Best soldering guns according to redditors

What's the point of it incorporating a screen if the one thing that you're most interested in while soldering - tip temperature - isn't displayed and can't be directly controlled?

Plus he's planning on selling those for $130. Rechargeable soldering irons aren't exactly rare. This one is half the price.

My ideas:

• 2 meter transceiver - Baofeng A great and cheap introduction into amateur radio. For those already a ham, I don't need to say anything more about the Baofeng.
  
  
• Baofeng 3800mAh Battery Double the capacity of the original battery. Makes it more unwieldy though.
  
  
• Weller Analog Soldering Station Imagine using an actually good soldering iron!
  
  
• Weller Industrial Soldering Gun If you like making antennas.
  
  
• APRSTM GPS position Encoder Broadcast your GPS coordinates through radio.
  
  
• Radio Astronomy Kit Listen to radio emissions from the Sun and Jupiter.
  
  
• Oscilloscope Kit See the a visual of RF? I haven't played with oscilloscopes.
  
  
• 20M CW Transceiver Kit Get 2 and practice morse code with a friend.
  
  
• Arduino Uno Starter Kit Arduino does more with electronics and Raspberry Pi more with Python programming.

The battery is much more than required, but you'll need a 5v line and not 9v. What kind of stick is this supposed to go into? USB provides +5v.

I know you said "if I don't have to", but you should really learn how to solder. It's not hard to do it to an acceptable level, and it opens up an entire new world of projects you can do. This kit is very inexpensive and has a decent reputation. Youtube is the only other thing you'd need. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_pHn4CbPF64AF7

The power leads, assuming you mean from the battery, do take a bit more but that seems like way too long.

if you don't, you need something with adjustable temp...
I've reached the end of the life of the tip for this one

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01712N5C4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But i'm just going to try and find a compatible tip and keep using it, the iron works "well enough"... Obviously the $100 stations are going to be better.

The real secrets are

• Get tip tinner or w/e it's called. Absolute, 100%, required. I thought my tip was broken or something because it'd oxydize in about 2 seconds after cleaning with a sponge... Yea stick it in this and clean it on the next tip, and it'd stay shiny and nice for minutes... big improvement over wiping on a sponge every 5 seconds
  
• Use the gentle brass cleaning instead of or in addition to a sponge. It does wear the tip down, especially with these cheapo tips, but between this and the tinner i would clean my tip once or twice per solder instead of MULTIPLE times PER solder.
  
  Those two things, + use 350 - 400 C, and soldering is almost fun now!

YouTube videos, practicing on something that doesn't really matter too much, looking at a photo of a part. There are a couple arduino kits that require soldering but it's really easy, the Sunfounder starter kit is one I learned from. (It's 99% arduino stuff but there's a easy to solder part)

You really only need a soldering iron, solder, something to hold the iron (if you're crafty with a coat hangar you could make one yourself) and a sponge. A brass sponge is better because it's dry. You may want to get a desoldering pump if you want to remove solder. I got the bestseller kit on Amazon and I've been really happy with it.


Do NOT touch anything metal on the soldering iron when it's on. Burnt the shit out of my hand.

already have something like that my dude pretty cheap to.

https://www.amazon.com/Hi-Spec-Electronics-Automotive-Industrial-Applications/dp/B074Z3ZV2F/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1540185997&sr=8-6&keywords=circuit+board+soldering+gun

What the hell that's way too expensive for a soldering iron. You can get a good one for like 10-20 dollars. Here's the top amazon result to get you started: Full Set Vastar 60w 110v Soldering Iron Kit - Adjustable Temperature, 5pcs Different Tips, Desoldering Pump, Stand, anti-static Tweezers and Additional Solder Tube for Variously Repaired Usage https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_-13Yxb3PCAPT6

Honestly, you are probably better off with a simple solder kit and a kitchen sponge.

Then either solder outside, or under the vent of your kitchen stove.

I believe that the particular design pictured is made of iron wire and heated in a gas flame. If you want an electrically heated version of that you can probably do this with a high wattage soldering iron like this one.

I would add that you may have a problem with mechanical strength of a formed piece of wire that you are going to be heating and using repeatedly. You will probably want to reinforce it with a high temperature material like a sheet of fiber reinforced magnesium board.

There is a pretty basic soldering kit on amazon that I have been using for the last few months and it has been amazing! Ill link it to you below.

https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Full-110V-Soldering-Iron/dp/B01712N5C4

I bought this cheap kit off Amazon and used it to desolder and then solder at least 200 switches.

