I had always lived in the belief that a 15W soldering iron ran cooler
than a 35W iron but recently I read something which said they both
run at the same temp.

Presumably the real difference is the speed at which the iron reheats
once the thermostat kicks in to say the iron is too cool.

I'm in the Uk and I currently use a 25W Antex. It seems to "run out
of heat" all too often when I am soldering undemanding things like a
fine wires to small tag.

If the temp is the same then would I be ok using something like a 35W
iron even for working on electronics components.

"Zak" wrote in message
...
I had always lived in the belief that a 15W soldering iron ran cooler
than a 35W iron but recently I read something which said they both
run at the same temp.

Depends on size. If you plug in two irons, 30 and 40W, both the same size,
the 40W iron is always going to run hotter. The $10 Radio Shack irons
available around local stores have basically only one difference and that's
the element and tip size. As such, the 40W runs a lot hotter, increasing
tip loss and risk of overheating things. On the other hand, it makes
quick(er) work of soldering heavy wire and desoldering most anything.

Those big 100-300W irons (often used for soldering sheetmetal) are well,
big. They don't need to vaporize the solder, just melt it. The rest of the
power is there to keep the thing at that temperature, and speed up heating
when you suck out heat with some work.

Soldering guns typically run a whole lot hotter, but only if you clamp it
down on max with nothing to melt. Best idea with these is to get good at
clicking the switch on and off to regulate temperature.

Tim

--
Deep Fryer: a very philosophical monk.
Website: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

On Wed, 22 Mar 2006 19:55:44 +0000, Zak wrote:

I had always lived in the belief that a 15W soldering iron ran cooler than
a 35W iron but recently I read something which said they both run at the
same temp.

Presumably the real difference is the speed at which the iron reheats once
the thermostat kicks in to say the iron is too cool.

I'm in the Uk and I currently use a 25W Antex. It seems to "run out of
heat" all too often when I am soldering undemanding things like a fine
wires to small tag.

If the temp is the same then would I be ok using something like a 35W iron
even for working on electronics components.

Actually it depends on what iron it is.

Temperature unregulated irons can vary greatly on the temperature they get
to. Wattage alone is not a good indicator of whether one iron will be
hotter then the other.

Temperature regulated irons hold the temp they are set to. In that case
the wattage will determine how MUCH heat can be applied to whatever is
being soldered. Generally the more material you are trying to heat, the
more powerful an iron you need.

In your case I would strongly recommend getting a temp regulated model.
The wattage you need will then depend on what you want to solder. From
your comment "soldering undemanding things like a fine wires to a small
tag" I'd say something in the 50-75W range will suit you perfectly
(overkill for the small tag, useful when soldering bigger things).

The best part about temp regulated irons is they won't heat small things
up to much, something a temp unregulated iron will do.

TTYL

"Zak" wrote in message
...
I had always lived in the belief that a 15W soldering iron ran cooler
than a 35W iron but recently I read something which said they both
run at the same temp.

Presumably the real difference is the speed at which the iron reheats
once the thermostat kicks in to say the iron is too cool.

I'm in the Uk and I currently use a 25W Antex. It seems to "run out
of heat" all too often when I am soldering undemanding things like a
fine wires to small tag.

If the temp is the same then would I be ok using something like a 35W
iron even for working on electronics components.

Larger irons usually have a larger thermal mass and thus need more watts to
recover in a reasonable length of time. The larger thermal mass allows them
to handle larger jobs ... such as sheet metal or large wires and terminals.

Ideally, the unloaded temperature (not in contact with any work) should be
about the same regardless of the watts.

"Zak" wrote in message
...
I had always lived in the belief that a 15W soldering iron ran cooler
than a 35W iron but recently I read something which said they both
run at the same temp.

Presumably the real difference is the speed at which the iron reheats
once the thermostat kicks in to say the iron is too cool.
You are assuming the iron has a thermostat. Basic units don't. Just like a
basic electric 'bar' fire, they heat up and stabilise at the point where
the heat loss from the iron, matches the input power.

I'm in the Uk and I currently use a 25W Antex. It seems to "run out
of heat" all too often when I am soldering undemanding things like a
fine wires to small tag.
If you are doing a lot of joints in succession, with an unregulated iron,
then the tip will get cooler with each one. Also, you must be careful to
be using the right solder. The iron will have a 'design' temperature, and
some solders will require less heat than this, while others require more.

