ebrown1972 Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 I am considering purchasing a soldering iron station. Does anyone have any reccomendations on which one to purchase? Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 There is a huge spread on capabilities and prices. Are you looking for a basic soldering station, or a rework station with vacuum removal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibblejr Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 What are you attempting to solder? Unless you will be rebuilding or repairing pcb's a soldering / reflow station is not really a requirement in this hobby. A Jim says above they can range in prices and capabilities. You can get adapters that allow you to heat an entire chip for removal. I used to repair gaming systems and it was necessary to have a solder station but for this hobby I have only needed a heat gun. JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebrown1972 Posted December 23, 2021 Author Share Posted December 23, 2021 33 minutes ago, k6ccc said: There is a huge spread on capabilities and prices. Are you looking for a basic soldering station, or a rework station with vacuum removal? Jim, I'm just looking for a basic station. All I will be using it for mainly is soldering pixel connections together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDucks Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 I still use my Weller WTCP that I bought in the 70's (same model the production line used at work). It has interchangeable tip that controlled the temperature (6,7,800) via magnetic properties of the tip selected. The tips were offered in various shapes. The base was a simple 24VAC transformer and the handle had a magnetic switch in the heater/barrel. Simple, easy to repair (remember these got 8-16 hours of daily use. I also have A Weller Princess (60W and a 100W cartridge that was such a brute that they were pulled from sale) . I also have my dads old Weller Soldering Gun (the big one) which I rarely use because I hate waiting for the tip to cycle up to temp, but it is great for non-bench repairs. And I still have the handle from my old Wood burning kit. It will accept a C7 bulb (I used that for tigh spot inspections) as well as soldering cartridges Weller still has Simple Temperature controlled handles, which are perfect for casual (not for SMD removal) hobbyist use. So figure out WHAT, HOW and WHERE you want to use this tool. This is another case of OSFA is not the solution 25W might be fine for delicate work, and 100W will lift pads, burn insulation... If you plan 'field repairs' (up on a ladder), a good battery model like the Milwaukee ( I only suggest this because this is a member of the M12 series of tools, so the batteries fit ALL the M12 tools)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Can't go wrong with the Weller soldering stations. I have a newer version than TheDucks WTCP that has interchangable tips for different shapes, but a knob to set temperature. One of these days I will get a station with a vacuum solder sucker - when I get some space in the room back and have space to set up a proper workbench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeeFromSpace Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Greetings, I have used the Weller WE1010 for about three years. It works really well for me with no problems. Amazon has it right now for $101.60. Get a couple of extra tips for fine soldering on those strip lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wbaker4 Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 I still use my old Weller WTCPL iron. I bought it about 45 years ago. Replaced a few tips along the way - still works like a charm! I built lots of LOR Controllers, E6804's, E682's, and my Ramsey Electronics FM transmitter FM30B with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibblejr Posted December 24, 2021 Share Posted December 24, 2021 If just soldering nodes I would just buy a cheap heat gun and the pre soldered butt connectors. You need the pink 18-22 ga connectors. Amazon is a good source. JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prevue12 Posted December 24, 2021 Share Posted December 24, 2021 I like to solder my conections, I also make sure I get the 60/40 lead/tin solder . It melts at a lower tempature then the other mixes. I have just a plain old solder nothing special and does a great job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfuller8400 Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 I bought a Aoyue 2730A rework station a couple of years back. It was a bit of an investment but I really love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jond Posted December 30, 2021 Share Posted December 30, 2021 I have a X-Tronic solder station that I dust off when doing a lot of soldering and it works well, but I don't use it very often these days for pixels. I typically use a solder pot to tin the wires and use solder seal/heat shrink connectors and a small heat gun instead. Strip the wires, twist the ends, dip them in flux, dip the ends in the solder pot, place one butt connector on at a time and heat shrink it good enough to hold the wires together, repeat the process until all the connectors are on, then heat all three until fully sealed. Huge time saver and have less problems. I typically place a larger 3:1 heat shrink tube over the connectors afterward. Even if you preferred not to use the heat gun connectors for some reason, I would still highly recommend the solder pot. Life changing if you do much soldering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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