wats the best soldering gun?

[nero1985]

where can i get a good one,, radio shack? home depot? wich one do u recomend and wat wattage should i get???
thanks u guys!

[Dirk_Hendrik]

Get a solderin iron of appro 15 to 20 watts. Soldering guns get way too hot in a short time and are not recommended for electronics.

[adgators89]

15 - 25 watts is good, soldering irons are what you want ot use for electronic devices.  The guns are way to high wattages and will melt the plastic or whatever you work with.

you can get a decent 15-25 watt soldering iron anywhere, just make sure is has a nice pencil point tip on it

[dosmun]

Another thing don't buy the Copper replacement tips that Radio Shack carries.  They last about 30 minutes.  If you are going to be doing much soldering at all it is worth it to buy a decent solder station.  Circuit Specialists carries a nice one for around $40.

[WorkBench]

The radioshack 100 watt soldering gun is great for its price, and really makes it easy to solder onto pots or other large heat sucking stuff.  the best way to ground to the back of a pot is with the gun, the irons are for the small work!

[vfr800fiman]

Weller WTCPT is THE best IMHO!
The closed-loop feedback system is awesome!
http://www.hmcelectronics.com/cgi-bin/scripts/product/1980-0217/
Don't be discouraged by the price, it will last a lifetime.
Glenn

[BlackFlag1313]

http://www.hmcelectronics.com/cgi-bin/scripts/product/1980-0373

The above Weller Station is great for about $40.  The ST tips last forever.  Avoid the Rat Shack irons IMHO.  The above unit will last you years and adjust from 5 to 40 watts.

[scottosan]

where can i get a good one,, radio shack? home depot? wich one do u recomend and wat wattage should i get???
thanks u guys!

I use a 40 watter, I personally think that with the lower wattage irons, you hve to be in contact with the components to longs.  I like to get in and get out pretty fast.

[j0shua]

I have a 15 Watts Weller solder iron , Ceramic head ... ( Don't need to clean after use lol )... it's old one i buy on local electronic store 2 years ago ... very fine point head to avoid any kin of short circuit .....

40 W or more can be a mess , because you can fry any component

[MartyB]

Peter Snowberg recommended these guys.  I bought mine from them.  I love it.

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/level.itml/icOid/6388

[Dragonfly]

i used a cheap Radio Shack 30 watter for about 2 years before i got my current soldering iron...i was having to replace tips on it every 5-10 pedals or so, depending on the complexity. not only that, it takes forever to heat up, and had no variable temperature control (which is an extremely good feature to have...jacks need more heat than trannys and ic's, etc...)


then...i got my current iron...a Weller WES51 base with a PES51 iron. Geez....i wish i had "broken down" and bought a good iron sooner...this thing heats up fast, changes temperature quickly, is compact, tips last seemingly forever....man, i save so much time and have so much less frustration now, its amazing...

moral of the story....buy a good iron...it'll save you money in the long run, save you time, and save you frustration....

my $.02,
 Andy
 Dragonfly FX

[Peter Snowberg]

$39 - http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/7501
$59 - http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/7760
$79 - http://www.circuitspecialists.com/prod.itml/icOid/3528



I have the $79 one and it took 18+ years of serious use (including lots of production line use) and occasional abuse. It seems like the heater finally died but that's not bad for 18 years! I loaned it to somebody who used it while set at 818 degrees F for several days... all day long. That was 1989.

Tips last for years under serions use if you don't clean with a wet sponge or paper towel (read: anything organic). Also not using them to cut plastic really helps (I have a 150W Weller gun with a plastic cutting tip for that). Use a brass scouring pad cleaner! They're great!

Now to get a new wand and I'm back in operation.

[downweverything]

http://www.hmcelectronics.com/cgi-bin/scripts/product/1980-0373

The above Weller Station is great for about $40.  The ST tips last forever.  Avoid the Rat Shack irons IMHO.  The above unit will last you years and adjust from 5 to 40 watts.

i second this one for sure.  best LOW COST iron ive used.

[SirPoonga]

I currently use the radioshack duel watt station.  Works for me.

[michael_krell]

i use a weller wes51 station. i got it from lashen electronics for like 90. Def the wisest purchase ive ever made.