Soldering stations?

[Mark 37]

Hello all,

 

I'm in the market for a new soldering station, does anyone know of any budget ones out there? My last one was an analog variable from 8-40w and done everything I needed. It's still under warranty, but the wifes filing system means the receipt cannot be found, well at least until it's no longer needed. I can replace this one like for like for £20 (half the price I paid)although I'm put off this make now (silverline). Which is a shame as I bought extra tips at the same time.

 

 

I'm only really asking because when I bought the now broken down one, Maplins put a digital one on half price sale a week later. I've looked around quite a few sites, but nothing in my budget.

 

Any suggestions will be welcome.

 

Best regards,

 

Mark

[Kenton]

Personally I have never liked solder stations and really can't quite see the point of them.

 

However I am not sure what you mean by broken.

Is it not heating at all? = burnt out element - replace

Heating but not melting solder = unloved tip - replace and love the next one

 

I would replace with a good trusty Antex 25W or 40W ... most of the "cheap" alternatives are cheap for a reason - "disposable"

[Mark 37]

I use mine for low melt solder applications all the time as well as more robust stuff, so a station is better than a hand full of irons. "Budget" used instead of cheap, because cheap implies disposable. The tips are perfect, so not that. The element would appear to be the cause, but there is no access to it.

 

Best regards,

 

Mark

[Kenton]

I use my trusty 25W Antex for low melt soldering as well - none of this temperature control - just clean and fast.

 

It probably depends on how much you use the iron as your measure of "budget" Mine is on all day most days - when one fails it simply goes in the bin and I power up the spare. There is false economy when you use one as much as i do. But if you only solder the very occasional kit or simply a once in a life time layout wiring then "budget" will do. I still wouldn't bother with a temperature control unit - but I guess it comes down to what you are used to and what you can get hold of in a reasonable time frame.

[Torper]

I've had an Aoyue 937+ for getting on for a couple of years now, and have been very happy with it - certainly much better than the Maplin soldering station I had earlier and which lasted about three weeks. The Aoyue range is reasonably priced (between £35 and £40 - see, for example, http://www.pcb-solde...ring-irons.html ) and there's a wide range of spare soldering iron tips, also reasonably priced.

 

I've got a couple of Antex irons, but have to confess that I've never managed to get on with them, so i keep them as spares in case the Aoyue lets me down.

 

DT

 

P.S. The Aoyue brand is much better known in the USA than over here. Youi can read reviews of the 937+ on Amazon's US site at http://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-937-Digital-Soldering-Station/dp/B000I30QBW

[Mark 37]

Kenton,

 

I can't say my iron is on all day every day, but when it is on it's on all day for a few weeks. I tend to save all my soldering work up, warship antena, lifeboat masts, all led lighting for ships, household repairs...........and so on. Plenty to do, but not enough to justify £30-£40 for a normal or £65-£110 for temp control. I normally keep a spare, but in the last house move the swimbo tossed them all because I had the temp control one. I used Weller for years, but when it came to change a tip the holding screw would just crumble on all 9 or 10 that I've owned. That's why I went Budget on the last buy.

 

Torper,

 

I saw that particular iron on a few american forums and shops. It seems to be highly regarded. That could be a winner. I'll see if I can free up a little more cash this weekend and get something ordered. The wifes determined to get the living room decorated, she now tells me. We'll see who wins. lol

 

 

Best regards,

 

Mark

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

We have waxed lyrical about this many times before and opinions vary from 'red hot 100watt irons on white metal for a nano second' to ' can't solder, won't solder, prefer glue anyway'.

 

I have had both Maplins soldering stations but would agree with Kenton that loving the tip is the secret to longevity. I like the digital ones as they tell you what the iron tip temperature actually is whereas the analogue ones need calibrating so that the vague coloured segments mean something.

 

In budget terms I reckon the Maplins analogue one at £20 is the best. It comes with spare tips and seems to do the job really well and since I started loving my tips with Ersin multicore solder, long lasting. I also take the trouble to use my heat sensor multimeter to calibrate the knob so i know what I am selecting heatwise.

