when you're done soldering for the day... never did this. Had success all these years without properly maintaining my soldering iron... there's a bunch of stuff online about tip maintenance... How do you go about it and should I spend $70 on a Weller iron...
Yes, just touch the solder to the tip for a sec when you are about to turn it off. I don't know if it makes a difference, but I've been doing it for a long time.
Weller makes nice stuff but I think you can do better for the money. I have a ts100 that I really like. It heats up more quickly than any other iron I've used. People really like the Hakko irons too.
I spent extra and got a Hakko 888D. Great. Very fast to heat up, nice flexible cord, solidly built.
Quote from: Dwubyd on July 07, 2021, 01:27:58 PM
I spent extra and got a Hakko 888D. Great. Very fast to heat up, nice flexible cord, solidly built.
Same here, I love it.
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Quote from: jimilee on July 07, 2021, 02:02:59 PM
Quote from: Dwubyd on July 07, 2021, 01:27:58 PM
I spent extra and got a Hakko 888D. Great. Very fast to heat up, nice flexible cord, solidly built.
Same here, I love it.
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Plus one to that.
Putting a dab of solder on the tip saves the tip from oxidation. IDK if anyone has noticed but if you leave your iron on and go grab a bite to eat, when you come back the tip is all gross with oxidation. This will shorten the life of the tip. Ideally, the tip should be "wetted" with new solder every few minutes when in use to get rid of tip oxidation.
Keeping the tip just hot enough to make good solder connections really helps with tip life also. A too hot iron really reduces tip life.
Besides tinning the tip after every use, I always start by using Tip Tinner before every use as well.
Too often I forget to tin the tip when I turn it off but I've found that it's more important to tip life how it's cleaned.
I was watching some YouTube videos awhile back and saw a Mr. Carlson's lab where he advised not using a wet sponge to clean the tip as the shock greatly reduces tip life. Constantly quenching isn't good.
Instead I just use a scrubby cup and a little fresh solder if necessary.
Since I've been using the scrubby cup alone my tip stays nice and clean and has barely aged at all after something like 20 builds.
I've never tried the tinner stuff as I'm not sure if it's a good mix with the flux in my lead solder.
I recently purchased one of Weller's "professional" soldering irons. It came brand new with a glob of solder on the tip. All their literature recommends the practice as well.
I use tip cleaner when I'm done. Ive always thought it was leaving on the acidic flux that corodes the tip. I've tried it without cleaner and just a glob solder and the tip went faster. I use a wet sponge for the interim wipes and have never had an issue.
Weller says otherwise but it works for me. I get a couple of years out of a fine tip
https://www.weller-tools.com/how-to-care-for-soldering-iron-tips/
I clean mine, but leave a light layer on the tip.
I have a X-Tronic 3060 Pro, not too many complaints about it and have noticed occasionally I have to tighten the tip.
After reading a lot of unbiased reviews I figured it was the one for me being $10 more than a weller, fast heating and 3 presets i can take advantage of.
I do kind of wonder if the hakko would have been better, but without all the arms and junk attached to it (useless) it's been pretty great, using the magnifier as a work light on occasion.
I try not to leave a glob of solder on my iron, but it happens occasionally.
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I use the cheap 30W Chicago Electric iron from Harbor Freight Tools. When original the tip finally melts off into my projects, I slide a Hakko one in and keep going. I've only had to buy two of these cheapo irons since I started building pedals in 2007. I had a comparable Weller that lasted about 6 months in between my HFT irons. I'm heavy handed, so there is always a small gob of solder on the tip when I'm working on a project. When it starts to turn black or interfere with soldering the next part, I clean it in a Hakko wire wool tip cleaner. It's probably been a decade since I bought that Hakko tip. I always run the tip through the wire wool after unplugging the iron, so I don't have any globs when I'm done. The glob is only there to keep the tip wet and get the solder to flow quicker between the part lead and the eyelet hole or smd pad while I work.