Need help choosing a soldering iron

[Ketchup]

So yeah, I have been looking at the hakko fx-888d for a while now, but I recently saw a post by @PsyBorg where he suggested a much cheaper iron. Does anybody have some suggestions? Price is not too huge for me since I want to get something good that will last a long time and be easy to use.
Thanks for the help!

 

[JasonK]

I was recommended the TS100 Digital Programmable Soldering Iron and have been rather happy with it, however there are good quality cheaper options if you only need a 'desk' version. However, I don't recall what I was recommended in that category.

 

[Ketchup]

I was recommended the TS100 Digital Programmable Soldering Iron and have been rather happy with it, however there are good quality cheaper options if you only need a 'desk' version. However, I don't recall what I was recommended in that category.

I was thinking about the TS100 at first but Joshua Bardwell said that it lacks ergonomics. Is that really a problem? Also, I will be using the iron at home, so are there any adapters that I can buy to plug the TS100 into a wall socket?

 

[JasonK]

I was thinking about the TS100 at first but Joshua Bardwell said that it lacks ergonomics. Is that really a problem? Also, I will be using the iron at home, so are there any adapters that I can buy to plug the TS100 into a wall socket?

I have really big hands and I don't have issues with it, but it could be slighly bigger, but not much different then holding a pencil or pen. The version I pickedup came with a wall adapter for it.

 

[b-29er]

TS100 may lack very slightly in the ergonomics department, but it really makes up for the compact size. I carry mine in a small tacklebox, along with a power brick, 3rd hand, brass sponge, couple things of solder, some kapton tape, heatshrink of all assortments, some xt60s/xt90s, servo wire, and a couple extra tips. You'll wind up spending like 2-3x more for something better.

 

[Ketchup]

Ok cool! I was originally leaning towards the hakko but now I'm back to the TS100. I might wait a couple days before ordering anything, but I will probably get the TS100 if there are no more suggestions.
Thanks guys!

 

[Zetoyoc]

my 2 cents. i love my ts100 iron. i have a few different tips for it and power it from a laptop power supply I found at goodwill. that setup was a huge step up from the 15/30w radioshack special i was trying to use prior. also you could easily power it from a lipo flight pack at the field if needed

 

[PsyBorg]

Keep in mind that TS100 is meant to be a repair tool. not a long term work horse so if you are constantly building and using it the longevity of a soldering station may not be there. For that price range you could replace the one I linked 3 times. Mine is now 4 years old and gets used quite regularly and is still very accurate and reliable.

 

[Zetoyoc]

That is a good point. I use mine infrequently. and it is great at what I ask of it. but it isn't a full-time production unit by any means. but for $45 Ill replace it after several years if needed.

 

[Ketchup]

Keep in mind that TS100 is meant to be a repair tool. not a long term work horse so if you are constantly building and using it the longevity of a soldering station may not be there. For that price range you could replace the one I linked 3 times. Mine is now 4 years old and gets used quite regularly and is still very accurate and reliable.

Ok then, so are you saying that I should get the other one? I might be using it very often (maybe even on every build) and I would like it to last longer.

 

[PsyBorg]

Thats got to be your choice.. I see the TS 100 advertised as a field tool so that tells me its not designed for prolonged use. Both have their place and use. I have yet to need an iron in the field but I dont go out to crazy places where my risks raise the need for a field iron.

 

[Ketchup]

Thats got to be your choice.. I see the TS 100 advertised as a field tool so that tells me its not designed for prolonged use. Both have their place and use. I have yet to need an iron in the field but I dont go out to crazy places where my risks raise the need for a field iron.

Ok. One last question though. A lot of the amazon reviews for the linked iron says that it doesn't actually supply the advertised wattage. Is that going to be an issue? Also, it seems very cheap, so are there any serious drawbacks with it that you have noticed?

 

[PsyBorg]

4 years four complete quad builds, yearly refurbishment on every quad I own and uncounted repair work all on the tip that came with it and zero problems. Seems to be as reliable as the 500 +dollar professional Wellers I used when I did electronics in a manufacturing environment back in the 80's and 90's. I have not opened it up to look inside but everything outside is of better quality then expected when I looked into it back when I got it at under 30 dollars.

I read the review you speak of and think about what he said... its good at burning pc boards. that tells me he is a clueless moron that "cranked the heat up" and burned up his stuff. He probably watched a Mr Steele build video or how to solder tutorials on the interwebz. As for the wattage being off.. Well again.. questionable knowledge from someone online.. 44 watts from a 60 watt iron at rest is great..Wont burn the unit up just sitting there.. Its a fast recovery iron so the missing wattage more then likely comes in to play keeping heat at a stable temp if one properly thinks about how it works...

