Thread: The search for s soldreing iron

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I am going to begin my search for a soldering iron. Having never used one before, I was wondering if I could get some tips on what to look for and what to avoid? I have seen 25W to 120W soldering irons. What do most of you use? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

What re you going to use it for? If just for wires then the 125w but, if you are going to do a lot of circuit board work then I would get a 25-40w one.

The first project is to repair my talking skull.

I use a 30 watt iron myself.

I use a 25W Hakko "Dash" with the N454-T-I tip. The smaller tip is great for circuit board repair. The insulated grip is also very helpful. The ceramic heater may also play a role in the handle not heating up on the Hakko the way it did on my cheap soldering iron.

I also recommend a soldering stand with a sponge. That has come in very useful.

Weller 25w - 40w is the best for general use. The higher wattage ones are only good for heavier wire soldering.

I have gone through too many soldering irons to count. I got a Weller WES51 soldering station and wow I love this thing. It has a dial for selecting temps and plenty of tips available. Ive used it for very tiny joints on connectors and PCBs as well as some pretty heavy duty stuff. http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-A.../dp/B000BRC2XU