It works quite well and you can adjust the temperature which is important.

The solder sucker included also works well enough, but is prone to clog up so I would empty it once in awhile and make sure that the tube isn't clogged full of dry solder.

Yeah, an 'ok' soldering iron could cost you around 15 bucks. I used this one for my whitefox.

You should be able to clean off the pads, re-tin them, and re-solder new wires to them.

 

You'll need a few tools:

• A small brass wire brush to clean the gunk off of the pads, something like these: Mini Wire Brush Set
  
• Some desoldering wick - a thin copper braid, like this: Desoldering Wick
  
• Rosin Paste Flux for electronics: Rosin Paste Flux
  
• Some 60% Lead/40% Tin Rosin Core Solder, .062" diameter: 60/40 Rosin Core Solder
  
• A soldering iron. I assume you have one, but if not you can't go too badly wrong with something like this: Vastar 60W Soldering Kit
  
   
  
  Clean and tin the soldering iron tip:
  
  

1. Take some paper towels, fold them up into a square and get it wet with water. You'll use the wet paper towel to wipe off the hot tip between uses.
   
2. Use the rosin core solder and apply some to the soldering iron tip.
   
3. Wipe off any excess on the paper towel.
   
   
    
   
   Remove the solder from the pads on the heat bed:
   
    
   
   
4. Clean the gunk off of the solder pads with the brass brush - the brass bristles should clean off the surface without damaging it, whereas steel bristles may cut into the surface a bit much.
   
5. Unwind a few inches of the desoldering wick (copper braid), and dip the end into the rosin paste flux - you don't need a lot. The rosin helps the solder to flow and keeps impurities out.
   
6. Put the desodering wick on top of the solder on the pad, and then press the tip of the soldering iron on top of the wick until it heats up. For an adjustable soldering iron, 300F is about right - you want the solder to melt within 5 seconds or less, ideally.
   
7. The solder will melt, and get sucked up into the wick. Remove it from the pad while the solder's still hot
   
8. You should be left with a bright shiny tinned solder pad.
   
    
   
   Add some solder to the pads - you'll want a little bit of solder to cover the whole pad, with enough to make a small bump.
   
   
9. Take the solder, and touch it down flat on the pad.
   
10. Place the soldering iron tip on top to melt it. Feed a little more solder in while it's hot, if needed.
    
     
    
    Tin the wires:
    
    
11. Cut off the ends of the wire, and strip off the end of the insulation by about 1/4"-3/8".
    
12. Twist the end of the wire so that it's tight, and straight.
    
13. Cut off a small piece of the solder (~1/2"), and wrap it around the wire
    
14. Dip the end of the wire into the rosin flux - you don't need a lot.
    
15. Touch the soldering iron tip to the solder and the wire, and coat the wire back and forth until the solder gets sucked into the wire.
    
16. It should have enough solder so that it gets absorbed and you can still see the outline of the wires.
    
     
    
    Attach the tinned wires to the tinned solder pads on the heat bed:
    
    
17. Dip the tinned wire into the flux paste again - a little goes a long way.
    
18. Place the tinned wire down on top of the tinned solder pad.
    
19. Press the soldering iron tip on top of the wire, and heat it until the solder melts on both the wire and the pad.
    
20. There should be just enough solder so that the wire is attached to the pad, but isn't buried in solder. If in doubt, add a little more.
    
21. Hold the wire in place, and remove the soldering iron tip. It should cool in a few seconds, locking the wire in place.
    
    
     
    
    Also: You can use some isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to clean up the excess rosin paste - it can get sticky.
    
    
     
    
    Hope this helps!

It is, but you'd be way better off if you soldered.
Permanent connections, no way a wire will come loose.

You really only need a basic iron, solder and heat shrink.
Hell, this is all you need. https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Full-110V-Soldering-Iron/dp/B01712N5C4/
https://www.amazon.com/Uxcell-Sleeve-Shrink-Tubing-240Pcs/dp/B01461R89O

If you wanted, you can get a set of helping hands too and make your life really easy.
https://www.amazon.com/SE-MZ101B-Helping-Magnifying-Glass/dp/B000RB38X8

Soldering is very easy when you're just splicing wires. Not a ton of skill required. Get a roll of stranded wire and practice a bit.

