Are expensive soldering stations really worth it?

[David Hess]

So I have a $10 temperature controlled soldering iron that I've been using for 6 years. It's potentiometer and triac controlled, and uses 900M tips.

...

This has served me well and gets the job done with no fuss, but for soldering big RF connectors the thermal response isn't good and I have to use above 350C and take more than 5 seconds. I would like better thermal response which would allow me to cut down on time spent per board.

An adjustable power iron is not "temperature controlled" in the common sense.  What people really mean is "temperature regulated".

My question is how much thermal performance improvement can I expect from a tip construction like the above, and what else besides thermal performance does a "name brand" station like Hakko or Pace offer over my $10 iron to justify its cost? (and don't say "quality" - I know how to weed out shit crap on taobao and get something that lasts a decade, which I'm sure my $10 iron will).

A temperature regulated soldering iron makes a huge difference.  It means that full power, 50 watts or more, can be applied without high temperatures which would destroy the work-piece.

[Mp3]

If you are tinning wires and every second counts, by all means go with higher temperature. But for PCBs, and components on it, even 350-360 is too much.

I would agree with this completely for new boards, but i sometimes do repairs on decades old boards that are thick and heavy as hell. The heat gets drawn to all the wrong places so its too easy to make cold joints with them, and i have most consistent success hanging out around 360-370c with conical tip. Then i can focus the energy precisely and quickly fill the thru-hole with solder in under 2 seconds.

Due to the design of these boards, very thick with very tiny thru holes placed only a couple mm apart (only can fit 30awg or something) even a chisel tip makes it too easy to bridge two adjacent holes instead of properly filling one.

I have noticed since I went to a nicer iron that could provide better thermals on these tougher jobs, i certainly have less heat marks on my pcb's and MUCH less need to re-solder my work due to cold joints.


.....I still hope one day I'll get to try a Metcal. I'm sure there are some in my home town. I just don't know where or who owns them. It seems like all my fellow Americans on this site never even saw them for sale and only know them through their careers.

[KL27x]

So I have a $10 temperature controlled soldering iron that I've been using for 6 years. It's potentiometer and triac controlled, and uses 900M tips.

An adjustable power iron is not "temperature controlled" in the common sense.  What people really mean is "temperature regulated"..

There is nothing to suggest Owo doesnt have a thermostatically controlled iron from what you quoted. I would assume it IS thermostatically controlled, since it takes 900m tips, and those heaters have a thermistor in them. Well, that's going above and beyond, since Owo says it temperature controlled, and why not take his version, since he is the one with the station?

Most of the $10.00ish power-adjustable stations I have seen have the stick tips that slide in and get held by a set screw.

Added: how many 936 and clones are out there? These use a triac for switching and a potentiometer temp knob to adjust the voltage to the comparator reference input.  If a pot and a triac is almost all that's in there, well, I suppose phase control power adjust is possibility. But 6 years and still wants advice if he should upgrade? If you put down a million dollars on power-control would you want to change your bet before the ball stops bouncing? 

[EEVblog]

The main reason people adjust the temperature of their iron is to crank it up so the temperature doesn't plummet too much when they apply the iron to a large object. The whole point of the Metcal design is to reduce those temperature drops, so twiddling the temperature becomes a moot point.

You also sometimes need to drop the temperature for repair work so that poor quality laminates don't lift pads etc.
Even the magical Metcals offer 500F and 600F tips in addition to standard 700F (370C) tip. So if you do need lower temp tips then you have to buy a whole duplicate set of tips at a different temperature.

[Monkeh]

The main reason people adjust the temperature of their iron is to crank it up so the temperature doesn't plummet too much when they apply the iron to a large object. The whole point of the Metcal design is to reduce those temperature drops, so twiddling the temperature becomes a moot point.

You also sometimes need to drop the temperature for repair work so that poor quality laminates don't lift pads etc.
Even the magical Metcals offer 500F and 600F tips in addition to standard 700F (370C) tip. So if you do need lower temp tips then you have to buy a whole duplicate set of tips at a different temperature.