[Torper]

Mark,

 

If you do get the Aoyue, I'd suggest you get two or three extra tips at the same time. As I recall, the iron came with a pointed tip. I've actually found that very useful, but I also got a couple of bevel type tips which I probably use more.

 

DT

[Mark 37]

dwhite,

 

I prefer a station for all my work now as I tend to start on a practise peice under power and work up too temp needed.

 

Torper,

 

Thanks for the advise, I always buy extra tips as I find I use cut heads more than anything else. That's why I'm so annoyed as I've had to buy packs of 4 to get a couple of extra cut tips. I now have 12 spare tips and a useless iron.

 

I have thought about buying a decent iron and retro fitting it to the station. As long as it's the same power I don't see too many issues. After all the station is no more than a gloriyfied dimmer switch.

 

Does anyone have an opinion on this?

 

Best regards,

 

Mark

[Kenton]

I like the digital ones as they tell you what the iron tip temperature actually is whereas the analogue ones need calibrating so that the vague coloured segments mean something.

But, why?Soldering iron use has much less tto do with a specific temperature than it does with heat capacity and heat transfer.

 

Heat capacity:If the tip cannot be maintained hot enough to melt solder and not get cooled by the size of the lump of metal it is touching then it is of no practical use.

 

Cleanliness:A dirty tip is about the worst thing to have. It will not tin properly, solder will not flow over it. Its ability to transfer heat quickly to the job is greatly reduced.

 

I don't need to know the tip is 120' or 125' all I need to know is that it will melt the solder so it flows whilst not heating the rest of the job so that it melts or all other soldered parts fall off. 70'C low melt solder will "melt" at 70'C but it will not flow and placing such a cold tip on a lump of white metal at room temperature will cool it rapidly to below melting point, producing a very poor join.

[Torper]

But, why?

Surely it's all down to individual preference? You feel very happy with your 25W Antex which, indeed, a lot of modellers swear by. On the other hand, I've got two Antex irons and haven't been able to get along with either of them to the extent that they've very nearly ended up in the bin, but I'm very pleased indeed with my Aoyue soldering station with which I manage much better than I ever did with the Antex irons. I do also find the ability to vary the temperature helpful. But that's not to say that either of us is wrong - if we're happy with what we've got, and are producing good results, that's surely what matters.

 

DT

[craigwelsh]

But, why?Soldering iron use has much less tto do with a specific temperature than it does with heat capacity and heat transfer.

I personally don't see the point in running the risk of being able to overheat and melt the piece when you don't need to. A white metal buffer is now about 50p, which have the potential to turn it into a blob when you can have an iron hot enough to do low melt solder but never able to melt the piece unless you leave it there a really long time. Extreme soldering may be fun but its easy to make mistakes when tired as the bench.. If it works for you great though.

 

Maplins used to sell spare elements for their cheap soldering stations, i've got one spare for mine but I think they were discontinued recently. Possibly worth emailing them?

 

Incidentally an Antex user needs at least two of the irons to be able to solder in a new element if the existing one fails!

[Kenton]

 

 

Surely it's all down to individual preference?  

 

DT

It is. But only when you have the experience and knowledge to make that individual preference.

 

When someone is starting out or seeking advice then the passing on of experience and knowledge is really what the forum is about.

 

I am not into dictating how anyone should proceed, just simply into offering advice.

 

In fact to someone who was totally inexperienced in soldering, white metal in particular, my advice would be to go with a good soldering station. But I would still at the same time point out that soldering is not about knowing what the temperature is at the tip of your iron. There are so many other factors.

 

The fact that you personally cannot "manage" as well with the Antex irons only leads me to wonder why. But I can understand why so many use a soldering station as a sort of reassurance into not melting the white metal parts. But that is really all it is as white metal soldering can be managed perfectly well without one. Again I ask why digital? If it doesn't make a difference between 100' or 300' with good soldering technique then what is the difference between 120' and 125'? It is all about heat transfer and the real determinant is the size of the heat sink (part) you are soldering. So in theory you should be adjusting the station temperature for each part you are soldering and on a station how then do you select the temperature setting to use?

