discussion Soldering Iron recommendations

[Nodscene]

Hey, I was hoping someone here can make a recommendation for a decent soldering iron. Don't think there will be too much heavy use. Mostly for stereo equipment, LEDs and stuff like that. Frankly I have no idea what I'll be using it for yet, I'm actually taking an electronics course soon so it will mostly be used for that at first. Amazon seems to have a couple decent stations. Here are the 3 I'm looking at as the all get really good reviews and are mostly in my price range. I'd like to get the best bang for your buck. I'll pay decent money if I have to but would rather not haha.

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000AS28UC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AQ0917S2Z6LYJ

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00MBQ41NS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A27AEWDKNDG0DQ

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B009BXYOWC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1Z99WVI0R6FNU

So that's what I'm looking at. Haven't checked out Rona, Canadian Tire, Home Hardware etc. Let me know what you guys recommend.

 

[FreeKnight]

I've used a couple wellers in the past on console boards, hobby electronics and a few other parts over the years. So far I've liked them more than the other brands I've used. my current one has some LEDs in the handle that aim towards the tip, just a helpful bit of extra light. Depending on what you're using it for the ones you're looking at might be a touch overkill. So small work you can get by with the pen-style ones where the cord goes directly into the iron, but a larger unit won't hurt.

On the larger units I prefer ones with adjustable wattage though. Some circuit boards can have pretty delicate contacts and you don't want to lift a contact pad off the board because your iron was way overkill.

 

[MacJunky]

As far as budget irons go, you can end up getting what you pay for. An extreme example, sure. But still.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GdV7XBae74
You can count on struggling with hefty ground planes or heatsinks with many of the knockoff irons found on ebay/amazon/etc.

Also, do not buy random Chinese solder. If you buy a cheap iron that comes with solder make sure you test it on scrap(try to wick it up too) before you even think about using it seriously. ( )
You will want some flux as well as some good desoldering braid. A vacuum desoldering tool makes quick work of larger joints.

 

[turtletrax]

+1 on the Weller. Easy to get parts and built to last. I have had mine for 13 years so far and no end in sight.

 

[clshades]

adjustable weller with the spring holder

 

[PockyMaster]

I have the sigma 60D. I can't say much about it other than it does its job. They also take standard hakko dimension tips if you need replacements. It uses a nichrome element, so it'll take some time for it to heat up some larger components, even with the 60w. I think it would be better to go with a ceramic-based iron instead in general.

If you're just starting off and need the pump and solder, I think the 60D's alright.

If you google for the 60D, there's a link to an RC forum that shows the 60D in more detail. The construction seems fine, but the JWCO branded caps are a bit dodgy.

If you want me to look into anything specific about it, I can probably check it out on mine.

 

[Sagath]

Weller is inexpensive to get in to soldering. I'm a huge PACE fan boy though, but that is only because I've got a ~30k kit at work that spoils me. If you're getting in to serious shop repairs down the line dont skimp out. Even now while you're learning it'll be easier on you if you get a low-mid range iron instead of try to learn with a POS.

There is a great PACE model TD100 pencil I love using. The station heater is up to you for what wattage you'll need. A 50w station runs a bit south of $300 last I looked, but its probably gone up because of the american dollar. Thats what I use at home for small jobs. Anything fancy and I just take it to work.

 

[Nodscene]

Thanks for all the information guys. There is definitely no need to go overboard with the suggestions though. Sorry but there is no way I can either afford or need a $200+ soldering iron which will probably get very little use over a year. That's probably my mistake in not explaining my actual needs. Chances are I'll barely be a hobbyist.

In the end I may just end up going for this Aoyue as it gets great reviews and looks to be a great deal, unless someone see's something wrong with it.

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00BSW69LI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1FSCB8N4XVP5G

I know the Wellers get great reviews and maybe I'm making the wrong decision but it appears I'm a sucker for some kind of temperature readout. Most of these will probably be overkill for what I need but I'd rather have a decent little unit right off the bat and not have to worry about a cheap unit and get frustrated with slow heat times and heat transfer. Plus this looks pretty cool haha.