need recommendation for soldering iron

[Sir Ricardo]

Hello!

I'm tired of paying my guitar tech to install pickups for me. He's a nice enough guy but I want to keep my $$ and eliminate the drive over to his place.

So I want to get a good soldering iron and do it myself.

I've got an "ok" soldering iron, but it doesn't seem to get that hot, and the tip of it is too big.

What do I need to do a good soldering joint?

Any thoughts on model / wattage / tip?

thanks in advance - - -

Richard

[wsaraceni]

i like the weller soldering station. i have the wes51

[HaggertysMusic]

I like this one:

http://www.allparts.com/110V-Solder-...t-4234-000.htm

Adjustable temp is the key. You kind of need a lot of heat to melt the solder on pot casings, but less heat when soldering fragile wires to avoid melting the insulation.

[cap217]

Go to radio shack... that all! $20 and your out with everyhting you need for basic stuff.

[CA_Dan]

Inexpensive but totally usable route:
Use a cheap stick type of soldering iron for everything except soldering wires to the back of pots to ground them. For those solders pick up a trigger controlled, gun-type of soldering iron from Harbor Freight Tools or some other off-brand. They can be had for $20 or so.

Higher quality:
See above, get an adjustable temp soldering station. A decent one will be >$100.

[GuitslingerTim]

The Hakko FX-888 is my recommendation; it's the replacement for the discontinued 936 model that Allparts sells, and can be purchased here for around $80:

http://www.kimcodistributing.com/sto...FQoJ2godb0NYUw

[Quarter]

Originally Posted by GuitslingerTim

The Hakko FX-888 is my recommendation; it's the replacement for the discontinued 936 model that Allparts sells, and can be purchased here for around $80:

http://www.kimcodistributing.com/sto...FQoJ2godb0NYUw

That looks like a great alternative to the 936. I've had my 936 since the mid 90's and it has been great.

[Binaural]

Another vote for the Hakko FX-888.

[Copper_Head]

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/so...g-station.html

I've had this one for a couple years and it's held up well.

[JFD58]

Maybe you know this already - but is the copper 'iron' tip of the iron you say you have clean to bare metal? If it is carbonized with a black crust that must be removed, and kept clean for full heat potential and efficiency. I keep a older 8" mill file for cleaning off the crust of my cheap weller irons - they are 'ON' all the time and thus build up fast. Keeping that tip clean is paramount to good and fast solder melt results. And a good station system is leaps and bounds above basic irons, and can be resold easy if good brand...if you have the money it is well worth going that route.
Work in fresh air with extraction/dilution of fumes also is well advised.

[GuitslingerTim]

Originally Posted by cap217

Go to radio shack... that all! $20 and your out with everyhting you need for basic stuff.

If the objective is to spend as little money as possible, and if the work needed is only occasional, or only once, the shack irons work fine, but there are caveats. A 35-40 watt iron is required for soldering wires to pot housings, but is too large and hot for fine electronics connections, like those in an effects kit, so a 25-watt iron must be purchased also for those jobs.

Other issues consist of the tips burning up frequently, and having to be replaced to the tune of $5-10 each, and the fact that even if cleaned properly and tinned regularly they still turn black with oxide and have to be sanded to produce clean joints. There is also the issue of cleaning the tip with a wet sponge, which cools the iron, requiring a waiting period for the iron to heat back up, which accelerates the process of tips burning up.

Without a proper holder for the iron, which must be purchased separately for the shack irons, a person is bound to burn themselves or the work table sooner or later.

I never realized how much stress was caused by using cheap irons until I started using a good variable temperature station like ones made by Hakko or Weller. The Hakko comes with a proper holder for the pen, a wire cleaner that allows cleaning the tip without cooling it down, and the tips never burn up provided they are tinned occasionally. With a good station I found myself concentrating on the work instead of the tool itself, and the stress was virtually eliminated.

[Chris Scott]

...and use distilled water for your sponge - mineral deposits on the tip wreak havoc ime.

[K-Line]

Originally Posted by wsaraceni

i like the weller soldering station. i have the wes51

I like my WES51 as well!

[GuitslingerTim]

Originally Posted by K-Line

I like my WES51 as well!

Glad you responded, at least for the sake of anyone in the market for a new iron. Kimco also sells the Weller WES51, for $5 less than the Hakko FX-888, and with a $20 rebate on top of that; a pretty good deal, but it ends today:


http://www.kimcodistributing.com/sto...FYnr7QodZ1VH_Q

[John Coloccia]

Hakko FX-888. Great tech iron. I've switched over exclusively to Hakko products years ago and never looked back.