeMonk]

I don't know whether brass wool is better than Scotchbrite or not. I just offered what works for me. Two possible advantages for using brass wool come to mind: 1) The little cup doohickey that holds the pad in place doubles as a solder ball waste receptacle, and 2) some brands of brass wool come with a flux coating which helps to clean the tip.

When I was growing up, we used a folded wet paper towel placed on one of Mom's Corelle saucers. That worked too.

I've done that a time or 3 just in the last year when I lost my sponge.

[plexi12000]

You get what you pay for.  Under 50 bucks? It's a pc. of shit.

[head_spaz]

Big HAKKO fan here. Well over 20 yrs. old and still going strong on the original tip, cord, connector and element. A lot of soldering... about half is electronics stuff.
I use a COPPER scouring pad and a sponge... and I'm fairly liberal with the soldering paste.
The copper pads are about 3 for a dollar from the grocery store (next to the latex gloves and scotch-bright pads) and are nearly identical to the brass type... but made of copper instead. These days people tell me to watch out for copper PLATED steel pads, but I haven't seen any. So I stocked up... because the times they are a changin'.

I used to be a Weller fan... since the mid 60's. Switched to Hakko in 1988 or so... and I won't be going back to Weller.
Of course it's been a long time... and they just might have cleaned up their act since then.
But I'll never know will I? They had their chance. Too little... way too late !!!

YMMV

[Philippe]

quote: "the Radio Shack tips would go quickly." no kidding...they tend to last for about one PC/harnessing project before melting and/or decomposing into a useless blunt. *gee, I wonder where they're made?* stupid question...but RS sold a lot of them.