Thoughts On Milwaukee Soldering Iron??

[KDoug]

Hi, I have recently been trying to repair some power tools and I have had to do a few small solder jobs. Currently I have a Weller 7200 (which is pure garbage) and a Weller 8200. I cannot get the 7200 to heat any solder, but it gets so hot that the plastic casing around the gun is melting. The 8200 on the other hand heats up really fast, but is a little much juice for what I'm working on. I'm not exactly sure what I need, but I know I need something better than what I have. I remembered that Milwaukee has a 12v soldering iron and it is kinda catching my attention. Has anybody used this? Can y'all give me some pros and cons and compare it to other irons.

Thanks

 

[ca90ss]

Do you need it to be portable? I have one and it's been decent, it heats up quickly, stays hot and it's been better than any of the butane irons I've tried. My only real complaints are it's kind of big, the temperature isn't adjustable and there currently isn't a great selection of tips. If you can get away with a bench unit the Hakko 888 goes on sale at Frys for $69 a few times a year and is overall a much better iron for around the same price as the Milwaukee.

 

[DonkeyFluffer]

Hi, I have recently been trying to repair some power tools and I have had to do a few small solder jobs. Currently I have a Weller 7200 (which is pure garbage) and a Weller 8200. I cannot get the 7200 to heat any solder, but it gets so hot that the plastic casing around the gun is melting. The 8200 on the other hand heats up really fast, but is a little much juice for what I'm working on. I'm not exactly sure what I need, but I know I need something better than what I have. I remembered that Milwaukee has a 12v soldering iron and it is kinda catching my attention. Has anybody used this? Can y'all give me some pros and cons and compare it to other irons.

Thanks

I used it to wire up the lights on a utility trailer I'm building and it worked fine. Heats up pretty fast. Cordless convenience is unbeatable.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[KDoug]

Do you need it to be portable? I have one and it's been decent, it heats up quickly, stays hot and it's been better than any of the butane irons I've tried. My only real complaints are it's kind of big, the temperature isn't adjustable and there currently isn't a great selection of tips. If you can get away with a bench unit the Hakko 888 goes on sale at Frys for $69 a few times a year and is overall a much better iron for around the same price as the Milwaukee.

Currently I have no need for a cordless, I just liked Milwaukee because of the price and that I already have a battery to go in it. Where is the Hakko 888 made? I realize the Milwaukee is made in China, but anyplace else besides China is always great.

This was actually my first project I have had to solder so far. I won't be a big user, but I would like something reliable.

 

[ca90ss]

Where is the Hakko 888 made?

I would guess China considering the price but the 808 I have was made in Japan so who knows.

 

[CoryDH]

For surface mount electrical components I would go Hakko. Just because it is a known winner. Lot of support and tips and the like already available. The silicon scrubs I call them but don't know the actual name of them are much better than wet sponges. If you do a lot of soldering the wet sponges to me seem to take off all the tinning and everything and burn through cheap tips a lot faster. For off the bench everyday electrical (tail lights, outdoor lamps) Im sure the Milwaukee would be much more convenient though.

 

[KDoug]

So, if I went with Hakko, what model would y'all recommend? Wattage? Again, I have no intentions on doing circuit boards. I have a 140/100 watt Weller, I just need something maybe a little smaller.

 

[Luciferi]

I used my milwaukee soldering iron today. It works ok for smaller wires. It is not meant for any type of continual use. With the small battery you can only turn it on 4 or 5 times before the battery light starts flashing. When I have power available I still use my plug soldering iron even if it is just one wire.

If you don't need cordless, Hakko are great.

https://www.hakkousa.com/products/soldering/hakko-fx-601-soldering-iron.html

 

[wil]

The soldering "guns" you have (Weller 7200,8200) are great for short, high powerd soldering jobs. I have these, but rarely use them...they're too bulky, and get too hot if you use them too long. I recommend you look at the Weller line of soldering "irons", which are designed to be used for a long time, and NOT be too hot to handle even after leaving them plugged in for hours...Here's home depot's website for some typical ones...https://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-W...ering-Soldering-Irons/Weller/N-5yc1vZc8luZ1lw. You can even get an 80watt iron to solder big things! For small wires, and electronic repairs, a 25-40 watt unit is good enough!

 

[takai]

I got one the other day and love it, really complements my bench unit well. Especially love the quick heat up time, and the fact that i dont accidentally burn other stuff with the gas port.

Still going to keep a little gas gun around for heatshrink and pre-heating and stuff, and the bigger bench unit for longer and more precise efforts. But the M12 has a great space in my tool collection now.

 

[DFB]

Works fine I enjoy using mine. Easy to handle and direct the tip. Be nice if high end temp was tad higher as it much slower to heat things up compared to my Hexacon station. Bums me though the tips do not interchange as I have a box full for the bench unit.

