Topic: soldering guns (Read 5473 times)

hatchbox90 · « **on:** December 09, 2009, 09:42:12 AM »

What brand/kind would be a good starter one? I was shopping online and most of the ones i looked at looked identical to the Harbor freight garbage they sell. So what do you guys use

97Econobox · « **Reply #1 on:** December 09, 2009, 09:47:29 AM »

I rock a Radioshack jammer. I think they had like a 30 watt and a 45 watt and thats the one i got the 45 watt. Its cool i think it was like 12 bucks and every now and then you have to twist the tip back on but its been working for like 3 years now.

SloS13 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 09, 2009, 09:57:48 AM »

Hakko 936 FTW

hatchbox90 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 09, 2009, 10:06:02 AM »

Quote from: SloS13 on December 09, 2009, 09:57:48 AM

Hakko 936 FTW

I was loooking at a similar iron station, little more spendy than i want though. 75$ seems reasonable

http://www.toolbarn.com/weller-wes51.html?ref=base

SloS13 · « **Reply #4 on:** December 09, 2009, 10:34:33 AM »

New 936 $80 shipped nog

http://cgi.ebay.com/HAKKO-936-ESD-SAFE-iron-Solder-Station-10-tips-110V-new_W0QQitemZ280430432808QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item414af4d228

Joseph Davis · « **Reply #5 on:** December 09, 2009, 10:57:51 AM »

Get the digital screen 937, and the china tools are from the same production line that made the actual Hakko's of that era. All the new Hakkos (brightly colored units) are made elsewhere now because they got pissed that the factory backdoored the product. Xytronics, AOIUY (or wtfever), are all rebrands of the Hakko gear.

SloS13 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 09, 2009, 01:20:23 PM »

Quote from: Joseph Davis on December 09, 2009, 10:57:51 AM

Get the digital screen 937, and the china tools are from the same production line that made the actual Hakko's of that era. All the new Hakkos (brightly colored units) are made elsewhere now because they got pissed that the factory backdoored the product. Xytronics, AOIUY (or wtfever), are all rebrands of the Hakko gear.

you know too much about things. stop it.

Jorsher · « **Reply #7 on:** December 09, 2009, 04:24:49 PM »

My walmart one sucked out the box.

IIRC, LG used Hakkos on their assembly lines of messicans fixing phones.

toyolla86 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 09, 2009, 05:23:27 PM »

i'd get a better one if i were you. i went from using a million dollar US navy soldering station to
a crappy little 10 dollar one and its so frustrating. get the better one and you'll never know what a bad
soldering gun is.

sometimes i have to wait like 10 minutes for my craftsman to warm up.

Joseph Davis · « **Reply #9 on:** December 10, 2009, 02:41:02 AM »

Quote from: n/a michael on December 09, 2009, 01:28:24 PM

i use the radio shack crap one. it works great for what i need.
right now i have one from walmart cause my radio shack one got ran over the other day.
the walmart one works great, but i'm sure it's only cause it is new.

Fuck Mall-Wart.

I used Radio Slack guns for years, they take a while to warm up but they cost $10 and they work. The tips get corroded and shitty quickly, but there's a LOT of tip so you can grind it clean. I have three RS irons now, and even though I have a nice soldering station if I lose one of the RS units I will replace it. They simply work, and when you don't want to drag your $$ gear into the field they rule.

98vtec · « **Reply #10 on:** December 10, 2009, 02:44:28 AM »

i dont even remember where i got mine. I know its switchable between 15 and 40 (iirc) volts

Kain · « **Reply #11 on:** December 10, 2009, 07:50:17 PM »

you guys know that a soldering gun and soldering iron are for different uses... right?

MantisX · « **Reply #12 on:** December 10, 2009, 09:10:39 PM »

I use Weller brand. They get hot quick and the tips last forever.

SgtB · « **Reply #13 on:** December 10, 2009, 09:32:17 PM »

I've got a $20 velleman I've been using for a few years now. It takes professional insert style tips, and uses a switcher to regulate the heat so it doesn't drift like the usual cheap rheostat controlled irons. It also has a heavy base and a built in holder that doesn't suck. Goes all the way to 50watts too. I've been surprised by it. http://www.vellemanusa.com/us/enu/product/view/?id=522806 Some of the other stations look nice too.

Robb · « **Reply #14 on:** December 10, 2009, 11:17:32 PM »

I have one of these. It was $20 off the tool truck and heats up in under 30 seconds. I do my fair share of wiring repairs and this is well worth what I paid for it. Not to mention no cords to trip over and burn yourself with.

I fully expect to be flamed by you hardcore EE guys (Joseph

). But its been a good tool for me so fuck you.

Joseph Davis · « **Reply #15 on:** December 11, 2009, 12:08:45 AM »

I used one of the $120 jobbers off of the Snap-on truck today. If that thing is of comparable quality then it's awesome.

However, I was really disappointed with the butane powered Radio Shack iron I had, if the wind blew on a 50 degree day it was cooled to the point that it wouldn't melt solder.

toyolla86 · « **Reply #16 on:** December 11, 2009, 12:15:15 AM »

dont get the battery powered portable ones. bad idea.

and if you want good results you will need a good iron. different tips and adjustable heat help.
but if you get a cheapo make sure you get flux.
and to be safe some solder wick as well incase you mess up and have to back step.

