Soldering XT90

[KenC]

WHat is considered by the experienced users as a reasonable soldering iron power  for soldering such heavy cable and connectors ?  Even my cutters don't like it !

[John Lee]

My 80watt Antex will manage it - just. I find these connectors by far the hardest to solder leads onto.

[Colin Carpenter]

I’ve just spent an afternoon changing from XT60 to 90 for my 5s Miss Wind. Started with the 80 w I used to solder up subCs for electric racing boats. It performed that task with ease ! However , I suspect because of the wide tip I had a really hard job getting the solder to melt through the wires (leaded solder naturally) . Went back to a screwdriver tip 40w which got the heat into the plug connections more easily. They all look ok 🤞🤞Was sweaty with face over the iron in a humid shed 🥵🥵🥵😱😱😱Colin

[KenC]

So am I mistaken in thinking that a wider tip laid against the 10g wire will heat it to absorb the flux and solder better ?

[Engine Doctor]

Ken the soldering iron tip has to store enough heat to quickly transfer it to the job . If heat source is not enough then excessive  heat will soak up the wire or into the plug possibly causing damage. Tin both parts before joining and  plug a socket onto the XT plug to prevent any distortion should the plastic get too hot.

Dont wish to tell you how to suck eggs but remember to remove watches and rings or cover ring with tape to prevent a short .

Edited August 11, 2023 by Engine Doctor

[KenC]

Cheers Phil, what wattage soldering iron do you use for XT90 s 

 

[Paul Johnson 4]

Hi Ken,

I use a 60W iron and as long as you use a Big tip and allow it to heat up first, its fine, like a lot of things size matters........😄

 

[KenC]

Thanks for your reply Paul.

[Geoff S]

12 hours ago, Paul Johnson 4 said:

Hi Ken,

I use a 60W iron and as long as you use a Big tip and allow it to heat up first, its fine, like a lot of things size matters........😄

 

 

 A smaller tip works OK if it's on a temperature controlled iron with sufficient power to keep the temperature high even on a big joint.  My 60w small iron worked OK on XT90s but I have a hefty very old 120w Henley Solon in reserve if I need it though it's physically very big and awkward for battery connectors.

[KenC]

Geoff  I took the concept of " size matters"   and ordered this soldering gun from Ali Express..

It should be here an a day or two and I will post back about my experience with it. I looked and in the UK these are over £50 .

[RottenRow]

That looks like a copy of the Weller gun Ken, very useful for soldering piano wire undercarriages as well.

 

Brian.

[Martin McIntosh]

A temperature controlled soldering station of reasonable quality will do the job even with a small bit size. I am lucky enough to have a professional one and rarely use larger than 3 or 4mm bits.

[KenC]

Said I would come back with my thoughts....    The iron ( gun ) shown above ordered on the 10th  arrived today and I quickly read the instructions and set  to  trying out on a piece of 10 cable as used for XT 90 . Most notable was the gun is supplied in a case with 2 spare tips and both solder and flux.  The instructions quickly point out that unlike a soldering iron where you switch on and then have a coffee while it heats, this thing is plugged in and then heats when the trigger is squeezed.... a process of 4 to 8 seconds . The idea is that you trigger when heat is required for a few seconds at a time.   I waited with the tip against a recently fluxed and stripped half centimeter end of the cable for around 5 seconds and then applied the solder which melted and with the heat against the wire , started to wick into the job.    WOW !   no more five minutes of watching the heat ( energy) do what it should and dissipate down the cable, leaving insufficient heat to migrate the solder into the job.     All for around £25  delivered , wish I had changed to this ages back ...... damn even I can solder !

[leccyflyer]

5 seconds is a quite along time to have the iron on the job if the job is held in a plastic housing. I never got on with the Weller soldering gun - I found that the bit never had the mass that was needed to quickly transfer the heat when soldering up battery packs. so stuck with my Weller 75w iron with hammerhead tip for the job. OTOH my pal Kev used to do everything with his Weller soldering gun and loved it. Different strokes.

 

The Weller soldering gun was great at cutting out sockets and holes in foam though, using a bent to shape piece of copper wire from heavy duty twin core and earth cable.

[KenC]

Leccy that 5 secs was from the first press out the box !

[Nigel Heather]

My experience is only with XT60 but suspect this is even more reverent to XT90.

 

I recently had to solder some pretty thick wires (on a watt meter) to XT60 and I found that the heat needed was sufficient to slightly melt the plastic housing, enough to make pushing into the mating connector very tight or not possible.

 

The solution, which I’m sure you all know but was new to me, is to join the two mating connectors before soldering - that way, when the the plastic melts, the mating connector holds the pins in the proper position.

Edited September 28, 2023 by Nigel Heather

[Basil]

I have a Weller.the instructions say that you should only use it for 5secs every minute. Just does XT60's,( But have to some what ignore the time request)  but does take a few seconds to heat up, just starts to effect the plastic. I would like to purchase a suitable iron, but so far I cant see any suggestions been given the thumbs up.

What about some suggestions!!!!

Bas

 

[leccyflyer]

4 minutes ago, Basil said:

I have a Weller.the instructions say that you should only use it for 5secs every minute. Just does XT60's,( But have to some what ignore the time request)  but does take a few seconds to heat up, just starts to effect the plastic. I would like to purchase a suitable iron, but so far I cant see any suggestions been given the thumbs up.

What about some suggestions!!!!

Bas

 

Calm down  - that many exclaimation marks is likely to soften the plastic ;).

 

There have been lots of suggestions in the thread. Personally I'd completely ditch the notion of having connectors in plastic housings, but if you must have them then its even more important to have an iron with sufficient mass to transfer the heat very quickly and make a good solder joint without having to leave it on the work for more than a few seconds. 5 seconds is a long time, ten seconds is much too long. So, from the suggestions made so far, you would be best served with a decent tip on an iron with >60w power.

[Denis Watkins]

1 second is plenty, as Leccy says, Hot Iron, Clean joint and pre-tinned cable, good fresh solder, and just enough

Clean,bright shiny joint should result.

[Basil]

Hi Leccy, like your sense of humor. Ok I get the drift,,,,,, A large tip is required. But what irons have large tips, I cant find any that say that. So,,,, its over to person or persons that are able to suggest an iron/s. please . Descriptions for most say ' Comes with a non replaceable bit'.

Bas

[leccyflyer]

The soldering guns don't tend to have large tips, they are all small mass pieces of flat, square section wire, as far as I've seen. They make impressive claims of very high power and rapid heating up, but they aren;t supposed to be on for very long.

 

My 75w Weller car-boot special has a chunky copper tip about 10mm diameter - the thickness of my little finger - and sufficient mass there that putting it to the work doesn't chill the iron. It's only on there for a second or two, just a touch.

 

Here's a modern 80w equivalent.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353970777614?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=dGsYz2xWT-y&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=S6bh7olhRJm&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[Basil]

Been having a look around; I was about to say just seen the same,So have deleted the originall contents of this post. Many thanks for your widom and time.

 

Bas

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Edited September 28, 2023 by Basil