Soldering Iron tips - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 06:42:32 am
content: I have a soldering iron that uses tips like thishttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Hakko-T18-D24-2-4mm-Chisel-Soldering-Tip-Solder-tip-926-12-936-12-FX888-FX888D-/171989123606?hash=item280b59c216:g:tocAAOSwwbdWOoyTthe tips that came with it are absolutely abysmal i get a good week out one before its all but used up. If i actually paid that much for a tip would it last long enough to justify itself?

author: rs20
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 06:44:28 am
content: What do you mean by "used up"? That's a strange turn of phrase to use with a non-consumable like a solder tip. Has the tip corroded, is solder not sticking to it any more? Or is it not getting hot any more? What's the actual problem?

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 07:11:14 am
content: the part that actually lets solder stick to it eats itself or corrodes away or something but used up was my best term for it, in summary it works for a week then there is so little left its impossible to effectively use it for anything but wire splicing or other jobs that do not require precision, i should note when i say a week i mean 18-24 hours

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 07:13:36 am
content: Let us assume you are not attempting to clean the tip with a file or sandpaper or anything abrasive, and thus removing the protective iron plating?

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 07:18:36 am
content: i clean the tip with regular brass wool or whatever this ishttp://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/aven-tools/17530-TC/243-1157-ND/4926916so unless that counts as abrasive no i don't, i blame the Chinese for it myself

author: sainter
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 07:21:27 am
content: What temperature are you using, what solder. Do you use additional flux? Do you leave it on for a long time?

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 07:24:12 am
content: Then what you describe is puzzling. If solder tips were made only of copper they would dissolve in the molten solder and wear away very quickly. To prevent this from happening, solder tips are supposed to be plated with a layer of iron on top of the copper. Iron does not readily alloy with solder and so it prevents the tip from wearing away.The iron plating will eventually wear away after extensive use, but this would have to be alotof use--like weeks, months, years depending on how often you use the iron.

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 07:28:30 am
content: Quote from: IanB on October 03, 2016, 07:24:12 amunless as i theorize the chinese are cheap and only plate it very very thinly, which brings us around to the original question would a 10 dollar tip be worth it in comparison

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 07:29:37 am
content: Quote from: sainter on October 03, 2016, 07:21:27 amtypically 400c or 450c, mostly because i desolder more than i solder. The solder that i use ishttp://www.parts-express.com/electronic-solder-60-40-08mm-(0031)-diameter-1-lb-spool--370-032and no additonal flux. As for the length of time i leave it on i sit at my workbench and turn it on and then it typically stays on (well tinned) for a couple of hours 1-4 depending

author: sainter
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 07:47:03 am
content: I would say, that your temp. is too hot. I try not to use my tip over 300 C for a long time (10-20 min) and to it rarely.

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 07:50:57 am
content: i will try it but the only problem is on lower temperatures my iron takes a very long time to heat up

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 07:54:56 am
content: Assuming its genuine tip, reference ->Why are soldering tips worn out ?

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 08:51:37 am
content: it doesnt work on anything less than 400 c, at 400c it takes 1 minute to warm up and has decent thermal capacity at 200 c it doesnt warm up and at 300c it takes 3 minutes and has no thermal capacity

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 08:56:35 am
content: Quote from: BravoV on October 03, 2016, 07:54:56 ami assume your assumption would be for a 10 dollar tip versus what i have now which aint even the genuine version of the knockoff its meant to be

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 09:32:41 am
content: QuoteEveryone should try at least one genuine tip at least once. (btw $5-$10 for a tip is not "that" much.)Would it last long enough "to justify itself" ? I guess you'll find out. Worse case you are out nine bucks.It also sounds like your soldering iron/station is having issues too with it's wierd heating behavior too...so you have a couple of different things going on there.

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 11:03:11 am
content: the only problem with spending 9 bucks is i dont even have the normal part time job money i have the odd job money, as for the iron acting weird the ceramic broke exposing the whatever (spring?) and i got a hakko 926 to replace it but the irons between my two stations arent interchangeable so im waiting for an iron to fit the 926. Now that i actually think about it the broken filament would conveniently explain why it eats tips.

