Soldering Iron....

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inkjunkie

inkjunkie

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Would like to replace me old Weller soldering gun. Going to use it for the bike harness I need to make....as well as the Dart if the decade ever gets here that I work on it...Any suggestions?
 
I have an Ungar UTC 600 I think that is the right number but I will check later. It is a station with adjustible temp and a pencil style iron on a very flexible cord. I have owned it over 20 years and it performs flawlessly. I love it and hope I never have to replace it.
 
Get a good brand and If you are soldering automotive wire, make sure to get one with enough wattage to heat it up quick so you keep the heat at the end and not 2-3" up the wire!
 
mischiefdart said:
I have an Ungar UTC 600 I think that is the right number but I will check later. It is a station with adjustible temp and a pencil style iron on a very flexible cord. I have owned it over 20 years and it performs flawlessly. I love it and hope I never have to replace it.
Click to expand...
Wonder if it is still available?
69B-Cuda said:
Get a good brand and If you are soldering automotive wire, make sure to get one with enough wattage to heat it up quick so you keep the heat at the end and not 2-3" up the wire!
Click to expand...

What is enough wattage? My old gun is one of those that heats up a few inches of wire....
 
Depends on what you are doing. "The regular" old Weller gun was fine for most wiring, but not for no12 or bigger. For that you want "the big" Weller

The old old WD-250, the 550 or 650 if you can find them

Here's one for 28 bux
[ame]http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Weller-Professional-Soldering-Gun-D-550-260-200-Watts-/151245474181?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2336eec985[/ame]


The 8XXX (8200?) are the smaller ones

I've bought several old "irons" at garage sales and CL or even a couple at pawn shops.

On those, not so much wattage as size of the tip.

This thing will solder any wire you are likely to run across 'cept battery cables, you use a torch for those

[ame]http://www.ebay.com/itm/Weller-SP80L-Soldering-Iron-80Watts-120V-USED-/321337890058?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ad13b150a[/ame]

Anud'her

[ame="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Electronics-Soldering-Iron-Belden-Mfg-Co-No-8110-80-Watts-120-Volts-GC-/261365649015?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cda9b4e77"]Vintage Electronics Soldering Iron Belden Mfg Co No 8110 80 Watts 120 Volts GC | eBay[/ame]

Look at the size of the tip on this ol' thang. That might be a "little much" LOL (I've got one a LOT bigger than that one)

[ame]http://www.ebay.com/itm/DRAKE-60-WATTS-SOLDERING-IRON-/281277611118?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item417d73bc6e[/ame]

This right here...........this might be the "deal"

[ame]http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ESICO-JUNIOR-SOLDERING-IRON-No-17-P-100-watts-/351032085342?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51bb248b5e[/ame]

Now, if you REALLY need to solder...........

[ame]http://www.ebay.com/itm/Electric-Soldering-Iron-Co-Deep-River-Conn-Large-Iron-Holder-1-1-8-Heat-Head-/371012553655?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item5662124bb7[/ame]
 

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I like my butane one from Snap On. You can get different brands of that type though, I think Weller might make one. They come in a case. I use mine a lot, works good.

What's good about the butane ones is there is no electrical cord to deal with and they heat up pretty fast.

The Snap On one also has a variety of tips. I like the torch tip for heating shrink tubing. A heat gun works for that too and you don't waste butane but I use it anyway.
 
I would secon what rmchrgr said. The snap on one is actually a relabeled weller but a nice one to have. I have the weller butane one and use it daily at work. I like the versatility of it. I would also suggest using a thin solder. I use a .6mm and it is great as it takes less heat to get it to flow and works well on wire as well as pc board repairs. The only thing you have to watch o. The butane is leaving it in extreme cold. Before using it you have to warm it up so it will light.
 
I've had TWO of the "big" Weller butanes. Used to use them for soldering big RF connectors UP ON TOWERS in cold weather and wind. They REALLY crank out the heat

Both of them failed the spark igniter section. They still work IF you can get them to work. Mine is one of the larger size "Pyropen," don't remember which model.

Been here, done this

im001186.jpg
 
For me, smaller is always better. I'd get something like this if I didn't want to spend too much. If I need to do something bigger like battery terminal connectors, a small butane torch works just fine.

[ame="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Weller-WES50-Soldering-Station-/171276110509?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27e0da0aad"]Weller WES50 Soldering Station | eBay[/ame]
 
ITs all in the tip, a big tip puts lots of heat on the connection, a pencil tip puts out a lot less. I got one that looks like a syringe needle that is used for SMT stuff, very small. Those guns are not that useful, they heat the loop red hot and you never know when to let up on them, destroying the tips quickly.
 
pishta said:
. Those guns are not that useful, they heat the loop red hot and you never know when to let up on them, destroying the tips quickly.
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I've used those guns since I was 13 years old. You have to learn how to use them. They are like any other tool. I got my first Weller about 1962

"The standard method" to use a Weller:

Get the joint ready. Get the solder ready. Get pliers or a wrench ready.

