Babbys first iron, need help choosing. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: husain
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 19, 2014, 02:54:05 pm
content: So I want to get into soldering but I really don't know what to pick. I was pretty settled on the AOYUE 936 since where I am I can get it for about 50 bucks shipped. But I saw someone else mention that this option was good :http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Rework-Soldering-Station-11-Piece/dp/B0086RA11Cwhich seems to be a no name 898dAs I am in the tech field (hobby) I might need to reflow some BGA chips (rather common problem with laptops)So my question is, what would you grab, they are both in my price range but I have no idea on the quality of the 898d knockoff.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2014, 03:46:43 pm
content: If you're going to cheap then I suggest a separate iron and hot air gun; that way, if one breaks, you can use the other to fix it. A $15 YiHua 936 would be a good idea for a "backup iron" too.

author: husain
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 19, 2014, 04:15:41 pm
content: Hmm, looking at reviews and breakdowns of that 898d knockoff and it looks more like a huge fire hazard than an actual competent unit. Not worth it, to risky.So what would you recommend me pick up for a soldering iron. I don't have much money, 50 bucks is pretty much my limit.Also if you have any recommended brands for solder and solder wick I'm interested.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2014, 09:18:07 pm
content: Quote from: husain on December 19, 2014, 04:15:41 pmYou're going to be very limited on that budget (Chinese for new, *possibly* a name brand if used). And with any of the Chinese made stations, you'll want to open it up before ever turning it ON to inspect it's mains wiring for safety (correct if necessary). An Aoyue would be a better choice than a number of other clones based on what I've read here and other forums, so it may be your best bet quality-wise for a Chinese brand.Stick to name brands for consumables such as wick and solder.For solder, names like Kester, American Iron & Metals (usually see it listed as AIM), Multicore/Loctite (Henkel), Alpha Metals (Cookson), MG Chemicals, and Indium would be well worth using. They also offer separate flux products which can be handy to have on hand, and some also offer wick. Additional companies for wick would be Chemtronics (best I've ever used) and Techspray.These companies aren't all-inclusive, and your physical location can effect what's available (or within reason regarding pricing). For example, if you're located in Asia, genuine Goot would be a possibility (Goot is highly counterfeited, so be careful).

author: loneoceans
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2014, 10:15:49 pm
content: I wrote this previously on another post but I second the Aoyue brand, for example the Aoyue 937+. I got an Aoyue myself, bought some Hakko tips on ebay (I don't know if they're real or not but they look like excellent quality and have lasted for a year and going strong), and have been using them over about a year now. I have gone through about two half spools of solder already (about a good 1 lb of solder) in both through-hole and SMD work with completely no complaints at all.I can't comment on any difference in real life use vs a more expensive Hakko in my workplace lab. The holder is made of metal, the iron itself feels pretty good and the cable is reasonably supple. The only difference is that the Hakko has a foam grip thing around the iron and the Aoyue's plastic can feel a bit warm sometimes, but it really doesn't bother me at all.While you're at this do yourself a favour and pick up one of those cheap brass tip-cleaners:I'm not sure if you already have them but I really like them and prefer them over a wet sponge which tends to cool down the tips and can cause thermal fatique. Also pick up any Kester flux pen if you're doing any sort of SMD work.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2014, 06:50:54 am
content: Quote from: loneoceans on December 19, 2014, 10:15:49 pm+1A quality liquid flux and using a refillable pen, needle bottle, brush, brush pen, ... will be less expensive than disposable flux pens. MG Chemicals Rosin 835 is sold in hobbyist friendly containers (125ml & 1L).

author: husain
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 20, 2014, 09:13:23 am
content: Alright, lots of good info. So before I pull the trigger, what would I be gaining by going with the Aoyue 937+ vs a yihua 936? Does it justify a doubling of the price?Keeping in mind this is just going to be hobby work I won't have to do anything complex like soldering an entire circuit board, The most I'll be doing is replacing common laptop problems such as charger ports or soldering cables.BUT, I do need a tip for very fine smd soldering as I want to solder on a nand dump port for a 3ds which if you don't know the pads are about 0.3mm (not a through hole, an actual copper pad). Is this one of the times a fine conical tip comes in handy? But I will only need to do that once and not any time soon so I suppose I can cross that bridge when I come to it.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2014, 03:58:11 pm
content: Quote from: husain on December 20, 2014, 09:13:23 amHow about:1. Better performance.2. Less chance of burning your house down.This thread might help(search is your friend).Not sure where you're located, so it may/may not be possible to get a lot better quality station for not much more money (located in the US or look at quality used stations from name brands).

author: Nerull
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2014, 07:02:45 pm
content: Quote from: husain on December 20, 2014, 09:13:23 amYour "just" is one of the more demanding things you can ask a soldering iron to do. Soldering on multi-layer ground plane PCBs can require a lot of heat output, and cheap irons can struggle to keep up.

author: loneoceans
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2014, 09:00:13 pm
content: Quote from: husain on December 20, 2014, 09:13:23 amI'm certain the Yihua will work just fine, just like how I used a simple direct-mains plug in soldering iron for many years and made many many projects with it. However, I've since found much better return for my money by spending a bit more now for quality tools, which makes life so much easier, not to mentioned the much increased long-term reliability. Note that this also applies for any sort of tools - put some investment in your tools and they will pay you back.Even for very fine soldering work I use the same 2-3mm chisel tip (including 0.5mm pitch 100+ pin QFN ICs) with no problems using careful application of solder, dragging them, and lots of flux. For small solder work the most important thing you need is some thin, good quality solder (<0.022" diameter) and flux. And finally, some solder wick (good quality brand) ones to suck out solder. Dave has several good videos on soldering.So my recommendations for anyone getting into slightly more serious soldering:- A good iron, FX888 or the Aoyue 937+ for those on a tighter budget- Good quality thin solder especially if you're doing SMD work- Flux pen or liquid flux whatever you prefer - I've always just used a flux pen- Curly brass thing to clean solder tips - super awesome (like really)- Good quality solder wick- Needle tip tweezers. Cheap and easy to find anywhere- Chisel tip, preferably a good quality one. Like I mentioned, I bought a set of 8 tips on Amazon for like $8 or something and I don't know if they're real Hakko or not (it's laser engraved Hakko on the side) but they've been working great for almost a year of constant soldering use so I really can't complain.This setup should be able to last you a good long time or so. I guess the good thing about getting a brand name iron is that you can probably re-sell it for a good price, whereas you'll be stuck with a cheap no-brand one.Finally, I looked at the 898D+ and I have to say that it... actually looks like a fantastic deal since it does have a hot air part which, if anything, will be good for heat-shrinking which is a definite plus. I don't know how it's like inside, but just spec-wise and all it looks like a great value. In conclusion - don't get the Yihua.