If the temp is the same then would I be ok using something like a 35W
iron even for working on electronics components.
Get the smallest shafted temperature controlled iron you can find. Two
basic designs, 'single temperature' units, like the Antex TCS50 (trimmable
with a screwdriver), or fully adjustable units, like the 660TC, with the
TC50.
Antex irons give better heat transfer to the joint (I also use a 100W
Weller TC iron, and the Antex 50W will out solder it on some jobs), than
many competing designs, and I like the weight.

Best Wishes

Zak wrote:
I'm in the Uk and I currently use a 25W Antex. It seems to "run out
of heat" all too often when I am soldering undemanding things like a
fine wires to small tag.

Get a regulated one like a Weller WTCPN(?), and you can choose you tip
size for the job, and select temperature by swapping tips.

$45 on eBay.

Zak wrote:
I had always lived in the belief that a 15W soldering iron ran cooler
than a 35W iron but recently I read something which said they both
run at the same temp.

Presumably the real difference is the speed at which the iron reheats
once the thermostat kicks in to say the iron is too cool.

I'm in the Uk and I currently use a 25W Antex. It seems to "run out
of heat" all too often when I am soldering undemanding things like a
fine wires to small tag.

If the temp is the same then would I be ok using something like a 35W
iron even for working on electronics components.

As others have said, irons come as uncontrolled or temperature controlled.

The temperature of an uncontrolled iron is dependant on the wattage and
ambient conditions. Wave one around in the air and it will be
substantially cooler than if you put it in an insulated stand. One of my
irons is 250W, uncontrolled, and will soon start to glow red-hot, unless
in contact with a LOT of metlwork being soldered. Great if you are doing
plumbing - not so great for electronics work. The tip is about 1 1/2"
across. It dates back to the 1940s - they may not be avialble
anymore...I got given it by my great uncle, an RN submariner electrician
in WWII.

The temperature of the tip of a controlled iron in its stand should be
near enough the set temperature, irrespective of iron wattage. Once you
start using it, the tip temperature will fall. The key point is how much.

The end of a very long, thin, tip, in contact with a large chunk of
cold metal, will quickly fall in temperature and stay at that low
temperature. It is simply not possible to transfer enough heat down a
very long thin tip, irrespective of the wattage of the iron. So, if you
only use very long thin tips, practically any wattage of iron will do.
I have a very tiny 15W temperature controlled iron which is as
comfortable and easy to use as a 'scope probe. The element tube is about
1/8" in diameter and so is the thickest part of the tip.

However, if you have an iron with interchangeable tips and can use a
thick, short, tip, then the tip is capable of transferring much more
power - so you can make good use of a higher wattage iron. Hence my next
bigger iron up from the teeny one is a 40W. The element tube is about
1/4" in diameter and so is the thickest part of the tip. But the
business end varies from something about 1/16" across for one tip to
1/4" across for another.

I could do with something to fill the gap between the 40W and 250W - I
sometimes end up with an iron in each hand and feeding solder in from a
tube clenched between my teeth...

I reckon that it is the tip that makes the iron. My favourites are a
weller 40W that takes interchangeable tips, each tip with a preset
temperature. But there are places where those irons are simply too big
or too small.

I have a Maplin www.maplin.co.uk BP53H soldering station that I hate -
I can't get along with any of the tips. Unlike plain copper tips, you
can't just shape them the way you want. They also do a very cheap one
N78AR, which I haven't tried. It may be worth a look - it's a 50w
variable temperature adjustable model for 13GBP.

--
Sue

On Wed, 22 Mar 2006 16:18:03 -0500, repatch Gave
us:

On Wed, 22 Mar 2006 19:55:44 +0000, Zak wrote:

I had always lived in the belief that a 15W soldering iron ran cooler than
a 35W iron but recently I read something which said they both run at the
same temp.

Presumably the real difference is the speed at which the iron reheats once
the thermostat kicks in to say the iron is too cool.

I'm in the Uk and I currently use a 25W Antex. It seems to "run out of
heat" all too often when I am soldering undemanding things like a fine
wires to small tag.

If the temp is the same then would I be ok using something like a 35W iron
even for working on electronics components.

Actually it depends on what iron it is.

Temperature unregulated irons can vary greatly on the temperature they get
to. Wattage alone is not a good indicator of whether one iron will be
hotter then the other.

