I need a 40 W soldering iron. My Snap-On (Wallenk) of 20 years died. It worked very good for me. Should I go Snap-On (Wallenk) again or try Weller? Not concerned with price, don't want a soldering station and don't like an instant gun type unit. Thanks.
Soldering Iron Recomendations
- Thread starter johninct
- Start date
Sevenhills1952
Well-known member
Weller
Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk
BajaScout
Well-known member
Weller for me.
Did 20 years as an Electronics Technician in the Navy. Never had an issue.
Did 20 years as an Electronics Technician in the Navy. Never had an issue.
Highly recommend getting rid of the wire and trying a Power Probe PPSK. It's variable up to 125W equivalent for about the same price and size as a good 40W plug in. Paid around $45 for mine on eBay.
Once I tried butane, it's hard to go back. Not having the cord makes it so much easier to position the work. PPSK comes with various tip sizes and you can use it as a torch, hot knife and heat shrinker. There's more feedback from the tool because I can see the filament glowing and the hear the rate of the gas flow. This is why I prefer the PPSK to the more expensive Portasol Pro, the sight hole for the filament is tiny in the Portasol.
The kicker for me is butane heats up much faster than electric. Butane irons with leaded solder gives you the most control over the work, IMO. Electric irons and lead-free solder feel unpredictable and clumsy in comparison.
P.S. Cheap butane misfires and clogs the tool over time, spend a few bucks more on the good stuff.
Once I tried butane, it's hard to go back. Not having the cord makes it so much easier to position the work. PPSK comes with various tip sizes and you can use it as a torch, hot knife and heat shrinker. There's more feedback from the tool because I can see the filament glowing and the hear the rate of the gas flow. This is why I prefer the PPSK to the more expensive Portasol Pro, the sight hole for the filament is tiny in the Portasol.
The kicker for me is butane heats up much faster than electric. Butane irons with leaded solder gives you the most control over the work, IMO. Electric irons and lead-free solder feel unpredictable and clumsy in comparison.
P.S. Cheap butane misfires and clogs the tool over time, spend a few bucks more on the good stuff.
Last edited:
OccupantRJ
Well-known member
If you liked the the one you had, get another. You added to my livelyhood with your original purchase, by the way. Thank you. The tool is made locally in a small US company here in eastern NC. I built the dies that produced your tool, before I retired.
kd3pc
Well-known member
weller for me, decades of use and still works like new
BajaScout
Well-known member
That's awesome.
Nice!