Soldering station recommendation for electronics?

What is a good soldering station to get to solder electronics? I just picked up a Megasquirt for my car and want to put it together right. It is a Printed circuit board with a bag of resistors, diodes, transistors, chips, etc. I figure a good soldering setup would also be useful for playing with ebike electronics. Any recommendations?

Some folks like a hakko, but I went for a 40 dollar set up on e bait. It worked great. Adjustable temp and some extra goodies came with it.
But after shorting it on some live wires and pulling it off the bench too many times it was all used up. All in all it was a good starter kit.

All depends on your budget. I'm using an OKI Intl. PS900 (http://www.okinternational.com/product_soldering/ps_900) and it's been incredible. With the fatter tips it can handle heavy copper 4-layer boards and even soldering lugs onto 4AWG cable! No temperatures to set, just pick the tip (takes 4 seconds to change) and go. And it warms up in about 20 seconds. But, it costs about $225.

The Weller WES51 is a great temperature-controlled unit (http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=WES51-ND) and is a lot less expensive at about $125.

There are a lot of lesser-known brand name units that cost half this but I'm not familiar with how long any of them last, how easy they are to use and replace tips on, how easy tips are to source, etc. Hopefully someone else has that info.

[Edit] Ahh..Icewrench posted before I could finish typing ]

There is also a "boost iron" that I think liveforphysics posted a link to in a recent thread. I don't remember the thread but I saved the link in case I have money sometime for it; it sounds like an excellent iron for the way I work.
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/21-8145&CAWELAID=220244247

I am currently using a Velleman VTSS5 bought a couple of years or more ago at Fry's Electronics for around $40 I think. It's ok, I guess, but the threaded tip holder that was swaged to the cylinder holding the heating element is no longer swaged to it. I think that lasted about 4 or 5 months before it started to be a little loose. It makes it impossible to tighten the tip holder ring (which works itself loose as I work on things) without two pairs of pliers, and one has to be very thin to grip the small width of tip holder that is available between the ring and the cylinder, as that width is slightly narrower diameter than the cylinder and a lot less than the ring. Then some time ago the LED that shows it's on started flickering and stopped working at all, which almost got me burned a couple of times thinking it was not actually plugged in and on.

The plastic iron holder is supposed to capture and hold the spring the iron sits in, but that broke the first weeks in. Eventually when I was out someplace fixing some stuff on a consulting job I managed to lose the spring because of that, but fortunately had one off an old cable-run for a dog (meant to keep tension on the cable run between two trees)--it just happens to be almost the same size as the original. A couple of twists of bare wire keep it from coming off the plastic holder now.

However, the tip itself has lasted forever, and I tend to forget to turn it off when I am done, especially since the LED doesn't work. I usually have to have it on almost max temperature to do the work I do with it. Often that is desoldering and soldering large capacitors and whatnot from power and ground planes on motherboards or power supplies, to fix things for a little money now and then. I just have to re-tin it a lot. But it doesn't pit or bend, so I'll give them kudos for that.

CamLight said:

The Weller WES51 is a great temperature-controlled unit (http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=WES51-ND) and is a lot less expensive at about $125.

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+1

Yep Weller WESD51 is a great unit, will do 450 degrees C, ideal to solder those big wires and traces, I used one to solder to Konion cells with no problems.

For a number of years I used a Weller WTCPT. It was very durable and I use it in my bag still when I have to go on the road.

I currently use a Metcal SP-200 solder station and a Metcal SP-440 Desolder station on the bench. The power of the Metcal's is incredible. All the three above are temperature controlled, but with the Metcal's you can go from soldering fine pitch surface mount to #10 copper braid with the same tip and back to back. The WTCPT is a constant power iron that is temperature controlled, the Metcal can vary the power into the tip to maintain temperature. For example the Metcal heats from room temp to soldering temp in about 5 seconds.

The Weller WTCPT with a 700 degree tip would be a good, safe start. When you are ready for more, look for the Metcal's on Ebay. Never had a reliability problem with either, and had my first tip fail open on the Metcal last week after 4 years of near constant use.

I've got lots of fancy dancy digital temperature controlled irons with fancy stuff. They just collect dust.

15/150w booster iron = My favorite iron ever.

They have a lot of different names, "thermal recovery iron", "booster iron" etc. It's an iron that has a button that shorts the current limiting resistor whenever you press it. It's 15w idle, 150w on the button. I solder 4awg with them, and then do 1mm surface mount parts with the same iron. Since the idle temp is that of a 15w iron, the tips stays cool enough just sitting around so that it doesn't oxidize.

