Best soldering iron

[metaleltr]

Looking for a corded soldering iron for wiring harness work. Initial project will be two complete wiring harnesses. One is an American Autowire Classic Update harness in a 69 Camaro. The other will be a haywire universal harness in a 30 Ford Roadster Pickup. What wattage should I be looking at, lets just assume 10-24 gauge wiring for general purposes. What brand should I consider? i know at one time Weller was king but I'm not sure based on more recent experiences that I have heard stories of. Anyone have any experience with Hexacon? What would you consider the Snap-On of soldering irons? I am not looking for a soldering gun or a cordless butane unit.

 

[Plasmatic]

Weller and Hakko both make pretty good stuff from what I've experienced.

I have an Edsyn 951SX for daily use, which is a good iron in terms of features and dollars-per-watt in its price bracket, but I had to send it back about four times to get one without a broken lower case straight out of the gate...talk about spotty quality control! So, even though I'm pleased with the unit I (finally) wound up with, I can't recommend that brand in good conscience...

 

[Monte]

look here:
www.ersa.com

 

[Thunderbisciut]

Hakko FX888. It looks like a toy, but it's all business. I love mine.

 

[metaleltr]

I forgot to mention local or semi local availability of the initial iron and additional tips would be preferred.

 

[Unmarked Bill]

That last thing you mentioned is important. The Weller that you can get at Home Despot is everywhere and you can always get tips for it. My super-trick touch sensitive MT1500 is phased out and when you can find a tip it's 60 bucks. I go on tour for work and an iron that you can't get a tip for in Tulsa on a Saturday is a bummer.

Have you considered a butane iron? I don't use it often but it's nice to have when you can't bring the work to your bench.

 

[metaleltr]

That last thing you mentioned is important. The Weller that you can get at Home Despot is everywhere and you can always get tips for it. My super-trick touch sensitive MT1500 is phased out and when you can find a tip it's 60 bucks. I go on tour for work and an iron that you can't get a tip for in Tulsa on a Saturday is a bummer.

Have you considered a butane iron? I don't use it often but it's nice to have when you can't bring the work to your bench.

I would like to avoid butane irons, I don't want to worry about supplying it with gas. With an electric all I have to do is plug it in to an extension cord. I would like to avoid Weller due to outsourcing and unknown levels of quality.

 

[Brownsfan]

I have a Cratsman gun. It was 40 bucks I think. It has lasted a couple remote start seasons of continious use and abuse and still works. I am talking 10-12hrs a day or 3 months. After that like 1 or 2 times a day 6 days a week. Tips are readily available and pretty cheap. I have soldered up to 4awg with no issues. Sears sells 3 guns, it is the mid priced one. I was going to buy the Professional one but they dont sell the tips in the store.

 

[metaleltr]

I have a Cratsman gun. It was 40 bucks I think. It has lasted a couple remote start seasons of continious use and abuse and still works. I am talking 10-12hrs a day or 3 months. After that like 1 or 2 times a day 6 days a week. Tips are readily available and pretty cheap. I have soldered up to 4awg with no issues.

I already have a soldering gun, for what I'm doing I would prefer an iron.

 

[Brownsfan]

I also have the 9 dollar iron for bench work and pre wiring of the remote start. Works great and tips are readily available. I use both of these professionally and they have lasted and have more than paid for themselves.

 

[Thumper]

I have had both Weller and Hakko. Both are good but I like the Hakko better.

 

[neophyte]

look here:
www.ersa.com

The Ersa irons look nice. All the irons I checked though list the voltage supply as 230.

 

[Zelatore]

I've used Weller in everything from bargain bin basic to fully adjustable vacuum solder stations when I worked in the electronics industry. Never had any issues with their stuff and wouldn't hesitate to buy them again.

