[hmen]

Can anyone tell me where I can find a good soldering iron. I've been to Sears, Home Depot, Rat Shack, local hardware stores and even done some web searching and all I've been able to find are large, clunky units with fat tips that aren't good for work in tight places. I need something 40w or over. I'm sure they must exist. Thanks.

[Scott F.]

Hiya,

Let me suggest MCM online. They offer a nice assortment of Hacko, Weller and less expensive Tenma and Hardcase lines. They have reasonable pricing adn are very reliable. I've bought several meters and assorted goodies from them without any trouble.

heres the link
www.mcminone.com

[W.C.]

Here's the one that I bought.
http://www.action-electronics.com/wewesd51.htm

[DVV]

Can anyone tell me where I can find a good soldering iron. I've been to Sears, Home Depot, Rat Shack, local hardware stores and even done some web searching and all I've been able to find are large, clunky units with fat tips that aren't good for work in tight places. I need something 40w or over. I'm sure they must exist. Thanks.

While Weller, etc are well known, the hidden gem of soldering irons is, in my view, ERSA. They are a German company over 100 years old, with an outstanding portfolio of whatever you can imagine, and then some. Their ERSAdur tips REALLY last longer than most - I have had their soldering irons since 1972, when I bought the first one. It still works perfectly to this day.

I have no idea of their availability in the US, but over here in Europe, you can try http://www.conrad.de or http://www.buerklin.de . The first site has an English version, the second I don't know. If memory serves, ERSA has US versions of most of their products. Buy with confidence.

Cheers,
DVV

[MaxCast]

While Weller, etc are well known, the hidden gem of soldering irons is, in my view, ERSA. They are a German company over 100 years old, with an outstanding portfolio of whatever you can imagine, and then some. Their ERSAdur tips REALLY last longer than most - I have had their soldering irons since 1972, when I bought the first one. It still works perfectly to this day.

I have no idea of their availability in the US, but over here in Europe, you can try http://www.conrad.de or http://www.buerklin.de . The ...

Plus, when you plug that thing into a Dezoral the sloder really flows...

I bought a RS iron.  They had about 6 or so to pick from.  Big gun types, as well as, the pencil type.  All kind of tips too.  You can also get replacement tips.

[Carlman]

Hacko is on ebay a lot.... just an option...

[DVV]

Plus, when you plug that thing into a Dezoral the sloder really flows...

You sure got that right, Max.

Seriously though, it doesn't make an inkling of difference to a soldering iron whether its power is filtered or not - maybe heats up a little faster, but that's all.

As for ERSA, I love them, they really know what's it about. Not cheap, but not outlandishly expensive either, and true value for money.

Cheers,
DVV

[randytsuch]

I ended up buying a used iron from these guys,
http://www.eaesales.com/
You can also buy tips.  I would recommend at least getting a fine tip for IC/fine work, and a big tip for working or cables, or something big.

I bought an iron from them for around $40, but right now, it doesn't look like they have anything cheap.  The one I bought was kind of old, but it works great.

Randy

[mgalusha]

Another brand to consider is Edsyn. I picked one up from radioshack.com on sale for 1/2 price and it's the best soldering iron I've ever used (including Weller).

The folks that Randy listed in the previous post have a used one for $50, which given the quality of this station is a good value. My opinion of course, but I have been delighted with it for a couple of years now.

Mike