[Mark 37]

I'll step in here and give more background.

 

I trained as a level 2 tech and worked as one for 4 years before moving on and managing the line during which time I carried out level 3 work. Soldering under magnifiers and micro scopes. My purpose to this thread was I intended to replace my station. Budget has dictated that it will have to be low cost as running the car is a priority, new baby on way the list could go on. There will always be more important things to spend cash on. The reason I mentioned digital is more for taking note of temp when doing particular work as I do a lot of repetative soldering in my RC boat hobby (i.e wiring 120 lights on a warship for example). This is not always possible to do in one sitting as family needs interupt.

 

I've been down the route of having 4 or 5 irons for different tasks paying £40+ extra for tips only to find when a tip needs changed the head of the securing screw crumbles or with the heat transfer it is wedged solid, rendering the iron usless. I picked the silverline on my last purchase again at that time budget dictated (costing £45+£15 on tips + postage). It has served me well, but as I'm not carrying a spare iron I need a replacement.

 

I just wanted to know if there were any sales on that I missed. Because the wealth of knowledge in this forum is quite simply amazing. Some of the external links that members post, just don't come up in my searches.

 

Any posts will be appreciated and considered because it will be Friday before I place an order of any kind.

 

Kind regards,

 

Mark

[The Dorset Wanderer]

Maplins have a 60 watt soldering station on offer at £40 at the moment with LCD screen for accurate temp control (their words not mine)

Steve

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

Although I agree that tip temperature is irrelevant per se, it isn't when you are soldering white metal. You need the ability to change temperature between soldering wagon sides together and soldering the brake handle and hanger onto the chassis. It is because I want to know which dial position for which job that I calibrate using a multimeter.

 

It is that ability to change temperature that I and others seek.

 

i still maintain that the Maplins analogue soldering station, if still available, is by far the best value and does the job within the OP's budget.

 

A cheaper alternative is a standard iron and a dimmer switch. Dimmer switches are now difficult to get but a 100Watt one could be matched to an 80Watt iron so you get the best of all worlds. It will still need some form of calibration or a lot of experimentation to find out which knob position does which job.

[Torper]

I personally like the digital aspect because it enables me to set the iron to the temperature I want, and then tells me when it gets there (usually a matter of seconds). If I then want to change the temperature during the course of my work, I press the appropriate buttons to set a new temperature and, once again, it lets me know when that temperature is reached, and that it is being maintained. The temperatures I set depend on the type of solder I'm using as well as the nature and size of the material being soldered.

 

As for replacement bits, those for the Aoyue cost under £2.00 each, less than half the cost of Antex or Weller ones. They slide on over the head of the iron and can be removed and replaced very quickly - I quite often swap them around during the course of my work with minimal delay.

 

The Maplin iron mentioned by Steve seems tempting, especially as it can go as low as 150 degrees. Personally, in view of past experiences with reliability I wouldn't buy another iron from Maplins, but I may well just have been unlucky and if this is a good one it may well be fine. It doesn't have much of a choice of spare tips, however.

 

I'm afraid that I think that Antex irons are over-rated and overpriced, but I appreciate that that is a minority (but certainly not a unique) opinion. Maybe I'll give mine another go.

 

DT

[Kenton]

My comments on digital in post #10 were in response to dwhite4dcc's comment on preference for digital (hence the quote) - they were not a coment directed at the OP or against the use of stations.

 

I still cannot understand why being able to read that the tip is at 120' as opposed to 125' makes a single iota of difference to the ability to solder. A position on an analogue dial would be good enough, especially as I pointed out, the precise temperature makes no difference it is the amount of heat that the iron can get into the job and how long you are going to have to wait to get the interface melt required for a good joint. Simply dialing up 120' (for example) on the iron every time is not going to work with every w/m join.

[Jol Wilkinson]

 

I'm afraid that I think that Antex irons are over-rated and overpriced, but I appreciate that that is a minority (but certainly not a unique) opinion. Maybe I'll give mine another go.