Not true. An UNregulated Iron IS related to heat output by wattage.
Almost directly and proportionally.

So a 35W will be MUCH hotter, and almost always physically bigger than
a 15W. The 15W is akin to a bench assemblers model, and the 35W is
typically akin to someone doing stained glass that needs to dump a LOT
of heat into a connection or seam without dropping the iron temp much.

Temperature regulated irons hold the temp they are set to.

No... really? :-]

In that case
the wattage will determine how MUCH heat can be applied to whatever is
being soldered.

They are usually limited by the tip shape and size. It is very hard
to fill a small, long, thin tip with enough heat to say... solder a
shield can seam onto a PCB. Place a larger tip in the same Iron
though, and input consumption will go up (and thus output) when trying
to do the same task.

Generally the more material you are trying to heat, the
more powerful an iron you need.

OR the larger thermal mass at the tip (read tip size).

In your case I would strongly recommend getting a temp regulated model.

For electronic PCB mixed technology assembly... definitely.

The wattage you need will then depend on what you want to solder. From
your comment "soldering undemanding things like a fine wires to a small
tag" I'd say something in the 50-75W range will suit you perfectly
(overkill for the small tag, useful when soldering bigger things).

50 to 75 Watts seems huge for PCB soldering irons. A regulated unit
may rate that on its consumption label, but the tool itself will never
use that much (short of huge desoldering tips being applied).


The best part about temp regulated irons is they won't heat small things
up to much, something a temp unregulated iron will do.

Again, that depends on the thermal mass (goes with physical mass) of
the tip itself. It gets pulse modulated (pumped) by the station.Once
up to temp, a large tip is quite capable of dumping a huge amount of
thermal energy into the work.

On 22 Mar 2006, ?B?UGFsaW5kcuKYu21l?= wrote:

I reckon that it is the tip that makes the iron. My favourites
are a weller 40W that takes interchangeable tips, each tip with
a preset temperature. But there are places where those irons
are simply too big or too small.

I have a Maplin www.maplin.co.uk BP53H soldering station that I
hate - I can't get along with any of the tips. Unlike plain
copper tips, you can't just shape them the way you want. They
also do a very cheap one N78AR, which I haven't tried. It may be
worth a look - it's a 50w variable temperature adjustable model
for 13GBP.


That Maplin soldering iron (ref N78AR) seems like rather a good
deal at 13 GBP.

However you say you are unhappy with your other Maplin iron so I
will ask if anyone has used one of these bargain temperature
controlled irons.

Maplin refers to it as an "LS20 Solder Station".
See http://tinyurl.com/lunbf for full details

The wattage rating would be more of the heating capacity. The larger the
wattage, the greater the mass that it can heat. Use a lower wattage for the
smaller jobs. Use a higher wattage for the larger type soldering jobs.

--

JANA
_____


"Zak" wrote in message
...
I had always lived in the belief that a 15W soldering iron ran cooler
than a 35W iron but recently I read something which said they both
run at the same temp.

Presumably the real difference is the speed at which the iron reheats
once the thermostat kicks in to say the iron is too cool.

I'm in the Uk and I currently use a 25W Antex. It seems to "run out
of heat" all too often when I am soldering undemanding things like a
fine wires to small tag.

If the temp is the same then would I be ok using something like a 35W
iron even for working on electronics components.

In article , wrote:
Roy L. Fuchs wrote:

So a 35W will be MUCH hotter, and almost always physically bigger than
a 15W. The 15W is akin to a bench assemblers model, and the 35W is
typically akin to someone doing stained glass that needs to dump a LOT
of heat into a connection or seam without dropping the iron temp much.

I use 15W and 25W for electrical work and 80W and 120W for
stained glass :-)

Prior to around 1990, I used almost exclusively, unregulated irons.
I did use a temperature controlled Weller in the 70's while working at a NASA site.
I used the Ungars a bunch. 35 watt through 55 watt. You have to be carefull, but
I never really had much of a problem using them. These were ungrounded. Takes some technique.
There are also wattage controled irons, some of which I constructed using the diode trick, or just
using a lamp dimmer. RS currently sells a dual wattage iron (diode). I usd it on a remote project
as it was small and portable. I would recommend using these variable wattage
techniques, but use them with a grounded iron.