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 11:15:39 am
content: and im fully aware how odd of a hobby i have for my budget

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 11:37:29 am
content: I also think that 400C is way too hot for a soldering iron, I normally work at 300C and turn it up to 350C for the big stuff like PL259 plugs. The number one tip when soldering is KEEP EVERYTHING CLEAN, that includes your components, the board and the tip of the soldering iron. Having said that you should never file a tip or use sandpaper, a soldering tip in regular use should be kept clean using either a damp sponge or one of the new brass wool things that seem to be popular now.I changed the bit on my soldering station last week, that bit lasted nearly three years at 300C-350C before it started to pit and the solder wouldn't take anymore. The old bit won't be thrown away though, it can still be used for melting holes in plastic and forming heatshrink sleeving around terminals.

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 09:39:47 pm
content: QuoteThe "spring" is the heating element. If it touches the inside of the tip, it could be using part of the tip as a heating element?When the heating coil burned through the insulator in my hot air station, I was notified of the problem by a large section of the metal tube glowing bright orange in broad daylight.Most of my soldering probably between 300 and 350... But it sound like OP's iron might not actually have temp control. If he turns it up higher so it heats up faster (like initially, after turning it on?), it sure sounds like it is power-adjustable, not temp-controlled.

author: suicidaleggroll
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 09:49:29 pm
content: Your temperature is fine, your cleaning tool is fine. My guess is your current tips are pieces of shit. Try a genuine one, see what happens.I have a Hakko 936 that was purchased new in 2008. It has been used many many times for many many hours, always at 750 F (400 C), and the original tip still looks like new (apart from some minor discoloration in the main body of the tip, not the part that is actually used to solder).

author: Audioguru
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2016, 11:49:45 pm
content: My Weller soldering iron has automatic temperature control. never too hot but if I begin to solder something very big then it instantly senses it and it goes to full power until its temperature is correct. It can sit heated all day for many days and the genuine Weller tip lasts for many years. I use Name-Brand solder, not junk from an online store.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 04, 2016, 12:12:15 am
content: When I had my Hakko 936, which uses the tips in the link, I typically soldered at 650F. I had original tips and they lasted 9 years before I upgraded my equipment and sold the 936 to a ham club member. If you have a clone, you will probably find that the original tips won't work well either because the fit between the element and the tip will be poor. You can try it but don't be surprised is the tip is too loose because the element is undersized.

author: ludzinc
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 04, 2016, 12:59:43 am
content: Quote from: neo on October 03, 2016, 08:51:37 amWhat size tip are you using? A 1.6mm chisel would be useless at desoldering, a 6mm chisel would kick ass.

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2016, 02:29:27 am
content: QuoteMissed this, earlier. This is surely describing an iron without thermostatic temperature control. OP, the knob on this iron is not adjusting set temp. It's regulating power. If it were actually temperature controlled, it would take same amount of time to reach 200C, whether set to 200, 300, or 400. And it would reach set temp of 300C FASTER than reaching set temp of 400C, lol.Unless all the joints you are making are consistent in thermal load and relatively small, this kind of station is not... well, it's not very good. Dumb power modulation will defacto run hottest when not under load, which is not good for the tips. The greater the size of joints you need to make, the more of a problem you will have with this kind of iron... needing to run it even hotter, so that you can finish a joint with the higher temp stored in the thermal mass of the tip. The power sent to the tip is same, all the time, whether it's on a joint or on the stand. A thermostatically temperature controlled iron will give FULL power to keep the tip to temp when it touches a heatsink. And when left on the stand, will throttle down the duty cycle to just a tiny fraction, only enough to keep it to temp.If you want your tips to last longer, cold start the iron at 450 for a minute, then turn it back down to 300 when you are not actively using it. Turn the knob back to 450 5 to 10 seconds before you use it. Then turn it back down when idle. A Metcal works this way, only it's automatic and has such low latency and so much power it does it for each joint, like the station has ESP.A true temp controlled iron can be left on 24/7 with minimal wear/oxidation of the tip.

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2016, 03:45:55 am
content: +1show us your iron.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2016, 03:56:22 am
content: I think we need to see photos of both the iron, the used up tip, and a fresh tip.I don't recall ever hearing of the cheap chinese 900 series tips being so readily damaged.

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2016, 01:56:44 pm
content: i am expecting it to be a mains iron connected to a base containing a lead weight and a lamp dimmer!