 

DT

 

Sometimes buying inexpensive tools is poor economy too.

 

I've had my Antex soldering station for over twenty years and it's now on it's third element. Unfortunately when that goes I can't get a replacement so it'll have to be a new unit, probably another Antex.

 

I also have a 25W Antex for wiring jobs. One benefit of the temp. controlled unit is that bits stay cleaner.

 

Jol

[melmerby]

 

i still maintain that the Maplins analogue soldering station, if still available, is by far the best value and does the job within the OP's budget.

 

A cheaper alternative is a standard iron and a dimmer switch.

 

If you mean this : http://www.maplin.co.uk/50w-solder-station-35016

It is actually no more than a cheap iron and a dimmer switch!

 

I bought one some years ago when they were £20. The iron lasted just over a year before the element went and Maplin, at the time, did not do spares (nor replacement bits), so I bought a cheapo 60W iron from a market stall (£2.99) and wired it in, it has lasted years and the bits are standard 6-7 mm available cheaply from several places.

Keith

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

 

If you mean this : http://www.maplin.co...r-station-35016

It is actually no more than a cheap iron and a dimmer switch!

 

I bought one some years ago when they were £20. The iron lasted just over a year before the element went and Maplin, at the time, did not do spares (nor replacement bits), so I bought a cheapo 60W iron from a market stall (£2.99) and wired it in, it has lasted years and the bits are standard 6-7 mm available cheaply from several places.

Keith

 

Yes, that is the one. Like you I only paid £20 for it some years back.

 

The reviews really highlight that the use of lead free solder ruins the tips. That is what happened to my digital soldering station iron.

 

I wasn't aware that the iron on these is mains powered. My digital iron is twelve volts.

[Jol Wilkinson]

 

If you mean this : http://www.maplin.co...r-station-35016

It is actually no more than a cheap iron and a dimmer switch!

 

Keith

 

As I understand it, a temperature controlled soldering station (such as the Antex, Ersa, Xytronic, etc.) use a sensor in the element and feedback circuit to maintain the temperature at the selected level, but continues to provide full power.

 

A dimmer switch reduces the voltage and hence the power available (the element resistance remaining the same).

 

It is therefore inaccurate to compare a TCU soldering station and an ordinary iron/dimmer combination.

 

Jol

[buffalo]

...I still cannot understand why being able to read that the tip is at 120' as opposed to 125' makes a single iota of difference...

People tend to believe numbers are both precise and accurate, no matter how they are derived. Think of the introduction of digital watches when all of a sudden people would tell you the time to the nearest minute, or even second, whilst quietly ignoring the fact that their watch was no closer to the exact time than their previous analogue one had been. Then we got digital speedometers and, again, people start believing exactly what they say. I wonder just how many of these so-called digital soldering stations actually give you an accurate tip temperature within five, or even, ten degrees. After all, most are all analogue right up to the A to D converter immediately behind the display.

 

Nick

[Mark 37]

Well I ordered a cheapo 25w throw away last week, just arrived this morning, so I'll be able to crack on with the outstanding jobs. I'll be ordering a digital in the next few weeks (I found out I have some cash coming to me).

 

Best regards,

 

Mark

[melmerby]

 

As I understand it, a temperature controlled soldering station (such as the Antex, Ersa, Xytronic, etc.) use a sensor in the element and feedback circuit to maintain the temperature at the selected level, but continues to provide full power.

 

A dimmer switch reduces the voltage and hence the power available (the element resistance remaining the same).

 

It is therefore inaccurate to compare a TCU soldering station and an ordinary iron/dimmer combination.

 

Jol

I was pointing out the fact that the Maplins solder station mentioned is not controlled, just variable.

 

I have several different irons including the aforesaid Maplins unit with replacement iron and some Adcola 25W irons, which where I worked were reckoned to be the best non controlled iron available. At work we also had Pace solder stations (Sodr-x-tractor) which even had a flexible drive output!

 

Keith