Yes the temperature varies with wattage, and also how long its in a wet sponge, and
how many connection you do in a short time period., and how much air is flowing past
the bench. Sometimes I use two irons to increase the temperature, as well as
using the BIC trick. I also get out the RS gun 250 watts for the big jobs.

greg

"David Peters" wrote in message
...

That Maplin soldering iron (ref N78AR) seems like rather a good
deal at 13 GBP.

However you say you are unhappy with your other Maplin iron so I
will ask if anyone has used one of these bargain temperature
controlled irons.


I have one, now non-working! I used it all of three times at 3/4 max setting
and it burned out. They are rubbish- they're not temperature controlled-
they're simply a tacky, clumsy, cumbersome mains iron hardwired into a
lightweight, cheap plastic dimmer box. There's no thermostat, you simply
have to whack up the 'dimmer' knob when the tip temperature drops, and the
iron seems very inefficient- more like a 30W than a 50W.

My advice to anyone wanting a temperature controlled iron is to look out for
proper temperature controlled irons on eBay, or better still a low voltage
soldering station like the Weller TCP series or Antex 660 with a TC50 iron.
They cost a lot more even secondhand, but they are immeasurably superior in
every way. I have both and can't fault them at all.

Dave

I think the OP was closer. The wattage rating is the ability to
recover once the heat has dropped. The heat capacity is a function of
the mass of the tip.

When soldering PL-259 connectors, or homw-made brass boxes, I use a
roofer's iron. The tip is a slug of copper about one inch in diameter
and over 3 inches long. It takes about 30 minutes to come up to
temperature, but anything you touch it to is instantly at soldering
temperature.

On Thu, 23 Mar 2006 09:41:48 -0500, "JANA" wrote:

The wattage rating would be more of the heating capacity. The larger the
wattage, the greater the mass that it can heat. Use a lower wattage for the
smaller jobs. Use a higher wattage for the larger type soldering jobs.

"distar97" wrote in message
ups.com...
Let me offer a simple analogy about wattage. If a common match will
raise a one inch strip of metal to a certain temperature, would it not
require 12 matches to raise a 12 inch strip of metal to the same temp,
placing one match at each inch of the strip.

Not really, convection and geometry being what they are, it'll be hotter in
the center because the heat can't really "get out", while on the edges, the
heat just rolls up and away. But that's just being pedantic; ignoring such
effects, yes, you're absolutely right, power per area is temp, roughly
speaking.

More important than the physics of the issue, experience really
makes a difference. You'll find using a similar soldering station like
my old Weller WTCPN make a world of difference. It's undersized for big
jobs but perfect for circuit board work. The temp controlled tips
click on and off as necessary. For bigger work, I use a higher wattage
station not neccesarily a higher temp tip, all else being equal.

I should build an induction heated soldering iron. I've heard of Weller
irons that work like that. Mmmm, isolated tip. Tack on a thermocouple and
I've got it made.

Tim

--
Deep Fryer: a very philosophical monk.
Website: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms

On 23 Mar 2006 19:51:26 -0800, "distar97" Gave
us:

We've seen some good thoughts on soldering irons. I learned that
wattage is a unit of capacity. Temp is important but you also
need wattage to match the job.

Just to keep up at a given reasonable time rate actually. The at
rest temperature is one thing. The thermal mass (size) of the tip is
another. If it cannot maintain the "at rest temp" very well, then the
wattage used to heat it is not sufficient for the tip's mass or rate
of radiation (emissivity).

I've used Weller, and while they have a good product, I much prefer the
inexpensive Hakko unit, the 635. Adjustable temp, quick heat, and if well
cared for the tips last forever.

"Ed Bailen" wrote in message
...
I think the OP was closer. The wattage rating is the ability to
recover once the heat has dropped. The heat capacity is a function of
the mass of the tip.

When soldering PL-259 connectors, or homw-made brass boxes, I use a
roofer's iron. The tip is a slug of copper about one inch in diameter
and over 3 inches long. It takes about 30 minutes to come up to
temperature, but anything you touch it to is instantly at soldering
temperature.

On Thu, 23 Mar 2006 09:41:48 -0500, "JANA" wrote:

The wattage rating would be more of the heating capacity. The larger the
wattage, the greater the mass that it can heat. Use a lower wattage for
the
smaller jobs. Use a higher wattage for the larger type soldering jobs.

