Best soldering iron?
whenever we do any soldering whether it be inside the car or under the hood we use a butane torch ...it gets it nice and hot real fast and then cools down just the same and then u dont have to worry about any wires to trips over.....they sell em with trigger starts so your not messing around with a lighter....just something to look into..
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,157
Likes: 1
From: Texas
Originally Posted by felton316
If you're looking for a name brand "Weller" makes good stuff, but you will be looking at $50+ for a simple soldering iron.
Weller is the best but I have never seen one, even simple ones for that price. Maybe used...
I have a soldering Iron that has temp controls on it, also on the other side it has a vacuum pump to remove soilder, it gets hot VERY fast, works great, but it was kinda expensive if I remember right it was a little over $500.00
If you are going with a pencil-type, for automotive, go
big on wattage. The little cheap 25, 35W ones are too
wimpy for fat wire, take forever to heat the work and
you'll melt the insulation before you ever get the solder
to flow.
I have a bunch of temperature-controlled Weller stations
with the interchangeable tips. They are great, you might
find these at electronics surplus places on the cheap.
Temperature control rules, you get as much power as
needed, basically.
Also have one of those high watt pistol types but they
are pretty awkward for anything smaller than battery
cable.
The butane powered soldering irons are actually pretty
handy and fairly safe, I picked one up once but can't
remember where I put it....
In the end a good soldering job is more technique than
tools. Proper solder (you will want a rosin core and not
too fat), proper heat (heat the wire and let the wire
melt the solder, and let the rosin flux have a little time
to work and wick the solder onto the surface), proper
cool (keep it steady until the surface goes dull, so you
do not get crystallization and a "cold solder joint").
I got my first soldering iron when I was 10 or 11, and
that probably accounts for some things....
big on wattage. The little cheap 25, 35W ones are too
wimpy for fat wire, take forever to heat the work and
you'll melt the insulation before you ever get the solder
to flow.
I have a bunch of temperature-controlled Weller stations
with the interchangeable tips. They are great, you might
find these at electronics surplus places on the cheap.
Temperature control rules, you get as much power as
needed, basically.
Also have one of those high watt pistol types but they
are pretty awkward for anything smaller than battery
cable.
The butane powered soldering irons are actually pretty
handy and fairly safe, I picked one up once but can't
remember where I put it....
In the end a good soldering job is more technique than
tools. Proper solder (you will want a rosin core and not
too fat), proper heat (heat the wire and let the wire
melt the solder, and let the rosin flux have a little time
to work and wick the solder onto the surface), proper
cool (keep it steady until the surface goes dull, so you
do not get crystallization and a "cold solder joint").
I got my first soldering iron when I was 10 or 11, and
that probably accounts for some things....
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I like Hakko stations personally. A little less expensive than the Weller, and they work very well.
This station:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3842509072
Is a copy of a Hakko 936, and would be my recommendation - if it were in stock. I've bought from Madell before, very nice folks there (bought a hot air SMD rework station from them). All of my guys use Hakko 936's, and I use a Hakko 928 (dual iron station) at home, but 936's out in my shop (car) and at work. I also have a butane powered Weller iron that does indeed come in handy in the car, though... It has a hot air attachment that makes it easy to switch from soldering iron to hot air for heat shrink, and it's truly portable (use it anywhere). The butane iron cost about $50, and then it's $3 per bottle for butane.
This station:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3842509072
Is a copy of a Hakko 936, and would be my recommendation - if it were in stock. I've bought from Madell before, very nice folks there (bought a hot air SMD rework station from them). All of my guys use Hakko 936's, and I use a Hakko 928 (dual iron station) at home, but 936's out in my shop (car) and at work. I also have a butane powered Weller iron that does indeed come in handy in the car, though... It has a hot air attachment that makes it easy to switch from soldering iron to hot air for heat shrink, and it's truly portable (use it anywhere). The butane iron cost about $50, and then it's $3 per bottle for butane.
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Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Germantown, MD
Jeff, keep in mind you are soldering car wires. That is far less detailed than circuit board soldering. Most high end units are designed to solder circuitry, not just wires. It's like buying a ride on mower to do a tiny little town house lawn. Sure it will work, but it's way over kill. The only thing you need to worry about is if you'll be soldering wires thinker than say 16 gauge, you're gonna need 100-130 watts to do it properly. Just got to Radio Shack and pick the damn thing up focker. 
Mike
Mike
Thread Starter
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From: Glen Burnie, Md
I hear ya Mike, but you never know what I may get myself into 
Need ot learn electrical stuff anyway, and there some circuit board stuff I may be needing. Tell me where to get a good butane torch I can do heat shrink with, and Ill be doen with it
Need ot learn electrical stuff anyway, and there some circuit board stuff I may be needing. Tell me where to get a good butane torch I can do heat shrink with, and Ill be doen with it
Thread Starter
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From: Glen Burnie, Md
http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/LIS-14900.html this what i need ot pull the terminals apart and get the wires out of the connectors?
get a hakko 936 awesome iron. Ive had wellers, ungars all the high end irons and the hakko did everything just as well. I used to race RC cars and every joint had to be perfect and i also rewired my entire mustang w/ it, its the best for the money.
Dave
Dave
