Affordable soldering station for kid?

[Kuro]

Can anyone advise me what would be a good, safe yet affordable soldering station for a beginner of 12 years old? She will be soldering under supervision, but I'd like the station to be properly safe in spite of lower cost. Use: single/dual layer, mostly through hole to begin with.

Please note, I'm in the EU, Hakko is expensive here 

[dimkasta]

I have had excellent experience with Ersa

The Pico is a bit over 100 euros

The digital 40W Weller is around the same price. Haven't used it myself, but I guess you cannot go that wrong with Weller.

Everything else I used that is cheaper is also Chinese so ...

[Kuro]

I thought about the Pico. A bit more than I want to spend, but mainly the rather mixed reviews on sites like Amazon.de are what make me look to other options. The Weller I have no experience with, but I have read the red Wellers were not recommended.

Is there any Chinese brand or type you have experience with and can recommend? I saw Dave's 'recommendation' (in his video on a low cost lab) of the Yihua, but looking at the insides make me wonder about safety and if it is safe for a kid.

[mariush]

I'd say get the cheap Ternma  Farnell sells : http://uk.farnell.com/tenma/21-10115-eu/soldering-station-60w-220v-eu/dp/2062627
Here's the Belgium version of their website (with Dutch text and with prices in Euro , and note may not include VAT) : http://be.farnell.com/tenma/21-10115-eu/soldering-station-60w-220v-eu/dp/2062627


Tenma is Farnell's brand, the station is a rebranded Atten 980D which is in turn a "digital" hakko 936 clone like the Yihua Dave reviewed and like all the clones from Atten and Yihua.  The tips are like the Hakko , the handpiece is like it (connector may be slightly different) etc etc
But you get 1 year warranty from Farnell, better than buying a clone from eBay where you'd have to send the station back to China if there's problems or just take the loss.

You can find tips and handpieces on eBay cheaper than you find on Farnell's website. 
A handpiece with cable and tip is something like 10-15$, not expensive at all (just be careful to get the one with 5 pin female connector like your station needs)

[wraper]

but mainly the rather mixed reviews on sites like Amazon.de are what make me look to other options.

Dunno if you can call 4.4 stars out of 5 on amazon.de and 4.7 on amazon UK a "mixed reviews". There are no better options at this price. Next better is i-con nano at much higher price. All of what is cheaper including that tenma suggested is much much worse.

[Kuro]

Dunno if you can call 4.4 stars out of 5 on amazon.de and 4.7 on amazon UK a "mixed reviews". There are no better options at this price. Next better is i-con nano at much higher price. All of what is cheaper including that tenma suggested is much much worse.

I read about a few DOAs that showed not so good assembly quality, and a handle that gets pretty hot (since it does not have a sleep mode, small wonder).

If I want to go below the 107 EUR of the pico, is there any alternative you could recommend? Or is it all crap in EU? Folks in the US have it easy, with the Hakko FX888D costing well below 100.

[dimkasta]

I have had the ERSA RDS 80 for many years. No problems with it apart from the fact that the DIN socket is plastic and not locking. It is a bit loose after so much use.
I do not know the quality on the lower models, but I have had a good experience with the brand. Tips are about 20 euros here in Greece.

If you go for something Chinese, I would suggest that you buy it locally and from a respectable store. This way you can be sure that you have a valid CE certification. And you can double check the grounding just to be sure. And of course, make sure that you test your RCD regularly.

I bought the ZD-917 this way a few months back and couldn't be happier. I pretty much haven't used my ERSA since. The tips are dirt cheap and seem very durable with proper cleaning and maintenance (I tend to be a bit overprotective with them anyway)

The Yihua and Rhino devices that Dave reviewed are from the same family, just newer models.

[wraper]

Dunno if you can call 4.4 stars out of 5 on amazon.de and 4.7 on amazon UK a "mixed reviews". There are no better options at this price. Next better is i-con nano at much higher price. All of what is cheaper including that tenma suggested is much much worse.

I read about a few DOAs that showed not so good assembly quality, and a handle that gets pretty hot (since it does not have a sleep mode, small wonder).

If I want to go below the 107 EUR of the pico, is there any alternative you could recommend? Or is it all crap in EU? Folks in the US have it easy, with the Hakko FX888D costing well below 100.

So what, a few people out of bunch wrote about DOA? That is generally what you get with any product, on top of that people report bad experience more often than good. FX888D is completely inferior compared with i-con pico, frankly. Pico has sleep mode, although not as good as in higher end i-con stations which have accelerometer in the handle.