I wanted a "cordless" model for long but always hesitated on what was out there

AvE just took one apart and broke it too check out his vid

too funny this guy cracks me up

 

[Stooge]

I've always preferred the soldering stations or even the standalone plug in irons over the big bulky soldering guns. At work I have an Oki and and a nice digital Weller with more features than necessary but my boss bought them so its all the same to me, as well as a handful of standalone irons floating around the lab. I also have a less fancy analog weller and a digital radio shack rebrand at the shop that is really nice to use but probably not an option these days.

My suggestion would be to buy to buy something along these lines https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BRC2XU/?tag=atomicindus08-20

These are the standalone irons we have at work for when you need to do something away from your desk, they work well, but are not adjustable, but you may not really need adjustment anyways and they are a good price, although for the minimal difference in price between it and the soldering station, I would go for the station. these are also used for pretty small wire so they don't need to be very powerful.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AS28TS/?tag=atomicindus08-20

it will do everything you need it to and although I may be making assumptions, make learning to solder a little easier to get the hang of.
I would also suggest a flux pen, but that is a personal preference as I know some don't use them.

 

[shoe1]

make sure tip on 7200 is good. If it has the bent ends that nut tightens against loosen and re tighten some time the don't make great contact right there and don't work good at least mine does that.

 

[GTO]

I love my Portasol,butane soldering iron.

 

[KDoug]

make sure tip on 7200 is good. If it has the bent ends that nut tightens against loosen and re tighten some time the don't make great contact right there and don't work good at least mine does that.

I tried everything I could think of to try and make it work, including tightening the screws on the tip. I eventually stripped the screw. It helped briefly but in the end it's not worth fixing to me.

 

[KDoug]

I've always preferred the soldering stations or even the standalone plug in irons over the big bulky soldering guns. At work I have an Oki and and a nice digital Weller with more features than necessary but my boss bought them so its all the same to me, as well as a handful of standalone irons floating around the lab. I also have a less fancy analog weller and a digital radio shack rebrand at the shop that is really nice to use but probably not an option these days.

My suggestion would be to buy to buy something along these lines https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BRC2XU/?tag=atomicindus08-20

These are the standalone irons we have at work for when you need to do something away from your desk, they work well, but are not adjustable, but you may not really need adjustment anyways and they are a good price, although for the minimal difference in price between it and the soldering station, I would go for the station. these are also used for pretty small wire so they don't need to be very powerful.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AS28TS/?tag=atomicindus08-20

it will do everything you need it to and although I may be making assumptions, make learning to solder a little easier to get the hang of.
I would also suggest a flux pen, but that is a personal preference as I know some don't use them.

Thanks for the links. I forgot to mention it, but I would say my budget is +or- $75, new or used. If y'all know of anybody that would sell one of their old soldering stations, I would gladly consider it too.

 

[KDoug]

Also, what solder and flux would y'all recommend. I've heard to use rosin core for electrical applications. Right now I'm just using a Bernzomatic soldering kit that was at Home Depot.

 

[ca90ss]

https://www.amazon.com/Kester-24-6337-0010-Rosin-Solder-SPOOL/dp/B00068IJWC

 

[PhysicsDude]

Any digitally temperature controlled iron is going to be a good match for the type of work you're describing.

The $100 Weller unit linked above is a great unit.

You can always roll the dice and try one of the chinese knockoffs for half the price, such as this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DGZFSNE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I'm curious to try one of the battery units. They would be handy sometimes, but I think they're the type of thing I'd buy to compliment a corded soldering station, not to replace it.

 

[Citation]

I have the Hakko 4AA soldering iron. I bought it on clearance because it came packaged with a set of flush cutters. I figured it would be junk but for something like $15 it was worth it for the cutters. It's actually a really good iron but low wattage. It works well for small wires and, so long as you don't need to much power, gets to temperature very quickly. I used it quite a bit when I didn't have a work bench.

My normal iron is an older Hakko model. My brother picked up one like the Amazon made in China special. Not bad at all and a big upgrade form the old $5 Radio Shack things.

 

[KDoug]

Thanks everyone for the comments, I think I'm going to go with a soldering station, it will fit my needs better now. I've been reading some other threads on Garage Journal on soldering, but don't know which model I'm going to get yet.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I haven't used the M12 iron, but judging by the size of my M12 batteries, it'd be too bulky and heavy for precision soldering work. I use my butane soldering iron for portable work when needed. Hakko seems to be the iconic iron for bench work.

 

[mv213]

Another vote here for the Hakko FX-888. I just picked one up in March for a tube amplifier build. It’s really great. Heats from room temp to 650 farenheit in 32 seconds. It looks like a toy in pictures but its heavy and well made. The holder it comes with is super nice, probaby worth $20 by itself. The unit I got is made in Malaysia which for electronics is a step up from China in my opinion.

You might still want a heavier iron for working on cars and stuff. I also have an older Weller 100/140 watt pistol for that. Anything bigger (battery cables) then I have to break out the propane torch.

