Soldering Iron wanted!

[djQUAN]

Sorry, can't really help you there as I have not used the cheaper ones. I went all out and bought the 888 as my first station

 

[jimdt7]

@Zeebit Can you give me a link for those heiko replicas?

Jim

 

[Zeebit]

There are a bunch of clones out there. The popular ones are branded as Aoyue, Huakko, Atten, Yihua, etc.

The Yihua seems to be the most popular. It's available at Hobbyking for a little more than $15.

I can't help myself. I just bought one it should do just fine for the moment.

 

[jimdt7]

Ordered the Yihua one from HK...we will see...! :beer:

Jim

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[Zeebit]

Here is a quick comparison of the two:

 

[KRNAZNBOY]

Wow i can't believe my post from a long time back has gotten so popular

Anyways, i have a Hakko clone (AOYUE) that works great and i have a 1/2lb spool of 63/37 solder.

If i want to get spare tips, can i just get the hakko ones? Are they interchangeable?

Thanks guys
-Matt

 

[Zeebit]

The iron itself is similar to the original Hakko but take note that the plug that goes to the base unit is different. Genuine Hakko tips should fit. I have a T18 series chisel tip in the mail for my station.

 

[Jmillerdoc]

I came into this hobby after years of a DIY HiFi audio hobby where excellent soldering results can make a noticeable difference. The first time I tried Cardas Quad-Eutectic I was ruined forever. It has a melting point around 360 degrees so most irons will have no problem with it. The joints and flow are superior to anything else I have tried and they clean up very pretty. Yes, it's a lot more expensive then your run of the mill solder but once you've used it you'll never consider the extra expense a factor. You can buy smaller quantities on ebay where people buy a big roll and sell smaller portions for a few bucks. Find one of these sellers and spend about $5 on a small roll and check it out, I think you'll agree it's superior to anything else you've tried. krazenboy, if you'll PM me with your address I will cut a couple feet off my roll and send you some to try. I keep several feet wrapped around a small syringe that i keep my flux in but I think I've still got a half roll somewhere laying around. Even if I don't then I need to buy some more anyways. If you don't agree then I will refund everything you spend on the free offer....

 

[djQUAN]

I've heard a lot of opinions that Cardas is the best but the closest I've come to it was touching a spool. Wouldn't want to ruin me forever. lol A good 63/37 is good enough for me as long as it has a decent flux core to make wetting easy. I do still use 60/40 for non critical jobs like splicing wires together or pooling a ton of solder to remove a part from a PCB (using the flood and pull method).

 

[Jmillerdoc]

I've heard a lot of opinions that Cardas is the best but the closest I've come to it was touching a spool. Wouldn't want to ruin me forever. lol A good 63/37 is good enough for me as long as it has a decent flux core to make wetting easy. I do still use 60/40 for non critical jobs like splicing wires together or pooling a ton of solder to remove a part from a PCB (using the flood and pull method).

Call me a solder snob but there is just a certain sense of pride I get knowing that while my layout and design may be amatuer and sloppy, at least it was done with expensive solder.....

For wiring laser parts together it's doubtful you would derive any true additional benefit other than the ease of use due to the flow characteristics of Cardas QE.

Since it's just the expense of a postage stamp, for the few following this thread now my offer stands to anyone who wants to try a little.

One other little tidbit on soldering that's helpful IMHO is using RatShack's tip tinning/cleaning compound sold in the little 3" wafer can for about $6-7. Works great for keeping the tip clean and unoxidized between solder points.

Lastly, Flamingpyro once gave me a syringe full of flux he sent along with a few sinks he turned for me. I don't know what type it is or where he got it but it is some of the best I've used. He gave me about 2cc in a syringe with a 26ga 1" needle which works perfect for placing tiny little blobs right where I need to solder. I've been using it for about a year and a half and there's still about 2/3cc left. Really great stuff, I bet he would tell anyone what it is and where he got it if you PM'd him.

Did the OP ever find a good soldering iron? Just curious what he ended up getting and how it's working for him.

 

[BowtieGuy]

@Jmillerdoc - IIRC Flamingpyro sells that solder flux. I think he sells a couple of different types. I agree with you, it's great stuff!

P.S. - I wouldn't mind trying a bit of that high quality solder, if you still have some!

 

[Jmillerdoc]

@Jmillerdoc - IIRC Flamingpyro sells that solder flux. I think he sells a couple of different types. I agree with you, it's great stuff!

P.S. - I wouldn't mind trying a bit of that high quality solder, if you still have some!

Just click on my username and use the email option to send me your mailing address (fastest for me to receive) and I will send you some out. I've probably got two or three feet spooled onto my syringe right now and somewhere in my garage I should still have a spool with 20+ feet. I need to place an order with Soniccraft for some RCA plugs this week so if I need more I will order a new spool and send you however much a postage stamp will get you. Be warned, you'll likely never want to go back to anything else! If you don't do much soldering the best way to buy this stuff is on eBay by the gram or foot. I can't remember how much a standard spool costs but it is ridiculous compared to 60/40 run of the mill. It's much more palatable spending a few bucks for a few grams than $80-100 for a spool, a little goes a long ways for small precision jobs. I used to buy it by the gram/foot and eventually broke down and bought a spool. It's lasted me a couple years if I didn't lose it in the move. Anyways, get me your address and I will get you some out sometime over the next several days. All I ask is you post your thoughts on how you like it.

 

[BowtieGuy]

Will do, thank you very much!
Great solder plus great flux, damn, that means if the connection isn't good I've got to find something else to blame.

 

[Tmack]

It's the surface man. I used Flux, and it just won't stick!! (there's one )

 

[Bionic-Badger]

Wow i can't believe my post from a long time back has gotten so popular

Anyways, i have a Hakko clone (AOYUE) that works great and i have a 1/2lb spool of 63/37 solder.

If i want to get spare tips, can i just get the hakko ones? Are they interchangeable?

Just buy the Aoyue brand tips. They're cheap, work great, and come in all kinds of varieties. You can even order them off Amazon.com. I grabbed a chisel-shaped one and I liked it more than the original pointy one.

 

[Zeebit]

Oh man, I gotta try some of that Cardas solder. :drool: Off to ebay

Edit: I found a seller who sells a few selection of what seems to be premium quality solders. Which brand would you choose? Link to the ebay store.