When it's time to do the harness, cut away the excess, so you don't have a ton of wiring shoved behind the dash, slip a piece of heat shrink over one of the wires first and then do a lineman's splice, solder that connection and then shrink the tube over the bare connection.

this. the man makes the iron, not the other way around, although a good tip does help lol. hell the iron i use now is a cheap one as i don't have the room at my desk for a real solder station. i would recommend the iron to anyone starting out looking for one to learn with or use for stuff. and like you said use leaded(rosin core) solder, lead free solder is trash. little tip if using tape to hold the wire, try not to get it too close to the end of the wire or it can melt.

I use a Weller SP25 (old model from around 1990), I grabbed one of these tip cleaners from amazon and some flux-core leaded solder. Solder holder and solder sucker are nice to have as well. That's about it.

Agree with this - get a good iron (Hakko or a Weller WESD51) and a cheap 858D hot air station if you decide you need that. You're not going to need a hot air station unless you start doing surface mount work. Also +1 on the advice to just get a beefy soldering gun for automotive/big wire stuff, you don't need fancy temperature control for soldering wires on battery terminals or whatever it is you're planning on.

For lead-free solder, I've been using low temperature alloys for surface mount stuff, but I think it is mostly just available in paste form.

It will completely dry out.
If you are really that worried about it, desolder the switch but be warned: if you are going to desolder anything, get something that can handle the job.

https://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-Contained-Desoldering-Internal-Carrying/dp/B00PGFAJWS

This one for $17 has served me well so far.

I got this kit. [Vastar Full Set 60W 110V Soldering Iron Kit] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=CM_SW_R_CP_APA_ZV6IZBDB771M1)

I ended up getting a few other things and a better solder sucker after a few jobs.

[Hakko 599B-02 Solder Tip Cleaning Wire and Holder] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FZPGDLA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_9Y6IzbHX1H6MD)

[Engineer SS-02 Solder Sucker] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002MJMXD4/ref=CM_SW_R_CP_APA_W06IZBVBPKVMP)



The sucker was totally worth the extra cost.

I saw a very nice Hakko fume well basically a extractor plus a fume trapper. It doesn’t just filter the smoke and push the “clean” air out of the other side it traps it in a box style unit with what looked to be several layered filters. When I looked the model you suggested up.

You get a kit with a vacuum style hose that attaches to the unit. It looks like the hose can go right directly over or next to your work space. I honestly think I need that since my throat is swelling a lot from even a few minutes of soldering, even if it does not produce any smoke. Just the lingering smell in the air makes me start to have a reaction.

The problem is, it is about $700 for the one hose kit. The unit can use two hoses if needed.

I did find and look into the model you suggested. It recommended a hakko arm that suspends the $70 fume extractor over your work space which was around $167 I think, but I really can’t risk any rosin/flux smoke/smell at all at this point


I’ll link you to the more advanced model so you can see what I was looking at on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Hakko-FA430-KIT1-Smoke-Absorber-C1571/dp/B018KORZ3C/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1539931023&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=hakko+fume+extractor

I’m rather sad honestly. I didn’t realize how expensive building a hardware repair workstation would be and I sure did not know how much more expensive it would be for a disabled person.

I have very shaky hands, bad vision, migraines, this rosin reaction and well I don’t know about 45 other medical conditions as well so I am finding I need specialized equipment. This is all of corse way more expensive and well being disabled you could assume I’m rather poor. I’m unemployed actually. I do a little self employment work fixing computers to try and get by but was hoping maybe getting into hardware fixing could help me make some side money. I love vintage technology, but it just feels like another dream or hobby down the toilet due to cost

Thanks for your advice though I really do appreciate your help.

Buy a solder gun.

Weller 140w

I was having problems with stuff like this too, because an iron just doesn't have enough power to rapidly heat the connector and wire, but this thing does it in literally 2 seconds, and yes I use lead-free solder.

It's nuts how powerful it is. I tried an 80w from MicroCenter (he biggest gun style they had) and it BARELY did the job on some test cells. I have an ancient US version of this one I just tossed a new tip and cord on.

Check Craigslist for guitars that have electronic issues or are completely dead. For example I got an rg321mh that has a perfect neck and frets for $60. All I had to do was rewire a new input jack. Get a cheap solder pen and some 63/37 rosin core solder.

Wiring guitars is WAY easier then most people think. You can find diagrams for almost any production guitar/pickups.