If you are on a budget, but want a soldering iron that can do fine as well as heavy stuff. Lowes has a Bernzomatic portable propane Iron that is actually pretty good for $15. I bought it even though I didn't need one. To light it you need to grab the black plastic and pull it forward so a small opening on the side is shown. You light it with a flame. Don't try lighting it from the tip since it will only heat ahead of the ceramic element. Took me a while to figure that one out, but it will get hot enough for batteries and thick cables as well as low enough for regular solder work. You won't find that combination in most iron without spending some bucks. Most people just have two, one for fine work and a big one for heavy gauge stuff. Plus it being protable is a plus since most of us work on our bikes in the garage, another good feature is it can be used to heatshrink and it comes with a cutting knife. Be sure to fully tin all your tips with solder before use, this will make them last longer. Here is a picture of it.

I just took a look at what liveforphysics favorite iron is. I'll have to give that a positive vote, even though I don't have one, I really like the boost feature. I have several different irons for specific jobs.

Good to see this.I posted similar request that disappeared during the forum brown out.exact info I was after.This would make a good entry in the noobie section especially for me who has a 12lb soldering Iron with a metal "cage" to keep it in when hot.It's from the '30s.I need to solder konions and small wires that come w/Ebike territory.Are these industrial stations w/desoldering and air(dry what little hair I got left?)overkill for common apps?I see some deals in surplus auctions but have no idea if they could be used in practicality.Anyone have info on them?thanks

I dug my iron out,its the size of a cattle prod,tip is 1/3"wide,made by hexacon USA "bell system" 95w,would this work for soldering konions?Or should I just keep using it for tattoo's?

see amberwolf's post above,he wrote the link down.good guess would be that one.

gilnet said:

see amberwolf's post above,he wrote the link down.good guess would be that one.

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Hey; thanx gilnet

I should have checked out his link, ... anyway I ordered one with a couple extra tips.

liveforphysics said:

15/150w booster iron = My favorite iron ever.

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I bought on of these last Thursday on Lukes recommendation and its freakin BRILLIANT! Cost me $AU19 local

KiM

Everythings been blurry since I went at soldering options for last 2wks.The one w/ boost was probably what was right for me,total novice but was backorder on the site I found.Came close to overbuying but got confused enough to think basic.Up popped the weller wtcp18(?) for 15$ so I ended the search.be here quick and don't have to watch 50+ stations on ebay.Practice w/it and look for surplus overkill units instead of buying something that I find out is lacking parts.Kinda like ebike.I now know things I couldn't have imagined when starting out.new toy,got by cheap,what more to ask for.

we51 weller

no doubt .. i've had one for almost 2 years.. i used it daily ..

works awsome!

-steveo

i started digging upon the subject like i always do if it's new to me, not much info in ES, looks like this thread will be most productive for following noobs like me, after all and all at the bottom line what would you guys pick from these ?

these are not the cheapest but not the luxurious, middle range, hand held, non stationary bulky, but still quality versatile soldering irons (with a punch?).

the most common brands mentioned hakko tenma goot weller (the order of brands is random, not prioritized), category known as quick heat/boost/Recovery irons.

tenma Fast Heat
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/21-8145&CAWELAID=220244247

hakko presto 980
http://www.hakkousa.com/detail.asp?CID=49,120&PID=2717&Page=1

goot TQ 95
http://gsmserver.com/shop/equipment/soldering_sssembly/soldering_station_iron_gun/goot_tq_95_quick_heat_soldering_iron.php

her's an opinion from an abuser
http://www.rccars.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-1381.html

goot homepage, it's neat cos nicely organized by categories (broad view on soldering world)
http://www.goot.co.jp/e/category.html

can some 1 tell which shape is better the gun or pen ? logically seems to me not many situations will demand a curved iron (gun), but how about strain on the hand after hours of work ?

also when playing with small parts, what's better/comfortable the headset loupe like glasses or the desktop round loupe with light ?

kfong said:

Lowes has a Bernzomatic portable propane Iron that is actually pretty good for $15.

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Just ran up to Lowe's and bought one.

Slick!... The rope blade is a nice touch. When one of the lines breaks on my windsurfing gear, it's always at the beach with no electric available and it's handy tb able to dress the end of a line.

Hey Pete, didn’t know you were a windsurfer. Seems like a lot less interest in that sport these days. I’ve been windsurfing for a quite a while now. I even met Robbie Naish while in Maui. The waves there are my favorite. The past two years I moved on to Kiteboarding but still windsurf when the winds are strong. Yeah, that little torch soldering iron is pretty useful. I had to use it recently to melt and seal some nylon straps with the blade. It’s better then putting a match to it.

I am a fan of the Hakko Blue model 508
Fry's electronics sells them for $12 usd

I found that it works even better when hooked to a control box with a dial from low to high. I think this one is made for making stained glass.
anyway with it turned down it does not overheat the work or make the black stuff. and if I am doing something with more mass, I turn it up.

the hakko blue has a hexagon handle that keeps it from rolling, a little soldering stand, extra tip and desoldering wick.
it also has a nice chromed tip that resists crud and easy to wipe clean on a damp sponge.
I have been using them for a couple decades

Please consider investing in a "fumes collector", too.

THis thread is interesting!