Reddit reviews Weller SP40NUS Medium Duty LED Soldering Iron , Red/Black

Here are some rules to keep in mind:

• Keep your soldering iron clean and tinned, a dirty/oxidized soldering iron doesn't transfer heat well. I use a wet sponge at a bench. If I'm in the field, the hem of my jeans works well. Just quick wipe and a touch of solder for a good shiny tip. (Adding a little bit of solder to "tin" the tip of the iron also aids in heat transfer and keeps dirt/oxidation off.)
  
  
• Be sure your parts are clean too. You want clean, shiny copper to solder to. Wire or circuit boards that have been exposed to moisture are a disaster to solder to. Fine sandpaper and alcohol can clean things up if there's tarnish.
  
  
• Heat the part you're soldering with the iron. Use the hot part to melt the solder. Just like you don't plop your bacon and eggs on the stove, you put a pan down first and put your food in the pan. You're not using the soldering iron directly on the solder...
  
  
• Don't blob your solder on. This isn't paint and it isn't glue. It's liquid metal. Your joint should look almost as if it has been moistened with water.
  
  
• Keep a mental count of 10 sec. Too much heat can destroy components on a circuit board and melt the insulation on wires. 10 sec is a good rule of thumb. If you can't achieve a good joint in that, let things cool down and try again.
  
  
• Too little heat is also bad. It makes the solder joint brittle and the solder doesn't flow evenly. You'll have a grainy appearance. Allow the heat to conduct through both parts you're soldering together. Bigger parts will require a little time to come up to temp. Tiny parts are almost solderable immediately.
  
  
• Remember that solder take a bit of time to cool. Don't move your part around until the melted solder has solidified. Moving it while it's liquid is another way to have a brittle joint.
  
  Start with a pair of wires... Just twisted together wires, like a "Western Union" or "Lineman's" splice.
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Union_splice
  
  It's how I usually install car stereo equipment when putting the car and radio harness together.
  
  Next, you can move up to kits. I wish HeathKit was still selling shit... Velleman seems to sell small trinkets for less than US$10 and you can find them on Amazon. They're fairly easy to assemble, single layer board kits.
  
  http://www.vellemanstore.com/en/minikits
  
  Mainly, it's practice, practice, practice.
  
  You don't even have to spend a whole bunch on an iron... Either of these is quite acceptable and I work on electronics on a daily basis:
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Weller-SP25NUS-Standard-Soldering-Black/dp/B00B3SG70K/
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Weller-SP40NUS-Medium-Soldering-Black/dp/B00B3SG6UQ/
  
  The first one is a 25 watt unit and better suited for smaller circuit board jobs. The second one is a larger 40 watt unit and more suited for wiring type jobs. But both should be acceptable for both types of jobs.
  
  EDIT: Also, as someone who works on electronics almost daily... The was James May should have repaird this was to bend a hook in the end of the wire he was soldering. That way, it'd hang on the terminal strip without the need for a third hand. Iron in one hand, solder in the other.

I use something very similar to this, except it's 30 watts:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HSXVR3A?ref_=ams_ad_dp_asin_2

That's probably the cheapest thing you'll find. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're going to solder once or twice a year. Believe me-it's a pain to do anything with an iron this cheap, and I'm getting a new one to replace it. I'm tired of buying extra-cheap stuff.

I've used this before, and it's actually not too bad in my opinion: https://www.amazon.com/Weller-SP40NUS-Medium-Soldering-Black/dp/B00B3SG6UQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1481862872&sr=8-7&keywords=soldering+iron&refinements=p_89%3AWeller

For $40, these two stations look pretty enticing:

https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1481862523&sr=8-5&keywords=soldering+iron

https://www.amazon.com/Stahl-Tools-SSVT-Temperature-Soldering/dp/B0029N70WM/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1481862673&sr=8-11&keywords=soldering+iron

Disclaimer- I have never repaired a synth before.

I can't really say anything about this soldering iron, but do know that you always get what you pay for. I'm sure this will last for at least several soldering jobs for you. If you have to replace it even once, you're only $20 away from a nice unit. But I understand you have to budget your funds appropriately.


If you're going to to go with a budget soldering iron, you'll be better off buying something without a bunch of extra bells and whistles (more junk you're paying extra for).

Something like this is cheap, and inexpensive, but will get the job done, without spending extra dollars on extra tidbits that are unnecessary.

If you're gonna go cheap, go cheaper!

https://www.amazon.com/Weller-SP40NUS-Medium-Soldering-Black/dp/B00B3SG6UQ

I would add that the soldering iron must have a pointy tip! I've been trying to replace my modules, but the stock tips are huge (for the intended work) I could not reach the spots to melt.
The one i'm using https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B3SG6UQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1



Also, be sure that the Torx are Security Torx! They have the hollow star shape and also an inside round tip. https://www.amazon.com/Screwdriver-Security-Wireless-Controller-Disassembly/dp/B004YUB6ZU/ref=pd_sbs_469_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B004YUB6ZU&pd_rd_r=Z51XSKAB8PX325052JVR&pd_rd_w=jAo1O&pd_rd_wg=DYMkI&psc=1&refRID=Z51XSKAB8PX325052JVR

Ended up ordering this:

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-SP40NUS-Medium-Soldering-Black/dp/B00B3SG6UQ

Weller 40W Medium Duty Soldering Iron

a low-end one is good enough. just to solder the mill-max sockets.

that's what I did and this is what I used - https://www.amazon.com/Weller-SP40NUS-40-Watt-Soldering-Iron/dp/B00B3SG6UQ

just add the set of additional tips, so you have something other than a flat one.

Can't go wrong with this, $19.07 shipped with Prime.
http://www.amazon.com/Weller-SP40NUS-Medium-Soldering-Black/dp/B00B3SG6UQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1398198851&sr=8-3&keywords=weller+40

If you need something safe for smaller projects as well, this would be fine. $41.19 with Prime
http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1398198808&sr=8-2&keywords=weller+40

I guess I'm a fan of weller products. I've had them at home and a shop. I got one of their higher end soldering stations when I was about 11 to build my own battery packs for my R/C cars and it saw a lot of use. Back then we hardwired the leads from the ESC to the motors and batteries between heats for the lowest resistance. (not to mention deans plugs weren't a thing yet, tamiya connectors would melt together with a hot motor/battery combo) I still have it over 20 years later.

I would say 40 watts is about the standard with typical R/C projects. Also, the lower end brands 40 watt irons don't ever seem to create the heat as something of decent quality.

Also, if you don't have something like this yet, pick one up. $7 shipped all over Amazon. Also available at Harbor Freight for about the same price if you have those in your area.
http://www.amazon.com/SE-MZ101B-Helping-Hands-Magnifying/dp/B000RB38X8/ref=pd_sim_hi_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0TB7X5RYFKZ3SR4EXY1P

$14 link for a solid basic soldering iron.
Here's one that costs a little more, but has more adjustability $39 link.
Anything from Weller is going to be pretty good.
Here's a pretty good basic soldering video.
It's not hard, but takes a little practice to get the feel for it. I would recommend finding a broken electronic that you can pull a circuit board out of and just practice soldering by removing parts from the board and putting them back.
Have fun!