Just make sure your frets, neck, and nut are good, that stuff is a pain to fix. The rest you're replacing anyways.

I just do a full rewire. Buy the following for a dead guitar: 1. CTS pots. 2. Switchcraft input jack and switch. 3. 22awg cloth sleeved wire. Use a multimeter to check pickups resistance. Or just get some guitar fetish pickups of your choice for a cheap option of new pickups. Then just do the full rewire following a diagram. Make sure to pre-tin your solder pen, the solder point, and your wire. Also sand the back of your cts pots for easier adhesion. Pickup a $5 helping hands from harbor freight to hold stuff to solder.

All this stuff will cost you around $50-60 with a cheap solder pen kit ($12 Amazon) and you will have enough wire and solder to do a bunch of guitars.

You will have a completely rewired guitar in less than 2 hours of work.

Here is links to solder pen, solder, and wire. The rest just lookup for your guitar you're gonna rewire.

https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Soldering-Iron-Full-Welding/dp/B01712N5C4?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_6


https://www.amazon.com/Gavitt-Cloth-covered-Pre-tinned-Pushback-Vintage-style/dp/B00JYJFE72/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=22+awg+wire+cloth&qid=1556147584&s=gateway&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.com/Kester-Rosin-Core-Solder-Dispense-Pak/dp/B00AVLM4SO/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=IRV7SJBS91YR&keywords=63+37+solder+kester&qid=1556147625&s=gateway&sprefix=63+37&sr=8-4

Generally foam tips block noise better since they expand in your ears, but if you get the wrong ones they can ruin the sound of the headphones from what I've seen. I cannot speak to the sound change on either set yet, since I haven't gotten the foam tips.

I'd honestly say try the mod yourself - it's very rewarding at the end of the day. I used this soldering iron, blue tack to hold down the ear buds while soldering, and an xacto knife to pop open the casing. The biggest challenge was getting the wire through the strain relief, but that is because I didn't take the time to stretch them out for the cable. Despite my anxiety making me shake really bad during the mod, the soldering was a breeze and while its not pretty it works. All said and done I spent $25 to learn a new skill, and can now make more pairs for friends and backup sets. If you don't want to learn the skill, $35 isn't a bad price but I'm way more satisfied DIY'ing it.

Check out /u/darkrecess guide for the mod here. Feel free to PM me with questions as well, I can point you where to buy everything I used.

Ah okay gotcha. Also I realized I can get tons of discarded circuit boards from work so those should be enough practice material for me. I was looking at an iron like this https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Full-110V-Soldering-Iron/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1483622458&sr=8-4&keywords=soldering+iron . Looks like it would be okay and is 60W

I really like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Soldering-Iron-Full-Welding/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=sr_1_4_acs_twc_5bddfe5a-5f_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1519276481&sr=1-4-acs&keywords=soldering+iron&content_id=5bddfe5a-5f09-4448-804c-13db1e65e880&ingress=search&content_type=story&ascsubtag=5bddfe5a-5f09-4448-804c-13db1e65e880&tag=ospsearch-20&widget_name=expert_recommendation&content_provider=osp

I use a little better stand then the one they give you but this Iron does have a temp adjustment which makes it pretty nice.

It really depends on whether you want a nice soldering iron or just something that will allow you to try it for a few hours. There is a huge price difference. Of course there is also a huge difference in quality. You could get a very nice iron like this for around $250. Or you could get something much less expensive, like this for around $40.

The first one I listed is very similar to one of the best irons I've ever used. The second one is still head and shoulders above the piece of crap I used for the first several years I was soldering. It was like this, at around $5, and as long as I kept the tip sharpened with a file it worked pretty well.

i would get this set

http://www.amazon.com/Full-Vastar-110V-Soldering-Iron/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=lp_11498399011_1_3?srs=11498399011&ie=UTF8&qid=1463149918&sr=8-3

comes with a solder sucker, stand, and tweezers for only a couple bucks more than the other recommendation. What I am currently using to make my SuperGameGirl

The cost is why I never got one before but I was looking at the little cheap LCD ones that are $35 and decided to check ebay. I found several full sized ones there that are fairly cheap. I got a nice dual trace Metermaster MM 200 (cheaper model) for $85. It's portable but still weighs 20lbs! It's really all you need though. Works perfectly.