Avistar23 · « **Reply #17 on:** December 11, 2009, 03:32:03 AM »

This has been answered a 1000 times but i have a weller ws 50, works great for me, i dont do smt stuff tho

had it maybe 3 years

SgtB · « **Reply #18 on:** December 11, 2009, 11:34:36 AM »

Nothing wrong with a gas iron at all. I've used a bernsomatic pencil so much in the field I'm on my forth can of butane. They're a little crude, but if you get the joint together quick they work well. The radioshack ones do suck though!

nock · « **Reply #19 on:** December 14, 2009, 04:48:37 PM »

i've been a electrician for 9 years. before that i hated life on a rework line, trying not to go cross eyed, and playing charades with a bunch of can-asians. smt, pth, reflow done it all. i,ve used all of the $2000 iron with a $170 tip, metcal non-reflow smt horseshit. its all crap built by the same crappy people that buy this crappy shit from themselfs. just get a good iron with a ceramic element and reasonably priced tips. so that blows out about 90% of everything on the market leaving only weller and hakko, the hakko being sightly cheaper.

almost anything you buy from walmart or ratshack is'nt even worth what it would cost to shit can it. if you live in wa/or go to frys, they sell weller and hakko and you can even buy parts there, unlike the stupid fucks at radioshack (the shack) gay). they only sell the good irons online and if you want tips you have to call there suplier, who not only gets rich off selling shity irons to radioshack, they also get rich off rapping radioshack customers for new tips because radioshack is to fucking stupid to carry them.

also if you really want to do smt you have to learn to reflow, you just have to. besides, buying a $10,000,000,000,000 wave machine sucks, and there is no other way to do it right.

Lowerit · « **Reply #20 on:** December 14, 2009, 05:32:25 PM »

Quote from: nock on December 14, 2009, 04:48:37 PM

i've been a electrician for 9 years. before that i hated life on a rework line, trying not to go cross eyed, and playing charades with a bunch of can-asians. smt, pth, reflow done it all. i,ve used all of the $2000 iron with a $170 tip, metcal non-reflow smt horseshit. its all crap built by the same crappy people that buy this crappy shit from themselfs. just get a good iron with a ceramic element and reasonably priced tips. so that blows out about 90% of everything on the market leaving only weller and hakko, the hakko being sightly cheaper.

almost anything you buy from walmart or ratshack is'nt even worth what it would cost to shit can it. if you live in wa/or go to frys, they sell weller and hakko and you can even buy parts there, unlike the stupid fucks at radioshack (the shack) gay). they only sell the good irons online and if you want tips you have to call there suplier, who not only gets rich off selling shity irons to radioshack, they also get rich off rapping radioshack customers for new tips because radioshack is to fucking stupid to carry them.

also if you really want to do smt you have to learn to reflow, you just have to. besides, buying a $10,000,000,000,000 wave machine sucks, and there is no other way to do it right.

and your intro is where?

D16y8 · « **Reply #21 on:** December 14, 2009, 05:36:27 PM »

Yeah Nock all us newest mebers have to be putting up pictures of naked girls.
They like that here.

Joseph Davis · « **Reply #22 on:** December 14, 2009, 08:12:20 PM »

Quote from: nock on December 14, 2009, 04:48:37 PM

i've been a electrician for 9 years. before that i hated life on a rework line, trying not to go cross eyed, and playing charades with a bunch of can-asians. smt, pth, reflow done it all. i,ve used all of the $2000 iron with a $170 tip, metcal non-reflow smt horseshit. its all crap built by the same crappy people that buy this crappy shit from themselfs. just get a good iron with a ceramic element and reasonably priced tips. so that blows out about 90% of everything on the market leaving only weller and hakko, the hakko being sightly cheaper.

almost anything you buy from walmart or ratshack is'nt even worth what it would cost to shit can it. if you live in wa/or go to frys, they sell weller and hakko and you can even buy parts there, unlike the stupid fucks at radioshack (the shack) gay). they only sell the good irons online and if you want tips you have to call there suplier, who not only gets rich off selling shity irons to radioshack, they also get rich off rapping radioshack customers for new tips because radioshack is to fucking stupid to carry them.

also if you really want to do smt you have to learn to reflow, you just have to. besides, buying a $10,000,000,000,000 wave machine sucks, and there is no other way to do it right.

I like you. Post porn so we don't have to delete you.

hatchbox90 · « **Reply #23 on:** December 14, 2009, 08:13:02 PM »

i opted for the hakko 936

crttaz · « **Reply #24 on:** December 14, 2009, 11:56:19 PM »

50 watt Weller pencil iron, I've had it for 20 years......got it at Radio Shack.

Perfect for soldering batteries together

Lowerit · « **Reply #25 on:** December 15, 2009, 01:29:49 AM »

I have the weller solder station , about 10 yrs old now works great. Also have a newer weller gun. The gun is bulky , but heats up in less then a min.

2point2 · « **Reply #26 on:** December 15, 2009, 02:07:42 AM »

I think I've gone through 4-5 cheap soldering irons in my life.. I finally purchased something decent.

Looks like this:

Doesn't hurt to have a butane one in the tool box too.. they have their place.

crttaz · « **Reply #27 on:** December 15, 2009, 04:20:21 AM »

I correct myself, 50 watt Ungar.....which I think was made buy Weller. It is not the newer modular style but takes a PL133 wide tip.

Not something you'd use on PC boards.

Ghetto_D · « **Reply #28 on:** December 15, 2009, 12:51:28 PM »

99 cent store soldering iron for me. its a shity little 30watt unit but it gets shit done.

solders wire, ecu's. welds plastic together, and melts holes in the carpet. as long as i clean the tip afterwards it'll last forever. been 3 years now.

nock · « **Reply #29 on:** December 16, 2009, 04:04:53 AM »

..::NSFW::..http://www.realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/index.php?topic=9646.0..::NSFW::..

80w for $3.27, you could remove eproms with a single wack, or solder the lugnuts on your car, hold on while i dig the change out of my couch.
http://www.mcgillswarehouse.com/ProductList.aspx?GroupID=11111&TYPE=GOOG

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Author Topic: soldering guns (Read 5473 times)