Do I need a new soldering iron?

[Tiger]

I bought an Ozito soldering kit, it had a 30 watt soldering iron and a 100 watt soldering gun. They haven't been used much over the last 7 or 8 years that I've had them but I can barely get them hot enough to melt basic solder so,I can join wires. Got my infra red temperature gun and it recorded a maximum of 280 degrees Fahrenheit, the solder I believe melts at 360. Do I need a new soldering iron, I've heard the gas ones are easier to use. I only need it for basic soldering usually wires that have frayed or torn.

[BobL]

For years I had a basic 30W soldering iron at home because we had good gear at work that I could access but since I retired I decided to get myself decent so ended up with a 3 in one ; soldering iron (200 - 480ºC); mini hot air gun (100 - 420ºC) and 30V DC power supply unit. It's nowhere near the top of the wazza in this line of gear but it is SO much nicer than the cheapies.

[Tiger]

What brand Bob?

[snowyskiesau]

I've gotten by with a couple of Dick SMith or Jaycar low wattage irons but about 12 months ago, bought a soldering station.

It's a Yihua 898D, not a top of the line model or brand but it's well made and has been reliable. Temerpaturs controlle iron and hot air gun, no de-soldering option.
It came with a number of different tips and spare heater cartridges. Around $120 depending on which eBay seller you choose.

I've still got a big soldering iron I bought many years ago for lead lighting work. Great for soldering slabs of metal together but not electronics!

[Tiger]

Nice unit Geoff, don't know if I can justify the price as I only tend to solder infrequently.

[snowyskiesau]

In that case, consider this one (http://www.jaycar.com.au/Tools-%26-Soldering/Soldering/Stations/40W-Temperature-Controlled-Soldering-Station/p/TS1620) from Jaycar, only $50.
I have had one for 6 or 7 years and it still gets used. A bit slow to heat up but holds its temperature well. Spare bits available.

[yjnb]

Have you cleaned the tip. Try it again after a little cleaning with sandpaper. It fixed mine (after I read the instructions for the new one telling me to keep the tip clean)

[mike48]

Checking solder iron tip temperature with an IR gun type device is fraught with problems and probably may not indicate correctly. I cannot measure mine like this, and I think it is due to the gun wide pattern attempting to measure a relatively small target.

You could try a cheap bi-metal strip type oven thermometer, (or a thermocouple accessory for a DVM) calibrating it first with boiling (really boiling) water at 100 deg C, noting the error, wrapping the thermometer around the solder iron tip with Alfoil, and leaving it for a full 15 mins, then adjust your reading for previously noted error.

If you are soldering PCB type electronics, a small tip on a 40-50 watt temperature controlled iron is quite OK, providing that the tip itself is temperature controlled.

If you are soldering larger cables and lugs, maybe a larger mains uncontrolled iron of 80 - 100 watts is better.

Look for availability of spare tips, variety of tips.

Don't use a wet sponge to clean tips; that just causes early tip failure due to corrosion, as the tips are invariably iron "plated".
Instead use a metal shaving type cleaner blob, just like a stainless steel kitchen scourer.

Buy from an Australian supplier, as then you are mostly sure of getting an electrically
approved item. Most directly imported stuff will not be approved.

Use electronics grade 60-40 resin flux cored solder, 1.0 mm dia is OK for PCBs, and have some 0.5mm and 0.8mm available as well.
Don't use ROHS lead free solder unless you have been trained, as your joints will be suspect.
The sky will not fall in.

Never use plumber's or similar flux for electrical work; impossible to 100% remove the residue.

Lastly, keep in mind that it does take some time for the tip to melt the joint or solder from the reel. Don't expect it to melt as soon as you touch the tip.
If it does melt instantaneously, then your tip is at too high a temperature.
Don't misjudge your solder iron in this way.
We are talking here of about a second or so to melt, but longer if your thermal bridge of tip to joint is poor.

Use the correct width tip, at correct temperature, and give the joint time to melt.