No, you need to buy whatever tips you require to work on flimsy old boards. I don't need most of my tips to work on old through-hole constructions.

[james_s]

The main reason people adjust the temperature of their iron is to crank it up so the temperature doesn't plummet too much when they apply the iron to a large object. The whole point of the Metcal design is to reduce those temperature drops, so twiddling the temperature becomes a moot point.

You also sometimes need to drop the temperature for repair work so that poor quality laminates don't lift pads etc.
Even the magical Metcals offer 500F and 600F tips in addition to standard 700F (370C) tip. So if you do need lower temp tips then you have to buy a whole duplicate set of tips at a different temperature.

No, you need to buy whatever tips you require to work on flimsy old boards. I don't need most of my tips to work on old through-hole constructions.

Isn't that exactly what he said? Drop the temp, ie buy a lower temperature tip appropriate for the task if you do find yourself needing to do that?

Of course it's more convenient to simply turn down the dial on a more typical soldering station, but I don't really think that's the sort of use Metcal is going for. Their stuff seems to be targeted at production and professional rework where one isn't likely to need to fiddle with the temperature.

[Monkeh]

The main reason people adjust the temperature of their iron is to crank it up so the temperature doesn't plummet too much when they apply the iron to a large object. The whole point of the Metcal design is to reduce those temperature drops, so twiddling the temperature becomes a moot point.

You also sometimes need to drop the temperature for repair work so that poor quality laminates don't lift pads etc.
Even the magical Metcals offer 500F and 600F tips in addition to standard 700F (370C) tip. So if you do need lower temp tips then you have to buy a whole duplicate set of tips at a different temperature.

No, you need to buy whatever tips you require to work on flimsy old boards. I don't need most of my tips to work on old through-hole constructions.

Isn't that exactly what he said? Drop the temp, ie buy a lower temperature tip appropriate for the task if you do find yourself needing to do that?

Of course it's more convenient to simply turn down the dial on a more typical soldering station, but I don't really think that's the sort of use Metcal is going for. Their stuff seems to be targeted at production and professional rework where one isn't likely to need to fiddle with the temperature.

[EEVblog]

Of course it's more convenient to simply turn down the dial on a more typical soldering station, but I don't really think that's the sort of use Metcal is going for. Their stuff seems to be targeted at production and professional rework where one isn't likely to need to fiddle with the temperature.

Correct.
Great for that, not so great for versatile lab use.

[EEVblog]

Correct.
Great for that, not so great for versatile lab use.

Can't agree. You can't change the temp, but you can change the tips. They have some larger knife tips for soldering large parts (TO263, etc.), and they have some tiny bent conical tips for debridging QFN pins.
A Metcal stand comes with a few holders for spare tips, and a thermally insulated rubber pad for quick changing.
After 5 years of use, I learned not the fiddle with temp even with conventional stations. My JBC and TS80 are all set to 330C and I seldom have to change that.

Versatility means the ability to easily adapt to changing requirements.
There are two aspects to every soldering iron in terms of flexibility:
1) The range of tips available
2) The ease to regulate and adjust temperature

Fixed temp irons force you to do #1 in order to do #2, adjustable temperature irons do not.
The argument whether or not you do or don't have to is not relevant to the discussion of flexibility. It's a demonstrable fact that adjustable temperature stations are more versatile than fixed temperature ones, you can't argue that.
If that flexibility isn't important to you, that's completely fine. As stated before, it can actually be an advantage in a production environment, but we aren't talking abut that when it comes to flexibility.

[mc172]

I haven't read the whole thread but to directly answer the question, yes, I think they are worth it.

I've got a "937D" type soldering station from eBay at home and while it does the job, the cable attached to the iron is ridiculously short and stiff (which requires the use of a different soldering iron to change) and the iron doesn't feel very nice in your hand. It also takes ages to heat up. I haven't tried one of those smaller units that I saw someone mention earlier in the thread - perhaps they're a bit better.

