What Soldering Temp. Do You Use For Lead Based Solder?

[RCPilot1234]

Hey everyone,

I'm wondering what temperature you guys are using for standard RadioShack 60/40 lead based rosin core solder? I'm mainly soldering relatively small components for RC planes, multi rotors, etc. I know that 330 celsius is meant to be too high, so I want to lower the temperature but I'm just not sure by how much?

Kind regards,
Francis

[liquibyte]

From Wikipedia, 60/40: melts between 183–190 °C (361–374 °F).

[RCPilot1234]

Thanks for your really quick reply! I read up on that before I posted, but wondering what threshold there is? Would you recommend around 220 celsius, or is there no point going much above the melting temperature?

Kind regards,
Francis

[Fsck]

I'd try 525F if you're really worried. if your iron is barely above melting point, it'll take (relatively speaking) forever to heat anything up to that temperature.

[liquibyte]

I keep mine around 300C to be honest but I think this is a personal preference and probably has been discussed quite a bit on here.  I seem to remember a recent thread along these lines.  I prefer a higher temp to "get in and get out" as it were, but I did learn on a fire stick and can solder really well with one too.  Too low of a temp and I tend to dwell too long.

[dfmischler]

IIRC the US NASA and MIL standards said the iron was to be set to 600 degrees F (315C).  That is high enough to get the work done efficiently, if you have good equipment, without causing loads of problems with too much heat.  I frequently set the iron to 350C for my own use.

[Whales]

How hot you solder depends on a few things, not just solder melting point.:

• How nice your iron is.  Thermal conduction is not perfect, and the temp sensor may be placed far back
• How much thermal mass you are soldering

The drop of temperature between sensor and actual item necessitates us to use temperatures greater than the melting point.  If you are patient, solder small items and/or have a nice iron then lower temperatures will feel fine.

From what I have seen most people solder between 280 and 350.  I leave my iron at 350 because it's a particularly bad one.

[nanofrog]

FWIW, I primarily run at 600F/315C for lead based.

[David Hess]

I use Weller Magnastat irons with a 700F tip when doing assembly and general work and 600F tip when doing rework on boards where I want to be cautious about lifting traces.

[IanB]

I'm wondering what temperature you guys are using for standard RadioShack 60/40 lead based rosin core solder? I'm mainly soldering relatively small components for RC planes, multi rotors, etc. I know that 330 celsius is meant to be too high, so I want to lower the temperature but I'm just not sure by how much?

You can adjust the temperature by the behavior of the iron. Adjusting the temperature by observation will be more useful than going blindly by some number.

The temperature should be set high enough so that the solder flows rapidly in the joint and you can complete each joint within 3-5 seconds. If this is not possible, increase the temperature.

The temperature should be set low enough so that the solder on the tip of the iron maintains a metallic, clean appearance. If the solder on the tip rapidly forms a white, dirty, crusty appearance the iron is too hot.

When soldering the flux should melt and bubble and produce just a slight wisp of smoke and should remain liquid until the joint is complete. If the flux spits and hisses, produces large volumes of fumes, or dries out before you can finish soldering the iron is too hot.

FYI, I generally set the temperature of my Hakko to 650 F (340 C) according to the above guidelines.

[T3sl4co1l]

I use a Hakko FX-888 at 350C.  People often use more (370-400C), but I don't like this as the tip (among other things) burns too readily.  For fine work, a lower temperature is acceptable (300-320C).

Tip cleanliness, and proper solder and flux usage, are far more important.  Very often I see people who blast the joint with heat, but no heat transfer, and yet they wonder why their equipment is so terrible (tips crud up, oxidize and burn out).

Tim

[VK5RC]

I use 350C, I suspect that you will get more thermal damage,  (I recall not only a maximum temperature but area under time - temp curve) especially if the thermal transfer rate of the iron is slow.  A hot iron with a quickly soldered joint,  with the flux also getting warm (and active) will produce a better joint. Too cool and soldering  the joint takes longer,  with the part getting hotter.
Soldering properly is both a science and art.

[Dago]

I think my JBC came with a preset setting of 350C and I have literally never touched it. Works perfectly.

[Skimask]

600F for SMT pieces/parts.
650F for anything with any sort of thermal mass to it, or when doing re-work.
700F on really big parts, like those huge diodes, or big transformer lugs.
600F will melt solder on the big parts, but it'll take forever, and might not get all the solder melted.
700F will melt the solder on an 0805 resistor, right now...and could fry the little bugger as well.

It's not really the tip temperature that's making the difference.  It's more about the thermal mass of the iron and the part being worked on, and the ability of the iron to maintain a decent temperature to melt the solder and keep it melted on aforementioned part.

And I add about 25F-50F when messing with lead-free solder.
You use your equipment long enough, you'll get to know what works and what doesn't.

[miguelvp]

I keep mine at 340C but it't a cheap Tenma so it's probably really lower than dialed.
I did measured the temperature a while back and it was reading low but not sure how low it is.

Edit: But I did change the tip and and upgraded the tip with an original Hakko 908-CK to convert it to a large mass iron.

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/diy-soldering-station-brand-name-soldering-iron/msg426688/#msg426688

[andrewwong2000]

Interesting thread.. I've been using 270C for small stuff 0603 and 0805 and a bit higher 290 for larger components. Seems to work fine with my JBC.


