The Aussie Pinball Arcade
Aussie Pinball Forums => Technical Matters => Pinball Repairs / Problems & Assistance => Topic started by: Ford Fairlane on January 16, 2009, 12:33:33 PM
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Hi All,
Im thinking of buying a soldering station this weekend so im looking for hints and tips on what i should avoid or snap up. What sort of costs am i looking at for something thats not going to brake the first time i use it etc.
Thanks Guys
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I got my adjustable one from DSE which has worked well, but I've just purchased a solder / desolder station.... The one from DSE cost about $70 from memory.
I think Nino would be best to give advise here!
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I have old Solder Stations - An ancient ROYEL station (25 years +) with two irons and a desoldering wand - but it needs to be connected to a compressor.
My Weller of 10 years died 3 months ago - So I'm in the market for a new station.
The key is to find an Iron you are comfortable with that stocks tips. Irons are useless if they have no Tips ! Hakko are the best and Weller are excellent to use for Pinball. DSE and Jaycar sell their own brands - and I hear they are quite good.
Adjustable temperature stations are a must if you want to do board work !
I hope that helps.
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I have old Solder Stations - An ancient ROYEL station (25 years +) with two irons and a desoldering wand - but it needs to be connected to a compressor.
My Weller of 10 years died 3 months ago - So I'm in the market for a new station.
The key is to find an Iron you are comfortable with that stocks tips. Irons are useless if they have no Tips ! Hakko are the best and Weller are excellent to use for Pinball. DSE and Jaycar sell their own brands - and I hear they are quite good.
Adjustable temperature stations are a must if you want to do board work !
I hope that helps.
The DSE one I bought was purely as a replacement for the standard $6.00 one from bunnings (non adjustable) which was junk. Absolute sound advise re the temp controlled stations. I quite enjoy board repair, so for next project I have also picked up a PCB holder with component holder as well.
I've borrowed a small little Bluepoint butane iron as well. Handy if just soldering wires to coils or globes in those spots where you're standing on three legs with a 180deg twist in your back..!
I should get my new station next week. Not having anything to compare to I don't know if its good or junk but well see!
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I hunted, scrounged and patiently assembled my Hakko soldering rig over several weeks. It cost less than $200 US by the time I got it all working, but for what I got that is extremely inexpensive I think.
There's a post about it here:
http://aussiepinball.com/index.php?topic=136.msg3557#msg3557
This company is in USA so probably not on your list anyways, but it's just chinese cheap import stuff and I'm sure the same stuff is sold somewhere near you:
http://store.sra-solder.com/index.php
This cheap stuff looks good for the price, and I found the parts to be almost perfectly interchangeable with Hakko, but it is definitely NOT Hakko quality. It's billed to be temperature control and it doesn't even have a temperature sensor, so be very cautious when buying clones. Prolly better than a hack iron from the local department store. But having used the good stuff now, I can tell the difference in terms of how well it works immediately, which means something less will not perform as well.
I would recommend the obvious, which is to get the best soldering equipment you can afford, or maybe spend even a little more than you can afford. It just makes you feel warm & fuzzy to use the good tools.
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff201/rgpimage/afroL.gif)
P.S. Oh, yea. Your mileage may vary, but I have never needed two soldering handpieces and don't know when having the two would actually come in handy. Guys with better skills can speak to that. One really nice soldering station and a Hakko 808 might be a good way to go.
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I broke a power wire off in my soldering station. Don't think I'll bother fixing it though, it's junk. Sat there for hours after I broke the power lead trying to solder it back on, damn thing won't heat up. Junk, I tell you!
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I broke a power wire off in my soldering station. Don't think I'll bother fixing it though, it's junk. Sat there for hours after I broke the power lead trying to solder it back on, damn thing won't heat up. Junk, I tell you!
LOL!!! Just chuck it out mate - is a battle of wills. If it refuses to be a soldering station anymore then hammer fodder it must become
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This is the unit I'm getting...
http://www.jaycar.com/productView.asp?URL=index&ID=TS1574&CATID=29&SUBCATID=425
Its not from Jaycar, but cheaper than that too. Its only an entry level unit - but for a weekend hack like myself hopefully it will be OK....I couldn't justify buying a Weller or more expensive station for a part time hobbiest...If I was using it full time, no question.
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looks OK,
$164 - price from Jaycar??? MY Weller only cost $170
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looks OK,
$164 - price from Jaycar??? MY Weller only cost $170
Wow...Is that just a soldering station or desoldering as well? I thought a Weller station like that would be $800+...
This one looks pretty flash..
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Pace-MBT-250A-SOLDERING-DESOLDERING-STATION-250_W0QQitemZ370144017855QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_15?hash=item370144017855&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
Not sure how being Military spec would make it worth any more?
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oops - my mistake,
Just saw that the jaycar was a desolder also - my Weller is just a temp variable soldering iron. didnt mean to get you all excited!
In fact $164 from Jaycar - ill be up for one of those - im SO PISSED OFF using a solder sucker!
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so is this too cheap and nasty?
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=TS1620&CATID=&keywords=soldering+station&SPECIAL=&form=KEYWORD&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=
Is this one more like it?
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=TS1560&CATID=&keywords=Soldering+station&SPECIAL=&form=KEYWORD&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=
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i kept clicking from one to the other to justify the doubling of costs.
Basically - you have a 10W difference between the 2, one has better heat transfer than the other, but once its up to temp - it makes no difference whatsoever - time is the only issue - what we talking about here?? 3 mins tops??
Mate - for $50 compared to $100 id go the cheaper option
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excellent! thanks for the info
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don't get too excited, folks... The Jaycar Iron was in US Dollars...
https://secure.vividcluster.crox.net.au/jaycar2005/productResults.asp?FORM=KEYWORD
Now it is in Aussie $$$
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Sorry mate, i dont get it? (your link doesnt work) and i just looked again. What am i doing wrong? I have them at $49.99 and $99 respectively is that too much?
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Yeh i got that too.
$49 and $99 AUS$ - so id still go the cheaper option
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cool thanks!! and i get the 60/40 solder for my em's and i was thinking of 1mm thick and ive had to many beers
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basically any solder will do apart from the lead free stuff - its crap and ther aint no one that died of lead poisoning due to soldering - especially a hobbyist.
But while you are purchasing - get yourself a botle of solder flux - the stuff in the black bottle - cant rememnber the name cos ive had a few beers too! But youll need this to put on those old EM wires prior to silvering them with solder. Somehow the grease and dirt gets under the cloth insulation. Dont ask me how - is another EM mystery
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Got there!
BAKERS soldering flux
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great yips thnks again