At work I've got an Ersa i-con 2 and the cables are generously long, very flexible and the irons heat up in under 5 seconds. I often bring soldering jobs to work because it's a much nicer experience.

[KL27x]

^That 937D is a steamer. The handle gets as hot as the tip. That's my worst of two experiences with a 936 clone. The other wasn't too shabby, until the handpiece broke in half. 

[OwO]

I just got one of those 500M based stations ($50) to try out, and so far it's solved my issue of soldering big chunks of metal. I can even solder 3mm thick copper plate (5x5 cm) without the flux burning when the workpiece is removed. The temperature display on it is definitely wrong though, as I'm soldering the copper plate at 310C which I simply don't believe. It supports calibrating the temperature which I might do later. "normal" soldering (through hole and smt) are done comfortably at 250C display temperature, so I'll say it's off by 50C. 330C display temperature is when the flux in my leaded solder starts giving a "quick puff of smoke" which agrees well with it being 50C off. I *think* there's some overshoot after a big soldering but it's not bad enough to smoke the flux. The reaction time is fast and it shows the temperature dip in about 1s after touching the workpiece, and then heater turns on. Touching a big SMA connector now melts the solder right away (at "310C" which I think is 360C).

Overall it's more than adequate for my use cases and I can now even solder RF power amplifiers with it (previously that was done using several candles). The handle doesn't get hot. Tip to grip distance is 7cm which is much shorter than my last iron. The build quality is ok although I'll be taking it apart to check mains wiring.

[Shock]

The handle doesn't get hot. Tip to grip distance is 7cm which is much shorter than my last iron. The build quality is ok although I'll be taking it apart to check mains wiring.

This gets overlooked by many and is another feature of the more expensive models, the working distance and size of the handle compared to how hot it gets. The Pace ADS200 (120W) cartridges are about 40-50mm working distance (aside from the large rework blades) and the handle is slim, ergonomic and stays cool. It's very similar to the Metcal which also has a good working distance.

Here is a comparison against the TS100 (65W) handle which gets nice and hot and looks almost twice as long. I've never understood this product fully and why the controller is in the handle, it makes no sense if it needs a cable attached to the power source anyway.

[thm_w]

I just got one of those 500M based stations ($50) to try out, and so far it's solved my issue of soldering big chunks of metal. I can even solder 3mm thick copper plate (5x5 cm) without the flux burning when the workpiece is removed. The temperature display on it is definitely wrong though, as I'm soldering the copper plate at 310C which I simply don't believe. It supports calibrating the temperature which I might do later. "normal" soldering (through hole and smt) are done comfortably at 250C display temperature, so I'll say it's off by 50C. 330C display temperature is when the flux in my leaded solder starts giving a "quick puff of smoke" which agrees well with it being 50C off. I *think* there's some overshoot after a big soldering but it's not bad enough to smoke the flux. The reaction time is fast and it shows the temperature dip in about 1s after touching the workpiece, and then heater turns on. Touching a big SMA connector now melts the solder right away (at "310C" which I think is 360C).

Overall it's more than adequate for my use cases and I can now even solder RF power amplifiers with it (previously that was done using several candles). The handle doesn't get hot. Tip to grip distance is 7cm which is much shorter than my last iron. The build quality is ok although I'll be taking it apart to check mains wiring.

205H soldering station? That seems like a good price. Temperature being offset is not a big deal at all, since you know what to set it to.
Seriously glad you upgraded from that old stuff. 

[OwO]

This one:

Seems to be a china-only model though as I can't find anything about it on google.

[OwO]

Huh, TS2300C sells for over $200 USD for what looks like the same thing.

Also this came up in the search and made me LOL:

The story for those who can't read moon runes: long time ago a Chinese company misappropriated Hakko's kanji brand name 白光 (read "Hakko" in Japanese) and started selling Hakko clones under the same name, but romanized as "Bakon" (presumably the cantonese reading?) This one here changes one character, mixes the chinese and japanese readings to become "Huakko" 

[coppice]

Huh, TS2300C sells for over $200 USD for what looks like the same thing.