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2016, 05:01:37 am
content: i gave up on the cheap one and bought a hakko 926, trouble is i cant get that iron to heat up, i have tried both a new iron and the original, the seller is bought it from swears every which way it works, any advice on that? ( the cheap onehttp://www.ebay.com/itm/131500630737?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT)and this is the 926http://www.ebay.com/itm/222235485377?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

author: BMack
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2016, 05:27:06 am
content: The one thing that seems to be missing in this thread is telling the OP how long your tips last. I do electronics repair as a profession, I use my iron nearly every day and my tips last well over a year(edit: Looked it up, cannot find a receipt for a new tip in over four years). They last long enough that I don't pay attention to how often I replace them. One of my other techs uses a lot of heat 420+ C for whatever reason(he does a lot of things I don't agree with) and he goes through tips about three times as often as I do.

author: sainter
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2016, 05:45:34 am
content: My first solomon cheep soldering station work over 4 years with stock tip. So it all depends how you use it. Expensive tips are rated for number of solder joints made.

author: newbrain
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2016, 08:11:02 am
content: Quote from: BMack on October 07, 2016, 05:27:06 amI still have a Philips "firestick" soldering iron from my teen years (Sex Pistols were a new band), the original tip went in one month.Then I "adapted" (hammered in) an Ersadur one and it still goes...though a bit battered.Noname soldering station (but with real temp control), original (noname) tips still going strong after 10 years of average use.Hakko 888d: exactly one year old, same as new.

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2016, 10:10:34 pm
content: On temp controlled stations, I have worn out 2 tips in almost 10 years of fairly regular use. The solder costs more than the tips.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2016, 11:07:49 pm
content: OTOH high power high temperature irons used for rough work (e.g. screening cans, large terminals and salvaging parts off boards you don't care about) typically eat tips like there's no tomorrow.Rather than turning up the temperaure of your good iron, there's a strong case for keeping something like a 100W Weller gun around for the rough stuff so you don't b----r up the plating on your temperature controlled iron's bit. You may say that buying tips for the gun is no better, but perfectly acceptable tips for Weller style guns with tip nuts can be formed out of about 4" of 12 AWG bare copper wire, flattened slightly laterally at the hairpin bend by hammering or squeezing, then a small flat filed for a working surface and to reduce the CSA to concentrate the heat. So what its only going to survive a couple of hours actual soldering? - With trigger operated guns the actual operating duty cycle is usually low enough for DIY tips to last days or even weeks at the bench.Gun irons with grubscrews are a bit more fussy as its too easy to strip the screws trying to get a badly fitting tip tight enough.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2016, 12:00:14 am
content: Quote from: Ian.M on October 07, 2016, 11:07:49 pmAlso, one thing that may not come readily to mind is to use a flame instead of an iron. Micro-tip butane torches can produce a very small and easily directed flame that is perfect for certain jobs such as noted above. I have used this technique successfully for installing thick wires into the solder cups of a banana plug, for instance. The advantage is no tip to wear out. The disadvantage is the temptation to grab a hot part with your fingers to steady it or remove it. Big lumps of metal can remain hot for a long time after the flame is removed.

author: BurningTantalum
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2016, 10:05:47 am
content: I am a bit of a soldering iron snob (I use Metcals and Pace, and used to swear by Weller TCP) but I have never had any problem with tips not lasting. I tend to buy any Pace tips when I see them cheap, and turn down the larger shanked version to my 1/8" on a lathe.BUT I have had a tip in one of my Pace irons that was made from an old copper tip. It is not plated, and I just dress it with a file when needed. It has lasted for years with my 60/40 multicore.I did buy some cheap Chinese tips to modify for an old iron that I use for digging out potting compound and they were truly awful thermally. I wouldn't touch them for soldering.BT

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2016, 11:34:04 am
content: QuoteUsing a freshly filed tip is the best ...most people have no idea what it's like.

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 02:03:19 am
content: so could i file down the leftover nubs and reuse them? or am i misenterpreting

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 02:08:40 am
content: Quote from: neo on October 09, 2016, 02:03:19 amMy mind is boggling at the concept of "leftover nubs"I can't conceive how a soldering tip can get so ruined that it would meet that description.However, yes, if a tip gets ruined you can file it back into a nice shape. But if you do that it will expose bare copper to the solder and it won't last very long before it needs filing again.

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 02:11:00 am
content: enough stalling, show us your iron, and the solder you use!