Pull the trigger.

If the gun has not been used in awhile, after a couple of seconds take your wrench / pliers and loosen / tighten the tip nuts a couple of times.

Put down the wrench / pliers

Pick up the solder.

"Guess" is it hot? Try the solder. Continue heating until the solder melts. Clean the tip if necessary.

Apply the gun to the joint. Heat until the joint melts solder, and apply more

Easy. I bet I haven't bought 20 tips in the last 50 years. If you get caught without a tip, just use a short length of no 14, 12, or 10 copper wire, depending on the gun and what you are soldering.
 
ESP47 said:
For me, smaller is always better. I'd get something like this if I didn't want to spend too much. If I need to do something bigger like battery terminal connectors, a small butane torch works just fine.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Weller-WES5...509?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27e0da0aad
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I disagree, depending on what you are doing

Some of those regulated irons are trouble. The Weller ones have several different series of tips and are a ***** to sort out, and some of them actually had switches in the handles For soldering occasional wire splices and connectors, they are uneeded complications and not reliable.

For the record, I've got several old soldering stations in various states of workability, and never use any of it on automotive or hardware type stuff.
 
Luv my Weller station. Have had it for over 15 years now. Still has the original tip it came with. Didn't know or ever need to replace it. I have wired at least 8 cars complete with it using belden wire and the thin solder I believe is for electronic repairs. Can't remember or read the lead / tin % on the spool anymore?
The larger welding cables I use a torch.
Its been slightly abused over the years but never let me down. The clamps are good for the extra set of hands I always seem to need when building harnesses.
 

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Weller "gun" for wiring.....$8 at a flea market. For bigger stuff I either use the antique "hunk of copper on a steel shaft" type, heated with a propane burner, or oxy/acyl and silver solder.
 
Metcal is the Bomb-Diggity. There is none better. None.
 
ssba said:
Luv my Weller station. Have had it for over 15 years now. Still has the original tip it came with. Didn't know or ever need to replace it. I have wired at least 8 cars complete with it using belden wire and the thin solder I believe is for electronic repairs. Can't remember or read the lead / tin % on the spool anymore?
The larger welding cables I use a torch.
Its been slightly abused over the years but never let me down. The clamps are good for the extra set of hands I always seem to need when building harnesses.
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That the exact same thing I have, it works flawlessly for me.
 
Ya know, I've got one of those SnapOn butane pencils (YAKS32), and I have to say, I love it for light stuff over 12 gauge. It's not like the Weller pencils you'll get at Home Depot or Lowe's. I have used it enough to need to replace a couple of tips.
That said, there is no way in hell I ever would have bought it... They're about $200. My father, God rest his soul, bought it for me almost 10 years ago because all the guys at the shop he worked at were raving about them.
 
71beater said:
Ya know, I've got one of those SnapOn butane pencils (YAKS32), and I have to say, I love it for light stuff over 12 gauge. It's not like the Weller pencils you'll get at Home Depot or Lowe's. I have used it enough to need to replace a couple of tips.
That said, there is no way in hell I ever would have bought it... They're about $200. My father, God rest his soul, bought it for me almost 10 years ago because all the guys at the shop he worked at were raving about them.
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I'm too cheap to have stuff that nice!:D
 
67Dart273 said:
I disagree, depending on what you are doing

Some of those regulated irons are trouble. The Weller ones have several different series of tips and are a ***** to sort out, and some of them actually had switches in the handles For soldering occasional wire splices and connectors, they are uneeded complications and not reliable.

For the record, I've got several old soldering stations in various states of workability, and never use any of it on automotive or hardware type stuff.
Click to expand...

Then we'll agree to disagree. You're making it sound like an infomercial where people are fumbling all over the simplest of contraptions because you think what you have is better. The basic Weller stations come with an on switch, a temperature knob and the ability to change out tips when needed. The tips that come with them will do most any basic automotive soldering job other than battery cables.

From reading your posts, you sound like you are/were an electronics technician with a lot of experience. You may be able to solder with just about anything but the average guy who only solders when his vehicle needs it is going to have a tough go of it if he's soldering with an iron that's the size of a hammer. The smaller Weller tips are much more forgiving and make for a cleaner solder job for the novice car guy who doesn't want to burn anything up.
 
Uh, no. I'm not. Where I used to work. we had at least 10 of those wellers with failed handles. I don't recall if they used micro switches or reed switches in the handles? But they do fail. There is no need for one of those for home use.

A simple iron makes way more sense for home use and auto use.

I don't really give a ****. Use what you want. Pay your money and use what you want. Don't get your tits in a Great Big twist.
 
Forget what I said inkjunkie, if 67dart273 doesn't agree with me then that means my tits are in a twist and when my tits are in a twist, I just don't think straight. Let me untwist my tits and get back to you on this one. I'm sure once my tits get untwisted, I'll come to my senses and recommend the same iron he recommended because anyone that doesn't recommend that iron must have their tits in a twist.

Sincerely yours,
Tits in a Twist
 
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