Show me your soldering tools !

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Hydrolastic
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Show me your soldering tools !

Post: # 24626Post Hydrolastic »

Hello Guy's, I have signed up for a electronics course and there is a list of recommended equipment needed
Recommended:
Soldering Iron Staton
Solder
Desoldering tool
Wire cutters
Tweezers
Digital Multi Meter I already have a fluke 77 but they are recommending a 177 or 179 .

what I would like to know is what do you guys use? I will just get that . I realize that there will be solid state stuff and that they will use smaller tips and such. but I will be just doing the tube stuff. Post pictures!
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William
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Re: Show me your soldering tools !

Post: # 24627Post William »

I have this soldering station:

https://www.amazon.com/Weller-Digital-S ... =8-23&th=1

I also have this which comes in handy sometimes:

https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-01902-Adju ... 33&sr=8-18

I use de-soldering tape:

https://www.amazon.com/Lesnow-No-Clean- ... r=8-5&th=1

I have this type of wire cutter but also have several different sizes of diagonal wire cutters.

https://www.amazon.com/NICE-POWER-Profe ... =8-10&th=1

I have some very small needle nose pliers that I use instead of tweezers.

The brand of solder I have right now is Kester, it is a 60/40 blend and is .031 diameter.

I have two digital meters and one Heathkit VTVM. The digital meter that I use the most is a TENMA model 72-7720.

I hope this helps and have fun with the class.

Bill
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hermitcrab
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Re: Show me your soldering tools !

Post: # 24630Post hermitcrab »

I have one of those solder stations from China it works ok, but it seems to take a while to melt even though the temp says it is over 300 C ...my fall back is my trusty Weller 140 watt gun , I also have a desoldering gun or a solder sucker ( I love that thing ) makes quick work of removing components from a circuit board ...I have many back up solder pencils around 4 of them ... even old radio shack ones that still work good... I miss the old Radio shack stores that carried everything back in the day...warning ... stay away from silver solder even the stuff that claims it is 60/40 ... it is garbage , at least in my experience ... slow to melt , lousy at sticking etc....
danrclem
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Re: Show me your soldering tools !

Post: # 24659Post danrclem »

I have a Hakko FX-888D soldering station and it comes Highly recommended by many. I have a Soldapullt solder sucker. Some Klein cutters and Klein strippers. Some small needle nose plyers and side cutter that are Craftsman brand from a long time ago. I have an Extech EX330 multi-meter and several other things. I haven't ever had a Fluke meter but I've always heard that they made top notch products.

I wish I could find an electronics course close to me.
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TC Chris
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Re: Show me your soldering tools !

Post: # 24660Post TC Chris »

I've got a very old "Weller Junior" soldering gun, a Radio Shack soldering pencil, and a Heath variable temp soldering station that I've never used (inherited it from a great-uncle). I use the Weller a lot, and also the RS on printed circuit stuff. I've got a Radio Shack solder sucker, one with a squeeze bulb for sucking, and it works well but is a bit bulky in tight quarters.

I've got a Heath VTVM, an old Eico kit VOM, a classic Simpson 260 VOM, and a Bell & Howell/DeVry transistor voltmeter. All are analog. My brother gave me a $5 Harbor Freight digital meter and it proves that you get exactly what you pay for. Yes, some digits do show up on the screen but they bear little relation to objective reality.

Chris Campbell
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Motorola minion
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Re: Show me your soldering tools !

Post: # 24798Post Motorola minion »

The Fluke 177 is my go-to meter, so that is a great choice. It measures capacitance too. The frequency function is not accurate for much beyond confirming 60 HZ power. The 77 is a fine unit, you probably don't need to upgrade.

My soldering irons are as follows:

1. Big jobs on hand-wired chassis, mostly pre-war radios use a Weller gun, 100-200 watts. Never use this on smaller equipment.

2. Bench use on anything not in #1. An older weller solder station, using a pencil-style iron with 600, 700, 800 degree tips, with small, 600 pencil tips for transistors, small 700 chisel tips for PC boards and 800 big chisel for terminal strips, etc.
Weller station 1980.jpg
3. Portable in my toolbox is a 25 to 40 watt SP-style Weller Iron. This is everything you need for field work.

I wont upgrade because Weller, Ungar and a few others designed everything right the first time, also that was copied and on sale now.
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