What Soldering Iron? - 2019 edition

Bowks

I've got a few soldering jobs lined up on the bench, a Strat rewire being one, makinf up patch leads the other, and wanted some advice on which soldering iron I would need that is capable of the delicate jobs such as soldering pickup wires, as well as hot enough to attach ground wires to the back of pots and deal with wiring to pancake plugs.

I'm also painfully aware that to do these jobs properly might also be reliant on good technique. I often find the insulating cover melts when wiring pickups!

What do you good peaople recommend that's at a reasonable price (£40-£80) and is there any advice on how to tackle these jobs?

Caffeine_Vampire

XS25 230V SOLDERING IRON SILICONE LEAD BPSCA S58J470 - AN00018 By ANTEX https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01E9Q3L38/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_IfxwCbAP20PE8

Caffeine_Vampire

You just need a couple of different tips for the finer stuff. Use cloth wire too. I’m about to sell a soldering station I purchased from Tonetech a year or so ago when I lost my other iron. If you need one, let me know. 

thermionic

Get some Ersin Multicore old-school lead solder. I used to think the higher silver content lead free stuff (from Maplins) was ok, but going back to the solder of my youth was a revelation. So much better.

Bowks

Thanks for the advice. @Caffeine_Vampire what soldering station is it that you have?

crunchman

I use a different iron depending on what I'm doing.  I use an 18W Antex for building pedals, but I have a 40W for soldering to the back of pots.  You might be able to cover all bases with one of those soldering stations.

As @thermionic said, old style solder makes it a lot easier.  I can understand why commercial products have to be free of lead, given that you don't want workers breathing the fumes in hour after hour, but for my own limited use, normally <10 hours a year total, the lead shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Caffeine_Vampire

Bowks said:

Thanks for the advice. @Caffeine_Vampire what soldering station is it that you have?

Anytime. It’s this one that’s surplus to requirements - https://tonetechluthiersupplies.co.uk/temperature-controlled-soldering-station.html

Jimbro66

crunchman said:

I use a different iron depending on what I'm doing.  I use an 18W Antex for building pedals, but I have a 40W for soldering to the back of pots.

That's exactly what I did and still do for small soldering jobs. For larger jobs I use an Antex 690D solder station for greater temperature control.

The solder station Caffeine_Vampire has available would be fine to cover a range of soldering jobs and solder types.

Bowks

thermionic said:

Get some Ersin Multicore old-school lead solder. I used to think the higher silver content lead free stuff (from Maplins) was ok, but going back to the solder of my youth was a revelation. So much better.

@thermionic Is this the solder you'd recommend? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Multicore-Ersin-Solder-0-7mm-Diameter/dp/B0001P0GLW

Bowks

Caffeine_Vampire said:

Bowks said:

Thanks for the advice. @Caffeine_Vampire what soldering station is it that you have?

Anytime. It’s this one that’s surplus to requirements - https://tonetechluthiersupplies.co.uk/temperature-controlled-soldering-station.html

Perfect! How much are you selling it for?

Caffeine_Vampire

Bowks said:

Caffeine_Vampire said:

Bowks said:

Thanks for the advice. @Caffeine_Vampire what soldering station is it that you have?

Anytime. It’s this one that’s surplus to requirements - https://tonetechluthiersupplies.co.uk/temperature-controlled-soldering-station.html

Perfect! How much are you selling it for?

Honestly hadn’t thought about it. How about £30 plus postage? 

thermionic

Bowks said:

thermionic said:

Get some Ersin Multicore old-school lead solder. I used to think the higher silver content lead free stuff (from Maplins) was ok, but going back to the solder of my youth was a revelation. So much better.

@thermionic Is this the solder you'd recommend? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Multicore-Ersin-Solder-0-7mm-Diameter/dp/B0001P0GLW

I actually bought a couple of these, because I find the dispenser makes it easy to hold, rather than cut off a length off a reel (and having to discard the short lengths remaining when you get close to your fingers). I might buy a reel next time though, and fill up the tube! The solder I bought was 1.2mm diameter as opposed to 0.7mm, but yes, that’s the good stuff.

Multicore Size 5 Tube Savbit Alloy Solder https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0002JT3OS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_B0ixCbHD4EXJ2

hywelg

crunchman said:

I use a different iron depending on what I'm doing.  I use an 18W Antex for building pedals, but I have a 40W for soldering to the back of pots.  You might be able to cover all bases with one of those soldering stations.

As @thermionic said, old style solder makes it a lot easier.  I can understand why commercial products have to be free of lead, given that you don't want workers breathing the fumes in hour after hour, but for my own limited use, normally <10 hours a year total, the lead shouldn't be too much of a problem.

You don't get lead fumes off solder, flux fumes maybe, but definitely not lead or I would be dead of lead poisoning!! (we get through about 10kg of Grade K blowpipe solder a year using tallow as flux so absolutely no worries about flux fumes)

timdecker

I've used a basic WEP 75-Watt Soldering Station for years. It's never failed me once. I also have a 40w Draper that isn't that nice, but it does the job.

normula1

Something like this will last is probably better value
https://uk.rs-online.com/mobile/p/solders/0555235/