I'm guessing that quite a few soldering irons have been dismissed or thrown out because the user expects it to work differently than they thought.

good luck, mike

[BobL]

What brand Bob?
This was the unit
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3-in-1-Soldering-Iron-hot-air-soldering-rework-station-DC-Power-Supply-8583d-/161317259783?ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:AU:3160
But it was nowhere near that price , more like $125. There is a detailed youtube review of this unit on youtube where the demonstrator discusses its strengths and weaknesses and it came up pretty well.
There are several others out there that are similar and also quite good.
The heat up times are very fast - about 5 seconds to get solder melting temps.


Checking solder iron tip temperature with an IR gun type device is fraught with problems and probably may not indicate correctly. I cannot measure mine like this, and I think it is due to the gun wide pattern attempting to measure a relatively small target.

You could try a cheap bi-metal strip type oven thermometer, (or a thermocouple accessory for a DVM) calibrating it first with boiling (really boiling) water at 100 deg C, noting the error, wrapping the thermometer around the solder iron tip with Alfoil, and leaving it for a full 15 mins, then adjust your reading for previously noted error.

I have a Fluke thermocouple (TC) accessory for a DVM as well as an IR gum with a built in TC (http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=193234&highlight=thermocouple)
These are excellent for checking the tip temps of soldering irons.
The display temp of the soldering iron in the unit I bought is within a couple of degrees of these TC temps.

[Tiger]

Thanks guys, I did clean the tip, it changed the colour to s bronze like colour. I just got the cheap lead free solder from bunnies but that's the stuff I've used in the past. Mike you've given me a bit to think about, appreciate you sharing that knowledge. Geoff, when you say that unit takes a while to heat up, how long does it take? Also what are the pros and cons for the butane solder units?

[Jon]

+ 1 on avoid lead free solder. Get some 60/40 like Mike48 said and try again with your current iron. If still no good after following his tips then upgrade your iron.

[snowyskiesau]

.Geoff, when you say that unit takes a while to heat up, how long does it take?

5 -6 minutes depending on set temperature. Soldering station takes less than a minute to heat.

[mike48]

Sorry about my authoritarian (no, I am not) and overly dogmatic approach; I think I need more coffee in the mornings before replying to these posts.

mike

[Tiger]

Checked the solder, it's 1 mm lead free resin solder.

[soundman]

As has been said .. avoid the lead free solder ..... even under controled situations it is inferiour, problematic and less reliable than good old lead tin solder.

You must clean tips on soldering irons ..... the idea that using a wet sponge is any sort of problem us just bunkum ...... I have been using a wet sponge for nearly 40 years & I often solder 4 or 5 hours in a session and my irons someties stay on for 12 hours ..... the major couse of corrosion in solering tips is the resin and the heat ....... water is a must on the sponge because it removes the excess resin and cools the dregs so they will come off the iron clean and not reattach and remelt.

Yeh I wear out tips and have to replace then due to corrosion ..... but I have discarded maybee 5 tips in the last 20 years.

There are plenty of workable fairly cheap irons out there .... but you in general will not get good value in a small iron at a hardware shop ...... go to an electronics store like altronics or jaycar.

I've had many different top spec irons over the years both baught and on issue. But I I also have a couple of cheapies ... like $20 irons. I carry one as a spare in the work truck in case the weller dies. I also have a spare on the bench.

I have one of these http://www.altronics.com.au/p/t2401-micron-25w-economy-soldering-iron/ ...... purchased recently ..... surprised me for a cheap iron ...... it would do most things mortals would be doing with wires and such ...... with care and a bit of skill I could do some coarse printed circuit board work with it. It aint going to solder battery lugs and I won't be doing a serious session .... but its a fair thing

Jaycar will have something similar.

As for the gas powered irons ...... I know a lot of people who are completely enamoured with them ..... but I don't like em ...... the temperature is simply not stable ...I find them combersome compared to a good pencil iron... they are a dangerous source of ignition ...... and they are very expensive compared to an electric iron if the same capability.

I have just baught one of these http://www.bunnings.com.au/tradeflame-30w-soldering-iron_p6270375 for on site work where there is no power or it is too slow to get power. I runn it off a 12V 7.5 Ah battery pack ...... it too has surprised me .... much better than I thaught it would be ........ It gives me a portable iron that does not contraveen "hot work" restrictions.

hope this helps

cheers