I also have a couple of butane irons for work on boats when power isn't available or I simply don't feel like lugging an extension cord 200 yds down a dock. They work surprisingly well and run longer than you might expect on a fill. Refills are quick and easy with a butane can, just like you'd do a lighter. I carry a spare can as well.

I do NOT have a gun. I've had them in the past, and I've used other people's, and without exception they were all junk. I'll pass. The only thing I use a 'gun' for now (really it's the guts of a gun mounted in a box with a simple on/off switch) is for a hot knife to cut ropes and get a nice end. Even for that it isn't great.

If you can work from a bench, I'm 100% with you on wanting a good 110v iron. If you need to do field work, I'd also get a butane iron. You've got a cordless drill, right? Same thing with the butane iron.

 

[Hghgrad]

I bought a Weller 8200 gun for all my harness work. So much faster than using my lower wattage irons. No issues to speak of at all with it, and I can buy tips at ace hardware on a Sunday if I need to.

 

[Trey T]

Big Hakko fan here

 

[Steinmetz]

Looking for a corded soldering iron for wiring harness work. Initial project will be two complete wiring harnesses. One is an American Autowire Classic Update harness in a 69 Camaro. The other will be a haywire universal harness in a 30 Ford Roadster Pickup. What wattage should I be looking at, lets just assume 10-24 gauge wiring for general purposes. What brand should I consider? i know at one time Weller was king but I'm not sure based on more recent experiences that I have heard stories of. Anyone have any experience with Hexacon? What would you consider the Snap-On of soldering irons? I am not looking for a soldering gun or a cordless butane unit.

American Beauty. I own several.

 

[Rusty32]

I use a solder pliers that way i can grab the wires and hold them. It is ready to solder in seconds and the tips cool to touch just as fast

 

[Glacial_Speed]

What would you consider the Snap-On of soldering irons?

Metcal, but a $1000 setup for making harnesses is overkill. I'd go with the Hakko.

 

[Skin]

Hakko FX888. It looks like a toy, but it's all business. I love mine.

second this. Hakko makes some of the bet soldering stations available for the money.

 

[nanofrog]

I'd stay away from Weller these days, as their QC has gone down hill rather badly. Hakko's still quite decent, particularly the FX-951 (lot of value for the cost, as it has the newer heating technology <heater is in the tip>). Ersa doesn't have much presence in the US (one distributor). Metcal is also very good, but you can't adjust the temperature (set by the tips, so if you need hotter, you'd need different versions, even if the tip profile is identical).

Best soldering station manufacturer hands down, is JBC Tools IMHO. The heating element is the sensor, and is located in the tip on these as well. What that translates to, is they have the fastest recovery times out there and better temp regulation. Check out janelonline for pricing, and be sure to get a 120V version, as they sell the 230V versions as well.

All of this said however, for automotive wiring harnesses, properly performed crimps are superior to soldering (less resistance than solder, and it handles vibration better as there's an abrupt transition point between solder and wire strands). Just need the right tools, terminals, and some skill (less than is required for proper soldering).

For further information as to why this is the case, take a look at the following threads (bit of a long read, but worth it IMHO).
Solder or Crimp?
Remote starter, crimp or solder?

 

[MPOWERD]

Isnt it now Stanley Hakko? And isnt the FX888 now made in China?

 

[Brownsfan]

I'd stay away from Weller these days, as their QC has gone down hill rather badly. Hakko's still quite decent, particularly the FX-951 (lot of value for the cost, as it has the newer heating technology <heater is in the tip>). Ersa doesn't have much presence in the US (one distributor). Metcal is also very good, but you can't adjust the temperature (set by the tips, so if you need hotter, you'd need different versions, even if the tip profile is identical).

Best soldering station manufacturer hands down, is JBC Tools IMHO. The heating element is the sensor, and is located in the tip on these as well. What that translates to, is they have the fastest recovery times out there and better temp regulation. Check out janelonline for pricing, and be sure to get a 120V version, as they sell the 230V versions as well.

