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Soldering station recommendation (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Hi all,

Do you have some recommendations for a soldering station that would meet my needs?

I've been into hobby electronics for a few years, doing mostly analog audio projects but recently got into repairing and repurposing broken electronics (Bluetooth earbuds, speakers, USB cables and such).

I've been using a cheap Parkside(LIDL)-rebranded "generic Chinese product" (I came across the exact same model on AliExpress, in different colors); which has served me well until now but has a few flaws that I can't be bothered with anymore. Mainly: -it takes ages to get hot. -the cable going from the station to the iron is super thick and stiff, which is annoying as hell...

I would like it to be the least expensive possible, while being good enough I'd be happy with it for the foreseeable future.

I have been looking at these:

Old tech, cheap tips (<1€)

Newer tech, "expensive" tips (8-10€)

And wondering how these "newer" types of iron compare to stations, what are the main drawbacks?

Thanks a lot in advance for any input, Please be gentle if you think I'm an idiot :)

Edit: changed the "Smolderin" in title to "soldering"

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Hmmmm I wasn't thinking of getting hot air which I've never used, but could be worth getting for the future.

Can you completely remove the suction bit and cable?

Thanks for your input!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yes you can very easily remove the suction bit and the cable. I always leave it unless it gets in the way, it sucks pretty good. When it gets in the way I remove the bit only, which is super easy to do and leave the cable so I can put the suction back again. Just don't expect it to be a replacement for an actual good fume extractor, I always use both a dedicated extractor as well as the ventilation in my office/electric workstation. Breathing solder fumes is pretty bad in the long term.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Nice! Sounds very handy, I actually didn't know this type of extractor existed.