Solder up!

[DFB]

I do a lot of electronics. My favourite soldering tools is since many years the classic Weller WECP-20 range. I's a 50W temp control station. In my electronics workshop I keep 2 of them, one with a standard pen and one with a miniature. I also have a WECP in each of my other places for repair work. Whenever I find them used I buy them for around 100 USD. For portable use I have 2 Weller Pyropen Piezo Butane-powered irons. They are great for repair work, as they also come with hot air nozzles that is perfect for shrink tubing. I once had a electric cordless iron which was utterly useless, never again. Good work requires good tools.

/M
https://www.google.se/search?q=well...-pyropen-piezo-0051605999-weller.html;318;200

Thanks for that good advice :thumbsup:

James and jjsjeff both also mentioned the butane pen iron

 

[davrow]

When I got interested in the Raspberry Pi I also found Adafruit: Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits. Reminded me how much fun electronics projects could be - and introduced me to Hakko.

I've an old Weller gun that works fine... if you don't know what you are missing. Tunable heat means you can use lead-free solder and make it work!

I settled on the analog Hakko 888 (since discontinued of course, $95 here: Genuine Hakko FX-888 (936 upgrade) [FX-888] ID: 303. There is a digital version, too, the Hakko 888D which is available on Amazon.

 

[xzcVAbc5]

When I got interested in the Raspberry Pi I also found Adafruit: Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits. Reminded me how much fun electronics projects could be - and introduced me to Hakko.

I have a Arduino Mega 2560 from AdaFruit sitting on my front door step that was delivered today while I was at work. It's my first microcontroller project since college. Can't wait!

 

[DFB]

I settled on the analog Hakko 888 (since discontinued of course, $95 here: Genuine Hakko FX-888 (936 upgrade) [FX-888] ID: 303. There is a digital version, too, the Hakko 888D which is available on Amazon.

That's a sharp looking unit reasonably priced too . I'm going to look into the Hakko name a little more.

Reminded me how much fun electronics projects could be.

And James had said earlier

Everyone needs to learn how to solder, it is not that hard to learn, and is a very useful skill.

Geez looking back now on where I worked, outside of the Test Equipment guys, the Engineering staff and me as the Department Lead there wasn't one guy at all doing production solder assembly in those days...the entire crew was women

 

[mbohuntr]

I have a Arduino Mega 2560 from AdaFruit sitting on my front door step that was delivered today while I was at work. It's my first microcontroller project since college. Can't wait!

Did a couple of small beginner projects with Arduino, pretty cool and fairly easy to understand.