I got a soldering iron that I found in my grandmothers basement. My grandfather died, so she let me have it. Recently, it stopped heating up enough to melt the solder. I want a replacement, but im not sure what im looking for. Whats the best wattage for like soldering battery connector and other radio/ battery wires? I dont use it very much, so im really only looking in the $25 dollar range. Either one i can pick up at radio shack or get online at like towerhobbies. Anyone have any soldering iron suggestions. I might spend more for like a kit with different size solder and different tips. I already have a stand with a sponge, but it was cheap and the plastic is cracking, so i dont mind if the kit includes a new one, but I also dont mind if it doesnt. I would just like dome suggestions.
Thanks

just go to Home Depot or Lowes there about 12$ for a strait soldering iron,if you want the trigger type then there about 40$

Well, at radioshack and Towerhobbies, normal ones are only like $8. Plus is need to know what wattage to get.

Try to get at least a 40 watt. The 30 watt ones will work but it really takes alot of work.

I personally like the 30 watt pencil-type soldering irons from Lowes, that have an LED in the handle to remind me when it's plugged in. 30W is enough for nearly everything you'll ever do in RC, but a little too much if you're trying to repair tiny circuits on a PC board. Get a good stand for it also, Radio shack has them.
This is also a good way to start = http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2062758

I do a lot of pretty advanced circuit board repair and only use two irons that were around $15 a piece. For connectors and wires a 30 watt iron works very well. For intricate board work I use a 15 watt grounded iron, and for large jobs I use a 40 watt iron. The 30 watt will give you what you need for basic R/C wiring purposes. Most often overlooked is solder. Get a good 60/40 SnPb (tin/lead) solder with rosin flux. Kester is a great brand (RadioShack brand is made by Kester).

Maybe you just need to replace the tip of your soldering iron if it's not heating up.

Yes, and make sure the tip is clean and has a nice shiny coat of solder on it. This will really aid in heat transfer. If it's dirty take a wire brush and clean it. Then put a little solder on the tip and let it spread around. Take a damp cloth and wipe the excess off. If the tip is really bad or deformed just buy a new one.

I was thinking of replacing the tip, but the tip threads are stripped. It wont come out. Plus its like 40 years old, so its about time to replace anyways.

I was thinking of replacing the tip, but the tip threads are stripped. It wont come out. Plus its like 40 years old, so its about time to replace anyways.

I use a 100 W gun. For soldering clevices onto pushrods, it doesn't get any better.
I use it for everything, but I wouldn't use it for PC boards...

Different soldering iron wattages have completely different uses and purposes.

A GOOD electronics range is about 25-45 watts.

This helps to prevent damage to circuitry, but it will not eliminate it entirely.


Soldering GUNs and higher wattage irons should be reserved for mechanical assemblies such as soldering in clevises.

Different types of solder (which also have different temp/melting ranges, flux, etc. ) are also used for each of these purposes.


Some Loews and Home Depots sell Weller type irons. These tend to be a bit better than the typical hardware store fare.

If you go this route, look for an iron that also includes a "base" with a receptacle for the iron, sponge pad, and if possible a knob to control the temperature.

I purchased an orange color Weller ( and I have a bunch of pro-class Weller irons, soldering stations, desoldering workstations, etc. ) that had a temperature control base and it was specifically set up to accept standard knife tips.

This is very nice for cutting covering as well as all the standard uses. If I recall it cost me all of about 35.00 or so.