48 replies to this topic

[LiqTenExp]

Hey,

 

If you do a lot of chassis building, soldering in motors, aka anything that needs thermal mass to transfer heat while preventing cold solder joints... buy these:

 

https://www.newark.c...HP-STM7REC-RP-1

https://www.newark.c...HP-STM7REC-RP-3

 

I've tried a lot of the digital pencil soldering irons on Amazon and none of them actually draw their "rated" power. This one is an honest 150W+ draw (measured) iron that has on/off control and lets you select temperatures. I'm able to use it for everything since you can be very quick with it vs. having to hold it for long periods of time to warm up the surrounding joint areas. It is very quick to get up to temperature and the larger tip has some good thermal mass to it.

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[Bill Seitz]

I found this soldering iron on Amazon as well. It's a nice low price, but my experience with these budget soldering irons is that they don't hold up very well, especially if they're used at high output. Good luck with yours.

[LiqTenExp]

I found this soldering iron on Amazon as well. It's a nice low price, but my experience with these budget soldering irons is that they don't hold up very well, especially if they're used at high output. Good luck with yours.

 

This isn't (shouldn't) available on Amazon, it is sold only by Newark Electronics (as a house brand) called https://multicomp-pro.com/

 

The quality of this iron is far better than Amazon pencil digital irons I've tried so far, I've tried about 5-6.

[Jim Difalco]

the widest tip they have in the data is 2mm, about .156": which is really narrow. The standard Hakko is 5mm and the narrow Hakko tip I use is 3.2 mm and sometimes a 2.4mm. Good find but they need a wider tip. 150 watts seems really high considering Hakko is about 70 watts or so.

[LiqTenExp]

The widest they have is 5mm, that is the one I liked you to above. The 2mmis the thickness of the tip, not width.

 

FYI, in the picture the tip is loaded up with solder to protect it when not in use, the tips when cleaned are much nicer looking

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[LiqTenExp]

the widest tip they have in the data is 2mm, about .156": which is really narrow. The standard Hakko is 5mm and the narrow Hakko tip I use is 3.2 mm and sometimes a 2.4mm. Good find but they need a wider tip. 150 watts seems really high considering Hakko is about 70 watts or so.

 

I have the 70w Hakko shown here: https://www.hakko.co...akko_fx601.html

 

It doesn't have nearly enough grunt to solder motors into chassis, lots of time is required at the joint and causes everything to overheat. I'm replacing the FX601 with the one from Newark Electronics.

[Bucky]

Your experience with that Hakko model is different than my own. I find it works well and doesnt require much time on a solder joint to heat it up. To each their own, and Im glad you found something you like.

[slotcarone]

 

I have the 70w Hakko shown here: https://www.hakko.co...akko_fx601.html

 

It doesn't have nearly enough grunt to solder motors into chassis, lots of time is required at the joint and causes everything to overheat. I'm replacing the FX601 with the one from Newark Electronics.

Brad you must have the small pointy tip. That iron with the chisel tip is what most Retro chassis builders use including myself. It will solder anything instantly form my experience. You must not be transferring the heat well. It is actually hard to not overheat the metal in an instant.

[Eddie Fleming]

Will the iron hold a temp setting if it is unplugged and then plugged back in?

 

The Hakko 601 is hard to beat. 

[LiqTenExp]

Brad you must have the small pointy tip. That iron with the chisel tip is what most Retro chassis builders use including myself. It will solder anything instantly form my experience. You must not be transferring the heat well. It is actually hard to not overheat the metal in an instant.

 

Nope, have the widest tip. It draws the right amount of watts (measured) on start up so I don't think the element is bad. I don't see how the tip could be bad, I keep it properly maintained. 70W should be enough, I agree, just not sure what the deal is with it. This new iron one takes 1/4 the time to heat up large joints with lots of heatsinks i.e. when soldering motors into chassis.

 

I've been certified to IPC J-STD-001 Class 3 in the past, not me

[LiqTenExp]

Will the iron hold a temp setting if it is unplugged and then plugged back in?

 

The Hakko 601 is hard to beat. 

 

Yes.

[Jim Difalco]

The technical data says 2mm which is a strange way to dimension it and name it if it is 5mm wide. I do not see where it says it is 5 mm wide in the data. I will look for a third time.

 

so it is the part that ends in 0029?

[Eddie Fleming]

I looked at the data sheet and it looks to me like the tip is 2mm thick at the end and no width dimension is given. 

 

Anyone else see it that way. And why would they not give a width? 

[Bill from NH]

Brad, can you show us some work you've done with your iron? I've been building chassis as well as installing & removing motors with a 50 W Ungar since the early '70s. Why you might ask, because it's well-balanced & I have small hands. I do own other irons & the Weller gun I built my first chassis with.

[LiqTenExp]

Brad, can you show us some work you've done with your iron? I've been building chassis as well as installing & removing motors with a 50 W Ungar since the early '70s. Why you might ask, because it's well-balanced & I have small hands. I do own other irons & the Weller gun I built my first chassis with.

 

I cannot get the 70W Hakko to get a joint, like the large one on the right, to flow within a few seconds. It should... maybe a bad tip?

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[MSwiss]

I don't think the Hakko 601 is rated at 70W.

 

I have one.

 

When the tip is newish and with loosening up the cord, I like it.

 

Not quite as comfortable as an Ungar style Weller.

 

The all time powerhouse is the Inland I sold when Retro was getting started,  15 or 16 years ago.

 

That thing, IMO, got up to 1,200 degrees, even with the narrower 2 tips.

 

Nothing beat it's ability to put pin tubes on thick pans.

 

It had enough firepower to run the tip perpendicular to the pan, and still get enough heat transfer from the tip to do the job quickly.

 

It's only downsize was it's excessive length, but IMO, worth getting used to.

[Richie]

That Inland was the best for building!

[slotcarone]

I agree about the Inland but they are not available anymore. Mine still works well but the tip is shot. Now I am using the Hakko 601-02 and it works great. Even the local stained glass shop has abandoned their giant soldering irons and is now using that one too.

[Jim Difalco]

My circuit boards for my networks have 1160 solder joints on each array panel so tip mass is important as I quickly drag the tip past each resistor. The 2mm tip thickness, not width I guess,  is quite wide but I will give one a try.

[Mike Patterson]

Call me old fashioned, but this is still my favorite:

 

[Eddie Fleming]

Call me old fashioned, but this is still my favorite:

 

Ungar-#4033S.jpg

 

I loved my old Ungar irons (now days Weller) but buying heating elements got very old. With a good tip the Ungar is probably the most comfortable Iron I ever used.

 

Replacing tips is much cheaper than replacing heating elements and If you take some care of them the Hakko tips last a very long time. 

 

Thinking back I do remember the Ungar would get rather hot to hold after a while. 

[Jim Difalco]

My circuit boards for my networks have 1160 solder joints on each array panel so tip mass is important as I quickly drag the tip past each resistor. The 2mm tip thickness, not width I guess,  is quite wide but I will give one a try.

correction, 1760 solder joints as I forgot to count the header terminal.

[Jim Difalco]

I just ordered this iron and will give a review after I have used it for a while.

[Bill from NH]

correction, 1760 solder joints as I forgot to count the header terminal.

 

You could almost use a wave soldering machine.    $$$'s

[Eddie Fleming]

I just ordered this iron and will give a review after I have used it for a while.

 

Jim did you get the Iron?