All of this said however, for automotive wiring harnesses, properly performed crimps are superior to soldering (less resistance than solder, and it handles vibration better as there's an abrupt transition point between solder and wire strands). Just need the right tools, terminals, and some skill (less than is required for proper soldering).

For further information as to why this is the case, take a look at the following threads (bit of a long read, but worth it IMHO).
Solder or Crimp?
Remote starter, crimp or solder?

In referance to the remote start thread. EVERY remote start and interface manufacturer recommends soldering the connections. Crimp a data connection and see how well it performs even if crimped properly. Also when tapping into wires if you crimp you will have to cut the wire in half to use a crimp connector. If you solder you just have to strip it back. Good luck crimping large gauge ignition harness wires. Some are as thick as 10awg then the remote start harness is 12awg. In that situation crimping is the worse thing you could do. I do automotive electrical and see more failed crimp connections than solder connections.

 

[nanofrog]

Isn't it now Stanley Hakko? And isn't the FX888 now made in China?

No and No.

Hakko is still a Japanese company, but they do have production facilities in both Japan and Malaysia (where the FX-888's were made <BTW, the FX-888 is now a discontinued model, replaced with the FX-888D>).

There are Chinese clones of the FX-888 though (did a pretty good job copying the physical appearance, but there are some missing details, such as the set screw for locking the temperature, and of course, the internals are different). Irons that come with the clones are a little easier to spot the flaws from what I've seen.

 

[nanofrog]

In reference to the remote start thread. EVERY remote start and interface manufacturer recommends soldering the connections. Crimp a data connection and see how well it performs even if crimped properly. Also when tapping into wires if you crimp you will have to cut the wire in half to use a crimp connector. If you solder you just have to strip it back. Good luck crimping large gauge ignition harness wires. Some are as thick as 10awg then the remote start harness is 12awg. In that situation crimping is the worse thing you could do. I do automotive electrical and see more failed crimp connections than solder connections.

That may be, but from an electrical and mechanical POV, it's not technically the best approach.

If I had to guess, it's a combination of convenience (no need to cut the wire), and higher odds of poor crimps as well as the wrong terminals being used (i.e. non-ratcheting plier types, such as Ideal or Klein used with vinyl insulated **** splices). This type of crimper takes a lot more skill to use properly, and the vinyl **** splices are absolutely the wrong type of terminal for automotive use (meant for static wiring <no vibration>).

Please understand, I used to perform QC on components and electronic assemblies, including wire harnesses once upon a time. I promise you, that comparing a properly performed crimp vs. a properly performed solder joint, that the crimp outperforms the soldered joint for both electrical and mechanical characteristics.

 

[jameswilson]

heard of Ersa irons. can try

 

[dslabuda]

This is more suited to working on a bench but I have a Hakko FX-951 and love it. Its a little pricey, especially when compared to the cheapo $10 pencils I've used throughout the years. The digital control and temperature stability is top notch, there is a wide selection of tips available, and the unit even came with a schematic for repair/mod work. I will admit the blue/yellow color scheme is a little Fisher-Price but don't let that dissuade you. This is a quality unit/brand.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk

 

[ConnerSmith]

Hakko FX888. It looks like a toy, but it's all business. I love mine.

I LOVE this iron!

 

[jfleisher]

Check local hobby shops for Hakko irons and clones, also tips and supplies. RC guys are big into soldering their own battery packs and things.

 

[djb2]

Please understand, I used to perform QC on components and electronic assemblies, including wire harnesses once upon a time. I promise you, that comparing a properly performed crimp vs. a properly performed solder joint, that the crimp outperforms the soldered joint for both electrical and mechanical characteristics.

Echoing this: yes, crimping is absolutely the preferred, recommended approach.

There are no solder joints in factory wiring harnesses. Even when terminating wires to a circuit board you'll find a crimped terminal that is then soldered to the board.

