Picking a Soldering Iron

This is for the people out there who aren't sure how to get started on soldering. I know this may not please everybody, but if you need somewhere to start, here you go. You can learn from my mistakes and save money by my example.

Step 1 So you want to Solder?

First you will need to decide what you will be needing to do with this iron. There are different irons for different purposes, however if you decide you need it portable, DO NOT get a Cold Heat
New Cold Heat soldering iron for Easter 2 years ago. Sadly, within the first 5 minutes of use, the thing burnt its tip off and i never bought a new one. I would strongly advise anybody against getting one of these due to the fact tips cost little less than a new ColdHeat. These are little more than glorified LED flashlights.
If you decide on portability, Weller makes a butane powered one. I have never used a butane iron, but i would imagine that it would have to be better than a Cold Heat.
UPDATE: Today i decided to give the ColdHeat one more go (even in its already dehabilitated state) and one entire half of the tip broke off this time. Picture below.

Comments

[venerao]

such a lier

[joshrizzo]

 I had the exact same experience!  The tip consists of 2 heating elements separated by a layer of insulation so they don't contact each other.  The insulating layer melts almost immediately, rendering the tip useless.  I think this is a big design flaw that should have been caught by ANY level of product testing, but I think they were just counting on Billy Mays to sell this POS.

[The_Black_Hole]

so why the frak did cold heat go with graphite tips?!?!?!?!? couldnt somone make one out of two peices of metal (whatever metal is usually used for tips) with a piece of rubber as an insulator in the middle?!?! so like  /      /
                                                                                                                  /   _/
                                                                                                                  /  _ /
where '/' is the metal and '_' is the rubber? just a thought let me know if you think it will work and what metal cuz i wanna try it

[The_Black_Hole]

ok so my diagram didnt work....so heres a crappy paint image of what im thinking:

where gray is the metal and black is the rubber

[Solderguy]

I do all my soldering with a $9 soldering iron from Radioshack that I bought 2 years ago. It helped me in many projects.

[Vspec]

you can buy a descent weller soldering iron at radioshack for $17.

[trebuchet03]

hehe - I had a Cold Heat. I guess I am one of those lucky few that got a good one? It never gave me any trouble but it was a bit clumsy. Now I use a 20W wood burning knife which came with a variety of copper plated tips (which means don't sand them ;) ). One day I'll splurge on a station :D

[Gamernotnerd]

I use a 45W wood burning needle, I'm just getting started, it seems to be able to reflow pretty well, haven't tried much else, though.

[Arbitror]

Same here...

[girrrrrrr2]

i got a good one also...now the led wont go off... and duct tape and hitting doesnt work!!!

[bombs go boom]

i had one to but it was a piece of $#*!

[codongolev]

I have one..... it would have been nice if it told me on the packaging instead of the instruction manual that you needed thin solder..... it feels stupid to find out you bought the wrong solder.

[girrrrrrr2]

yeah that is what i got... by chance did you have acid core solder?

[codongolev]

no.... and also, the tip broke and I got an even cheaper working one from radio shack for 9 dollars. RADIO SHACK FTW!

[FrenchCrawler]

LOL, I also use a wood burning iron. Mine's 23W, but I don't have copper tips :P

[E D E N]

I'm considering buying a Soldering Iron, preferably one under 30$. I'm really only going to do basic tasks, i.e circuitry and basic circuit board(ing). Do you guys have any suggestions? Preferably from RadioShack or .. yeah. And I know I've been pretty specific, but also, how many wats should it be?

[Father Christmas]

butane irons aren't exactly the best. i have this one: http://www.hardwareandtools.com/invt/u246652?ref=gbase

cheap 10$ one, but it gets the job done. the worst part was trying to get used to it.

[R4Man18]

the cold heat is a good SI as long as you know how to solder.

[Atwincoz]

I would have to throw my lot in with the others that feel that Cold Heat is a waste. I mean the idea is a neat thought, but in the out working of it... it just loses something. Once you've tried using a sold iron you will never go back. I love my CL1080, it's never given me problems.

