Build Your Own Clone Message Board

Sorry for starting a new thread on what has probably been discussed to death but my search for this info came up with limited results. I have 2 pencil type soldering irons, one 30w and the other 40w. Both are inexpensive. I use the 40w for component removal on multi-layer PC motherboards and my 30w for pedals and lighter work. The 30w uses the standard cheap 1/8" nickle plated copper tips that thread on. I can never get them to last, no matter how diligent I am at cleaning and tinning the tip. Within the course of a pedal build, the tips start cratering on the end causing hot spots and are difficult to keep clean. I've tried Sears tips, Radio Shack tips, etc. all with the same poor result.

I know BYOC sells the Stahl station but I'm gun shy about availability of replacement tips. I've also heard that there are better, longer lasting tips out there that are iron plated rather than thin nickle over copper which, even when new, have difficulty holding a tin.

I see myself doing this for a while so I'm ready to spend more than $15 on a decent iron with decent tips, but I don't want to spend $100. Suggestions? Many years ago I was lent a heavy duty "blue handle" Weller and it seemed bulletproof at the time. I see that Amazon has a model WP25 for $30. Any suggestions or comments from the group? My only concern is that it's not adjustable and it lists as having a tip temp of 750, which seems pretty high. Is the Stahl really the way to go? Price seems too good to be true. Who sells replacement tips, or do they just last and last?

Thanks

The Weller WP25 is the iron I use. The tips for it last much MUCH longer than the tips for the Weller SP23L iron and it's screw-in M1 tips I used a few years ago.

IMPO adjustable wattage solder stations are a waste. I use my WP25 for all my general soldering needs. For heavier jobs I use my 150 watt Weller gun.

No matter which iron you choose take this "tip" to heart. Never idle your iron without a nice glob of solder on the tip. A hot tip idling exposed to air causes oxidation which leads to the pitting. A good weller tip can last several years if you know a few tricks.

I've got to promote the Hakko I use. It was $88 free shipping, tips galore. Obviously the station Stephen uses must be great or he wouldn't use it! What I've learned reading threads like this is there is not just one good station, there are several.

My thought on this is soldering is the most important thing to getting a circuit running so why be cheap here? Doesn't make sense but that is just me.

I've got both the Weller and the Stahl. I use the Stahl daily and keep the weller in the toolbox. I had the weller first and over the course of 4 years went through about 15 tips (same as you described, pitting). I have had the Stahl for about 4 months, built about 5 pedals with it and it shows no sign of wear. You can get tips for the Stahl on Amazon, but I will be surprised if I need a new tip for quite some time. (5 pedals would have caused some serious wear on my weller tips, not sure why though).
Also, I purchased a little brass cleaner, and that has made a world of difference in the quality of my tinning and tip cleaning.
-P

I'll second the Hakko! My FX-888 is awesome!

Man, Stephen wasn't kidding about how those little 25W Weller SP23L Marksman irons go through tips! That was the iron I started off with, and I used to get about 3 pedal builds out of a tip before it eroded to the point on non-usability. I finally broke down and bought a Hakko 936 station in late 2009 (since replaced by the newer FX-888 model) and have been just thrilled with the unit. Two years in and countless pedal builds later, the tip still looks virtually brand new.

For your guys with the bad Weller tip experiences, were yours the "blue handle" pro models or the cheap orange handle models?

From what I've seen, the orange handle models use the same crappy nickel plated tips that my Radio Shack one does. I was under the impression the higher priced blue handle models were better and per their web site, use double iron plated tips, rather than the cheap nickel tips that they specify for the orange "marksman" models. Just curious. If your poor experiences were with the blue models, I'd be surprised.

This is the best advice for a long-lasting tip.

I also recommend getting one of the brass tip cleaners instead of the sponge. Those work a lot better, IMHO.

Also, a good tip tinner/cleaner will help for longer tip life.

I have a Weller Station and I like it a lot. I've used a number of different irons over the years. The Wellers all worked OK, the Hakkos are nice, the Metcals are really nice. I would stay away from the cheap Radio Shack irons. Those consume tips.

I do tend to like temperature controlled stations. Mine has a nice feature that it will reduce the temperature to a set level if left alone for a user-defined amount of time. It ramps back up when picked up off the stand (there is a microswitch in it).

I recently upgraded to the stahl from my old 25 watt(orange handle) weller.
With the weller I did get corrosion every time I used it, but it's not so bad as long as you have a metal file or 50 grit sandpaper since you can sharpen the tip back up prior to plugging it back in, this added months to the life of my tips.
With the new stahl I bought a brass sponge and I don't need to go through the trouble of sanding the iron down. Not sure if it's the metal sponge or the iron but this combo works great and I basically set the iron and don't really change the settings.

Pick- what make/model iron do you have? That sounds interesting

Yes, what make and model? The auto temp drop down feature sounds cool, but probably expensive.

This is the one I have, but I didn't pay anywhere near this price:

http://www.techni-tool.com/272SO477

I think I got it for $230 or so back when they had a special. The programmable temp feature is cool, but I think the other suggested tools in this thread will make more of a difference: for example the brass tip cleaner, the tip tinner/cleaner and a quality station. You can get by with a cheap solder iron (I know plenty of folks that are great with them), but I decided to get a quality station since I know I will be using often and over a long period of time.

Will it give me a massage too when I tense up troubleshooting a build

No, that model costs a LOT more and requires more maintenance.

Mine is hot but won't melt solder now matter how hard I try, what am I doing wrong?

Increase the frequency and quality of maintenance. Perhaps you're doing it wrong.

BTW, I just received my new Weller WP25 (blue handle pro model). I seriously considered the Hakko just for the cool factor alone, but for the $55 price difference, I got a Hakko brass cleaner, a spare tip, and still saved $40. I would never buy the orange handled Weller but I'm optimistic about the pro model. I may regret it later. I'll let you guys know how it goes.