Desoldering: I got this one: https://www.amazon.ca/Aoyue-Contained-Desoldering-Internal-Carrying/dp/B00PGFAJWS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467383356&sr=8-1&keywords=Aoyue+8800+Self+Contained+Desoldering+Gun

$260. The only problem is the trigger has no spring in it. I absolutely cannot understand how a company can go to all the trouble of designing and building something like this but NOT bother to put a spring in the trigger. Unbelievable!! So that means when you pull the trigger the pump stays on until you can work the button back out somehow. I'm getting pretty good at it (push it on a slight angle or something) but it's annoying. (maybe I can open it up and fix it someday)

Other than that WOW, it works perfectly!! My tech recommended a better one but it was over $400 so I decided to give this one a shot. So far I'm VERY happy. We'll see how it holds up when I recap my CS-40m soon.

I do not have much luck with wick or a solder sucker. Takes forever. I took out an 8 pin chip in less than 2 minutes with this thing. Sooooo nice!

Saw a suggestion for this a few days ago from /u/jaiakt:

Amazon.com: Vastar Full Set 60W 110V Soldering Iron Kit

Weller does seem to be a good brand from reviews I've read before, though. The WLC100 that Krelbit suggested would be a step up in class from this.

I bought [this kit](Vastar Full Set 60W 110V Soldering Iron Kit - Adjustable Temperature, 5pcs Different Tips, Desoldering Pump, Stand, anti-static Tweezers and Additional Solder Tube for Variously Repaired Usage https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_AGFfzbEE1V8HC) off Amazon for $16. Not super high quality, but I've used it for several builds with no problem.

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=CM_SW_R_CP_APA_ZV6IZBDB771M1

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00FZPGDLA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_9Y6IzbHX1H6MD

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B002MJMXD4/ref=CM_SW_R_CP_APA_W06IZBVBPKVMP

---

^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

I've never soldered before, but I was embarrassed by how ridiculously easy it is. I still practiced on a $10 kit first.

Soldering kit

Tip cleaner

Thin solder wire

Solder wick optional, but way easier than a vacuum for a beginner.

Practice kit optional but nice for initial confidence boosting

I recommend this guy here and also a slight enhancement for it here.

Well, the small stuff gets set so quickly...

I believe this is the version of cheap crap soldering iron I have, hopefully 60w can keep up with the heatsink? The fact that you know the number of chisel tip tells me this may yet be too difficult for me!

You can get this kit: http://www.amazon.com/Full-Vastar-110v-Soldering-Iron/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453950083&sr=8-2&keywords=soldering+kit+with+temperature+control

I'd recommend picking up a brass wire sponge to keep the tip clean: http://www.amazon.com/Soldering-Iron-Tip-Cleaner-Black/dp/B00J66FSY2/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1453950265&sr=8-7&keywords=soldering+brass+wire+sponge

I purchased this $15 Vastar after reading a recommendation somewhere on reddit. I've only used it a few times, but it's so far worked much better than the other inexpensive irons I've had.

I doubt it works as well as a $100 iron, but I haven't come across a bad review, it seems to do just fine for what I'm using it for, and I've been happy with the price.

Yeah, can confirm I have no clue what I'm doing! Just got my kit, and I honestly just picked one from Amazon because I don't know one from the others. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01712N5C4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Should this be sufficient?

Do it! As of right now all parts are available.

I used this iron. Cheap and gets the job done.

I discovered that a small amount of wd40 helps the solder sucker to work at it´s peak again (after cleaning ofcourse) for a short time (about 20-30 keys). Other than that, get a better quality model even if you do not plan to do this regularily. I settled for the all metal model here, much better than the one you got (have the same too) https://www.amazon.de/8354-1-L%C3%B6tabsauger-Entl%C3%B6tpumpe-Entfernen-elektronischer/dp/B000UYXIZA/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=l%C3%B6tpumpe&qid=1555068730&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Those come with a "hot knife" tip in the kit.

https://www.amazon.com/Weller-D550PK-260-Watt-Professional-Soldering/dp/B00002N7S1

Im much better then I was the first time. But still bad.
I have 2.

ECG 60W E69348 with 3 different tips. Using the smallest one I have.

Then Weller soldering Gun D550PK

I have the Hakko 888 and it is awesome but overkill for my needs and for most people probably.
I also have the same $18 soldering kit and agree, it is really nice functionally (the blue plastic handle is lightweight.

I had done a lot of searching after i got my Hakko and the Ayoue models are supposed to be really nice, about on par with Hakko and more affordable.

