what is the practical difference between soldering iron and a soldering station

[vk6zgo]

Hi

The soldering station costs more money

That's about the only difference. You can find some very expensive devices (with all the features) still called soldering irons. You can also find some really cheap devices (with no features other than a fancy stand) called soldering stations.

It's a marketing term with no real technical definition. If an outfit sells both irons and stations, you can be pretty sure that the stations will be the more expensive of the two.

Bob

Exactly,Bob----I'd back my Weller WTCP against many so-called "Soldering Stations",any day of the week.

My old WTCP died,& I bought an "El Cheapo" iron which had "Soldering Station" marked on the carton,just to use until I fixed the Weller.

The stand felt like it had a transformer,but the "variable temp" knob had no calibration.
I "tore it down"---it had a weight on the bottom of the stand,& a "light dimmer" straight off the Mains.
In operation,it just barely worked!

I was lucky enough to pick up another WTCP at a garage sale,so the "pretend iron" went in the cupboard,to hopefully never be used again!

I'm curious under what strange definition a Weller WTCP would not be considered a soldering station. "My soldering station works as well as a soldering station" well, I hope so.

The WTCP,in various forms has been around since the late 1960s.
Over most of the years since then,it was regarded as,& described as,a"soldering iron".
The holder,the box containing the transformer,& the tray containing a wet sponge are really all parts of one device.

The term "station" was normally reserved for a "Rework Station",which would usually include a soldering iron,a desolder tool,which often,(but not always) included the ability to reverse the airflow  through the desolder tool,proving a hot air facility.

By necessity,these were somewhat larger than a WTCP or similar,as they needed to contain the airpump,plus holders for both tools.

I would normally expect something like the "Rework Stations" I referred to earlier,but the name seems to be attached to quite ordinary soldering irons,hence my reference to "so-called" "solder Stations".

The grouping of "soldering irons" as ones which operate directly from the Mains,without any form of temperature control is quite false---some Weller Mains irons do incorporate Magnastat control.

The term "solder station" is,as Uncle Bob states,"a marketing term with no real technical definition."

[AntonSwe]

One major advantage of a good soldering station is that it has a nice, thin, pliable cable that doesn't tug on your iron as you are moving it around. Soldering fine pitch components can be a nightmare if you have to fight the iron while doing it.

I really have to agree with you on this. Besides from the more consistent soldering, the really big difference was in the cable. Not only is the cable thinner and more flexible, but you also have the cable coming from the station itself (Which often has some weight to it) which stands steadily on the workbench instead of coming from the outlet. In my case the outlet is located under he table which made it really awkward soldering small and delicate component.

[LordHexahedron]

well, as have been mentioned - temperature control, allows you to raise it to more effectively solder with lead free solder on chunkier components, and it allows you to lower it for more sensitive components.

However, far more important: ESD protection. I wouldn't want to stick a normal soldering iron around half the things I solder!

Oh yeah, and as someone else mentioned: they heat up fast. Really fast.

I have a cheap SBK939D+, heats up (to 350 degrees - not sure if C or F, didn't read that part of the manual so I don't know what the default is (probably F), it supports both) in 25 seconds flat (to whatever precision my timer goes)

it's currently $65 Canadian (that's $48.82 USD for those wondering), Marvelous iron - comes with six tips and a heating element.

[tooki]

However, far more important: ESD protection. I wouldn't want to stick a normal soldering iron around half the things I solder!

That is not in and of itself a characteristic of soldering stations. There are soldering stations that are not ESD-safe (like the Ersa i-Con Pico), and there are many "fire stick" soldering irons that are ESD-safe. My second soldering iron was a Radio Shack 15W with a grounded tip.

