Non Picaxe (soldering station recommendation please)

novolts

Senior Member
I hope no one is offended by this question
From previous posts members may have noted that my programming skills are not the greatest but I do love tinkering and soldering
To my question my good lady has asked me what that big guy with the white beard and red suit could bring me towards the end of the year I am thinking soldering iron
I have used an 18 watt iron for years but I am thinking now temperature controlled iron and the best soldering iron tip any suggestions please my daughter is paying towards it as well
I have asked them not to go beyond £100 am I being realistic for a quality iron
Thanks novolts
 

Jeremy Harris

Senior Member
For years I've used an ancient Weller soldering station, the one that uses ferromagnetic bits to set the temperature and runs from a 48V supply. I use one because they were standard in every lab I ever worked in and my own iron is now at least 30 years old and still going strong.

However, I'm in the market for a smaller, lighter, faster to heat up and easier to control soldering station. I did look at the Hakko models, as they seem to get good reviews, but there is a new kid on the block that seems to be literally getting rave reviews, the TS100. Inevitably it's Chinese, but worth a look: https://www.banggood.com/MINI-TS100-Digital-OLED-Programable-Interface-DC-5525-Soldering-Iron-Station-Built-in-STM32-Chip-p-984214.html (remember it needs a power supply and a selection of bits, too). There are several reviews around, including some on YouTube, but this one sums up the strengths and weaknesses well, I think: https://oscarliang.com/ts100-soldering-iron/?share=email

It's on my shortlist as a supplementary iron to my trusty old Weller, and I've not read anything about the TS100 that's caused me to take it off that list.
 

Jeff Haas

Senior Member
When I upgraded from a cheap model I looked at what the most common clones were...then I got the original. Which was a Hakko. It’s been excellent. Newer models than mine have a digital readout to set the temperature.
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
I think it greatly depends on what one does and how often it's used. I found an ancient and basic Weller absolutely perfect for years. When that failed I bought a cheapish Maplins soldering station which has also served me well. It has a temperature pot but I simply set it to what worked for me and have left it there. I actually have a brand new Weller still in its box because I have not yet had to do anything which the Maplins' one won't.

I think there's a fair amount of personal preference which comes into it, what one finds good for themselves and is comfortable with. I have never got on with Antex, though I am sure they are perfectly good irons and many people sing their praises. I just find Weller size, weight and grip shaping more preferable. That TS100 would likely be far too light for my liking and I don't do anything where I would find it advantageous.

I would hate to have an expensive soldering station which is great but which I cannot get on with, but I'm not sure where one would go to 'test drive' what is available.
 

techElder

Well-known member
I've spent a good 3 decades with a Weller temperature controlled soldering station. I've also supplied one to each of my techs when I had a business. There's no contest about using Weller.

You need an iron with at least a maximum of 40 watts.

Weller WLC100 40-Watt Soldering Station

Here's one that is no better than a simple and cheap soldering iron, but it is a Weller and it has the accessories around it that make it suitable for a bench-type application. It does not have temperature control, but it does have variable power control. You have to be aware of how solder melts and flows. It also needs a small conical tip for electronics work. You also have to be aware of the acceptable tip temperature by "sneaking up" with the dial setting per tip. It's about $40US.

Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station

This station is what I would recommend. Temperature controlled with most of the accessories and within your budget (sort of.) It is very close to what I've used for a long time. It's about $100US.
 

Reloadron

Senior Member
Overall I like the Weller stuff and they have no shortage of models from inexpensive to the higher end workstation flavors. Depending on your needs you want to consider the number of tips available for different models as well as the heat range.

Ron
 

PhilHornby

Senior Member
...I bought a cheapish Maplins soldering station which has also served me well. It has a temperature pot but I simply set it to what worked for me and have left it there. I actually have a brand new Weller still in its box because I have not yet had to do anything which the Maplins' one won't.
I also had a cheap Maplin soldering station (circa £35), with 4 different bits that I used for 10 years. I replaced it last Christmas, after the 'temperature control' pot. broke.

