Adjustable temperature soldering iron/station

[kells80aus]

I agree with AJ. I have had several of the Jaycar $20 two speed models and they just keep sh!tt!ng themselves after a few months. The one I am using now was about $70. if this one dies I am going to take it back to jaycar and jam it up the little.................... well you get the idea

PK

[ultpanzi]

AJ and PK, Id really love to do that, however, because Im a student, Id like to believe that my income will rise when I can get a better paying job (probably during uni) which is when Ill buy quality tools. For now, I just need tools that will survive until then. I really believe that forking out for tools is money well spent, but at this stage, I don't have much left after these beautiful (and addictive) kits from Pitbull.

[lawry]

/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from ultpanzi on August 21, 2014, 18:02
Hi Lawry, I work on electronic circuits for a large variety of things and Im all too familiar with the crumbly vaporized solder crap due to my iron overheating towards the later end of its life. Thats the main reason why I prefer temperature controlled irons, as well as to prevent the horrid melted pcb board coating smell that comes with an iron thats too hot and touches the green pcb board coatings. Controlled irons are also great cos it allows me to use lead free solder as well which is a tad harder to melt. Gas powered irons seem pretty cool though, cos the wire free tool has great appeal to me.

You make some very good points here, mate. Also, the eutectic temperature for lead free solder can be 20-40 degrees higher than 'standard' tin/lead solder. And it's also best that you don't mix the two types together when soldering as cross contamination may leave you with a dodgy joint unless you're very careful.

[ultpanzi]

Tin/lead solder has always been my preference but in today's "safe society" theres always someone who wants you to use lead free solder when working on their circuits. Thats the only time Id use lead free solder so I doubt Id be faced with cross contamination.

[Gavin1393]

This is my soldering station. Pricey at $400 odd... but has the added advantage of being able to shrink heat-shrink!
The variable temp control comes in handy when you need to crank up the temp to get the pot case hot enough to solder ground wires!
Bought mine from Jaycar.

[ultpanzi]

$400 busts my budget by just a little but that looks like a great tool. A jet lighter turned down low works for my to shrink heat shrink and sanding off a little of the cadmium coating of the back of the pots helps the solder stick better, so I can live without a super super fancy tool.

[AJ]

If your not worried about the life of an iron, you can pick up some "rather cheap" ones from the $2 shops.. for around $10. they will do a few jobs.

[keloooe]

Personally I use a 60W iron from Altronics, cost me $15 (i think) and is decent for beginners!

[ultpanzi]

The life of the iron doesnt matter, but the quality of the joints do, so Id rather stay away from obscenely cheap ones.

[leetbrown]

HI Guys.

I've been using an older model of one of these http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Soldering...-/110749281221 for a couple of years. It is a variable temperature model and is a clone of a better brand, it really works quite well.