Buy a proto board PCB (a printed board with just a bunch of copper-lined holes in it), and some cheap components (resistors, caps) and have at it. Even better if you have a friend who might have some old stuff like that laying around. Digikey.com will have anything you need. Radioshack should too, but a bit more expensive.

And for a soldering iron if you don't have one, I recommend this one from amazon. Really good for its price and a perfect first soldering iron: https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Full-110V-Soldering-Iron/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1487451518&sr=8-5&keywords=soldering+iron

There are plenty of Youtube tutorial videos. It's not very hard to get the hang of, and opens up a lot more DIY projects to you.

This is a really light suggestion. Definitely do some research and ask around, but for just a single build or a few builds a year I would suggest this https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Full-110V-Soldering-Iron/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485820735&sr=8-1&keywords=vastar+soldering

At a minimum, its better then the one you have listed.

Don't even think about getting a non-temperature controller iron. They get way too hot and destroy your tip, making it impossible to get proper heat transfer. Weller makes some good irons, but that $40 one you linked is not at all one of them. That $100 Hakko is very nice, as are the knockoffs of their older models, like this $60 937+ and this $33 936.

At the low end, I got this $18 soldering kit for my travel bag recently, the tweezers, stand and solder sucker are extremely cheap, but the iron is almost as good as my station. Swap the cone tip out for the small chisel tip they send, get a brass sponge to clean your tip, and you're good to go.

I have been using this one for almost a year now.

Vastar Full Set 60W 110V Soldering Iron Kit - Adjustable Temperature, 5pcs Different Tips, Desoldering Pump, Stand, anti-static Tweezers and Additional Solder Tube for Variously Repaired Usage https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_VIZDybZSJ9ZRB

It works, I use it for SMD work and it works fine. I think I am going to get a Hakko this year, but if you just need to do basic soldering; I've used this from automotive to 3D printers to chips. I don't love it, but it works.

I would recommend getting good solder though (the solder it comes with is okay), I bought some Chinese solder and it refused to flow. You also need something to clean the tip, that kit has nothing for that.

TL;DR: For the motor tabs. Ranom link.

For some things you can use these clips

Here's a graphic of the parts hooked up with a 2wd chassis and ultrasonic car http://blog.pixelgiraffe.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/roboSketch3b.png

With the kids I use mostly the dupont cables and the wire clips.

The motor cables have to be soldered on though. Wire-wrapping might be possible too.

I don't know if soldering isn't allowed in the dorm, but we even do it in classrooms (we solder on a wooden board so the tables don't get damaged if they drop the iron).

Shield (Random link, can be found cheaper; That particular one seems to touch the USB port risking to make a short).

$20 soldering stations 1 2 - Though of course something like the Hakko FX888D would be a better investment ;-) Just to add it, a soldering iron set

You can also get a soldering iron for $2-$8 but you'll still need to (make) a stand. Some of the stations come with solder, the above don't have it listed.

If you have to use staples, I would reccomend one of these. I used to use them when I ran cable for my old job. Only way you'll accidentally ruin the cable with these is if you badly misalign it and send the staple straight through the cable.

Cable Boss Staple gun

Staples for CAT6

Get this
Weller D550PK 260-Watt/200W Professional Soldering Gun Kit with Three Tips and Solder in Carrying Case https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00002N7S1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_VjDzDbMT8SJD2
And fresh high quality rosin core solder and it’s a piece of cake.

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Adhesives-Melt-805-12mm-Electric/dp/B00K1KHHD2

Unless you are doing wire soldering (headphones, cables, speakers) then that iron is fine but if you are doing anything electronic/circut you should look into one with adjustable temperature, something like https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0029N70WM/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_s-z4xb7VZ46BF would be a good starter or https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_e.z4xbZC5H7VV as a bare minimum

I think this makes sense to me . I realize it’s probably not best but will this iron be good enough. https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Soldering-Iron-Full-Welding/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=sr_1_10?crid=2XVCDL8OL5RBA&keywords=guitar+solder&qid=1563930976&s=gateway&sprefix=guitar+solder%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-10

So I will first try to resolder all the connections and hopefully that works. If not I will get a little practice using the iron and buy new components. Other than the iron, are there any other materials I will need to buy. Can I reuse the attached wiring?

This is what I recently bought off Amazon. It’s worked well and has temp adjustment and tips.

