- Thread starter Kayos
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Smallfry
HE's Spartacus.
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I have a Parkside one from Lidl, and my gripe with it, is that the lead is way too stiff, so when you try to use it, the station is dragged around, and its really, really annoying. They need a nice flexible rubber lead.
Also got a 100 watt Weller gun. Must have had that 40 plus years !
And these. No such problems. Although I don't know of much use for them nowadays
Also got a 100 watt Weller gun. Must have had that 40 plus years !
And these. No such problems. Although I don't know of much use for them nowadays
Nomad
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I use Makita 18v batteries and picked up a clone / Fakita soldering iron - it's now my preferred iron. (Search - I did a mini review)
Temp controlled, quick heat up, portable with a decent soft lead so it's easy to get where you need it.
Recommend you look at them, well worth considering.
Kayos
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Red'n'Black
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Those were standard issue when I worked in the repair trade, 30 odd years ago. Tough as old boots. The elements do go sometimes, but that was with them in use 40 hours a week.
At work we went over to Metcal as there weren't any TCP tips small enough for 0.5mm pitch IC pins. For through-hole parts they're fine.
I was impressed enough with the Metcal SP200 I bought one on eBay for home use as well. No problems so far.
That will serve you very well indeed. RS Components still sell every imaginable spare part for them.
Sadly my wife no longer works at Apex Tool group or I could have got a load of tips etc. I did get my own stash sorted before she left though.
Kayos
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I am thinking a few steps ahead
I will most likely be using the 18v one but now the garden office has been vacated, I am leaning towards using it as a small workshop. I left the desk and some shelving in there so this iron will likely end up living on the desk/work bench
Depending on what work you’re doing you will get most use out of 2 tips. 1 small spade for board work and it has a flat at 45 degrees that’s about 1mm of surface area. Or a large spade, same shape but the flat area is a lot bigger. Both in number 7 temperature. Those are the 2 I use most.
For surface mount stuff you can get a true point with a longer overall length. Can solder surface mount chips with that.
You say the 18v will get used, LOL. Once you experience how good a decent Weller solders stuff you might change that view
For surface mount stuff you can get a true point with a longer overall length. Can solder surface mount chips with that.
You say the 18v will get used, LOL. Once you experience how good a decent Weller solders stuff you might change that view
charlysays
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I've got a katsu 852d dual soldering station, temp controlled. It was about £35 on Amazon and it's now 3 - 4 years old, lives in a cold shed and I've chipped about 15-20 ECUs with it with no issues. If anything was going to break I'd say it would be the hot air gun. It's a hako copy so hako tips do fit the iron but I've not any real issues with the tips it comes with. If you really don't need the hot air gun (it's useful even if you're not using it for rework) you can get one with just the soldering iron.
Biggest helps I've found for soldering in general are a pot of the brass swarf for cleaning the tip, tip tinner, a rosin core leaded solder and some soldering paste/ flux. Beautiful flow. Soldering paste is pretty acidic though, you have to thoroughly clean it after but IMO it's worth the hassle for how easily it flows the solder.
james butler
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as it happens i was in lidl yesterday and they have a temperature controlled iron with base holder and solder for £10
annoyingly ive just spent £60 on a weller
i dare say it will last 6 x longer than the lidl one but hey ho
annoyingly ive just spent £60 on a weller
i dare say it will last 6 x longer than the lidl one but hey ho
james butler
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for some reason cant pull it up on the lidl site but its now on ebay
Parkside 48W Soldering Iron Station With 2x 5g Reels Solder 100-500°C Corded | eBay UK
Parkside 48W Soldering Station With 2x 5g Reels Solder 100-500°C Corded Electric. Parkside Soldering Station. • Power consumption: 48W. • Universal soldering station for electronics, model making and a variety of other hobbies.
www.ebay.co.uk
Kayos
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as it happens i was in lidl yesterday and they have a temperature controlled iron with base holder and solder for £10
annoyingly ive just spent £60 on a weller
I had a Parkside, not a base station version though. Ate tips and being the oddball threaded ones, not easy to replace
Mark 2
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Likewise, but I found one in a toolbox and put a thread on it, as a replacement.
as it happens i was in lidl yesterday and they have a temperature controlled iron with base holder and solder for £10
annoyingly ive just spent £60 on a weller
I had one and the cable is a horrid stiff plastic and it was like wrestling a snake when you were using it.
And as others have said, the tips are rubbish and hard to source.
