Soldering watts?
- Thread starter Zylent
- Start date
chongmagic
Well-known member
How much are you wanting to spend? If you are going to do a lot of soldering and want a good station I would suggest looking at the Hakko FX-888d. It is a good quality iron and will last you for a long time.
the_grumpy_gnome
Active member
40 is fine.
That Hakko's a nice iron. I use this https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14228 and have the temp almost maxed, but could stand to lower it a bit (to 4ish).
That Hakko's a nice iron. I use this https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14228 and have the temp almost maxed, but could stand to lower it a bit (to 4ish).
the_grumpy_gnome
Active member
In general, higher heat makes it a lot easier to use. Just make sure you're not leaving it on the board/component too long.
Jovi Bon Kenobi
Well-known member
Not sure if it helps, but I use a Weller wes51 set to about 700°F.
From what I understand, wattage isn't about temperature. An iron with a higher wattage will heat up quicker and maintain a more stable temperature; the temp won't drop as much if you're heating a big joint. But like others are saying, if you can find one get one where you can control the temperature like the Hakko. They heat up in seconds. I keep mine around 330-350degF for most soldering, but if I'm soldering something that requires a lot of heat like the ground on the back of a guitar pot, I'll crank it up to 500-600deg. Or if I'm desoldering a part and don't care if I ruin it.
the_grumpy_gnome
Active member
330-350 is really low. 700ish is common for pedals and similar electronics
StephanCOH
Member
I use 350C, which melts the solder not immediately but fast enough (for me) and it gives me enough time to work on ICs/trannies/elcos without doing damage.
