AudioCircle
Industry Circles => GR Research => Topic started by: DeeJayBump on 27 Aug 2019, 12:19 am
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About to start a deeper journey into Danny's creation(s) with a pair of Wedgies from our friends up north, and I need a good soldering iron/station for the assembly + upgrades and the like.
Don't really know a price range for a good iron but I'm guessing $100-ish should be a good start. I can always upgrade to better iron or soldering station in the future if the need arises. I'm open to suggestions both for the iron and for what tip(s) are ideal for crossover assembly and upgrades and drivers, etc.
Forgot to add that I might also need it for stuff like Folsom's chip-amps, so keep that in mind WRT tips.
Thanks in advance.
-Scott
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I use a Hakko FX888D digital soldering station. It is right at $100 on Amazon. The tips are interchangeable so you can easily work on larger soldering tasks like point to point wiring and PCB work. It heats up pretty fast and is able to handle multiple joints in quick succession without dropping temperature. I’ve had other irons but like this one the best.
Mike
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Thanks, Mike.
Any other tips you recommend for the Hakko?
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Hey Scott. I've used the Hakko suggested by Mike in my lab at work. It's a very nice rig for the price, but depending on how deep you want to get into the hobby it could be more than you need. At home I've just been using a Aoyue 469, available on Amazon for $30. The temp control is not digital, but it's stable and covers a wide range of temperatures. Plenty of tip sizes available. I've used it on everything from automotive wiring, speakers, crossovers (with stock tip), to tiny surface mount ICs (with smaller tip).
Now of course, I'm slightly embarrassed trying to down sell you on a tool, but hell, less $ on tools is more to spend on other gear. :D
Jeff
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=53954)
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Thanks, Mike.
Any other tips you recommend for the Hakko?
Scott,
I don’t recall the item numbers on the tips I bought. There are some combo packs on Hakko’s website with different sizes and styles. I got about 6 or 8 different types. I find the flat/chisel style tips the most useful. Smaller ones on point to point wiring like crossover connections or a couple tube amps I’ve built and bigger ones for binding post terminals. Folks with more PCB experience than I have can give better suggestions on tips for that use.
Mike
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I use a Hakko.
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Using the same Hakko up here as well. searched around a bit and found it to be among the best for performance/features for the cost.
We use a few differnt tips as well. a small chisel as well as a couple different pencil tips.
If you dig around a bit, there are a few good iron reviews on google
A buddy has an inductive unit that is cool, it'll solder up a full banna with a large gauge wire in like a second... then you can pcik the stuff up and it's cold .... until you actually touch the joint !!
Way too much for general hobby use but still really cool
jay
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Thanks for all the replies so far, folks.
jeff- for a number of years I've wanted to dive into more DIY and other projects/builds [Bottleheads, gilmore dynalos, chip-amps, etc] and have used not having a decent iron as an excuse to keep putting those off into the future. Since I'm jumping in with Wedgies (then servo subs, then probably NX-Oticas/NX-Tremes, and possibly Line-Forces) as well as cap/inductor-rolling and chip-amp builds and building other components, I might as well get something like the Hakko now to have a soldering setup that will meet all of my potential project meeds for some time to come.
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I have a bunch of them around here and this one is my favorite: https://www.sears.com/wall-lenk-wall-lenk-lg400c-400-150-heavy-duty/p-SPM8862009529?plpSellerId=Tool%20Shack&prdNo=21&blockNo=21&blockType=G21
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I use Stahl from part express.been using the same one for the last 8 year,only cost 30.00 ,never let me down.
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I use a Hakko too.
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Hakko here. The tips last a long time.
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I have several solder stations. None can best my Weller 550D “gun”. Get it hot and get off of it is a decent technique. I may purchase a “cold” process system so that I may have an opportunity to try something different.
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I have an small size Hikari 220V 40W and two king size Éner 110V 70W from the 1970 and 80s, the Éner are so robust one day I use it in the 220V outlet and it dont broke the filament, they continue serve me well.
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I have a Weller WESD51 which has worked well for many years. This one seems to have been replaced by newer models.
(https://i.imgur.com/shRRc15.jpg)
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https://www.parts-express.com/stahl-tools-tcss-temp-controlled-soldering-iron-station-esd-safe--374-200
I dont think you would need to spend more than $60, plus coupons always floating around.
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I suggest avoid the pen style solders, prefer the gun solder stations:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEWACALOX-US-EU-Auto-Soldering-iron-Gun-Send-Tin-Heat-Solder-Welding-Gun-Kit/401756647507?hash=item5d8a8ff053:m:mByLCV6mPntKC22y3AgcdKA&var=671537214671
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I suggest avoid the pen style solders, prefer the gun solder stations:
Why do you prefer guns over pens ?