Also this came up in the search and made me LOL:
(Attachment Link)
The story for those who can't read moon runes: long time ago a Chinese company misappropriated Hakko's kanji brand name 白光 (read "Hakko" in Japanese) and started selling Hakko clones under the same name, but romanized as "Bakon" (presumably the cantonese reading?) This one here changes one character, mixes the chinese and japanese readings to become "Huakko" 

白光 == baak gwong in Cantonese, so bakon is a pretty poor match. Maybe they should have used the name bacon. Anything sells well when there is bacon in it.

[nigelwright7557]

Why change if what you have does the job ?

My experience of soldering stations has been poor.
I bought one from Maplin that lasted two weeks and went through tips every couple of days !
Got it replaced and next one did the same.
So gave up with Maplin soldering stations and bought a cheap Antex soldering iron.
Had it now a good few years and tips last for years.

[Monkeh]

Why change if what you have does the job ?

My experience of soldering stations has been poor.
I bought one from Maplin that lasted two weeks and went through tips every couple of days !
Got it replaced and next one did the same.
So gave up with Maplin soldering stations and bought a cheap Antex soldering iron.
Had it now a good few years and tips last for years.

That's what you get for buying from Maplin..

[nfmax]

Why change if what you have does the job ?

My experience of soldering stations has been poor.
I bought one from Maplin that lasted two weeks and went through tips every couple of days !
Got it replaced and next one did the same.
So gave up with Maplin soldering stations and bought a cheap Antex soldering iron.
Had it now a good few years and tips last for years.

That's what you get for buying from Maplin..

At least you can't make that mistake again now!

[GeorgeOfTheJungle]

I would like to upgrade to a "proper" soldering station, but it seems a big jump to go from a $10 disposable iron to a $200+ station. I first surveyed what is available locally. The higher end ones average $50

This one is very good, and about $80 or so:
http://duckduckgo.com/?q=sl2020+jbc&ia=images&iax=images

[ogden]

This gets overlooked by many and is another feature of the more expensive models, the working distance and size of the handle compared to how hot it gets. The Pace ADS200 (120W) cartridges are about 40-50mm working distance (aside from the large rework blades) and the handle is slim, ergonomic and stays cool. It's very similar to the Metcal which also has a good working distance.

Right. From ergonomics point of view I find Ersa I-con handles the best of the best, thou price of I-Con stations is "hobby-prohibitive". Review: https://xdevs.com/review/ersa_icon/

Note that ruler is in centimeters, not inches (pic from xdevs review):

[KaneTW]

My Ersa i-Con 2V with the regular tool was EUR370 net when I bought it in 2018, which is pretty reasonable. Now it's 420 net.

[tooki]

Why change if what you have does the job ?

My experience of soldering stations has been poor.
I bought one from Maplin that lasted two weeks and went through tips every couple of days !
Got it replaced and next one did the same.
So gave up with Maplin soldering stations and bought a cheap Antex soldering iron.
Had it now a good few years and tips last for years.

So you’re comparing a garbage grade station with a top brand fire stick and somehow thinking you’ve drawn a valid conclusion therefrom.

Try a real soldering station and then come back.

[Shock]

For some reason those Ersa images won't load. Ersas are good stations but there are a few things new players need to know going in. They use a tip/heater system a with screw on collar, though they out perform the majority of the stations out there they also have less accurate regulation which is the downside of that extra performance. Comparatively Metcal, JBC and Pace cartridge based stations also have great performance, are faster heating and easier to swap tips on. Plus Metcal and Pace are both accurate regulating and calibration free.

With Ersa and Hakko you can buy extra collars/sleeves to make swapping tips a bit more efficient, but there is just no reason to with cartridge based stations. Both Ersa and Pace have relatively cheaper tips in comparison to most cartridge based stations. Though it's promoted as a benefit, in my opinion having any complex circuitry in the handpiece can be a double edged sword when it comes to reliability.