Vastar Soldering Iron Kit, Full Set 60W 110V Soldering Welding Iron Kit - Adjustable Temperature, 5pcs Different Tips, Desoldering Pump, Stand, Anti-static Tweezers and Additional Solder Tube https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01712N5C4?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

So far I’ve soldered splices and put on old school all solder pl-259 and crimp ons with the soldered center connector. No issues.

My advice — get this, some flux and some rosin core electronics solder. But also buy a third hand tool.

The most difficult thing I ran into was trying to get the pieces held just right and in the right position.

This was my first iron, though under a different branding. It's only $16, and it has a knob you can spin that at least loosely correlates w/ the iron's temperature.

I wouldn't recommend it, though. I splurged for a Hakko FX-888D a couple of months later and haven't regretted it once. It truly is a night-and-day difference. Working with my old iron was like pulling teeth. Working with the Hakko is effortless.

I'd definitely recommend an upgrade. If you're un(willing|able) to spend $100+ on a soldering iron, I'd recommend still getting the first one I linked, along with some Hakko tips. Hakko tips are about 10-20x as expensive as their no-name counterparts, and you absolutely get what you pay for.

Easily the most frustrating part of using my first iron was how quickly the tips would oxidize, even though I kept them tinned religiously. Hakko tips, when cared for, will last indefinitely. I wouldn't be surprised if nice tips + cheap (but temperature controlled) iron got you 70% of the performance of the all-Hakko kit.

This is the exact kit I purchased. Got it on a flash sale: https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Full-110V-Soldering-Iron/dp/B01712N5C4

It does have temp control. Works really well, considering how cheap it was. I am really impressed.

I previously asked about this iron, and people said it was fine.

The traditional soldering gun that i think you're thinking of is for small electronics. Pipe is a LOT of mass for a soldering gun to heat, it will never get to temperatures hot enough to melt solder.

Flame torch is the only practical way to go.

There are several products that can electrically heat pipe, but it's hard to justify the cost. Granted it makes much cleaner looking joints. Torch is cheaper and portable/cordless. Ex: One $185, and two $900.

>Copy pasta'ed from my post a few months ago:

After doing some research, here are my top 3 budget soldering iron options. Thoughts?

My $4 Harbour Freight iron's tip is dissolving, and it's time I got a new iron. I don't solder super often, maybe a handful of times a month, so I can't really justify getting a nice $40 Weller soldering station. My budget is around $30. After doing some Google-Fu, and browsing through Amazon and Ebay, here are my top 3 budget choices:

• [Vastar Soldering Iron Kit] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01712N5C4?tag=bestseekers-20)
  
• [Sywon Soldering Iron Kit] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E1ISGH0?tag=bestseekers-20)
  
• [Aoyue 469 Soldering Station] (https://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-Variable-Soldering-Station-Removable/dp/B00MCVCHJM)
  
  I'm open to suggestions, comments, and questions regarding these choices. The Sywon Soldering Iron kit has nothing I really care about over the Vastar one, aside from a slightly nicer stand and sponge, and of course the carrying case. The Aoyue 469, being the only soldering station on the list, doesn't come with any flashy accessories unfortunately. A solder sucker would be nice, and I'll probably be glad of the extra tips that are included wit the two kit irons. However, if you guys think that the Aoyue 469 soldering station would be better quality, I might be willing to shell out a few bucks more for it, and pick up another tip or two.
  
  
  https://www.reddit.com/r/Nerf/comments/8bugth/after_doing_some_research_here_are_my_top_3/

I was fortunate enough to borrow one of these after I started the old fashioned way. It's a little pricey but it take hours and turns it into like 20 min. Good luck https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PGFAJWS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_GEktybE8KM975

If you are looking to do a lot of desoldering a small hand pump will clog up and piss you off to no end. A de soldering gun on the other hand, while expensive, will work much better. https://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-Contained-Desoldering-Internal-Carrying/dp/B00PGFAJWS

Ive been using this kit for the last year....

The cheap models actually work pretty well if you take care of the tip and use decent solder.
https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Full-110V-Soldering-Iron/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=pd_sbs_469_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CKT7F9WADDVDFTPZVZ9E

I ordered a $10 soldering iron off amazon, and some sauter, and it worked perfectly fine.

Iron
Sauter

Something inexpensive with adjustable temperature will do just fine.

I've had good luck with this one.

They don't necessarily have to be genuine deans.

