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