OZ e flyer Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 Then there’s one of these. **LINK** Too expensive for my wallet though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daithi O Buitigh Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 There's also this one - you get both a soldering iron (rated at 200W) and a hot air gun (400W rated) for a tad over 40 quid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 I quite like the look of the range at CPC/Farnell. Even there there's too much choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 Posted by Daithi O Buitigh on 02/06/2019 15:42:33: There's also this one - you get both a soldering iron (rated at 200W) and a hot air gun (400W rated) for a tad over 40 quid Yes another good option. The hot air would be very useful for heatshrink, never mind de-doldering etc. Plenty of those available on Amazon etc at various prices. I'd like to find one that I can at least guarantee to be able to get new tips for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Christy Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 I don't think the photo in the advert is very clear! Here's what mine looks like on my (rather untidy) bench: BTW, does anyone know how to get Google photos to show in here? I always seem to end up copying to Flikr before I can get them to show! -- Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 Thanks Pete That's just what I thought. Photos - I always put them in an album on here rather than use any third party host. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 I bet you didn't include the reel of lead free solder when you bought your iron, Pete I wouldn't think it a very good idea to keep the iron stuck in the cleaner tin as it would try to keep it cool. I'm quite sure the idea is just to shove it in for a moment to clean the tip like wiping on a wet sponge. It does look very good value. I replaced my temperature controlled Weller which was probably 40/50 years old, with one from Maplin and got a set of extra tips at the same time so I'm OK for now but there do seem to be a few very inexpensive TC irons available which would suit most people's purposes. Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Christy Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 Lead free solder??? Perish the thought! Proper stuff or nowt for me! -- Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryorbik Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 Its a good idea to never run these 'oriental' irons and heat guns at full output as they are only rated at 220V AC and we are (nominally) still at 240V AC, so the elements will have a very short life if over run. I set mine to 3/4 max output and they then last a reasonable time. Secret to soldering success is a clean, well tinned soldering iron bit, clean component and wire connections, and a decent rosin based flux paste to prevent oxidation. Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 That's an interesting thought Barry. Do you have experience of them actually failing? Quite right about the soldering tips except for electronics I'd never add an external flux,always relying solely on the flux cores in the solder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaL Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 Posted by Geoff Sleath on 29/08/2016 12:02:49: It's not so much the power rating (though that is important) as its mass. The physical size gives a soldering iron a lot of thermal capacity so it doesn't cool quickly when you heat up a big piece of metal to soldering temperature. Remember the joint should be hot enough to melt the solder away from the iron itself - you don't apply the solder to the iron (except to tin it) but to the joint. So if that Maplin's 100 watt iron is big and heavy I'm sure it will be OK. When I worked at GEC in the 1960s the people soldering the joints on telephone exchanges, which had to be very high quality, used irons heated in a gas flame rather than electric ones. It surprised me when I walked through that department. So all you need is a big lump of copper and a gas cooker Geoff Edited By Geoff Sleath on 29/08/2016 12:03:52 When I was a T2A I had an electric iron...I recall the tip quite quickly took on the shape of the tags on the MDF as they were as soft as could be....ahhh...the smell of lead fumes takes me back........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaL Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 I have just replaced my soldering station coz the old one went bang, it was a 998 copy. I have bought a 898D to replace it mainly because it has an actual off switch on the back of the unit that does remove all power from the internal transformer....unlike the on/off switches on the front of the panel that only switch off power to the iron and hot air gun leaving the transformer humming away inside. My big iron for serious stuff is a monster that glows red and gets so hot you can't hold the wooden handle after 10 minutes - I reckon it's about 160 Watts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bennett Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 Just curious; can anyone tell me the advantage of a soldering station over a thermostatically controlled simple iron? For me the PSU/control box of a station would be just another bit of unwanted clutter on my workbench! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Christy Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 For years, I've used a small Antex temperature controlled iron for electronic work, and a Weller solder gun for heavy duty stuff (soldering undercarriages, etc). However, neither were suitable for soldering large LiPo connectors. The Antex wasn't powerful enough, and didn't have the thermal capacity, and the Weller wasn't designed for the prolonged use required for a heavy duty LiPo connector. The one I've bought (see above) handles both with ease. So far, anyway! -- Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bennett Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 My 75W Antex with a variety of bits covers all my needs except for undercarriages, for which I use a larger Antex with an even larger bit. Solder stations seem to be advertised with the same wattage as regular irons so, assuming they're using the same size bits (i.e. thermal capacity), how can they perform better? Having used a solder gun in the past, I feel that they're not much use for heavy work, whatever their wattage, due to the small mass of their tip. Not trying to start a Ford/Chevy discussion here, just curious about the advantages of solder stations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Remedios Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Posted by Chris Bott - Moderator on 02/06/2019 13:32:24: My Weller TCP-1 soldering iron's element has gone. I rescued this magnatemp controlled iron and its power supply from a skip at work and fixed it over 40 years ago. I think this longevity proves it's quality. It worked well for very fine electronic work and easily coped with 12g ESC/LiPo connectors. I can buy a new element for around £40 but realise how old the rest of it still is. I see numerous temperature controlled soldering stations available, some around this same price. They look perfectly adequate. Has anyone actually bought a soldering station recently, that they'd recommend? I think key will be a combination of good thermal mass and good temperature control, along with new tips remaining available into the future. Should I pay for a bit of quality or go for lowest price and be happy to replace it every now and again? One other thing. Some have an integral smoke extractor which looks a good idea. Do these make soldering any more awkward? (Oh, if anyone has an old Weller TCP iron stuck in a drawer, I might be interested) How I miss my Weller, had to bin it a little while back as just to old to keep putting new ends in, handle went brittle, had it since I was 18 since doing my City & Guilds! 30 years ago! Moved on to a Lidl one this year and I have to say I'm impressed! Cheap too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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