I have had the ERSA RDS 80 for many years. No problems with it apart from the fact that the DIN socket is plastic and not locking. It is a bit loose after so much use.
I do not know the quality on the lower models, but I have had a good experience with the brand. Tips are about 20 euros here in Greece.

Dunno where you find ERSA tips for EUR 20, they cost < EUR 10 for popular types. RDS-80 is completely outdated low end model and not even close to i-con series.

[wraper]

Do you have 12~20V power supply? Of so, check out this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDMhh3p2nuM.
A bit expensive, but still cheaper than a genuine Weller/Hakko.

I have TS100, it's a great portable soldering iron to use occasionally, but I would not recommend it for general use. Main problems are that grip is completely uncomfortable, and high distance from tip to grip.

[TJ232]

If you want a reliable and safe soldering station ERSA Pico is a good option for that. If you want extra, ESD protection, grounded tip, etc, look also to Nano.

Another good option (is not a soldering station but a very good soldering iron for the intended target) is a Antex XS25.

[dimkasta]

Another good option (is not a soldering station but a very good soldering iron for the intended target) is a Antex XS25.

This is the iron I bought for my RC track days where I did not want to carry the station.
Very nice quality, but it has a very stiff and heavy cable and you can very easily knock it off without a very sturdy base that properly secures the hot part.
Oh, and it's rather weak. If there is a ground plane or something with extra mass it takes forever to heat it to a proper temperature.

I actually have the 15W as well, which is even more awkward to use with the huge thick cable.

What might be interesting from a safety point of view, is the one they have which can be powered by a 12V DC supply or battery. If of course you do not mind a plain soldering iron for your applications. It could be useful to you as well.

http://www.antex.co.uk/soldering/precision-range-soldering-irons/mlxs/

[amyk]

Any 936 clone would probably be fine, just check the grounding of the tip.

[daybyter]

[tggzzz]

Can anyone advise me what would be a good, safe yet affordable soldering station for a beginner of 12 years old? She will be soldering under supervision, but I'd like the station to be properly safe in spite of lower cost. Use: single/dual layer, mostly through hole to begin with.

There is no such thing as a safe soldering station: one end is pointed and hot

If there is a chance that a youngster will try something and then lose interest, buying something very cheap is a good idea. In addition, it would probably be sufficient for a beginner's jobs, and you will learn what you really need (not want!).

For decades I used a simple 25W Antex iron; it will do most things. However, for small pitch components and when removing big components, you will benefit from different size tips. Consider something like http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/maplin-50w-mains-solder-station-n78ar plus a range of tips. I do not consider them to be particularly reliable.

A very good set of videos is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL926EC0F1F93C1837 They are old, made when videos were expensive => short and carefully made.

[Kuro]

About the Maplin iron.... quoted from their site: "This soldering iron is simple to assemble. After assembly, all you need is some solder and then you can get to work. Once plugged in, it takes only ten minutes to warm up to the selected temperature. " 

I think if I want to discourage her, this will be it.

Thanks all for your input. I had a look at the more decent Chinese things like the Aoyue's, but the price difference to the Pico is negligable. So the Pico it is. Hope it arrives in working order 

[wraper]

There is no such thing as a safe soldering station: one end is pointed and hot

Yep, you can get burns. Hover it is not easy to get burned by by ersa i-tool (pico). Exposed hot part is very short. Maybe I got one - two very small burns in the last 8 years I own I-CON 2 station, and I solder a lot. Much easier to get burns by hakko 888/936/clones. And even easier with unregulated soldering irons. Also, a very good idea would be to get some ESD or some sort of similar gloves for your kid, if you can find small enough size. They will protect hands from accidental burns quiet well.

[wraper]

I had a look at the more decent Chinese things like the Aoyue's,

Aoyue is not decent. It's a crap, and IMO, often worse than atten.

[TJ232]

For the Antex XS25 you have also the silicone cable option, might worth 2 Pounds more:
http://www.antex.co.uk/soldering/precision-range-soldering-irons/xs25/

ERSA I-Con Pico looks to be available under some promotional price, 119.95 with 19% VAT included. Good deal if you are outside EU, as will be invoiced without VAT! Or for a VAT registered EU company:
https://www.ersa-shop.de/index.php?cat=c721_01-i-CON-PICO-01-i-con-pico.html

[dimkasta]

The pico is 117 euros on Amazon.de

And yes go for the silicon Antex if you can. I bought mine locally and did not even know there was an option back then. It might be worth moding it if you are stuck with it.

