new two this stuff

[Aestor]

HI

i'm new two this stuff and don't know where i can buy the tools and supply's i tryed local shops but no luck they only sell cheap soldering irons that just plug in . I just wanted to know if anyone knows where i can buy all the gear and have a trust worthy supply of parts . love eevblog site just what i was looking for to start soldering repairs . i have no experiences in soldering but really want to learn .

thank you guys so much    

[croberts]

I recently bought a HAKKO FX-888D soldering station and have been very happy with it.

[wbeaty]

Cheap soldering irons are fine when just starting out.  Not so good for surface mount chips though.   Me, I built an entire motherboard with a 300-watt soldering gun.  (That was long ago, with big DIP components with large spacing.)

What's your location?  Some places have little-known hobbyist outlets.

For example, here in Seattle there's Vetco: http://www.vetco.net/

And besides Radio Shack (or Tandy,) do you have a Fry's Electronics nearby?

Other than that, it's mail order.

[croberts]

Can you place online orders from your location? I ordered my HAKKO soldering station from amazon.com but you can find a lot of good suppliers by just doing a Google search for what your interested in. Unless you live in or near a large city it can be hard to find a place to buy electronic equipment and supplies off the shelf.

[Aestor]

I live in Canada, Nova Scotia . you guys know of any online sites you use and trust that i can get supply's from because all i got is the source and they are bad for parts . i tryed to do a search but just don't trust them 

[madshaman]

For Canada:

http://www.digikey.ca
http://www.mouser.com
http://www.newark.com

All very reliable and fast shipping.

Another is: http://www.arrow.com

The last supplier seems very motivated to steal customers from the first three.

[nanofrog]

+1 on the Hakko FX-888D (excellent value for money IMHO) 

Here's an eBay seller that will ship to Canada (used a Halifax zip to get an idea of shipping). Bit more expensive than the US once you include the shipping & import fees, but not horrible IMHO.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hakko-FX888-23BY-FX888-Soldering-Station-Replaces-936-12-Solder-Station-/170990362664?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27cfd1e028