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 02:25:52 am
content: Quote from: IanB on October 09, 2016, 02:08:40 amIf its in use for 8 hours a day, once you start filing it, you'll be filing it every day and it will probably only last long enough to order a replacement tip and get it delivered.When tips get to that state, file them back to a reasonable shape, tin them and save them for rough work - e.g. the next time you are stripping boards. Put a new tip in, and order a replacement ASAPI must however confess to rebuilding catalytic gas Portasol tips by cutting the stub of eroded bit short, drilling the end and swageing in a short piece of copper rod or heavy gage wire. With care and a wrap of masking tape to keep dirt out of the catalyst while you are rebuilding it you can keep doing that a fair few times.

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 02:42:54 am
content: here they are, and this is my solderhttp://www.parts-express.com/electronic-solder-60-40-08mm-(0031)-diameter-1-lb-spool--370-032img 1147 is in order new, current, old used up one

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 02:56:31 am
content: The pictures would need to be in focus for us to learn much from them other than what you've told us already - that your tips are eroding.

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 03:02:07 am
content: those are my best of 10

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 03:06:07 am
content: the ceramic element is broken - you have no thermal coupling to the tip.also because your solder has rosin (a corrosive) in it, you need to keep the tips clean - and dont overheat them.i solder / desolder at 350'and that's lead-free, you need much less heat wih 60/40 solder

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 04:04:07 am
content: is the ceramic being broken the reason why the tips tend to dissolve then?

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 04:31:32 am
content: Not directly. However poor thermal coupling forces you to turn the temperature up to keep the bit hot enough to do multiple joints, and the higher temperature when idle tends to shorten the bit life. However to crack the element like that, if it happened in use you must have been applying excessive pressure with the bit, which tends to micro-crack the iron plating or score through it, either of which will let the solder in to start dissolving the copper out from under the plating.It needs the element replaced to restore it to being an effective and economic iron.

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 05:44:51 am
content: i wonder how i do that, solder wires to replace the ceramic when this is my only soldering iron (i have a filament from china that should work in this ones place)

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 07:54:24 am
content: Without a spare soldering iron you are totally stuffed when your main iron needs repairs. Probably the best value for money iron for use as a backup is a pocket butane gas catalytic one. The adjustable gas flow gives you reasonable control of the bit temperature, and the freedom from wires and rapid refill-ability is excellent for field use.

author: Srbel
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 10:01:14 am
content: BuyAoyuetip. They are cheap and very good quality.Also, you will need to buy a new heater, because this one is sodomised™.

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 10:50:18 am
content: the only problem with a new heater is i only have the one soldering iron, i cant exactly use it to solder to itself

author: Srbel
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 11:07:01 am
content: Well, you can buy 1$ soldering iron just for that. :/

author: BradC
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 01:44:29 pm
content: I've been known to use 4" nail and a gas stove in a pinch.

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 04:20:13 pm
content: you can get the whole iron for about $5

author: Srbel
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 08:03:55 pm
content: And get the same shit quality tip.

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2016, 08:53:28 pm
content: Quote from: neo on October 09, 2016, 02:03:19 amYes

author: timsatx
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 14, 2016, 07:19:09 pm
content: Personally I would never file down a tip. If I had to use any method other than a damp sponge and the brass pad and multiple applications of solder, I would toss the tip. Assuming that your soldering iron is working correctly then you will need multiple tips based on the type of soldering you do. If you are doing projects with very large heatsinks you need a very large tip. Smaller jobs require progressively smaller tips. I also have usually soldered at 650F/343C +/- 25F/4C. Of course that again depends on what you are soldering on and the tip size you use. Soldering at 400C/752F is at the extreme end. You use that and you are bound to use up tips quickly and if soldering to a board you are also bound to burn up some pads. Also, if using that high of a temp you will not be able to leave the tip on the board long enough to properly get flow to the other side of the board (assuming thru hole components) without either burning up the solder too quickly or destroying your pads.

author: suicidaleggroll
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2016, 09:14:23 pm
content: Quote from: timsatx on October 14, 2016, 07:19:09 pmNot really. Why are people so afraid of high temps? 750 F is not extreme, it will not burn up tips quickly (unless your definition of "quickly" varies dramatically from mine), and you won't burn up pads unless you're soldering like an imbecile (in which case the temperature won't matter).From what I understand the NASA/military standard is 700 F, and the few guys I've worked with who did assembly work for NASA used 700-750 F exclusively.Remember, the STANDARD temperature Metcal tips run at 775F, the "temperature sensitive" is 675F, and the high temp is closer to 900F.

