Soldering Irons

[big_teee]

I'm looking for a heavy duty soldering iron, with lite duty Price!
Looking for something in the 40-60 Watt range, that is not a station.
I have a bunch of industrial irons that are playing out. (can't find heating elements for them)
They are irons that go in soldering iron cages.
I want something that is regular sized.
Any ideas appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
T

[ReWind]

Wellers are like Marshalls to me. I keep trying to get away but I keep coming back home to one.

[big_teee]

Wellers are like Marshalls to me. I keep trying to get away but I keep coming back home to one.

Can you be more specific?
Which one do you use?
T

[ReWind]

I didn't say because what I use now is a station and I know that's not what you are looking for it's a WESD51. It's a VERY reasonable price though.

Even the cheap orange pencils are good though. I just like the station for the flexibility, REALLY fast heat up, stable temperature, and lightweight iron/cord.

[copperheadroads]

I have used one of these for about 5 years now
Xytronic 30 Watt Pro Soldering Iron- Incredible Quality!
It just wont die .....hundreds of pickups & a Amp build & a couple of pedals & it still going strong
I bought another one of these last year as a backup ....but the original is still going strong

[David King]

Just make sure that the tip is iron clad and not just unplated copper and you'll be happy. The copper tips dissolve very quickly and get all hollowed out so you'll be constantly filing them and replacing them. I can't ever see using an iron that doesn't have a true feedback temperature control, that would be a waste of time and money in my book.

[tedmich]

Kada 936D Digital soldering Station with English Manual (60W 24V AC) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme
Hakko 900M clone, more like 30w

[JoeM]

Another similar Iron to the one GFS sells:

25W Thermally Balanced Professional Soldering Iron

[big_teee]

Another similar Iron to the one GFS sells:

25W Thermally Balanced Professional Soldering Iron

I have a Weller WP25, which says it is a 20 Watt iron on the side.
It is just too little for most of what I do.
T

[copperheadroads]

HaHA............ I bought a cheap Radio Shack type 40 watt iron for doing pots & now it has a hooked tip -(it reminds me of a eagle beak deformed limp bent over tip after soldering a dozen pots ) wtf ..
Back to the xytronics irons

[David King]

My Hakko 936 is a total piece of shit. It eats tips, they don't last 12 hours. Also the 50-60W isn't nearly enough for large components or large ground plane pads. I'm still shopping for the right 80-100W iron /controller. There have been good recommendations here before I just need to dig them up.

I just did a search and Metcal (now OKIndustries) keep popping up as the iron to beat. I've heard many warning about buying these used on ebay as once the power supply goes bad you are holding a boat anchor so you need to find one that tested and ships not DOA. You need a different tip for each temperature but the basic tip is 500º F -much lower than we usually set the stations and that's because tip heating is instantaneous, there's no temperature sag or lag.

[big_teee]

Weller has 2 irons with temperature sensing tips, that should do most jobs.
Weller 60W/3-Wire Controlled Output Soldering Iron | W60P3 | Weller
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/produc...100P3-/96-1726
You can buy tips that are 600, 700, 800 degrees.
I think the 60 watt model would fit my needs?
T

[tedmich]

My Hakko 936 is a total piece of shit. It eats tips, they don't last 12 hours. Also the 50-60W isn't nearly enough for large components or large ground plane pads. I'm still shopping for the right 80-100W iron /controller. There have been good recommendations here before I just need to dig them up.

I just did a search and Metcal (now OKIndustries) keep popping up as the iron to beat. I've heard many warning about buying these used on ebay as once the power supply goes bad you are holding a boat anchor so you need to find one that tested and ships not DOA. You need a different tip for each temperature but the basic tip is 500º F -much lower than we usually set the stations and that's because tip heating is instantaneous, there's no temperature sag or lag.

I ran across a DIY audio discussion where one guy bought 12 Metcals for work and they had a 100% failure rate at 6mo, YMMV but most of the previous industry leaders seem to have gone through considerable "corporate cost cutting" I am guessing the dealextreme route will get you the best value.

[big_teee]

Back to real soldering irons, not soldering stations.
Does anyone else have any heavy duty iron ideas?
T

[Bruce Johnson]

I do my heavy soldering with one of the "junior sized" Weller soldering guns. It's called a Standard Model 7200. I think it cost about $15. I've had it for about 18 years. I don't use it very often, but every time I need it, it works. The big Weller guns are heavy and clumsy, but these little ones are comfortable to work with. Not much temp control, but heats up in about 3 seconds and applies enough heat to solder a 12 ga wire to a lug.

Update: Here it is on Amazon. It's about $25 now. It's 75 watts.
Amazon.com: Weller 7200PK 75-Watt Standard Lightweight Soldering Gun Kit: Home Improvement