time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

[shovenose]

so i need a couple suggestions for a good soldering station (primarily for recap work on power suppies ut other stuff too)!!!
budget: $50-80

[Krankshaft]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

The Hakko 936.

You just can't get REAL temperature regulation unless you have a remotely mounted base station.

http://hakkousa.com/products.asp?CID=49,112

They can be found at the end of your budget range at the $80 mark.

There are three models 936-11, -12, and -13. The difference is the size of the iron included. 11 being smallest 13 being largest.

The size included means the handle size and what size tips they can accept the small model for example accepts many small tips for SMD work.

The medium and large accepts larger tips for through hole work and some smaller tips but not as many as the iron equipped with the -11 model.

They all connect to the same base station the model prefix has nothing to do with that so you could always buy a different iron for example the small one for SMD work later.

You can look on their site for the assortment of tips that each iron accepts to help make a decision.

[shovenose]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

looks fancy. but its $93??? i would need to buy it new from the loal hardware store which would have to order it, (i have gift cert there)...
they will need to order it from their suppplier...

btw am i totally missing something but it didnt say the wattage

i woud thik the medium one is best. because it probably is the most versatile. am i correct?

[Krankshaft]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

60 watts more than enough thermal recovery for electronics work.

[shovenose]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

ok. so i reaallllly like that one. i hope i can get it

[Professor Peach]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

Again, I recommend buying used on ebay.
Buy a METCAL, you won't regret it.

[shovenose]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

i have $50 gift certificate credit towards the local hardware store, my mom wouldnt mind contributing a certain amount, so i want the hardware store to order one

[Professor Peach]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

Ah! Sorry.
You could get them to buy one on ebay for you

[shovenose]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

that's a good idea

[shovenose]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/936-12-Hakko-Sol...item5acdd857f9
under $80

[shovenose]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

who likes my new avatar i found a picture of a fuhjyyu on google images, erased the fuhjyyu and wrote over it.

[Krankshaft]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

Metcal to me is like Snap On an over hyped and overpriced brand. I really don't like their induction heated tip design.

I don't want any RF fields anywhere near my work. It seems to me Metcal got a bit too clever for their own good.

When I hear induction heating I think of forging operations and expanding bearings to install them on interference fit shafts. Not fine electronics work.

The heating element is simple and with the newer printed type heating elements Hakko uses (Weller still uses the old wire wound elements) the tolerances are very tight. If you're even more anal about it there is a calibration pot to fine tune the base station if you have a tip thermometer.

Oh yeah I'd also recommend a tip cleaner like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Hakko-Cleaner-.../dp/B000PDQORU

It's filled with brass shavings harder than tip oxidation but softer than the iron plating on the tip. No more sponges to keep wetting. Just plunge it in every now and then and it removes oxidation (the black stuff on the tip that affects heat transfer).

You can go through tips like toilet paper if you don't clean them off because the oxidation eats away at the iron plating.

[willawake]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

metcal like one of the more expensive goot stations has expensive tips

[shovenose]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

meh the first time i triedto use a sponge i didnt wet it enough and it started smelling terrible

[stj]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

dont use a sponge, use a brass-wool tip cleaner.

[ratdude747]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

or use both... i have the sponge and a homeade stainless steel cleaner made from a stainless steel scrubber (from a 3-pack at dollar tree if they exist out your way). it uses half a popcan , crimped to hold the scrubber, as a base. every so often i change the scrubber as the coils do get messed up and you run out of space to rotate the scrubber.

[mathog]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

Oh yeah I'd also recommend a tip cleaner like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Hakko-Cleaner-.../dp/B000PDQORU

It's filled with brass shavings harder than tip oxidation but softer than the iron plating on the tip. No more sponges to keep wetting. Just plunge it in every now and then and it removes oxidation (the black stuff on the tip that affects heat transfer).

+1.

Also comes as "sponges", like this one:

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/pro...oducts_id=8964

From what I can tell in most cases both are made of a similar brass coil, but the sponge is one or just a few coils bunched up, whereas for the shavings the coil is broken into many smaller pieces. (The sponge will break up into smaller pieces eventually from the iron poking it.)

In my hands these clean tips much better than do wet cellulose type sponges.

[stj]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

xytronics make an iron stand with one built in where you usually find a sponge.

[kiddznet]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

This baby. 80 watts ideal for folks with four thumbs like me

[shovenose]

Re: time to ditch my $20 25w iron and get sumpin' REAL!!!

um what is "that baby"? and its euro plug-im in the us. but ive already decided on the hakko 936. now i just need to buy it
and i need a multimeter