author: timsatx
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 17, 2016, 06:47:13 pm
content: I certainly can't speak to your experience, but when I became NASA certified, there was never any documentation that specified the temperature to solder at. The was predicated on the work you were doing, the material you were working on and the soldering iron tip you used, but in general we found that 650F to be the best temp. So far as I know the techs I still work with use that temp and across the street where they do mainly NASA soldering that is also the temp they use, +/- a bit depending on what you are doing.As far as the Metcal tips, my understanding is that two of their series have very high maximum temps (905F and 880F) whereas the rest range from the upper 500's to the upper 700's, that is as a maximum. You don't want run your tips at maximum all the time if at all possible. What they call their standard application tips, the Series 700, are listed as 775F for a maximum temp. Also, considering when working that you aren't always using your iron. You might have a few minutes where you are using it then you put it down to prepare more components for soldering. During the wait time you really shouldn't leave your tips running at 750. But that is just in my experience and those around me, YMMV.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 18, 2016, 11:12:51 am
content: To throw my tuppence into the pot, my Hakko FX-951 is set at 650F and I use the 600 series on my Metcal MX-500. No issues at those temps.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2016, 01:45:58 pm
content: I have a Xytronics 369, the older analog one. The knob is marked in temperature markings but I have no idea how well calibrated it is. I usually set it to 38 (which I assume is 380C) for most soldering work, if it's going to be a while I will turn it down to the minimum, otherwise I just keep going. I also use it for more than electronics, such as soldering model railroad rails. I will usually turn it up to the 41 marking for that.I am still using the original tip it came with - over 8 years ago. I did just buy some more, because I wanted some different sizes and shapes. I usually use fine solder, and SuperSafe brand water soluble flux.Xytronic never seems to get mentioned much, everyone seems to be up on the Hakko and the Hakko clones. The basic similar Xytronic models are quite inexpensive and I've been more than happy with mine. I'm considering getting one of their combination units with soldering, desoldering, and hot air capabilities and shifting this one to my model railroad bench.

author: neo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2016, 03:13:50 am
content: i dont recommend getting a 3 in one, just off of experience (but what do i know i have been making spectacularly bad soldering iron decisions lately)

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2016, 06:53:52 am
content: seperates are best.what if you need to solder a new heater into your hot-air unit??

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2016, 07:31:41 am
content: OTOH Soldering a new heater into your iron using the bit of your desolder station or with a hot air pencil is going to be a real PITA.*EVERYONE* who's serious enough to get a soldering station should have a spare iron, either that 15W or 25W direct mains powered iron you put aside when you got the station, or something that extends its capabilities.e.g. a high wattage soldering gun with relatively cheap bits you can use for component recovery, screening cans, tough joints to planes without thermal relief on the pads, or what I personally favour, a portable gas iron that's safe to use on battery terminals under 50V because the bit isn't grounded, and is small enough to fit in a pocket toolkit for field work.If you do get a multifunction station, get one that can take more than one iron, and get a spare iron which you normally will keep a large heavy duty bit in. It saves a lot of faffing around with hot parts and risking heater damage to simply be able to unplug the hot air wand or desoldering iron and plug in the extra iron.

author: daybyter
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2016, 12:20:02 pm
content: You could also ask a friend to solder the heating element. Or visit a local hackerspace. Or the local ham radio club.

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2016, 12:31:01 pm
content: Quote from: daybyter on October 21, 2016, 12:20:02 pmdone that, it was not fun traveling 6 miles to a friends shop after asking him to stay open late , just so i could rewire the cable on my iron after it failed where it leaves the handle!!better to just buy a cheap backup.like a Bakon or something.

author: BradC
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2016, 02:36:38 am
content: Quote from: Ian.M on October 21, 2016, 07:31:41 amI keep one of these in the toolkit in my car. It gets used more at home in the workshop that out in the field. Need loads of heat fast? Use gas. Need an isolated iron for changing the backup battery in your "whatever" (hp 3457A for example)? Use gas. Need to selectively heat up components to test for thermal issues? Use gas. No problem doing work live and 2 to 3 times the heat capacity of a standard soldering station (80-140W depending on the tip/iron).Nice not to have to drag an extension cord around when doing automotive work, or find power when helping mates out on the farm. Plus the hot "air" blower is awesome for heatshrink and the hot knife is great for synthetic rope. Everyone should experience a gas axe at least once.

author: stj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2016, 03:49:02 am
content: you can do a lot of damage with gas irons - i will never touch one again.even changing the orientation from vertical to horizontal causes a large temperature shift.