[LordHexahedron]

yes of course, but it's more common in soldering stations [in my experience]

but really, the temperature control alone should be enough of a reason (and sleep mode, and fusing - "fire stick" irons don't tend to be fused in my experience)

even my "good" weller 336b (well, actually SP40L but 336b is what it says on the handle side with the specs so that's what I call it) "fire stick" isn't any good compared to my SBK 939D+, heats too slowly, isn't grounded, and is only 40W (compared to heats in 25s, is grounded, 60W)

Then we have my cheap $1 "fire stick" iron from ebay, it heats about the same rate as the weller one and can only barely melt lead solder, it cannot melt lead-free solder. But that's fine, it's a deathtrap anyway and I only use it to melt plastic (because that's about all it's good for, I bought it as a case-study and logically opened it first, good thing at that. It would've caught fire or given me a 110V kiss of death if I hadn't, after fixing the wiring I could test the thing).

I've yet to see a "fire stick" that can compete with even a cheapish soldering station (such as my 939D+, cheap hakko clone but works remarkably well)

EDIT: Admittedly I haven't used that many "fire stick" type irons, I've used a couple cheapish wellers, a handful of el cheapo ebay ones, and some other ones that weren't mine, some were ok - others (especially the el cheapos) were right garbage.

[GreyWoolfe]

I have had  firesticks in the past.  We were given 1 in our supplies tool kit at ITT Technical Institute.  I used it for some years.  I graduated to a Hakko 936 for a work project.  That was an adjustable soldering iron.  Now I have a Hakko FX-951.  This is a soldering station.  Better regulation.  Faster warm up time.  Adjustable sleep mode for longer tip life.  Heating element in tip-more consistent temperatures and faster thermal recovery.  More comfortable handle/wand with shorter tip to grip distance and very flexible cable. I also scored a Metcal MX-500 soldering 'system' for cheap.  I have the RM-3E wand and the Talon tweezers with appropriate stands.  Definitely a multi functional tool or 'system' if you prefer.

Take note, these are my opinions and may or may not reflect real life.

[uncle_bob]

However, far more important: ESD protection. I wouldn't want to stick a normal soldering iron around half the things I solder!

That is not in and of itself a characteristic of soldering stations. There are soldering stations that are not ESD-safe (like the Ersa i-Con Pico), and there are many "fire stick" soldering irons that are ESD-safe. My second soldering iron was a Radio Shack 15W with a grounded tip.

Hi

Even back before the WTCP came out, grounded / ESD safe irons were pretty common. The WTCP is a good example of a device that is not normally called a station that meets ESD as well as anything else does. The Metcal "soldering systems" certainly are as good at ESD despite being called something other than a "station".

Bob

[KL27x]

ESD protection on a soldering iron can be annoying. The tip is insulated from the beating element in most designs. I have never had issue with a nong rounded tip anyway. If the tip had relatively high impedance path to vround, I would prefer that.

Perhaps it wouldnt be quite as shock safe that way.

In general I get the same emotional response to "ESR safe" as I get to "100% organic."

[uncle_bob]

ESD protection on a soldering iron can be annoying. The tip is insulated from the beating element in most designs. I have never had issue with a nong rounded tip anyway. If the tip had relatively high impedance path to vround, I would prefer that.

Perhaps it wouldnt be quite as shock safe that way.

In general I get the same emotional response to "ESR safe" as I get to "100% organic."

Hi

I think the last "soldering iron" that I bought without a grounded tip was in ... errr ... 1968. There have been *lots* of designs since then with grounded tips.

Bob

[KL27x]

I think I typed that last post on my phone, or something. lol.

I have removed the ground connection on my 24V output stations before, and never had an issue. For some reason, none of my FETS blew up. And my LEDs didn't glow when I soldered them. And I didn't get electrocuted. I also eat non-organic food without getting deathly ill. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket.

I haven't done that on my Hakkos, yet. I suppose it really isn't that often I solder on something that is live AND earthed. Seems the usual suspects are something plugged into a USB port or maybe a battery or isolated bench PSU-powered circuit that is grounded thru a scope probe. 

