Reddit reviews Hakko Dial type temperature limiting soldering iron FX600

As cute as that is. My god the hits are going to be harsh! Try using a soldering iron for clean vape hits!

the most popular opinions you're about to get will cost around $100

This one is $37
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006MQD7M4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I doubt you can find anything actually decent under $30. While I was in high school, I made do with a dollar store soldering iron, replacing it every few weeks wasn't too bad.

I'd check the tip of your iron; if it's silver and shiny, it's fine; black and pitted, it probably doesn't conduct heat as well, and it's time to get a new one.

There are also other irons, like this Hakko that are higher wattage for about half the cost of the mentioned station.

I'd suggest switching to silicone hobby wire; a lot of the nerf stores like OutOfDarts, FoamBlast, and Containment crew carry it. It will handle high heat will, but is still pretty reasonable to strip by hand. You can also check out PVC coated wire; it's cheaper and a little thinner (though a bit less flexible), but it will burn much sooner than silicone.

Lead Free soldering is a bit more challenging, but it's certainly doable.

I'm legally blind and I have no problems soldering, so long as I don't get my nose too close. :P

Seriously, though, the smaller the component the harder it will be, but soldering key switches is pretty easy. Just don't rush and be patient/careful. The trick is getting the right amount of solder, which just takes practice to get a feel for (and having your iron the right temperature really helps here).

You can pick up soldering practice kits for around $10 if you want to give it a try. If you've never soldered before, I'd definitely recommend that before you dive right in to working on a $100+ keyboard.

I recommend not using the cheap $10-15 irons though. They can be a great source of frustration and put you off of the whole experience. If you don't want to sink the money into a full soldering station, something like this would probably be a great place to start.

Hakko makes good ones. My dad's experience with Wellers are they die fast. (He solders all day for his business/I do it as a hobby). There is one that has a temp adjustment on the unit itself, which is pretty good. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006MQD7M4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 this is the one I got him. he has been using it for four months, daily and all day. Still on the same tip.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006MQD7M4/ref=psdc_3207126011_t1_B00FZPSX3G

Get a Hakko. If you plan on doing soldering at all more than just once or twice, it's a worthwhile investment.

I recently bought one of these for myself and I couldn't be happier as a DIY hobbyist:

Hakko Dial type temperature limiting soldering iron FX600

I only use it for hobby stuff such as Quadcopters, 3D printers and electronics kits but it's way better than the 8watt USB powered I was using before.

Pair it with this and this and you should be good for a while and roughly within budget.

I use this one at work all the time - Hakko FX-600

For $44, it's a good deal. You want an iron where you can set temperature and change the tips. A cheap chinese soldering station with temperature control will be in the $50-70 range.

Opinions on these three soldering irons? It's only use will be for keyboards, and I don't anticipate building them as often as we all dream, haha. But I do want one that'll do the job well without going over the $100 mark, and preferably under $80 if any of these are decent.

Hakko Dial type temperature limiting soldering iron FX600 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006MQD7M4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_pBXMAb3DXH857

Hakko FX601-02 Adjustable Temperature Controlled Soldering Iron, 67 Watts https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FZPSX3G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UDXMAbYNHEAWS

UY CHAN Upgraded Original TS100 Digital OLED Programmable Pocket-size Smart Mini Outdoor Portable Soldering Iron Station Kit Embedded Interface DC5525 Acceleration Sensors STM32 Chip Fast Heat (B2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MDTO6X7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_CEXMAb7A2CDNW