I've used GATE deans (likely rebranded, don't know OEM), Hobbyking connectors (they have XT written on the side for "grip"), as well as these Allytech branded ones, all without issue.

As /u/artist508 said, learning to solder isn't all that complicated, and it's a useful skill. Vastar makes an inexpensive kit that's a solid contender for a starter set. It's not going to win awards for the best thing ever made, but it does what it needs to. Quality solder is also a must, or you'll just end up frustrating yourself

http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-K-36-Sound-Activated-Switch/dp/B00123COBW

I'm looking to get a soldering iron in order to do some small electronic projects, but I don't know much about soldering. I found this kit on Amazon that looks like it has everything I need and is fairly cheap, but I'm wondering if it would be better to get a more expensive kit. Any recommendations? Also any resources on how to solder would be helpful.

So, I'm going to offer my 2 cents on this one, It's a not a cleaning issue. OP, you're NOT going to solder that with a 30W iron, and you'll have a problem soldering it with a $200 80W hakko iron too.

There's too much metal in that area to heat it to the 300C that you need to solder, The only way you're going to be able to solder that is to use a high power soldering gun such as this https://www.amazon.com/Weller-D650-Industrial-Soldering-Gun/dp/B000JEGEC0 you can probably find one at a harbor freight that'll do the job too for half that price. you'll want 150W or more.

you could either try to flow into the previous joint, if there's still solder left on the brass ring, or get some sandpaper and sand it and try to flow solder onto the brass ring, then try to solder the wire to it.

​

edit; I'd actually reassemble it and put it on the vape shelf.. I just noticed the inductor inside the device is badly damaged too, it might work if you fix it, but it won't live a long life.

damn man, shitty. There is, but you'll need a soldering iron, was hoping it wouldn't get to this point. Id grab a new 510 connector too. There's no guarantee about this, but I think it'll work.

grab a 510 from Here avoid the squonk ones. Also grab some wire from Here. Next you'll want a soldering iron and some heat srink. A soldering iron and heat shrink are good things to have around the house too.

Use pliers, a flat head screw driver might help too, and remove the 510 connection from the mod. This shouldn't be hard since yours is already loose. Pull that ring on the base off and the whole thing should just pop on out. Then take your new one and place it in the hole. Now take some of the black wire you ordered and strip the wire slightly, like 1/4 of an inch should be fine, twist the loose strands between your fingers and solder it to the ring included with the 510. Look up a video on soldering, it will do a much better job than I can.

Then take some of the white wire, do the same stripping procedure, and solder it to the center post. Be sure not to use too much solder as too much could short the positive and negative terminals. Next take about an inch of heat shrink and run it up the wires. You want to shrink it around the solder joints, it'll help hold everything together and prevent any shorts. You can use a lighter or hair dryer to shrink the wrap, if using a lighter keep it far away and don't let it burn, maybe practice on a small strip of wire. Now secure the 510 to the top piece using the included nut. Tighten it pretty tight.

Now you can trim the wires and solder them to the pcb of the mod, if you feel comfortable about this procedure you should be able to take it from here. Otherwise continue reading and I'll suggest doing it another way.

Now you have a top cap with the 510 installed and wires hanging off of it. Now trim the wires hanging off of it to about 1.5 inches and strip off the end about 1/4 inch. with the wires on the mod, cut off about 1 inch from each one(be sure there is extra as you don't want it to all come off) and strip off about 1/4 inches. Now take solder and melt it over the end of each wire, but don't solder them together yet. Put some heat shrink, about 1 inch, over 1 black and one white wire, and just leave it there. Now take the wires you want to join and melt the solder together so the wires stick. Once they're together take your iron and melt some solder on the tip and while holding the wires together get the extra solder onto the connection(this will decrease resistance of the connection, so less heat is generated there, and thicken the joint, so it's much stronger). then do the same for the other wire. Now shrink the heat shrink over each joint.

Then you just screw it all back together and you're done.

If you don't want to do this, I wouldn't blame you. It is pretty easy and faster than my wall of text indicates. I could do this in maybe 20 min, possibly less. Might take an hour if its your first soldering project. If you don't want to, might I recommend the vaporesso revenger x, it's a great mod and you can get one for pretty cheap($55-$70).

Whatever you choose to do, sorry this happened to you.

Edit: had to repost. Didn't think amazon included affiliate links when copying from the address bar, but it does. They're gone now.