Electronic – What to look for when buying a reliable hobbyist soldering iron

hobbyistsolderingsoldering-iron-station

I wanted to buy a soldering iron for some hobby tinkering, ordered one long ago from Wish! For a few quid, but as you must imagine it's awful. Doesn't heat uniformly, overheats and melts plastic. Tips are bad, i could go on, but I'd rather buy something decent without going mad price wise. I've seen prices from £10 – £300. Soldering irons, sets, kits, stations, extras, you name it. They have different settings, Watts and other characteristics. Which one of these characteristics will help me make an informed decision on what to buy for now, what I may need for more serious projects? Do I go by the price, Watts, extras, origin? Any help appreciated.

Best Answer

  • Don't underpower, as this may force you to solder for more than two seconds, which is generally bad. 40…50W is okay for the pieces hobbyists want to solder.
  • Use iron coated "long-life" tips. They are totally worth it.
  • A silicone cable for the iron is totally worth it.
  • Temperature control is nice feature because it prevents the tip overheat while in the stand. For the actual soldering it's not so crucial as the heat transfer from the tip to the PCB and pin should only last two seconds. No time to regulate a temperature.

Good brands in my view are Ersa and Weller. Ersa has tube-shaped tips and matching irons. I find them easier to change once the iron is a bit rusty.

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