soldering gun recom?

DavidF

DavidF

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Hi,

Just making a start bwith this tweaking lark.....My present soldering gun is a rarther clumsy affair.

Can any one recommend something on the market to get started with. I was looker at a starter kit from Maplins, i think code numbeed sK5, or other........?


I would say I don't waant to spend 100s...




thanks!

David
 
I would recommend maplin's BP53. It's £50 but often on offer for £30 (which is what I paid for mine). I use better irons at work all the time, but the BP53 is fine for home use and even some quite serious modding/building. Get the pack of bits for it though, because the standard bit is not very good (it's too thin, not enough thermal mass, and it has no flat edge to it). The bit pack comes with 5 different shaped/sized bits so you can tackle all sorts of stuff, and it's a temp controlled iron so you can use it for all sorts of things. Bit kit is N71AP

Other accessories I recommend: A dry tip cleaner (looks like a brillo pad but made of brass shavings), a pot of tip tinner, and a decent stand and sponge (you will still need this as well as the dry one... the dry one scrapes away deposits of flux etc better, but the wet sponge is gentler and if you're using it very regularly is kinder to the tip).

As for solder... leaded solder is still king for ease of use and reliability of joints. You will need to use higher temperatures with silver or any other lead-free solder, and they still won't flow as well.
 
I've used a couple of maplin XS25s for years. Not as physically durable as more expensive irons, but good enough for most purposes. There was a good range of bits last time I checked.
 

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