The replacement is a Weller WHS 40D and I couldn't recommend it less - it's been a huge disappointment :(. (I paid a lot less than Farnell want for it)

My main beef regards the so-called "Temperature control". I don't know what it's supposed to be displaying on the LED display - but it doesn't appear to be the temperature of the iron!

(I did use it to mend the Maplin one, so it wasn't a complete waste :rolleyes:)
 

rq3

Senior Member
I hope no one is offended by this question
From previous posts members may have noted that my programming skills are not the greatest but I do love tinkering and soldering
To my question my good lady has asked me what that big guy with the white beard and red suit could bring me towards the end of the year I am thinking soldering iron
I have used an 18 watt iron for years but I am thinking now temperature controlled iron and the best soldering iron tip any suggestions please my daughter is paying towards it as well
I have asked them not to go beyond £100 am I being realistic for a quality iron
Thanks novolts

Now you've asked for it! I don't know where all of this temperature controlled (dial a temp) solder station stuff came from. I have several 60 watt Weller WTCP units, that rely on the Curie temperature of a magnet to control their temperature. You buy the tips that have the temperature you want. All of my tips are 700 degrees Fahrenheit.

I also only use mildy activated rosin multicore 63/37 solder. This may be problematic in Europe, where lead based products are probably more highly regulated than here in the US.

My Weller units are all at least 30 years old. I have never replaced any of the tips, which range from 1/4 inch wide, to needles capable of 1005 surface mount device soldering under a binocular microscope. The only repair I have ever done to any of my Wellers was to replace the handset cord on one after I ground through it with a belt sander.

Why am I so pedantic?

1) A eutectic solder (63/37) has a melting point equal to it's freezing point (361 degrees F). It doesn't have a mushy, slushy range where it's not immediately clear that the solder has flowed to make a reliable joint.

2) Rosin based fluxes are non-conductive, even if not removed. If removal is necessary, iso-propyl alcohol works very well, and is easily and cheaply available at any drugstore. It's relatively non-toxic. Many "water soluable" fluxes claim to be able to remain on the board without removal. This is false. Because they are water soluable, they absorb water from the air, and are conductive to at least some degree. A sensitive Picaxe touch switch or AD circuit can easily suffer from this unintended current leakage.

3) To what temperature will you set the dial on your solder station? A thought experiment...Suppose you set it for 362 degrees, one degree above the melting point of 63/37 solder. You will wait until the cows come home until the solder melts, meanwhile destroying the bond between your circuit board traces and the fiberglass substrate, cooking the internal die and wirebond of your Picaxe, and toasting any other components that have to have their leads cooked interminably until your solder melts. If you are using a non-eutectic solder, it's even worse, since you can't really tell when the solder "melts", it just gets "slushy". Now consider the same thing with a tungsten sewing needle heated to 4000 degrees. The energy in the tiny needle is still very low, despite the high temperature, and you will wait a similar amount of time before your solder flows.

4) A good soldering iron will dump as much heat as possible into the joint as fast as possible. The tip should be sized to the job. The solder joint is complete when the solder flows. Get it over with as fast as possible. Done. This means that you need an iron with the highest possible WATTAGE, at a temperature between 600-800 degrees Fahrenheit. Dial-a-temp functions on a solder station are worthless at best, and cause board and component damage at worst.

5) The Weller curie temp irons accomplish all of these things. They have a huge selection of tips so you can size to the job. The tip itself determines the maximum temperature that the tip can reach, and if the tip is under that temperature, the iron dumps all of its 60 watts into the tip, getting it to temperature as fast as possible.

6) A good soldering iron tip does not require ammonium chloride wipes, bronze wool wipes, filing, or sandpaper. Some of my tips are over 40 years old, and still work perfectly. They have only ever seen a damp sponge, and 63/37 rosin core solder. I have seen folks use their soldering iron to cut plastic wire ties, and then wonder why their tip wouldn't "wet" anymore. Don't do that.