 

[Ketchup]

4 years four complete quad builds, yearly refurbishment on every quad I own and uncounted repair work all on the tip that came with it and zero problems. Seems to be as reliable as the 500 +dollar professional Wellers I used when I did electronics in a manufacturing environment back in the 80's and 90's. I have not opened it up to look inside but everything outside is of better quality then expected when I looked into it back when I got it at under 30 dollars.

I read the review you speak of and think about what he said... its good at burning pc boards. that tells me he is a clueless moron that "cranked the heat up" and burned up his stuff. He probably watched a Mr Steele build video or how to solder tutorials on the interwebz. As for the wattage being off.. Well again.. questionable knowledge from someone online.. 44 watts from a 60 watt iron at rest is great..Wont burn the unit up just sitting there.. Its a fast recovery iron so the missing wattage more then likely comes in to play keeping heat at a stable temp if one properly thinks about how it works...

Ok then. I am settling on that for now. I will post here once I get anything or if I have more questions. Thanks for the help!

 

[sprzout]

I'll throw in that I own the Hakko and have been EXTREMELY pleased with it. Being able to dial in to a specific temp (and more importantly, having it MAINTAIN that temp!) is highly important to me.

I bought a cheap Harbor Freight soldering iron (I think i paid $5 for it) and I discovered, VERY quickly, why it was only $5. It took forever to get it up to temp, and when it DID get hot enough, I could only use it for maybe 15-20 seconds before it cooled off and the solder wouldn't stay liquid.

Does this mean that what you’re considering isn’t a good one? Not at all. I don’t know anything about the TS100, so will have to defer to someone else. But I like the Hakko, it works great for all of my builds, and it doesn’t feel like an el cheapo Harbor Freight soldering iron that likely doubles as a wood burning pen.

I do like that the Hakko comes with a solid stand for the iron, so I don’t have to worry about accidentally setting it down and melting something, or catching something on fire, etc. whatever iron you get, make sure it’s got a decent stand, something that’s not easy to tap lightly and the iron tips over...

 

[Ketchup]

So I know what soldering iron to get, but I don't know what solder or connectors to get. I heard that 60/40 flux core solder is all I need, but what brand should I get? Are they all the same? Also, where should I get connectors like XT60's and bullet connectors? Hobbyking has a nice selection, but if I can order from amazon I would really like to.

 

[PsyBorg]

For the work we do in our hobby 60/40 rosin core is perfect. Kester brand was usually the standard when I was working in the industry. Im still using an 8 0z roll of 60/40 from Radio Shack I got over a decade ago hehe. The actual brand is rubbed off the label. The thickness may come into play depending what you solder but its all sold by weight so the price is usually the same or very close. I use .32 inch for everything I do.

Yes you can get the connectors on Amazon. xt60's Xt 30's are what I use. I got away from using bullet connectors as they just add another fail point as well as unnecessary weight.

Brands on amazon all seem to show the same connectors. Avoid presoldered pig tails as they are all done by some schlep in a factory absolutely hating his life making thousands per day and they are not so quality oriented. Not sure on that whole anti spark gimmick I see now but would suggest letting others be the guinea pigs for a while.

Get mated pairs if possible as soldering them not fitted together tends to warp them and make them hard to use. Dont forget proper sized heat shrink.

 

[Ketchup]

I ordered my soldering equipment a few days ago and it came today! I actually got a Weller wlc100 iron because a family friend recommended it, and it seems very similar to the other iron anyways. Now I should have everything needed to start soldering. I had to leave my solder outside in the garage because it was the only thing that I couldn't really disinfect (I didn't want to put disinfecting stuff right onto the solder), but after I wait long enough I want to try practicing on some wires. Thanks for the help everybody!

 

[RossFPV]

Im looking for a "new" soldering iron too. Right now i have to use an around $15 wood burning tool and im planning on building a tiny whoop so i would say its a need. Any suggestions under $25?

 

[Ketchup]

Im looking for a "new" soldering iron too. Right now i have to use an around $15 wood burning tool and im planning on building a tiny whoop so i would say its a need. Any suggestions under $25?

The one that @PsyBorg recommended (or at least what he said something about in another thread) is the Aoyue 469. 25 bucks on amazon rn. Only problem is that it is just the iron. After ordering solder, different iron tips (you probably wouldn't need them at first), desoldering braid and other stuff I was around (or over) 100 bucks. If you cut out some stuff like the extra tips and only get what you need right when you need it you could get the price down, but I dunno about 25 bucks for everything.