Hi,

Can anyone recommend a suitable soldering iron for circuit board work (i.e. building a megasquirt), don't really need new and happy to get of flebay etc...

I have a gas powered one but i guess this would be too hot?

Cheers

Ash

go to maplins, Antex 15 W is what I use. Set you badck all of £ 14.99.

Best to go for a proffesional one if you can get it. I use Metcal or Pace ones. Will you be using lead free solder?

I can recommend 3 types.

Weller, Weller and Weller!

I have heard good things about Hakko and the numerous Chinese clones they have spawned but I can't comment from practical experience.

I agree with Weller.
Steve.

[Edited on 17/4/07 by stevec]

Metcal irons are really nice if you can afford them, much better than the weller one's I've used. But for through hole work you don't need that level of performance and weller are easily good enough and a much better price, if you're ever doing surface mount rework under a microscope though...

Did someone mention lead-free solder? <shudder>

15W is probably not enough from my experiance. It will do the job but it will struggle to heat things up meaning you'll have the tip of the iron on componenets for longer than is really good for them. Especially with some lead free solders.

quote:

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Originally posted by iank


Did someone mention lead-free solder? <shudder>

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Cheers Chaps,

Had seen some weller ones and that seams the favorite, another question.......

Soldering station or just plug in the wall iron??

Ash.

hmmm, never had any components fail when soldered with my 15 W iron, seems to work alright for me

another tip - hold the iron by the cold end