Best soldering iron for electronics

I can recommend this TS100 60W iron. I use one at work and at home. It requires an external <=24V DC power supply (I use a laptop type mains supply or intercept 24V DC from instruments that I am working on, or from a battery pack via XT60 connector). It is like a pen to handle, warmup to 400C takes only 12 seconds and it takes plug-in bits that contain a heating element and temperature sensor. I run it on open source firmware (programmed via a micro-USB socket) that allows customisation of timeouts etc. I see that the TS100 model has been superseded by the TS80 that uses a USB-C connection for power and interface. 

Edited By Andrew Entwistle on 19/07/2021 14:08:53

Edited By Andrew Entwistle on 19/07/2021 14:19:13

I had a 15W Antex iron when i was a kid. Still got it but never use it. I now use Weller dual 80W irons set at 360°C. With a range of tips that suffices for all my electronics needs, thru hole and surface mount. I've been soldering and de-soldering 0402 Rs and Cs this morning. That's about as small as I'd want to go with manual soldering. If only because i can't see anything smaller without magnification. Even with 0402s several disappeared for no adequately explained reason.

At the last company where I worked they had some irons that I hated. Might have been Metcal, but either way they never felt right and got in the way of the work in hand. The same company also had a hot air desolderer. Useful on occasion, but by no means essential. Surface mount is divided into those compenents that can be manually soldered and those that can't, hot air or not. I've also got a large 100W Weller iron for workshop use, primarily for sheet metal and screening cans.

Of course I fall into SoDs category of those who like good tools and are prepared to pay for them. Probably makes me a dilettante on this forum.

Andrew

Hi everyone,

I have a 15W Antex with a 1/8" tip that I bought second hand as an apprentice in 1974. A bit like Trigger's broom its had some new elements and tips but I use it for 90% of my soldering, including electronics and whitemetal model railway kits. Only use a bigger iron if the 15W can't get the work hot enough.

Tom.

Weller have a clever system that controls the temperature by the curie point of a magnetic insert on the tip

That's their old 'Magnastat' system and not so good now on circuit boards using thinner copper tracks and plated through holes.The price of spare magnet bits is horrendous when you can find them and you need to buy a bit for each temperature which is coded with a number, usually 8 (800F) or 7 (700F).

Later irons use hollow bits (like Aoyue (and Hako which seem the same). The temperature sensor and element sits in the middle where you have direct feedback control of the variable tip temperature. All these older irons were fine for soldering work done at the time and still work for soldering wiring in cars and old equipment, but new solders, fluxes and printed board manufacturing techniques now need a better iron with tighter and faster tip temperature control. They use 'K' type thermocouples which help to maintain tip temperature within a couple of degrees.

Only wrong if you buy good tools for bad reasons! No point in dabblers wasting money on expensive toys. I never do...

Davw

My only complaint with the new Weller Iron's is they go to sleep when I am doing a lot of surface mount work under the microscope. I find I don't move the Iron enough to keep it awake so it goes to standby and stops melting the solder.

:O)

regards Martin

Antex, weller and Henly solon ! 15w to 120w for all work AND a £80 suction desolderer. This last turned Pain in the bottom jobs into almost a joy, components would fall off the board. Noel.

I used Weller magnastat irons professionally for many years, and I continue to do so at home. The temperature is set by selecting the tip itself, and you change tips if you change the solder you use or the size of the joint you are making.

For general electronics, I recommend an iron with an output of around 45W. Too weak an output can cause more damage since all the wires and components around get heated for longer while you wait for the joint to get hot enough.

Weller are not the cheapest, but they are one of the best, and poor quality stuff is a waste of time. Something like a Weller W61 is good for general electronics; i.e. PCBs and switch terminals etc. RS sell them.