 

[6PTsocket]

Hi, I have recently been trying to repair some power tools and I have had to do a few small solder jobs. Currently I have a Weller 7200 (which is pure garbage) and a Weller 8200. I cannot get the 7200 to heat any solder, but it gets so hot that the plastic casing around the gun is melting. The 8200 on the other hand heats up really fast, but is a little much juice for what I'm working on. I'm not exactly sure what I need, but I know I need something better than what I have. I remembered that Milwaukee has a 12v soldering iron and it is kinda catching my attention. Has anybody used this? Can y'all give me some pros and cons and compare it to other irons.

Thanks

For any kind of bench work, I really don't like a portable. I don't want to wait for it to heat up every time I want to use it. I have an old Weller station with temp adjust. Today either a Weller or Hakko should do the job. Besides temp adjust, there are various tips available from precision to heavy duty. I have an old Weller 100/140 for heavier stuff but rarely use it.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[DFB]

Milwaukee cordless solder iron stays on after it comes up to temperature until you shut off.

 

[D45]

There are a ton of nice, used welding stations on Ebay for cheap

I bought a nice Weller station with 5 rolls of various solder for $58 shipped

 

[6PTsocket]

Milwaukee cordless solder iron stays on after it comes up to temperature until you shut off.

How long does it run on a charge? Are there different tips available? Just askin'.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[DFB]

How long does it run on a charge? Are there different tips available? Just askin'.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Came with two tips, a point and a med.wide flat.

How long? Plenty long enough for me to get my jobs done. I can't recall it going below two lights on me.

I'm sure est. runtime is online somewhere dependent on a certain battery configuration

 

[byoungblood]

I have a Hakko FX-888 for all of my electronics work. I've used it to build a tube amp, a couple of small SMD projects for my model rockets, and a power supply I'm building. Bought mine off of Amazon, get one of the models that has the chisel tips and larger cone ones. The little fine point tips are worthless for most jobs, they just don't retain enough heat.

I have a Weller 8200 I use for heavier duty stuff, plus desoldering stuff off of ground planes or heat sinks that are soldered onto PCBs.

I have a Portasol, but it only really worked for about a year and now it only really gets hot enough do to heat shrink with. Support for it in the US is/was virtually non-existent. Tried a couple of different brands of butane with it and it didn't seem to make any difference.

 

[GSMotorrad]

it gets so hot that the plastic casing around the gun is melting.

My first day with my new M12 soldering iron, and it's doing that exact same thing. I was half expecting the tip to just fall off... it is still working though, but the end droops now when it gets hot, and really makes working with it very difficult. I'm not too impressed.

 

[KDoug]

My first day with my new M12 soldering iron, and it's doing that exact same thing. I was half expecting the tip to just fall off... it is still working though, but the end droops now when it gets hot, and really makes working with it very difficult. I'm not too impressed.

Not sure if you read the entire thread, but I was actually referring to my Weller soldering gun.

 

[Bert_]

I've got a 7200, had it for years, it was the first soldering gun I had. I always had trouble with keeping a good connection to the tip. Always had to be tightening or moving the set screws.

Now the two that I use most often is a nice 35w weller WP35 iron for most stuff or a big 250w craftsman gun when something takes a lot of heat.

When I had a couple cheap irons I thought I needed a temp controlled station. Once I got a good iron I found out that it maintains a constant temp pretty well. A station is overkill for most people.

 

[tym]

A used Weller WES50 or WES51 temp controlled solder station would be my recommendation. Then again, I do a fair amount of electronics work.

 

[GSMotorrad]

Not sure if you read the entire thread, but I was actually referring to my Weller soldering gun.

Yes, I meant my new Milwaukee is doing the same plastic-melting-thing that your Weller was doing.

 

[exmaxima1]

A used Weller WES50 or WES51 temp controlled solder station would be my recommendation. Then again, I do a fair amount of electronics work.

+1
Either of those Wellers work fantastic in production use, and last forever.

 

[senlow]

The Milwaukee soldering iron is big, bulky, and heavy. It really doesn't seem useful to me.

If you don't need cordless, get a good soldering station. Weller and Hakko are both good.


If you have an actual need for a cordless soldering iron, I suggest an Iso-Tip. That's what I used when I needed cordless.

 

[ddawg16]

The most common mistake made with soldering irons is failure to keep the tip clean and tined.

Any time you are using it, when you put it back in the holder, you should put a drop if solder on the tip.

When you take it out, you should have a damp sponge to wipe the tip on. If the tip is not shinny when you go to use it, you will have problems.

Additionally, just before you attempt to solder, put a small drop on the tip. This will help to transfer the heat to the target a lot quicker. If you have having to hold the tip on the part you are soldering more than five seconds, you are either doing something wrong or you have the wrong size iron.

 

[Negen]

For cordless I like butane solder pens. Chinacom has some nice looking 18650 solder pens that look good enough but I haven't used one or seen one in person.

Sent from my G8141 using The Garage Journal mobile app