On Fri, 24 Mar 2006 01:43:08 -0600, "ampdoc" Gave
us:

I've used

USE your brain. LEARN to conform, and refrain from top posting in
Usenet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toppost

Your best bet is to get a REAL news client, and get rid of OutHouse
Express as your method of reading Usenet news articles.

On 24 Mar 2006, ampdoc wrote:

I've used Weller, and while they have a good product, I much
prefer the inexpensive Hakko unit, the 635. Adjustable temp,
quick heat, and if well cared for the tips last forever.


Do you have a link for this product. I can't seem to locate it.

Is it available in the UK?

On 23 Mar 2006, Dave D wrote:

"David Peters" wrote in message
...

That Maplin soldering iron (ref N78AR) seems like rather a good
deal at 13 GBP.

However you say you are unhappy with your other Maplin iron so
I will ask if anyone has used one of these bargain temperature
controlled irons.


I have one, now non-working! I used it all of three times at 3/4
max setting and it burned out. They are rubbish- they're not
temperature controlled- they're simply a tacky, clumsy,
cumbersome mains iron hardwired into a lightweight, cheap
plastic dimmer box. There's no thermostat, you simply have to
whack up the 'dimmer' knob when the tip temperature drops, and
the iron seems very inefficient- more like a 30W than a 50W.

My advice to anyone wanting a temperature controlled iron is to
look out for proper temperature controlled irons on eBay, or
better still a low voltage soldering station like the Weller TCP
series or Antex 660 with a TC50 iron. They cost a lot more even
secondhand, but they are immeasurably superior in every way. I
have both and can't fault them at all.

Thnak you for the warning!

On 22 Mar 2006, Roger Hamlett wrote:

Get the smallest shafted temperature controlled iron you can
find. Two basic designs, 'single temperature' units, like the
Antex TCS50 (trimmable with a screwdriver), or fully adjustable
units, like the 660TC, with the TC50.
Antex irons give better heat transfer to the joint (I also use a
100W Weller TC iron, and the Antex 50W will out solder it on
some jobs), than many competing designs, and I like the weight.

This is the Weller page for the UK

http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europ...ller/index.htm

but which iron in the drop down box is the best value?

Zak wrote:
This is the Weller page for the UK
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europ...ller/index.htm
but which iron in the drop down box is the best value?

Why are you looking in the spare parts index? IMHO, the "best" one is
the old standard
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europ...ing/WTCP51.htm
which has been around forever, and is available used for very little
money.

In article ,
William P.N. Smith wrote:

Zak wrote:
This is the Weller page for the UK
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europ...ller/index.htm
but which iron in the drop down box is the best value?

Why are you looking in the spare parts index? IMHO, the "best" one is
the old standard
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europ...r/soldering/WT
CP51.htm
which has been around forever, and is available used for very little
money.

Maybe if you solder for a few minutes a day, Weller will work for you.
We solder all day long every day, and the damn things are more trouble
than they're worth. They used to be good, maybe 20 years ago, but
they're s**t now. The cords go intermittent, the cord jacks go
intermittent, the fuses blow, the thermostats short out, the heaters go
open, the tips burn up in an hour, the metal sponge trays turn to piles
of rust. They're annoying as hell to fix because the idiot engineer who
designed them flunked third grade. That's why I finally put them in the
dumpster and bought a bunch of Edsyns.

On Sat, 25 Mar 2006 19:01:28 -0800, Smitty Two
Gave us:

In article ,
William P.N. Smith wrote:

Zak wrote:
This is the Weller page for the UK
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europ...ller/index.htm
but which iron in the drop down box is the best value?

Why are you looking in the spare parts index? IMHO, the "best" one is
the old standard
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europ...r/soldering/WT
CP51.htm
which has been around forever, and is available used for very little
money.

Maybe if you solder for a few minutes a day, Weller will work for you.
We solder all day long every day, and the damn things are more trouble
than they're worth. They used to be good, maybe 20 years ago, but
they're s**t now. The cords go intermittent, the cord jacks go
intermittent, the fuses blow, the thermostats short out, the heaters go
open, the tips burn up in an hour, the metal sponge trays turn to piles
of rust. They're annoying as hell to fix because the idiot engineer who
designed them flunked third grade. That's why I finally put them in the
dumpster and bought a bunch of Edsyns.

