Affordable, Reliable Soldering Iron Recommendations: Long-Use, Circuit Boards, Connectors, Cables

Question

Hello, I need advice. I want a cheap, good soldering iron, good for my needs, I had a transformer one before but it broke, I need a soldering iron that can be turned on for a long time, so that it can be heated, for example, cables, connectors, etc. to the circuit boards, etc. What to pay...

actin · Answer

A good Solomon or pistol stock like Lutola or ZDZ

Anonymous · Answer

You did not write the most important or comfortable, because the usual 230V 30W resistance with adjustable temperature will meet your expectations, but it is a bit inconvenient compared to the resistance with the station.

JanuszM · Answer

Either cheap or good - you have to decide.

From cheap - search under the terms:

Soldering station 936A or 936D (I have one and they are very popular among amateurs)
ZD-99 or ZD-98 soldering station (I don't have these)

They should have a power of 45-50 W (on the sticker, because they can have 35 W electrically) and have tips that are easily available for sale.

Of the good - Salomon or Weller stations.

Jarek1104 · Answer

How about TOPEX 100W RESISTIVE SOLDERING IRON? is it good for something? I also want to solder in places where there is little space, wires in the car, etc

Anonymous · Answer

I've been using this ZD-708 for quite a long time, it fulfills the role for larger electronics and for the car, its advantages are quick heating, small, handy, just a bit inconvenient because the cable is stiffer.

JanuszM · Answer

If you will not solder ICs and other small elements, only cables, then it is better to buy a transformer one, it has a high power of 60-75W and works on demand (you press and solder), but it costs about PLN 80-100.

This Topexa has only one advantage - it is cheap.
If you want to put her aside in the car, where are you going to put her if she's hot all the time?
In addition, you have to constantly clean the tip, since it is constantly heated, it will be hard to grab the tin.

Jarek1104 · Answer

I do not want a transformer one because I have already lost two because I have been heating for too long and I need to heat for a long time, etc What will be better? to is this or maybe this one

Anonymous · Answer

Do you think you will put down the transformer? the tip is hot for a long time so there is no point in holding it for more than a few minutes to put it down. With the station are not suitable for the car too cumbersome.

JanuszM · Answer

I wouldn't take any of them.
Both have 230V on the heater (power regulated by a triac).

The 936A or 936D series has a transformer and is 24V at the heater.

Added after 3 [minutes]:

Quote:
Do you think you will put down the transformer?

After a few seconds from turning off, I calmly put it on a piece of cardboard lying on my lap or on the wiper in the car.

Quote:
I don't want a transformer one because I've already lost two because I've been heating for too long and I need to heat for a long time

It means you were using the transformer tube incorrectly.
It has a lot of power, so you don't have to heat it for a long time, unless you had the tips badly made (wrongly installed).

Jarek1104 · Answer

The original tip was the one with which I bought it, I had to desolder heavily soldered things

JanuszM · Answer

If the transformer doesn't work, you don't tire it until it burns out, you just use a burner or go to someone and heat it with two soldering irons.

Jarek1104 · Answer

Only that I went to the guy who has a resistive one and he easily desoldered it

JanuszM · Answer

You had a transformer at least 65 W and probably 100 W. And now you want to buy a 35 W resistive one and it is supposed to be more powerful than a transformer. Can't you see it's not sticking?

Jarek1104 · Answer

But I don't want to throw away another soldering iron right away and I need to heat it all the time and some things sit really hard and I won't treat them with any burner as they are, for example, parts of electronics in the car

Anonymous · Answer

Each resistance above 30W will break the transformer pistol because it has lower losses.

Jarek1104 · Answer

You can not argue, just advise me properly because I don't sleep on money to buy new ones all the time

JanuszM · Answer

You can choose from 3 types of devices:

Resistance 230V - the cheapest (PLN 35):

Transformer - which you don't want (PLN 70):

And a soldering station - the most expensive (PLN 110):

Each of them solders and does it well, decide for yourself which one to choose.

Jarek1104 · Answer

I don't want a transformer one because you have to release the button every now and then and I need it to be able to heat for a long time

Simon79 · Answer

In my opinion, the most future-proof purchase is a soldering station. I had a Zhaoxin 936 in which after 7 years, contrary to expectations, the potentiometer and not the heater wore out . I currently have the 898D and I'm happy with it.

Jarek1104 · Answer

Then please recommend me something good because I would not like it to fall right away, it is important that it is suitable for soldering the cable but also for e.g. sockets on the computer motherboard, etc. so that it can be turned on for a long time and that it does not fall because the transformer ones could melt because for too long there was something e.g. heated

Wawrzyniec · Answer

It's just this

The former is 200W and the latter is 400/200W and will probably be the best for your needs. You will desolder everything, and due to the high heat capacity it will not cool down during desoldering. And if necessary, you can solder gutters with it.

Jarek1104 · Answer

And aren't these tips too big, e.g. for tiny thin cables?

Simon79 · Answer

In the past, they used similar brazing sheets and gutters

Wawrzyniec · Answer

For tiny, thin cables, a transformer one is enough, and if there is really a lot of tin there, then some resistive one with a thicker tip, e.g.

I also desoldered a lot sometimes and it was sometimes so hard to hold the transformer in my hand because the housing was burning, but I didn't burn a single one, which I can't say about the resistive one.

Jarek1104 · Answer

But he explains that not only thin cables, but also, for example, connectors on the motherboard, and to remove some to give new ones, you have to heat for a long time
And I've already smoked from many transformers because it was melting from the inside and most often the soldering iron had to be thrown away

Wawrzyniec · Answer

So buy the one in the last picture for larger items, and the one in the first picture for delicate items. There is no universal (for e.g. smd and gutters)
I have a transformer 45/75W, the other 100W, a station, HotAir and a 150W flask. Each for a different situation.

Jarek1104 · Answer

How about this device?

JanuszM · Answer

I have such a 936 station and it is not suitable for larger soldering pads - it will not heat up.
I have a visually similar one and it says 50 Watt, but I use a 65W transformer for soldering larger surfaces.

[Solved] Affordable, Reliable Soldering Iron Recommendations: Long-Use, Circuit Boards, Connectors, Cables

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