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[David Hess]

It's not really the tip temperature that's making the difference.  It's more about the thermal mass of the iron and the part being worked on, and the ability of the iron to maintain a decent temperature to melt the solder and keep it melted on aforementioned part.

Even for surface mount I prefer using a larger tip than strictly necessary for more thermal mass.

And I add about 25F-50F when messing with lead-free solder.
You use your equipment long enough, you'll get to know what works and what doesn't.

I have done some lead free rework and it is annoying.  Even with a large tip for high thermal mass and conductivity, I often have to use a higher temperature which tends to scorch the board and lift the copper.  If I do enough, I will have to consider getting a better soldering iron.

The first thing I do is add some tin-lead solder the the lead-free joint to lower the melting point.  I have been thinking of picking up a spool of Sn40Pb60 or Ag03Pb97 solder for just this application.

[jay]

280-290 C is usually enough with JBC at work.. The sharpest tips need often 330C. I usually set my Ersa I-con pico at home to 320. There are situations when I've had to go to 350 to get enough heat.

[P90]

it also varies between solder stations, I find some have faster recovery rate than others, not just thermal mass.
as already  mentioned, the best way is to get a feel for the way the solder flows... 

[DenzilPenberthy]

I'd say I go for something like:
(temps in deg C)

280 for delicate stuff like ICs

300-320 for general purpose stuff e.g. through hole resistors

350 for tinning wires, desoldering things, big chunky terminals etc.

For sensitive stuff I try and use the largest tip (greatest thermal mass) and lowest temperature that still allows you to get the joint done without too much hanging around.

I use a Pace ST50 station with a TD100 iron which allows you to change tips in an instant so you can use a different tip for each joint if you want to. Super useful!

I'd also note that for ceramic SMD capacitors I use a hotplate to bring them up to about 100 - 120 degC before soldering at about 250-260. Ceramic caps don't like thermal shock, it can make them crack.

[DanielS]

Guess I am more conservative than I thought - I usually run my iron at 250C for regular soldering and 300C for wicking.

[Lee697]

I leave my Goot station at 350 deg C (660 deg F)....

[robrenz]

Soldering at lower temperatures is most effective with high thermal capacity and response units like JBC, Metcal, Icon, etc..  An example of mine below using a JBC wide blade at 260C.
Video here

[KD0CAC John]

Too many variables to say , even though lots of good info mentioned here .
One aspect that has not been mentioned yet is the conditions of the area / parts being soldered , at least as far as how clean or coatings or oxidized the surface is .
Sometimes having to add solder to the job to get things flowing - on rework .
On new or 1st time solder has been applied , is the board / component older - oxidized .
Having access to liquid flux can help a lot of situations , I never see anything right from the factory - some time between manufacture & by the time I work with it , so I use the liquid solder on the surface 1st and just before soldering .
Also when all the sudden it seems like the tinning stops , I will again use the liquid flux while the surface is still hot .
I have done radiator , plumbing and the 1st few generations of SMD and the same techniques seem to help ,
on large areas like radiators , I would use the heat to keep solder liquid then use a brush [ kept wet with liquid flux ] and drag the pool of solder down the jobs , this did the best soldering of large area and the fastest .
If you watch any of the NASA soldering videos , they do so much prep & cleaning , its painful to watch
And like any work being down , it can take more skill to use cheap tools than it takes to use better tools .
I keep on the bench JBC and Metcal , and it does not have to cost more than mid-grade stuff , just some time shopping .
Like mentioned here I would rather have my tool on the hot side , to get the job done quicker and put less heat into the work .

[timb]

Generally I'll use Kester 63/37 when doing SMD work or soldering very thin wires. 63/37 is a eutectic blend, so it requires the least amount of heat to melt. I can use a temp of 225 to 250c and it melts instantly. It's also great for adding to lead-free joints during rework; this way you can reduce the heat to around 300c which helps prevent lifting traces or scorching the board.

Seriously, it's like some magic metal!

For normal stuff I use Kester 60/40 at around 300 to 350c, depending on what I'm doing.

(This is all with a Hakko FX-888. On my old Aoyue 937+ I'd add 25 to 50c to the above numbers.)

Another tip is to calibrate your iron, if capable!

Use the temperature probe that came with your multimeter, set the iron to 350c, firmly place the probe to the tip, wait 15 to 30 seconds for the probe to heat up and the iron to stabilize, then change the offset/displayed temp through your iron's calibration controls.

This way your readings will be accurate to the tip and not just the sensor placement. 


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[zapta]

Using Metcal series 1 (700) for all tip sizes and leaded solder.  It's on the high side but never had a problem.

[ablacon64]

I keep my irons at 350ºC, since the boards I usually fix dissipate much heat. When repairing cell phone boards I keep it at 300ºC maximum.

[Fsck]

Using Metcal series 1 (700) for all tip sizes and leaded solder.  It's on the high side but never had a problem.

that's what I use myself. you just work quickly when dealing with heat-sensitive components.

[nukie]

Before doing anything at all, find a copper sheet to go between the heater and your tip, if coupling is loose. This will close the gaps and increase thermal transfer and therefore thermal response. I always start at a known tempetature then wind it down till melting time is unacceptable. Different flux works best at certain temperature so don't overcook it.