Soldering irons come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Which soldering iron is the best for you will depend largely upon how you plan to use it and the types of soldering projects that you plan to do. There are several things to consider before you decide which soldering iron to buy. In our opinium, the following are three the best soldering irons under $100 available in the USA.
Weller WES51
Weller WLC100
Hakko FX-888
Three primary factors to consider when choosing a soldering iron are: wattage, temperature control and the tip size and shape. Wattage
Wattage is the most important characteristic of a soldering iron. Soldering iron with higher wattage, of course, has more heat available. It is very important to understand that higher wattage does not necessarily mean a hotter soldering iron. Soldering irons with higher wattage just have more power available. In other words, the wattage of soldering iron is the amount of energy available to heat the joint. Therefore, a soldering iron with low wattage may not keep its temperature on a big joint because it can lose heat faster than it can re-heat itself. On the other hand, a soldering iron with high wattage is capable to apply so much energy into the joint that the joint cannot dissipate it quickly enough.
Most soldering irons used for soldering work on circuit boards have a power rating of 20-60 watts.
Temperature control
Electronic temperature control allows precise control of the heat level at the tip of the soldering iron. Most of soldering irons produce tip temperature in the range of 750-850°F. There are three basic temperature designs of soldering irons.
The first type of soldering iron does not have any form of temperature regulation. This is simple unregulated soldering pencil - just plug it in and in couple minutes it is ready for soldering. It is good only for do-it-yourself projects and some standard soldering projects in households. This type of soldering irons is the simplest and the cheapest type of soldering irons.
The second type of soldering irons is a temperature controlled soldering iron. These soldering irons have built-in temperature control to ensure that the temperature of the iron bit is maintained at a fixed level. A thermocouple is built into the iron tip or shaft, which monitors temperature. Some soldering irons have a bimetallic strip thermostat built into the handle. These soldering irons come with low-voltage power station and a control knob to enable you to set the desired temperature. Some models might have built-in digital temperature readout. Temperature of iron can be precisely adjusted within 10°F with the front panel temperature control knob. These soldering irons are more expensive than the unregulated soldering pencils. From this group we recommend the following iron:
Weller WESD51 digital soldering iron
The third type of soldering irons is complete soldering systems for repair and rework. This soldering system usually consists of a complete bench top control unit where you can plug in a variety of soldering tools including soldering iron, hot air soldering gun, de-soldering gun, thermo–tweezers for removing surface-mount resistors and capacitors, etc. This is the most expensive type of soldering iron. These soldering stations are designed for or for professional use, continuous production line, rework and repair stations in high volume manufacturing.
Size and shape of the iron tip
The function of the soldering tip is to efficiently convey heat from the heating element to the joint. Most modern soldering irons have changeable tips that will allow you to swap tips depending on the project you are doing. Selecting the proper tip for any soldering application is very important because iron tip should be properly matched to the intended project. The right iron tip is the one that is the right size and shape for the job that you are doing. Choose the one that will melt just enough solder to do the job right.
The tips usually have a copper core, since copper conducts heat well. The copper tip is coated first with nickel and then with iron to preserve its life. The iron layer protects the copper from molten tin in the solder, which would dissolve the copper if it touched it directly.
The amount of heat that an iron tip can hold is dependant largely upon its total mass. The efficient delivery of heat through the tip is dependent upon its length and diameter. Fast transfer of heat through iron tip from the heating element to the joint is vitally important. A small iron tip will take too long to transfer enough heat to joint. A large iron tip can create problems regarding the accessibility to the intended soldering area and even damage circuit board or components with delivering too much heat. A blunt short chisel style iron tip is the most efficient iron tip - the width of the chisel should be equal to or slightly greater than the width of the material that is being soldered. Conical iron tips are used for fine, precise soldering projects. Longer iron tips are used in the case when the area in which the soldering is going to take place is not completely accessible. Longer iron tips and conical iron tips are less efficient than chisel iron tips.
Each manufacturer recommends a line of iron tips for particular soldering iron (for example Weller soldering iron WESD51 uses ET series soldering tips). It is important to recognize that you can use ONLY iron tips which are recommended by manufacturer. You cannot use any other iron tips even if they physically fit in your soldering iron.
Well, which soldering iron to buy? Which soldering iron is best solution for your application?
Another thing that can help you to decide which soldering iron is best for your application is to read some reviews of best soldering irons available in USA and Canada. Click here: soldering iron reviews