[bji900]

I would recommend a TS100 from Amazon or similar site. It requires a small power supply in addition but it can make a cool project for the child. You could even make it portable and they could take it with them because it runs on 24VDC and a simple battery could be made quite easily.

[tggzzz]

There is no such thing as a safe soldering station: one end is pointed and hot

Yep, you can get burns. Hover it is not easy to get burned by by ersa i-tool (pico). Exposed hot part is very short. Maybe I got one - two very small burns in the last 8 years I own I-CON 2 station, and I solder a lot. Much easier to get burns by hakko 888/936/clones. And even easier with unregulated soldering irons. Also, a very good idea would be to get some ESD or some sort of similar gloves for your kid, if you can find small enough size. They will protect hands from accidental burns quiet well.

Getting burned by a soldering iron is a right of passage It is unlikely to be a serious burn, so I wouldn't worry too much!

[wraper]

It is unlikely to be a serious burn, so I wouldn't worry too much!

It can be pretty bad. I think the worst was like 6-7 cm x 1 cm burn. IIRC I took hot unregulated firestick while thinking it was disconnected from mains. Pretty bad experience, after that I never take soldering irons by anything but handle.

[tggzzz]

It is unlikely to be a serious burn, so I wouldn't worry too much!

It can be pretty bad. I think the worst was like 6-7 cm x 1 cm burn. IIRC I took hot unregulated firestick while thinking it was disconnected from mains. Pretty bad experience, after that I never take soldering irons by anything but handle.

Oh, unpleasant, yes; I've had similar in the dim and distant past. But I think it is unlikely (not impossible) to be a deep burn.

Yes, warn kids (and adults) about it, just as you would about any other normal hazard in life. Presuming the kid is basically responsible, I don't see any reason to be worried about themselves on a soldering iron.

[RayRay]

I can't believe no one mentioned the Bakon 950D yet!
It's as affordable as can be, and will get the job done very well also.
It's currently on sale for $20 on gearbest:
http://www.gearbest.com/soldering-supplies/pp_363024.html?wid=21
And spare/other tips can be purchased from banggood:
http://www.banggood.com/search/t12.html

[oldway]

Why not a simple ERSA 30S ?

https://www.amazon.fr/Fer-souder-30S-30W-ERSA/dp/B0009QX1MY

[wraper]

Why not a simple ERSA 30S ?

https://www.amazon.fr/Fer-souder-30S-30W-ERSA/dp/B0009QX1MY

Because it is unregulated firestick which is not a competition for soldering station?

[oldway]

Why not a simple ERSA 30S ?

https://www.amazon.fr/Fer-souder-30S-30W-ERSA/dp/B0009QX1MY

Because it is unregulated firestick which is not a competition for soldering station?

For non profissional use, you don't need a temperature controlled soldering iron.

For field soldering, I use an ersa 30S and a gas Weller Pyropen piezo, both are non regulated soldering irons....

[wraper]

Why not a simple ERSA 30S ?

https://www.amazon.fr/Fer-souder-30S-30W-ERSA/dp/B0009QX1MY

Because it is unregulated firestick which is not a competition for soldering station?

For non profissional use, you don't need a temperature controlled soldering iron.

Required? No. Makes things much easier and pleasant to do? Yes
On top of that 30W unregulated iron is not suitable to solder any multiplayer board. Say, you want to recap motherboard, no luck with that.

[TJ232]

Why not a simple ERSA 30S ?

https://www.amazon.fr/Fer-souder-30S-30W-ERSA/dp/B0009QX1MY

I am a heavy user of ERSA soldering station for more than 25 years but in this case I must admit that the Antex XS25 is kicking ass big time.

[oldway]

Why not a simple ERSA 30S ?

https://www.amazon.fr/Fer-souder-30S-30W-ERSA/dp/B0009QX1MY

Because it is unregulated firestick which is not a competition for soldering station?

For non profissional use, you don't need a temperature controlled soldering iron.

Required? No. Makes things much easier and pleasant to do? Yes
On top of that 30W unregulated iron is not suitable to solder any multiplayer board. Say, you want to recap motherboard, no luck with that.

A kid soldering multilayer boards ? You are kidding, I hope ? 
Even a multilayer I am soldering with my ersa 30S....at least, you learn not to have two left hands...

[amyk]

Temperature controlled soldering stations are cheap now, and better in every way; I think there's really not much of a market for unregulated mains irons anymore. They are heavier, have a huge tip-grip distance, and a large diameter, and would be even harder for a kid to handle.