There are times when you will need to break this rule and solder wires together. There is often some access constrain, so have a few soldering irons to choose from is useful. I own a handful of irons, and it's often a cheap one with the right tip already installed that gets used.

Have at least one butane soldering iron around. Good ones light easily and heat up quickly making them really convenient when you have one or two joints to solder where it's difficult to run a cord.

 

[pmohr]

Another vote here for the FX-888.

I use a small butane iron for doing minor work inside vehicles, but for anything I can get on the bench, I go straight for the Hakko.

 

[Trey T]

The most talked about Hakko was model 936 and I have one. Check it out!

I would take Made in Japan electronic over Made in USA any day!

 

[metaleltr]

Looking around I think I have settled on American Beauty. What amperage should I be looking at? I'm stuck between 60-75 and 100.

 

[hairyj]

In referance to the remote start thread. EVERY remote start and interface manufacturer recommends soldering the connections. Crimp a data connection and see how well it performs even if crimped properly. Also when tapping into wires if you crimp you will have to cut the wire in half to use a crimp connector. If you solder you just have to strip it back. Good luck crimping large gauge ignition harness wires. Some are as thick as 10awg then the remote start harness is 12awg. In that situation crimping is the worse thing you could do. I do automotive electrical and see more failed crimp connections than solder connections.

check and see how many solder connections there on aircraft. i used to want to solder everything and was told not to on my dragbike by another racer that installed and serviced VERY high end UPS systems (flywheel not battery) for super computers.

so i did a really neat job of soldering and heat shrinking everything when i went from a magneto to a MSD. couple races into defending a national championship the bike develops intermittent gremlins that escape diagnosis. ended up removing everything, last wire slid out of the heat shrink. solder wicks up the wire and creates a fracture point.

not that soldering is necessarily bad but a proper crimp connection works well

as for the OP i would recommend the Hakko-888 as others have, i'll be ordering one soon. want to get the one with the dial that has been discontinued as opposed to the backwards "improved" digital that replaces it.

 

[metaleltr]

I understand that a good solid crimp is typically preferred. However the harness manufacture recommended that any connections be crimped and soldered. So that is what I intend to do.

 

[hairyj]

there are a number of different factors that come into play with regards to crimp vs solder. first off most people don't realize the difference in the quality of different types/manufactures of crimped terminals and as if not more important the crimping tools used. trust me i've been doing automotive electrical for years. most good crimping tools are over $100 each and are terminal specific. you can wrap up a pretty good amount of money in connectors and tooling. i have standard and weatherpack now of course i have an upcoming job that uses Deutsch connectors which i don't have :\

 

[metaleltr]

The crimping situation is taken care of. We have an SG Tool Aid Ratcheting crimper with interchangeable heads.

 

[wise]

I know you said you wanted to avoid butane... but I love my powerprobe ppsk. It comes with a shwack of useful attachments as well.

 

[Brownsfan]

The crimping situation is taken care of. we have an SG Tool Aid Ratcheting crimper with interchangeable heads.

How do you like it? I was going to pick it up off the Cornwell truck. I still might unless I find a better one for the money. I still use a plier style crimper and have yet to have a crimp fail. I just never saw the need because most of what I do is soldering anyway. I do understand why the ratcheting crimper is better but just never pulled the trigger.

 

[metaleltr]

How do you like it? I was going to pick it up off the Cornwell truck. I still might unless I find a better one for the money. I still use a plier style crimper and have yet to have a crimp fail. I just never saw the need because most of what I do is soldering anyway. I do understand why the ratcheting crimper is better but just never pulled the trigger.

As far as appearance, fit and finish it is great. I have not actually used it yet. It was purchased solely for these two harness projects.

 

[Steinmetz]

Looking around I think I have settled on American Beauty. What amperage should I be looking at? I'm stuck between 60-75 and 100.

You mean watts, I think. 100 watts will do a lot for you. I use this on most general wiring projects.