I haven't done that, but this soldering iron was difficult to use from the start. The whole repair kit only cost about $40, so the iron may be very bottom of the barrel.Originally Posted by Shulamana
I haven't done that, but this soldering iron was difficult to use from the start. The whole repair kit only cost about $40, so the iron may be very bottom of the barrel.
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A basic iron will do most jobs, but I upgraded to a Weller adjustable, which is good to have a lower power setting so you don't overheat components or solder pads on PCBs.
Temp controlled is the way to go if you can swing it. I just bought a new Hakko, before that was a garage sale find Weller. I like the Hakko quite a bit more (the iron is much lighter and holds temp better) but I haven't compared it to a modern Weller. A friend has a Tenma which he uses on occasion and it seems to work well for him.
Another vote here for Hakko.
.032" 63/37 no clean core is good for most general use.
Last edited by bust3dstr8; 03-29-2012 at 09:14 PM.
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I used a rat shack iron for the longest time before upgrading to a yard sale adjustable Weller. Honestly I never had any issues with the Radio Shack iron but the Weller is far nicer. I will say the last time I peeked up at the irons at Radio Shack they were all some odd wattage compared to my old one. The old Radio Shack iron I have is a 30W iron and all the tips and irons they were stocking last I saw were 25W.
Lead free solder is one of the stupidest inventions ever created. Packed with horrible chemicals to replace the nice, stable, safe, controllable lead. It's just personal preference but the 60/40 Radio Shack solder has been my favorite to use for years. Some swear by 63/37, depends on the application. There was a location closing up a couple years ago and I picked up a few of the larger spools at a discount - which was pretty surprising. I was also able to pick up a handful of tips for my older model iron at a discount.
I do LOVE my Radio Shack desoldering iron however.
Last edited by InsaneDavid; 03-29-2012 at 08:46 PM.
Also, something to keep in mind since InsaneDavid brought it up...instead of investing in a great soldering iron, you might want to get just a decent soldering iron and a desoldering iron instead.
"Game programmers are generally lazy individuals. That's right. It's true. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Since the dawn of computer games, game programmers have looked for shortcuts to coolness." Kurt Arnlund - Game programmer for Activision, Accolade...
Why not a good soldering iron and a desoldering iron? I'll take a look at some Wellers.
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Which is why lead doesn't leech into water supplies? And lead free is no worse than leaded solder unless you cringe at the thought of pocket change and what goes into making capacitors.
Sounds to me like OP might want to investigate flux usage and how to keep the tip clean.
I fix things. You name it, I'll work on it. Want something modded? Recapped?
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