I bought a Toolcraft JLS03 soldering iron and I worked with it for 1 day, after the tip of my soldering iron got black and the solder doesn't stick to it.
I watched many videos and scrubbed the tip to get to shiny surface but it didn't work the same as before and it gets worse.
Now after scrubbing it hard it will only work properly for some minutes. The solder doesn't stick to the tip and it will make balls on the solder.
I want to know if I can fix it or if it's broken and I need to buy a new tip and if so how can I keep it working well if I buy a new one?
Best Answer
Unfortunately this does happen with cheap soldering irons. It even happens with expensive ones as well.
There are a few ways to try and stop the tip being oxidised. The first one is cleaning the tip with steel wool occasionally.
Once you have finished your task, place a small amount of solder on the tip before placing it back in the stand. This will make sure when you use it again, you can simply wipe the tip on the steel wool and get back to it. This is called 'tinning' the tip.
If you can, get an iron that will automatically turn the heat down if not used for a while. Also, don't use it on an exceptionally high heat all the time. 320 - 350°C will be sufficient for most jobs.
You can also get small pots of tip tinner. You may not want to use this unless you have good ventilation though. Once you have dipped the tip in, remember to tin the tip with solder too.
Last but not least, turn it off after use.
If you take care of your iron, it will take care of you!