What iron do you use?

[Locke141]

I know there are lot of threads on soldering irons but I know thing chanege. I'm looking ones on Alibaba as most all vender ship to where I'll end up over sea's.

I was looking at
this one but am open to ones as high as $150.00.

[yotsuya]

Hakko. And I'll never use anything else.


*Cue comments on how the $5  Radio Shack special is just fine

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[harveybirdman]

With your budget I'd get a Hakko and then a separate knock off hot air station.

I have Yihuas (check out the electronics workbench thread) and they are surely serviceable but if you're willing to spend the money there is not reason not to go Hakko.

[HaRuMaN]

Hakko. And I'll never use anything else.


*Cue comments on how the $5  Radio Shack special is just fine

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Sure is.  That's how I got my custom title, with my el-cheapo radio shack special. 

It's the technique, not the iron.

That being said, my Radio Shack one finally died after about 10 years of service so I picked up a Weller.

[yotsuya]

Hakko. And I'll never use anything else.


*Cue comments on how the $5  Radio Shack special is just fine

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

Sure is.  That's how I got my custom title, with my el-cheapo radio shack special. 

It's the technique, not the iron.

That being said, my Radio Shack one finally died after about 10 years of service so I picked up a Weller.

Aaaaaaand there it is.

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[BadMouth]

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,146521.0.html

EDIT: Toward the end of that thread, there is some discussion of the soldering/desoldering stations similar to the one you linked to.

[yotsuya]

Hakko. And I'll never use anything else.


*Cue comments on how the $5  Radio Shack special is just fine

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

Sure is.  That's how I got my custom title, with my el-cheapo radio shack special. 

It's the technique, not the iron.

That being said, my Radio Shack one finally died after about 10 years of service so I picked up a Weller.

Although I will agree that technique is everything. I've done so much soldering in the past two years that I can now make money doing it. Remember to practice, kids!

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[DeLuSioNal29]

+1 on the Hakko.  I love mine.

DeL

[Slippyblade]

Yes, technique is important, but having a quality tool makes a HUGE amount of difference.  The Hakko gets to temp within a minute after being turned on and KEEPS the set temp.  Every cheap iron I ever had was literally plug in, go make a sandwich, come back and it *might* be up to temp.  Soldering a normal through hole lead was fine, but anything attached to a plane...  total ---smurfette---.

[yotsuya]

Yes, technique is important, but having a quality tool makes a HUGE amount of difference.  The Hakko gets to temp within a minute after being turned on and KEEPS the set temp.  Every cheap iron I ever had was literally plug in, go make a sandwich, come back and it *might* be up to temp.  Soldering a normal through hole lead was fine, but anything attached to a plane...  total ---smurfette---.

So getting the Hakko has cut down on your sandwich consumption, yes? :-)

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[Slippyblade]

...Every cheap iron I ever had was literally plug in, go make a sandwich...

So getting the Hakko has cut down on your sandwich consumption, yes? :-)

Pfft, silly Yots.  I've just found OTHER reasons to go make a sandwich.  As if a person actually needs a reason...

[yotsuya]

...Every cheap iron I ever had was literally plug in, go make a sandwich...

So getting the Hakko has cut down on your sandwich consumption, yes? :-)

Pfft, silly Yots.  I've just found OTHER reasons to go make a sandwich.  As if a person actually needs a reason...

I herd dat!!

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[CheffoJeffo]

I've got a Solomon SL-30 and a Weller 51. Happy with both, but the Solomon is my regular iron.

[pbj]

I've had a Weller WESD51 since the 90s, and it was well used when I got my hands on it. 

I've replaced a couple of tips ($5) and one heating element ($15) and it's held up fine over many years of circuit work, spousal discipline sessions, and torturing of small animals.

[ChadTower]

Nearly all Weller here too. 

[Nephasth]

My baby... One baaaad ---smurfette---...

[Slippyblade]

Tool porn!