In short, I expect my Weller WTCP's to outlive me. If one doesn't, I would buy another from e-bay. Parts are still available from Weller, and the tips are available from any good electronics supplier, although I haven't purchased any in decades, and I use them daily.

Just my $0.02 worth.
 

Jeremy Harris

Senior Member
I've used exactly the same Weller iron since 1974 at work, and had one at home for at least 30 years, as it was the first decent iron I bought, to replace an awful cheap and nasty Antec that I bought as a teenager. I agree with all you say about the Weller, but would add that I have had to replace the element and the internal magnetic switch in mine once, not bad in 30 years use though.

I also agree about the temperature, I almost always use 700 deg F bits, occasionally a big 800 deg F one for soldering big power cable terminations.

The downsides with the Weller (none serious) are that changing bits in the middle of a job is a pain. Unscrewing the hot nut to release the outer barrel is a nuisance, in my view. The heat up time is also a bit slow when compared to some of the newer irons. Also, I have had the iron coating fail on a couple of bits over the years, which then leads to the copper core eroding rapidly. All minor niggles really, as everything else about the Weller is very good, and spares are still available, even though this is an iron that's design is well over 40 years old.

We can still buy 60/40 tin lead solder with rosin flux, and it's far easier to use than the lead free stuff that cracks as soon as you look at it. The prohibition of the use of tin/lead solder here is only for commercial products and use I believe. I also keep a bottle of liquid rosin flux, and if I'm not going to solder up a newly made PCB straight away I'll paint a bit of flux over all the solder pad areas. This makes it a lot easier to get solder to flow very quickly when I do come to make up the board. I also routinely wash all boards with isopropyl alcohol and an old toothbrush, really to make them easier to visually check.

Despite the fact that the Weller is very good in almost all respects, I do find myself tempted to have another iron that heats up quickly and is a bit smaller and lighter, which is why I'm tempted by the TS100. It probably won't ever replace my ancient Weller, but there have been a few occasions recently when I could have done with a smaller iron, but still with a fair bit of power.
 

The bear

Senior Member
Hi,
I'm an Antex fan, have been for the last sixty years, yes I've had several.
My latest is a Antex model TCS 50 watt, Part No. T48JJ70 its temperature controlled (Digital). It was £40 from CPC/Farnell, on offer at the time.
Very fast heat-up.

Regards, bear..

Edit, in post #12 It could be Weller ST100
 
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Jeremy Harris

Senior Member
Edit, in post #12 It could be Weller ST100
No, the TS100 is an open source design, very light weight, fast heat up, iron, that runs from a 12 to 24V power supply and has some neat features, as well as just programmable temperature. One thing I like is that it senses when it's been put down, and automatically reduces the tip temperature to 200 deg C. As soon as the iron is picked up it senses this and heats the tip back to the set temperature in the time it takes to lift it up and start using it.

It is a bit gimicky in some respects, but it also looks as if a lot of thought has gone into the design. It does seem a bit small and light, but I'm still tempted to get one, as being able to run from 12 V is useful. I have a second Weller iron that's the same as my main one, but fitted with a smaller, 35 W, 12 V element, that I've powered from a car battery a few times, but that's really slow to heat up, even slower than the 48 V version of the same iron. The fast heat up of the TS100 is one of the attractions, as coupled with a lithium battery pack it could make for a useful portable iron for quick jobs in the field.
 

68gt500

New Member
I have had my Weller WECP-20 for at least 30 years now and despite of frequent use it still performs perfectly.

I have dropped it, misused it, left on overnight...:(

One of those things that you spend more once and never ever have problems with down the road.

Strongly recommended.

