Need help picking out a soldering iron

[ibex333]

So I got an artifacting video card from ebay hoping to repair it by reflowing. During disassembly, I noticed that one of the tiny wires soldered to the fan came loose and needed to be soldered back.

I have cheapo soldering iron but it's tip is too damn thick, and it was a nightmare getting into that cramped space to solder a tiny spot the size of a pin head. Even though I am not someone who does this stuff for a living or even as a permanent hobby, I realized I definitely need a good soldering kit. While browsing amazon, I couldn't see any soldering irons that specifically mention having a tiny tip designed for very small jobs.

Can someone please help me? I am not very good with electronics and n ot sure where/how to properly search for these things.

 

[Bubbaleone]

The Weller WLC100 40-Watt Soldering Station is an inexpensive consumer grade soldering station for the hobbyist. It's adjustable from five to 40 watts (good for PCB work) and comes with the 1/8" (ST3) screwdriver tip.

Additional tips are sold separately:

 

[l0cke]

Sparkfun sells a few nice irons:

This one is basic. $10, no temp adjustment, no stand included.
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9507

One step up, $40, adjustable temperature and stand.
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10707

If you are rich, $100 for a Hakko FX888.
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10553

 

[arkcom]

I have this one-
http://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-937-Digi...pr_product_top

It's pretty nice and uses Hakko tips.

 

[CallMeJoe]

I use Antex soldering irons at work and at home. Their tips go as fine as you could possibly want. They also have an eBay store.

These irons solder well above their wattage rating; an 18-watt Antex is similar to a Weller 35 watt in utility.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

i have a weller wlc100, but what i want is a hakko

 

[Howard]

I have a WES51D. Works just fine for bench jobs.

 

[AgentUnknown]

Hakko makes some nice ones.

 

[ra1nman]

We use Metcal MX-5000's at work. There is a massive assortment of tips available however the station is rather expensive.

Don't forget to re-tin your soldering tips when you're done soldering.

 

[herm0016]

we have a hakko fm203. i have done some good motherboard work with it. also, we have a full set of tips.

 

[ibex333]

Wow! So many choices! Thanks a lot dudes!

I am not sure whats the difference between the chisel and conical tips when it comes to soldering... Which ones are better for working with motherboards, cards, etc?

 

[Rifter]

weller

/thread

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Wow! So many choices! Thanks a lot dudes!

I am not sure whats the difference between the chisel and conical tips when it comes to soldering... Which ones are better for working with motherboards, cards, etc?

the more material in the tip, the larger the reservoir of heat to work with. i'm doing fine with 40 watts and the st3 (medium chisel/screwdriver) tip, but i'm working on fairly large contacts and 12 awg. the reason i got the wlc100 is for the (lousy) stand and on/off switch. the 5-40W power dial means nothing to me, although it might come in handy working on very sensitive parts.

maybe an expert could correct me, but my assumption is that with a smaller tip you would use a higher-power iron (65W or more) to offset the smaller reservoir of heat stored in the tip.

 

[Howard]

the more material in the tip, the larger the reservoir of heat to work with. i'm doing fine with 40 watts and the st3 (medium chisel/screwdriver) tip, but i'm working on fairly large contacts and 12 awg. the reason i got the wlc100 is for the (lousy) stand and on/off switch. the 5-40W power dial means nothing to me, although it might come in handy working on very sensitive parts.

maybe an expert could correct me, but my assumption is that with a smaller tip you would use a higher-power iron (65W or more) to offset the smaller reservoir of heat stored in the tip.

You could, but then the tip temperature would be extremely high during off-usage. A temperature-controlled station or iron is ideal since it moderates its own temperature constantly.

 

[Howard]

Wow! So many choices! Thanks a lot dudes!

I am not sure whats the difference between the chisel and conical tips when it comes to soldering... Which ones are better for working with motherboards, cards, etc?

Chisels are better general-purpose tips for through-hole soldering. Conical can go finer but is a little slower to transfer heat (sometimes you have no choice though).

 

[ra1nman]

I agree with Howard. Chisel tips have a wide surface area and can transfer heat easily. Conical tips are useful for surface mount parts especially working on fine pitch parts. I mostly work with an angled conical tip for reworking parts.