Taught by Professor Daniel Dignon
Lesson 20 Essay: How to select the right soldering iron
Written by KryssaLee Baze
Selecting the right soldering gun for you depends on what kind of soldering work you are doing. Most soldering "guns" are too highly powered for electronics soldering. Usually they are 100 Watts or more, which will overheat and damage electronic components. Some people cleverly use these soldering guns to heat multiple leads on a surface, however they are typically used for plumbing and other heavy-duty applications. For small electronics work, a 25-30 Watt soldering iron is suffice for this.
Temperature regulated soldering irons heat the tip to maintain just the right heat, without wasting energy. However plug-in irons cannot regulate the heat. These unregulated irons only produce a certain amount of heat, and once the tip touches the part you're soldering, it loses heat. The only way to bring the heat back is to pull the tip away from the part you're soldering.
Cheap brands of soldering irons work fine for soldering work, however they can overheat and become uncomfortable to hold. Higher priced irons are designed for longer work hours.
Select the tip for your soldering iron that is slightly smaller than the pad that you're soldering onto. Selecting the type of tip depends mostly on personal preference. There are many types of tips. Screwdriver/chisel, spade, and conical are some of the more common ones.
Once you decide what type of soldering iron will work for you, go and start soldering!
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