[shadymilkman]

I STRONGLY disagree. If you know how to solder with a regular iron and then try a cold heat, none of the same stuff really works. You can't tin a cold heat tip, and you of course cannot do any light soldering (PCBs are challenging as well as surface mount components). If you think cold heat is good, you may want to try a real iron, such as my WES51and see if they compare.

[R4Man18]

I have a few real irons who in the world would use a cold heat for a pcb I use a cold heat on the road (butane ones scare me) with no problems to tin a wire solder a few things together but nothing on a small scale. If I want to do something that requires a good job ill say it again a cold heat is good if you know how to solder just because its inferior doesnt mean its worthless.

[Llamarama]

Good tips on finding a soldering iron. I would add, if you want portability, you can't beat a good quality gas powered soldering iron and some fine 60/40 leaded solder!

[Iron Dude]

what does the solder do. that rolled up stuff

[codongolev]

it's a mixture of metals (used to be lead and tin, but with health concerns it's changed) and it's used to kind of melt things together. like when you see little blobs of metal on the backs of computer chips, that's solder.

[shadymilkman]

"That rolled up stuff" is applied to the heated wires or whatever you are soldering and is melted to make a connection. I bet there is somebody that could explain this better. Look up a soldering instructable for more details.

[=SMART=]

hahaha today i went to maplins (like radio-shack) and bought a butane wireless soldering iron, and then walked out the shop, then i remembered i needed the butane (duh!) and went back in to get it, i found a refill bottle and went to buy it but they wouldn't let me!! and they didnt give me a receipt for the iron either!!! so now im stuck with a butane soldering iron and no butane

[shadymilkman]

Probably have to be 18 to buy the stuff. It can be used for various illegal activities, apart from being potentially dangerous.

[=SMART=]

yea i ssuppose, they could have told me though!

[missbliss]

just wanted to say thanks! i am new to all this ish, don't own any of the common tools and am going to radioshack today to pick up an iron. thanks!

[evanwehrer]

What about one of those radio schack butane soldering irons?

[Mr.Devious]

Your cold heat tip didn't "burn" off. It broke from pressure. They're made out of I believe carbon or graphite for the high resistance, but it's shit because thats also a weak material.

[killerjackalope]

are they definitely made of carbon/graphite if so I could make a few things worth seeing (like my homemade plasma cutter) and a carbon arc light that might survive for five minutes.

[lifelong-newbie]

From what i heard there made of a carbon/graphite based material called alaphite or aphalite or something like that, it is made for its high electrical resistance and quick cooling properties

[killerjackalope]

They're perfect in fact, quick cooling and high resistance is just what I need, now I gots to goes gets me's somes of thems cheap oneses...

[killerjackalope]

interesting...

[lifelong-newbie]

If you make anything interesting, post an instructable.

*mutters* 'I want a plasma cutter'

[killerjackalope]

Yeah That's the plan, now that I know I'll get on down to maplins and get a few of them, also necessary for my doom ray, which should be quite doomish...

[J50Nunlimited]

Hi I am about to buy a soldering iron but don't know whether i should get the portable kind or the heat-adjustable ones, which are much bigger. I will be soldering SMDs and components no larger than the ones found in computer's power supply. I like the soldering pen because of its smallness. But I also like the heat-adjustable one (cuz, of course, its heat adjustable) any suggestions? oh and also, what other brands do ya'll think is good besides Weller? thanks

[shadymilkman]

People seem to like their portable ones just fine but I wouldn't pick one as my only iron because they run on butane. Butane is available pretty much anywhere but where will you get it when you run out in the middle of a project at 3 in the morning? I liked my old Radio Shack one well enough but the my Weller heats up in less than a minute (probably 30 seconds) and has a light so you don't forget to turn it off, and even if you do it says it will turn itself off after a given length of time if non use. Can't really tell you too much about other brands because the Weller is only my third iron. (Big Lots fire starter, Radio Shack, now Weller.)

[J50Nunlimited]

say, if i buy a 30W soldering pen (the portable one), and if i am soldering some 30 AWG wire, which is really really thing, will the heat melt the plastic cover of the wires? i have seen people using a "heat sink" for soldering sensitive components like transistors. but is it possible to add a "heat sink" to smd types? thanks