...unless you're advocating for learning to solder the "old school" way, in which case I ask, "why not start with an indirectly heated real soldering iron"?

[tggzzz]

Temperature controlled soldering stations are cheap now, and better in every way; I think there's really not much of a market for unregulated mains irons anymore. They are heavier, have a huge tip-grip distance, and a large diameter, and would be even harder for a kid to handle.

...unless you're advocating for learning to solder the "old school" way, in which case I ask, "why not start with an indirectly heated real soldering iron"?

You mean like https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/hp545-repair-desoldering-the-nvram/msg1157280/#msg1157280

Sometimes the old ways are very effective

[tggzzz]

A kid soldering multilayer boards ? You are kidding, I hope ? 

Why not? After a little practice they will probably be very good at it.

Don't unnecessarily limit young people with your preconceptions. For example this this is a 10yo doing something you probably wouldn't believe, and here's a 14yo doing more on his own preparing for a competition with adults.

[screwbreaker]

Temperature controlled soldering stations are cheap now, and better in every way; I think there's really not much of a market for unregulated mains irons anymore. They are heavier, have a huge tip-grip distance, and a large diameter, and would be even harder for a kid to handle.
...

It's not completely true. My first soldering iron was a JBC 14s, I still have it and still use it from time to time. It's light and compact, more easy to carry than a soldering station. It's only 14W but it has a lot of tip and can be used for most basic work in electronic. It's not really cheap, the iron itself is not too much expensive, if you got the original stand it cost like a hakko fx-888d, with a generic stand is affordable.
I think there are more other unregulated iron from other well known brand and they can be more cheap and maybe more easy to find in local stores or internet.

I think that for educational purpose even the most cheap station on ebay can be used. It's different if it must be the first tool, something who last for years, and can be looked with nostalgia one day. In this case don't hesitate to spend a little bit more, in my opinion.

[tpowell1830]

Can anyone advise me what would be a good, safe yet affordable soldering station for a beginner of 12 years old? She will be soldering under supervision, but I'd like the station to be properly safe in spite of lower cost. Use: single/dual layer, mostly through hole to begin with.

Please note, I'm in the EU, Hakko is expensive here 

I have the Velleman LAB1U Three In One Lab Unit that has a DMM, a PSU and temperature controlled soldering iron and they are sold for around $100. Good starter kit for kids, since it has also the PSU and meter.

[wraper]

I have the Velleman LAB1U Three In One Lab Unit that has a DMM, a PSU and temperature controlled soldering iron and they are sold for around $100. Good starter kit for kids, since it has also the PSU and meter.

Shitty $2 multimeter, shitty PSU and shitty soldering iron. Not a good deal at all. On top of that why would you want reduced mobility multimeter in the first place. You cannot even place it in a proper place where you would normally put bench multimeter.

[tpowell1830]

I have the Velleman LAB1U Three In One Lab Unit that has a DMM, a PSU and temperature controlled soldering iron and they are sold for around $100. Good starter kit for kids, since it has also the PSU and meter.

Shitty $2 multimeter, shitty PSU and shitty soldering iron. Not a good deal at all. On top of that why would you want reduced mobility multimeter in the first place. You cannot even place it in a proper place where you would normally put bench multimeter.

Well, glad you asked. The OP said he was looking for a soldering iron for a child. I wouldn't use this professionally, however, I do use the soldering iron quite regularly and it does a nice job. The meter is good to learn with and would be a good hedge against a child accidentally destroying a good meter. The power supply does work and again, if destroyed by a child, nothing really lost.

[oldway]

A lot of volunteers in the repair café are using an 8 euros soldering iron and are doing all kind of repairs you can imagine....
From electric appliance to mother boards.....
This one:
https://www.dealabs.com/bons-plans/kit-fer--souder-pour-des-soudures-de-prcisison/217414

If you only want a soldering station, look for an used Weller TCP-S magnastat....

[boffin]

A lot of volunteers in the repair café are using an 8 euros soldering iron and are doing all kind of repairs you can imagine....
From electric appliance to mother boards.....
This one:
https://www.dealabs.com/bons-plans/kit-fer--souder-pour-des-soudures-de-prcisison/217414

If you only want a soldering station, look for an used Weller TCP-S magnastat....

I'll second that.  My iron is a 40yr old Weller W-TCP-L. 

Old enough that the main body is Bakelite, and it works like a champ.  You often see stuff like this on craigslist.