Edsyn rules! The tips are hard inside, and well plated outside.
The temp controller is fast response, and always accurate (as long as
nobody screws with the calibration pots), and they max out at
800degrees. They shouldn't be used at that temp for PCB assembly, but
there are times when a good high starting temp and a fat tip choice
comes in handy.

That is another good thing about these. The tip can be changed
quickly, and the array of tips available is wide. The operator can
keep several tips in the small front tray provided If one doesn't
like the sponges provided (or their price) one can buy just about any
sponge and cut it to size before applying the water for the first
time. The only thing I have ever seen go bad on them is the tip
retaining sheath. And those ONLY go bad on the user stations where the
idiot assembler keeps their station cranked up to the max all day.
If kept at the proper operating temp, they last practically forever.

The tips are so hard that instead of deteriorating, they form a
crust. Kester makes an "ammonium" block tip cleaning media that is
about a 2.5" x 2.5" block of ammonium. A hot tip, and a couple drops
of solder allow the tip to be restored to near new condition. The
block even has a certain friction that scrapes right through the
crust, and re-tins the tip perfectly. They work way better then the
small, lead filled acid cup style tip cleaners, and smoke far less. I
have one that has lasted for years and I am still on the first quarter
inch of media on only a few sides of the block. Edsyn IS the ****! and
they can even be found cheaper than retail at times. There are
several types available, but the dial controlled version is the best,
with the dial controlled version that even has two AC power outlets on
the front of the unit is fabulous.

I've been using a Weller at work for a couple of years now, and I've
used them in previous venues, and have never had any of these problems
with them. The only problem we had was the tips loosening because
someone was driving the iron into the cleaning sponge like Norman Bates
and pushing the heating element down into the handle. Once we educated
everyone on how not to break the iron, and replaced the handle, things
were back to normal.

I use a Metcal at home, because I like the short working distance. The
length of the Weller makes soldering feel more like jousting. They've
got an iron priced competitively with everyone else now (the PS-800 I
think).

"Zak" wrote in message
...

Do you have a link for this product. I can't seem to locate it.

Is it available in the UK?

Here is a link to the Mfr's site and they have a new model, 936 I keyed in
my model incorrectly also, it is a 935, though it seems that the two are
almost identical. I've had my old unit for going on 8 yrs now. When I bought
mine it was $86.00 US. Looking around I found a couple of points of contact
for you in the UK who may be able to point you to a retailer.

http://www.hakkousa.com/products.asp?PID=936-12&page=1

GROSVENOR

PRIORY TEC PARK, SAXON WAY, HESSLE, EAST YORKSHIRE, HU13
9PB, UNITED KINGDOM
TEL: +44-1482-627327 FAX: +44-1482-627328
E-mail: sales_AT_grosvenor-group.com

(remove _AT_ and you have the correct email)

DANCAP ELECTRONICS.

24 TRENT CRESCENT, THATCHAM, NEWBURY, BERKSHIRE, RG18 3DN. UNITED KINGDOM.
TEL: +44-1635-866394 FAX: +44-1635-869589


Hope this helps.

On 26 Mar 2006, wrote:

I use a Metcal at home, because I like the short working
distance. The length of the Weller makes soldering feel more
like jousting. They've got an iron priced competitively with
everyone else now (the PS-800 I think).


Lovely picture but no price!

http://www.solderconnection.com/metcal_ps800.php

Seems it only came out last spring.

On 26 Mar 2006, William P.N. Smith wrote:

Zak wrote:
This is the Weller page for the UK
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europ...eller/index.ht
m but which iron in the drop down box is the best value?

Why are you looking in the spare parts index? IMHO, the "best"
one is the old standard
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europ...roducts/weller
/soldering/WTCP51.htm which has been around forever, and is
available used for very little money.


Who sells these. I am looking for a UK vendor who actually lists
prices!

David Peters wrote:

Lovely picture but no price!

http://www.solderconnection.com/metcal_ps800.php

Seems it only came out last spring.


Metcal has been priced in the "if you have to ask, you can't afford it"
bracket for a very long time. The PS800 is indeed brand-new and costs
around $200-$250. It's different from their other pencil irons in that
the heating element and tip are two pieces.

I also find the Pace Worldwide HW/TW irons intriguing. They're very
similar in construction, but I've never actually used one, and at the
time I bought my Metcal the prices were very close.