(https://i.redd.it/ltl9m989ft4x.jpg)
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No any gun, it should be a gun with solder holder to hands free.
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The junction has to be heated to temperature and the solder then flowed into the junction. I don't think a fixed point solder feed mechanism will work properly in the majority of applications.
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if the solder auto feed broke one can allways feed the solder manually.
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Different strokes for different folks. My dad preferred a gun while I prefer an iron.
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It depend on the service type to be made, service with mobile parts require hands free and are a pita, especially hard wire in tube amps. Stranded wire are a easy job.
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For those who have used the stahl how long do the tips last versus the hakko or weller tips? Thanks.
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We've got boththe Stahl and the Hakko.... I'd buy the Hakko.
Keep the tip clean and tinned, it'll last for ages.
This is a pretty accurate review aside from the temp control... it's not that dificult IMHO LOL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXxXA59HV-s
jay
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The tips are very cheap raw copper.
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Thanks, jay.
Yep, I had pretty much decided to go with the Hakko before asking the tip durability question, just trying to give [at least in my mind] the Stahl a fair shake. Don't want to wonder what if, and since I have many builds of danny's speakers but also some electronics, the Hakko and a tip pack it will be.
Thanks, everyone for your input.
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Good discussion guys, personally I'm a Weller user at work and home. It's what the industrial research lab used when I started in technology 40 years ago and I'm a not broke don't change guy. Agree with Mike great second choice is Hakko.
I advise considering if this tool will be used only for speaker crossovers or if it will also might be used on electronic circuit boards.
Typically the gun types and $30 pen units do not have active temperature control. The tell here is if it plugs directly into the wall and does not have a control box. These are typically called 'soldering irons' or 'soldering guns'. For example the unit DR suggested states "Tip Temperatures Of 1000 Degrees Fahrenheit Or More For Effective Heavy Duty, Sustained Soldering". That will certainly work on big old speaker wire, buss wire, inductors and leaded caps. Please do not ever get such an iron near a modern electronics printed circuit board. This type has a fixed wattage heater along with the thermal mass of the tip that supplies the heat to the parts being soldered.
The Wellers and Hakkos and similar units have active temperature control. Look for that control box with a knob or up/down buttons to set the temperature and often a digital display to show it. This class often called 'soldering stations'. This type has a thermocouple in or near the tip that drives a feed back circuit controlling the heating element. While soldering as the work draws heat from the tip power is added to the heater. I find this very helpful on joints with a lot of copper like speaker cable because the added power quickly gets the joint to solder melting temperature so I can get on and get off. At the other use extreme when soldering on circuit boards the heating element is throttled back so the tip does not overheat delicate parts like ICs or surface mount Rs & Cs. Extreme overheating (like the 1000 degrees F from a gun type) will delaminate the copper traces off a PCB.
With my Weller I solder on PCBs with a fine tip and 650 degree F setting. For crossovers install larger flat end tip and set temp to 750F. That is with lead/tin or lead/tin/silver solders. Lead free solder needs hotter temperatures. Now such numbers are a mix of industry best practices and personal preferences. Where I work in the engineering lab we use 650, other side of the building the production staff like to turn their irons hotter 700 or above which allows them to work faster. The engineers do not like them that hot fearing component or PCB damage. In some cases in the production documentation for known sensitive parts we specify the iron temperature setting. Shops doing mil-spec or aerospace work use soldering stations with locked temperatures to prevent production staff running the irons hot.
Regarding tips for hobby work they will last years. Yes on a production floor in use 8 hrs/day spare tips are stocked. For intermittent use I do not consider the tips consumable. Like Mike said get a few sizes with the station and you are set.
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(https://i.redd.it/ltl9m989ft4x.jpg)
Those pictures are hilarious.
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Clearly those are Kryptonians, hiding in plain sight.
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Those pictures are hilarious.
+1. Solder a PCB is a empty table is a newbie task.
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(https://i.redd.it/ltl9m989ft4x.jpg)
Those pictures are hilarious.
Hey!
:rotflmao: Hmmm... I don't see smoke coming out from their hands. Yeah, that's where you should be holding it!
Buddy
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Hey!
:rotflmao: Hmmm... I don't see smoke coming out from their hands. Yeah, that's where you should be holding it!
Buddy
Nahh, they just had a "Resist Fire" spell cast on them before soldering
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A number of soldering iron emblazoned coffee mugs and T-shirts on the net:
"IF IT SMELLS LIKE CHICKEN, YOU'RE HOLDING IT WRONG."
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Solding is easy, hard is resold, especially SMD.