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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : soldering station
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palcal Guru  Joined: 12/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1801 |
My old temp.controlled iron has just about had it. I bought it from Dick Smith over 20 years ago. I bought new tips but they are only plated steel and don't hold the solder properly. Can anybody suggest a good iron with proper tips that won't cost the earth for surface mount work. I'm reluctant to buy from Jaycar because most of their stuff is overpriced Chinese junk. Paul. "It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all" |
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| Benzol Regular Member  Joined: 07/01/2015 Location: AustraliaPosts: 64 |
Hi Paul I bought one of these Protech irons from WES components. So far, really good. I also got a couple of different sized tips for smaller work. See attachment. db2017-03-01_064112_Prt-237Bk-Electronic-Temperature-Controlled-Soldering-Station-Esd.pdf |
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| palcal Guru Joined: 12/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1801 |
That looks good. I deal with WES from time to time I'll have a look in their cattle dog to see what else they have. Paul. "It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all" |
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| Benzol Regular Member Joined: 07/01/2015 Location: AustraliaPosts: 64 |
I settled on the Protech because of the price mainly. It took a while to get used to after my Weller but i'm happy with it now. Equivalent in the Weller was simply out of my price range. Temp control is very accurate and it is also very quick to get up to temp. |
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| palcal Guru Joined: 12/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1801 |
Are the tips actually made of copper or are they plated steel. I find I am forever cleaning the plated one I am using. I dug out an old 240v. 25watt iron with a copper tip. I ground it down and polished it and what a difference it holds the solder much better. Paul. "It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all" |
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| tjwd Newbie  Joined: 14/02/2015 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6 |
Quite a few people on local electronics forums have had good service from one of the many Hakko 936 clones available on ebay. These are considered to be the cheapest soldering station worth spending money on and are generally more versatile than a standalone temp controlled iron. For an example take a look here http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Electric-Display-60W-Soldering-Iron-Welding-Kit-ESD-Safe-Station-6-Tip-Lead-Free-/12122024331 4?hash=item1c394a1f72:g:roAAAOSwFV9Xzh-y For $60 AUS you get quite a good station and the heating element can be replaced if/when it fails. These stations are also available from Hong Kong / China but you do not save much money. The main brands of these budget stations seem to be WEP and Yihua and they produce variations of the original Hakko 936 which generally have a digital temperature display where the original 936 had a calibrated knob. They all seem to be around 50 ~ 60 Watts which is more than adequate. Advice is to try the supplied tips (but don't be swayed by offers of 10 extra tips as most will be useless shapes) and then buy a few genuine Hakko 936 tips for around $10 each. The 'best budget' name brand station is the very popular option is a Hakko FX-888 from a reputable supplier like Mektronics in Seven Hills, Sydney. They have the FX-888 for around $170 ~ $190 delivered and are on ebay as well. Be very wary buying Hakko from ebay because there are many fx-888 knock-offs so if you see one for less than about $160 AUS it will most likely be non-genuine. Same goes for stations advertised as genuine Hakko 936's because these were discontinued many years ago. The WEP and Yihua stations do not pretend to be Hakko's, they are copies since the schematic for the Hakko 936 has been available for years. Apparently GOOT make good irons and stations but for me the availability of replacement tips and spare could be a problem whereas Hakko tips and spare are more common. Weller also produce the WES51 series that is roughly equivalent to the Hakko fx-888 but appear to be less popular in Australia. Years ago the only station to buy was a Weller but I think times have changed and I do not know whether they are still made here. Hope this is of some help. |
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| isochronic Guru Joined: 21/01/2012 Location: AustraliaPosts: 689 |
The iron-plating is said to be there cos because copper tips tended to dissolve in tin solder BUT I have one and magnets stick to it - must be very thick plating, solid iron, or maybe a nickel core (bit unlikely I guess). Anyway, mine works ok, I found adding some gel flux to a corner of the foam/pad was good, it stays/soaks there for ever and the tip can be easily cleaned using it, excellent solder coverage after that  |
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| tjwd Newbie Joined: 14/02/2015 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6 |
I forgot to mention the Australian supplier Altronics who I think cater to the more serious hobbyists and professionals and who in the past have supported their soldering irons and stations with reasonably priced spare tips and parts for years. One thing to keep in mind with some of the cheap 936 clone stations is that a search will show many instances of very poor mains wiring and even non-existent earth connections, particularly with the smt hot air rework stations. So if you are not confident or qualified to open up a product (void the warranty) and complete a safety check and rectify any faults before use I would recommend a CE approved, name brand product from an Australian supplier. Regards. |
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| WhiteWizzard Guru Joined: 05/04/2013 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2794 |
Wow, I have never thought of doing that. Thanks for a brilliant tip  For everything Micromite visit micromite.org Direct Email: whitewizzard@micromite.o |
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| robert.rozee Guru Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 2289 |
i've always been a fan of the weller 'magnastat' irons, WTCPT and similar, where the temperature is determined by the bit used, regulated magnetically. the base station just contains a 230v to 24v stepdown transformer and an on/off switch. as a general rule, a good soldering iron tip should be made out of copper, with a thick iron plating over the outside. the copper conducts heat, while the iron plating serves to protect the copper from eroding away due to heat and air exposure. if you go and file down the iron plating to reveal the copper, you might as well drop the tip in the bin. the copper inside will rapidly erode away with exposure to air while hot, leaving an iron shell filled with solder that is useless for soldering. an iron plated copper tip should never be filed. to clean: with the iron heated up, clean and re-tin the tip with a small tin of corrosive tip cleaner (such as 15g Multicore TTC1), then wipe clean on a damp rag or sponge and immediately apply fresh solder. in a production environment, i may clean the tip this way once or twice a week at most. a good soldering iron such as the WTCPT should last 20+ years, so not that expensive when spread out over the expected lifespan. a small tin of TTC1 should last about as long. and, of course, one should also have a pot of rosin paste flux such as Kester SP-44. just my opinion! cheers, rob :-) |
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| Phil23 Guru Joined: 27/03/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1664 |
Wow! That brings back a memory; About 30 years back, I was at a Dick Smith Distributors dealer conference. A guy by the name of Syd McKitrick, proudly held 2 rolls of DSE Solder in the air & said "This is the Best", "and why is it so exciting?". "It contains copper, so won't erode people's tips". He did quote a percentage. Back in the days, when DSE was king. Guess I haven't killed all of the brain cells yet. |
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| palcal Guru Joined: 12/10/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1801 |
@ WW Was the pun intended. Paul. "It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all" |
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redrok Senior Member  Joined: 15/09/2014 Location: United StatesPosts: 209 |
Hi All; Ditto on the "Iron over Copper" tips, the only way to go. The TC201 handles used with the WTCPT stations are my workhorse soldering irons. While a bit harder to find, I like the the PTx6 600 degree F tips for fine work. I also have a hacked TC201 handle with a cigarette lighter plug for use with 12VDC in a car. OK, the power rating is a bit low on 12V but it works and still has the temperature limitation feature. BTW, I never throw away old tips as, in a pinch, they can be filed and modified for special purposes. Just don't leave then hot for too long. redrok |
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