On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 11:18:44 +0100, David Peters
Gave us:

On 26 Mar 2006, wrote:

I use a Metcal at home, because I like the short working
distance. The length of the Weller makes soldering feel more
like jousting. They've got an iron priced competitively with
everyone else now (the PS-800 I think).


Lovely picture but no price!

http://www.solderconnection.com/metcal_ps800.php

Seems it only came out last spring.

Metcal units are the tops, but are VERY expensive. Hundreds of
dollars.

Edsyn is the best for the consumer level, as well as most commercial
settings where folks actually have less than mil contract paid
budgets.

On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 11:19:42 +0100, David Peters
Gave us:

On 26 Mar 2006, William P.N. Smith wrote:

Zak wrote:
This is the Weller page for the UK
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europ...eller/index.ht
m but which iron in the drop down box is the best value?

Why are you looking in the spare parts index? IMHO, the "best"
one is the old standard
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europ...roducts/weller
/soldering/WTCP51.htm which has been around forever, and is
available used for very little money.


Who sells these. I am looking for a UK vendor who actually lists
prices!

Digi-key

Mouser

Roy L. Fuchs wrote:

On Sat, 25 Mar 2006 19:01:28 -0800, Smitty Two
Gave us:


In article ,
William P.N. Smith wrote:


Zak wrote:

This is the Weller page for the UK
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europ...ller/index.htm
but which iron in the drop down box is the best value?

Why are you looking in the spare parts index? IMHO, the "best" one is
the old standard
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europ...r/soldering/WT
CP51.htm
which has been around forever, and is available used for very little
money.

Maybe if you solder for a few minutes a day, Weller will work for you.
We solder all day long every day, and the damn things are more trouble
than they're worth. They used to be good, maybe 20 years ago, but
they're s**t now. The cords go intermittent, the cord jacks go
intermittent, the fuses blow, the thermostats short out, the heaters go
open, the tips burn up in an hour, the metal sponge trays turn to piles
of rust. They're annoying as hell to fix because the idiot engineer who
designed them flunked third grade. That's why I finally put them in the
dumpster and bought a bunch of Edsyns.


Edsyn rules! The tips are hard inside, and well plated outside.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The temp controller is fast response, and always accurate (as long as
nobody screws with the calibration pots), and they max out at
800degrees. They shouldn't be used at that temp for PCB assembly, but
there are times when a good high starting temp and a fat tip choice
comes in handy.

That is another good thing about these. The tip can be changed
quickly, and the array of tips available is wide. The operator can
keep several tips in the small front tray provided If one doesn't
like the sponges provided (or their price) one can buy just about any
sponge and cut it to size before applying the water for the first
time. The only thing I have ever seen go bad on them is the tip
retaining sheath. And those ONLY go bad on the user stations where the
idiot assembler keeps their station cranked up to the max all day.
If kept at the proper operating temp, they last practically forever.

The tips are so hard that instead of deteriorating, they form a
crust. Kester makes an "ammonium" block tip cleaning media that is
about a 2.5" x 2.5" block of ammonium. A hot tip, and a couple drops
of solder allow the tip to be restored to near new condition. The
block even has a certain friction that scrapes right through the
crust, and re-tins the tip perfectly. They work way better then the
small, lead filled acid cup style tip cleaners, and smoke far less. I
have one that has lasted for years and I am still on the first quarter
inch of media on only a few sides of the block. Edsyn IS the ****! and
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

they can even be found cheaper than retail at times. There are
several types available, but the dial controlled version is the best,
with the dial controlled version that even has two AC power outlets on
the front of the unit is fabulous.

is there something wrong with my English?, first
it rules, then it is the ****s?

--
Real Programmers Do things like this.
http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5

David Peters wrote:

On 26 Mar 2006, William P.N. Smith wrote:


Zak wrote:

This is the Weller page for the UK
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europ...eller/index.ht
m but which iron in the drop down box is the best value?

Why are you looking in the spare parts index? IMHO, the "best"
one is the old standard
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/europ...roducts/weller
/soldering/WTCP51.htm which has been around forever, and is
available used for very little money.



Who sells these. I am looking for a UK vendor who actually lists
prices!
well heres mine with a few extras i have that isn't in the
picture
http://www.engineeringlab.com/solderingiron.html


--
Real Programmers Do things like this.
http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5