Mike
 

newplumber

Senior Member
Hi
I am impressed at the info from you all on solder irons ..I don't have 30/20/10 years of use out of any of the ones I have but along with most here (on weller brand)
my favorite is like this one....a weller WES51 love the tip it comes with it
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station-110-120-Volt-50-Watt-Iron-Output-Power/161250545833?epid=2255422173&hash=item258b4810a9:g:VA0AAOxy~dNTJMd~


also I bought a cheap solder station like this one
https://www.ebay.com/itm/852D-SOLDERING-IRON-STATION-HOT-AIR-REWORK-SMD-DC-POWER-SUPPLY-Built-to-Last/281624145670?epid=1464450249&hash=item41921b6f06:g:n10AAOSwOfBZwTs4
it works great used it for 2 years no problems ...just a few minuses
the tips suck (wear out fast) so I just lathed a weller tip to fit it
plus the solder tip cord is 2' maybe so you have to strap the whole machine on your head to get anything done :)
the heat gun is the same length and when using it (heat gun) the noise from the air pump can be pretty loud
and in some cases trigger a false alarm for a earth quake.
but over all it works okay if you don't have any other options
your mistakable cheapskatable friend
Mark
 

marks

Senior Member
Hi .....
like most here my first good soldering iron was also a weller tc202ds with the 1.6mm screwdriver bit did a good job,
from memory i think it did take quite a while to come upto temperature at least a minute.
Eventually the element did go and it was more desirable to put that money towards a new iron a micron 100 watt(in case i get the smd tool)
luckily it was cheap at the time i got mine (so am not really looking for another).
which i like much more, does come with a conical tip,you do have to change your technique quite a bit with this tip
it heats in about 8 seconds to my preffered 360degreesC.
I like using .71mm solder 60/40 seems to do a much cleaner job and rarely require cleaning flux residue not like the early days using
the larger stuff lol.I am tempted to try even smaller solder and always wonder if those extraction fans are worth trying.

Being a bit skeptical myself the tds100 does look like a bit of a toy on ebay it's about $65 au
but there are a few people that think that its the real deal for the higher watts you need a 24v supply.
the old weller station became a variable dc power supply so it would go well with it lol.
here's an interesting vid which may sway a few
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgrB5P-rDLw
 

JimPerry

Senior Member
I. still have the Weller that I got 40 years ago - free from Weller as I was doing a soldering iron article for ETI magazine. I also have two Antex XS25 for fine work. Both brands are great. :rolleyes:
 

Reloadron

Senior Member
While I mentioned earlier that I have used and liked Weller for years there are some options for the poor struggling enthusiast.



The above soldering pencils run about $8.00 US. Now also for the impoverished enthusiast who would like controlled heat at a discount a trip to any home improvement store or for that matter Amazon will yield an incandescent lamp dimmer for about a few bucks. Get a double gang box and place the lamp dimmer and an outlet in the box. Not fancy but for a few bucks will work fine for most basic applications.

Good soldering is a skill which is easily developed with practice and time. Always remember the bigger the blob the better the job! :)

Ron
 

lbenson

Senior Member
More to what Ron said, for cheapskate hobbyists not needing adjustable temperature, the RadioShack 15 watt irons are suitable for many picaxe projects, and the tips on the new ones are far better than the previous ones--2+ years and still going.
 
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premelec

Senior Member
In regard to Reloadron's dual heat - cheap trick on AC iron is put half wave diode rectifier in series with iron and only half the power will flow... put switch across the diode to go half or full power... You can also do this automatically with a position sensitive [used to be mercury] switch across diode so when you lay down the iron it reduces the power... ;-0
 

Reloadron

Senior Member
In regard to Reloadron's dual heat - cheap trick on AC iron is put half wave diode rectifier in series with iron and only half the power will flow... put switch across the diode to go half or full power... You can also do this automatically with a position sensitive [used to be mercury] switch across diode so when you lay down the iron it reduces the power... ;-0
Exactly what was done on that 15 / 30 watt pencil. It's a 30 watt element and a simple diode is switched in and out of series with the element.

Ron
 
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