Perhaps next time I would add a 250K resistor instead of just removing the connection, completely.

"I don't always solder on a live circuit. But when I do, I prefer a non ESD-safe iron."
                                                 - the least interesting EE in the world.

[nour]

I have been using 40W soldering iron for years and didn't have huge issues with them(except that heater element burn so quickly )
but recently I bought weller station because I wanted to be able to changes tips to some specific shapes that usually is not available in a soldering iron

also because I wanted to be able to change temperature from normal usage to high range quickly to be able to solder wires and other big metal parts that require me before to change the iron to higher power to be able to melt the solder

[CatalinaWOW]

I have several soldering irons.  They are a large chunk of copper on an iron rod with a wooden handle.  I also have the gasoline torch to heat them.  Not much use for modern electronics, but could be used with care on tube era point to point wiring.  I have modernized versions of the same which are mains powered.

A soldering station to me is a combination of a small electrically powered soldering iron, and a stand to put it on.  The nice ones have power control, or even better, temperature control.  The size and power of that iron has dropped over time, matching the drop in component size.  This has resulted in the need for some accommodation (different tips or whole different irons) for switches, mains wires and other components which haven't shrunk along with the signal handling parts of circuitry.  There are a lot of other bells and whistles that can be added.  Tip cleaner.  Hot air capability.  Digital temperature readouts.  And more.

[vk6zgo]

I have several soldering irons.  They are a large chunk of copper on an iron rod with a wooden handle.  I also have the gasoline torch to heat them.  Not much use for modern electronics, but could be used with care on tube era point to point wiring.  I have modernized versions of the same which are mains powered.

A soldering station to me is a combination of a small electrically powered soldering iron, and a stand to put it on.  The nice ones have power control, or even better, temperature control.  The size and power of that iron has dropped over time, matching the drop in component size.  This has resulted in the need for some accommodation (different tips or whole different irons) for switches, mains wires and other components which haven't shrunk along with the signal handling parts of circuitry.  There are a lot of other bells and whistles that can be added.  Tip cleaner.  Hot air capability.  Digital temperature readouts.  And more.

I guess this would be a soldering station,then!

http://www.austradesecure.com/radschool/Vol27/images/scope%20iron.jpg

That was the "mini" version!
 

[CatalinaWOW]

I have several soldering irons.  They are a large chunk of copper on an iron rod with a wooden handle.  I also have the gasoline torch to heat them.  Not much use for modern electronics, but could be used with care on tube era point to point wiring.  I have modernized versions of the same which are mains powered.

A soldering station to me is a combination of a small electrically powered soldering iron, and a stand to put it on.  The nice ones have power control, or even better, temperature control.  The size and power of that iron has dropped over time, matching the drop in component size.  This has resulted in the need for some accommodation (different tips or whole different irons) for switches, mains wires and other components which haven't shrunk along with the signal handling parts of circuitry.  There are a lot of other bells and whistles that can be added.  Tip cleaner.  Hot air capability.  Digital temperature readouts.  And more.

I guess this would be a soldering station,then!

http://www.austradesecure.com/radschool/Vol27/images/scope%20iron.jpg

That was the "mini" version!

Sure.  The low end, "Yugo" version.  Which once upon a time was something I yearned for because it was a step up from what I was using.  Today I am using a much newer station with many of the bells and whistles, and am lusting after better.

[Langdon]

I have a Hakko FX-600 iron and A Hakko FX-888D station.
They both have temperture control, but the FX-888D is like4 times better in EVERY way(except portability obviously).

I don't know why, but it is.

[Jwillis]

Practical differences between a soldering station and soldering iron. A soldering station will be on the workbench and the soldering iron will be in the waste basket.
But seriously a station will have better temperature regulation, have higher power ratings without the bulk in your hand, more variety of tips for changing tasks, better serviceability. better ESD protection and longer work life. But this is all relative because you get what you pay for.