Recommendations for Soldering Gun and other electronics hardware

Import obligatory not sure if posting in right forum;

 

Hey guys,

I just recently got an O2 DIY Amp kit for Christmas and was looking forward to setting it up when I realized that my crappy Radio Shack soldering iron was broken. I really like tinkering with electronics and whatnot, so I'm looking to get a decent quality soldering iron and was wondering if anyone had a recommendation. Also if there are other electronics tools that you think are worth mentioning, I always love to learn about new things.

 

Thanks! 

I had a similar thread a few weeks ago, https://teksyndicate.com/forum/hacking/i-need-soldering-iron/190530 You might find some good info in there.

I ended up getting s $20 weller and bought seperate a sponge & stand

weller pyropen is very good if you dont like wires.

 

its not as good as a proper soldering station though (makesure its a variable temp soldering station)

How much are you looking to spend? You can get a decent hot air Rework Station for pretty cheap these days, I really liked using the Aoyue 852 that my a friend's dad let me borrow last time I needed to repair some electronics. If I needed one more often then once a year or so I'd defiantly buy a hot air system as it was a lot easier to use the ye olde soldering iron.

I'm no soldering expert(quite the opposite, always learning though), however I use this and it works well for my needs.  Has a stand, variable temp control(although not digital) and comes with a nice chiseled tip.

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC

Disclaimer: not an expert!

I use a cheap 40 watt iron I've had for years and it works great if I follow a few general principles.

- Small cheap irons loose heat very quickly so take your time to conserve the temp at the tip.  The major difference between a cheap and expensive iron is how stable the tip temp is

- The correct gauge solder wire .5 mm or smaller.  (in your use scenario)

- Make sure your solder contains LEAD!  The lead free stuff is crap, sorry nature!  If disposed of correctly containing lead shouldn't be a problem.  look for 60/40 (tin/lead) has a wider range of melting temp.  You may only find 63/37 which is fine but has a narrow melt temp.

- Invest in a flux pen, you may need to re-flow a solder joint

- Flat dykes to cut off excess

- use a small chisel tip, pointy tip cant transfer enough heat due to small surface area

Good luck hope this helps!

your pal, wikkett

 

I am probably a bit late but hopefully my input can do some good. If you plan on soldering in the future or will need it for something else you will want a decent soldering iron(if you only need it just for this job then just buy a cheap one for now). The iron i would recommend would be the Hakko FX-8800 its about $100, you dont ever want to spend below or above around $100 for a good soldering iron, it is manufactured to a high standard and is ESD safe(the irons tip does not connect to ground) and can go up to 850 degrees Fahrenheit. other electronic equipment would be a decent multimeter and a set of tool such as flush cutters, screwdrivers or all sorts, pliers big and small along with good quality solder that is atleast %50 lead and also has a rosin core. A rosin core is when the inside of the solder is filled with flux, flux allows for a more clean and easier solder connection and it is recommended that you get a small diameter(about 0.3 inches). these are just some basic things for working with electronics there is alot more stuff such as oscilloscopes, SMD heat guns, and bench top power supplies but you will not need these things for your project.

I hope this was helpful, feel free to ask me any questions(Not regarding my grammar)

Will you need to solder something anywhere else than on your bench? If so get a Weller Portasol or a Weller P2C. They both use Butane and they work extremely well. You can never be wrong by choosing weller!

Just go to harbor freight and pick up the cheapest one.. hell it works and hasnt broken LOL.. no need to go fancy... and if it does break it wont break your bank LOL

+1

Weller soldering station

Weller and Hakko units are generally very solid. Read good reviews on the Hakko FX-8800.

Just make sure the tips are readily available and replaceable for your unit, and that there's a decent variety available if you plan on doing more soldering and different projects. Chisel tips are generally much better than pencil tips for regular work.