Soldering Iron.....any suggestions?

[rwilson]

Hi there, can anyone recommend one to me or are they much of a muchness?

I'm not sure what type of wattage I should be aiming to buy as a minimum.


regards richard

[AmiSMB]

For doing larger items like thick wires and motor connections the I would recommend the Antex HP100 240V 100W soldering iron. It does not cost the earth either as you can purchase it for under £15. Just search for it in Google.

[j.m.]

A 40w Iron is plenty for 12awg wire...

A 100w iron will likely get too hot if it's not regulated.

My godfather swears by Weller and uses them in his Mercedes electronic repair business. I have a Weller 25w and a Weller 40w. The 40w iron with the larger tip will easily solder 12-10awg wire without a fit and they are very inexpensive. Easy to recognize because they have bright orange handles.

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/400/9c/9c6df62e-4880-4926-9ae8-2ecc62129742_400.jpg

You can likely find it much cheaper than this:
http://www.anticsonline.co.uk/533_1_17075.html

I bought mine for $19, or 11.40 for you guys.

[DCM]

pop to Maplins, they normally have a few temp controlled soldering irons, this will allow the tips to last a lot longer. Also, without the need to solder cells these days, you don't need massive tips either, 4-5mm is more than ample, if the iron itself is good.

[rwilson]

cool i'll have a look at those tonight, I am working nights this week !!!!

[j.m.]

+1 for DCM's suggestion, temp controlled is the way to go. If you want to pay for it...

Jon

[ashleyb4]

Ive got a weller iron Ive had it for about 4 years now and its never missed a beat. Neil Oliver borrowed it to solder up cells forstormforce racing it did loads of packs and still going strong.

A

[rwilson]

cool, i'll have a look at the adjustable temp ones

[j.m.]

Ive got a weller iron Ive had it for about 4 years now and its never missed a beat. Neil Oliver borrowed it to solder up cells forstormforce racing it did loads of packs and still going strong.

A

(GO WELLER!!)

I remember a specific model my godfather has at his place in his workshop... it was around 90w and would heat up in around 25 seconds. Once at a set temperature (by the user) it would back off the heat unless needed. (Keep it against a puddle of solder long and it will keep the tip at the same temp.)

[Battle_axe]

i use a weller 80W for everything its just perfet fot the job however its a solder station so not to easy to carry round

[rwilson]

gone for a weller 40w.

thanks everyone

[j.m.]

Try to get some extra tips, the small one has worn out after about 2 years now. Don't forget to have a wet sponge handy to wipe the tip clean, that'll keep em nice and pretty for years to come.