45 replies to this topic

[Robert BG]

Well I think I made a mistake by buying a Weller. Years ago they were pretty decent so I just grabbed one without looking. Well three days and not a lot of use and the tip was already trashed so I'm not too happy. I've had junk China iron tips last longer than this one; even a Rat Shack iron I got from the bargain bin for electronic work has held up better.
 
I doubt I can return it but if I can anybody have a budget-friendly option?
 
If I'm stuck with it do you think maybe a rheostat to adjust temps between jobs might help a little?
 
Is it just the tips are garbage? Maybe a better tip will help?
 
Thanks,
 
Robert

[Ramcatlarry]

Solid, non-threaded tip? Cut a piece of solid copper rod to replace it. Get and use that little tinning  cup from Radio Shucks or use a block of sal ammoniac and an SS Brillo type pad to clean it.

[n9949y]

Robert,
 
Interesting you've not gotten satisfactory use from your Weller. I've been using Weller D650 guns, not irons, for almost 50 years replacing them about every five years due to my extensive use in building and maintaining custom built brass chassis I race every week at Pelican Park Speedway. The D650 is rated at 300 watts with a tip operating temp of 1100 degrees F. I go through tips about every two months or so.

The price of the D650 on Amazon is about $65 and a package of two tips is $7. Make sure you buy the D650and not the look-alike D550 which is lesser rated at 200 watts. I actually use two sometimes to heat up thick K&S brass.
 
D50s work great maintaining these and similar chassis that are all soldered built.


 

 
Todd

[Robert BG]

Todd,

 

I was surprised too as I had used Weller for years and never had a problem. That is why I just grabbed it without bothering to look into them.

 

Ramcatlarry, yes it is the non-threaded solid tip. I ground a little off with my Dremel but I know once the factory surface goes the tips aren't long-lived afterwards.

[MSwiss]

How much did you pay for it?

The Ungar style Weller, that is adequate for slot racing, sells for about $70.

Regardless of what you use, a small fan passing air over the tip will go a long way in preserving it.

[Rob Voska]

There is another thread on here about irons. Hakko and the cheap $12 units from China with the turn-down in the handle work well and the $10 Hakko tip to replace the stock unit.

[PCH Parts Express]

The Hakko irons are durable. The Weller SL-500 is a good iron. Irons are one of those tools where you really get what you pay for.

[Car-2]

Coming from a electrical soldering background I find if I don't use the wet sponge to wipe the tip they last longer. Instead we typically use what looks like a brass Chore Boy to dab the tip into. My tips last much longer after I switched to that. 

[gc4895]

Hakko is the best I have ever used and so worth the money. I like everything about my Hakko work station including the tip life. I use the Chore Boy also and it really works!  One of the best slot tool decisions I ever made.

[slotcarone]

Robert,

 

There are a lot of good tips here – no pun intended! Get a small fan to blow on the tip – works well to stop it from crudding up.

 

Also get a temp control – you should only really full heat when soldering .062" brass.

 

Did you tin the tip? Every time you shut it down do you clean and re-tin it? You have got to take care of any iron/tip or it will be trash in a short time from my experience.

[Guy Spaulding]

I used to be an Ungar/Weller fan. But now, the Chinese "Fakko" fills the bill. Hakko irons take up too much room.

 

Plus you can buy tips for Hakko or Fakko from Amazon. Look up "Replacement 900M-T-S3". You get five for $10, and they each last a year or two, even if you abuse them.

[havlicek]

I used the Weller for years with no problems... the little ones and the medium ones, but I kept a good supply of tips on hand.   Now I use the Hakko and the tips last a long time... a long, long time compared to the Wellers. The Hakko heats up really well and the handle/heating element seems much more sturdy also.

 

-john

[Ecurie Martini]

I use a variety of tools depending on the job. I have had good luck with a 75 watt Hakko and a 150 watt American Beauty (the latter typically found in industrial supply houses rather than hardware stores). I also use a small cordless iron for electrical connections.

 

It is important to distinguish between temperature and heat (capacity). A tip that is too small will lose heat to the workpiece faster than the element can replace it.  The temperature drops no matter what the set-point is and a typical result is a blobby mess. For this reason, I will usually use the largest tip that the job can accommodate. As a rule, the best joints have only enough solder to wet the touching surfaces completely. It should actually be hard to see the solder!

 

There are, of course,exceptions, one of which is a favorite of mine. I found a nice resistance soldering rig on eBay and now use it routinely. It offers several advantages - no waiting for warm up, very concentrated heat at the point of application of the electrode so that previously made nearby joints are not disturbed and, if needed, enough power to reach hard soldering temps. I use mine with a foot switch so I can cut the power off and use the electrode (carbon, solder won't stick) to hold the piece until the joint cools.

 

EM 

[Arne Saknussem]

I used my original Weller gun from the mid-'60s for many years and many, many tips with no trouble. I got an Ungar iron around '85 and went through several handles. And running one without a temperature control (i.e., "wide open") will kill it very quickly. The gun is still going strong but the Ungar was replaced with a Hakko. And the bit about the small fan keeping the tip in better condition is right on.

[Bill from NH]

I'm using an Ungar blue handle I bought in 1969 that's still going strong. It must be how one cares for it.   I do own other irons and torches, but this is still my "go-to" iron for several reasons.

[Arne Saknussem]

It must be how one cares for it.

 
Guilty as charged! Too much stuff or too small a box.

[Robert BG]

I'm using an Ungar blue handle I bought in 1969 that's still going strong. It must be how one cares for it.   I do own other irons and torches, but this is still my "go-to" iron for several reasons.

I agree that caring for tools helps but I doubt the iron was on for more than a half hour or so at a time. My work station has a switch to turn my power strip on and off so when not in use it was off most of the time. I did leave it on for close to a hour when I received a phone call but that was it and compared to my old iron that is nothing. I used to leave them on during races to-three times a week when I raced a lot.

It doesn't have the best thermal capacity but other than desoldering pinions it was doing quite well. I'm going to put a rheostat on it and see how it does with the lower temps because the other tip that came with it started to burn up too and I used it for one motor job. It just seems to be getting too hot for these tips.

[PCH Parts Express]

Do you know the part number or the heat output rating of the iron you are using?

[Zippity]

Is anyone using a Hakko FX888D soldering station?

[MSwiss]

Can you show what model it is?

As mentioned, advertised temp doesn't mean much.

Having an 850 or 900 degree iron isn't of much use if it quickly drops that heat when in use, on a slot car project.

[Zippity]

[MSwiss]

Can you show what model it is?

I was referring to the the OP's Weller.

[Robert BG]

It is the Weller 1175,just your basic Weller.

The iron itself seems fine. It is just burning the coating off of the tips at a very fast rate. Although it hasn't burnt after I retinned it, although I didn't do the best job either as I was in a hurry.
 
The smaller tip I used for one job is burnt to the copper, too. I used it for one motor and left it in the stand for maybe 15 min MAX.
 
Zippity, that Hakko is a great iron but the tips are too small for slot cars in my opinion. They just don't have enough thermal capacity. I actually have the older analog model similar to that one for electronics work. But it even has trouble on really big chips and anything with a heatsink on it. If you can only have one iron for electronics and slots then maybe but this is why I bought the Weller. I needed something bigger that has more capacity for bigger jobs.

[MSwiss]

If it's this GUY, you got the right item.

But letting an iron idle at full heat is bad news.
 
You need a fan and a heat control.
 
I think I spotted a Inland Phaser heat control on eBay with a starting bid of $8.

[Zippity]

... Hakko is a great iron but the tips are too small for slot cars in my opinion.

 
Correct. The tip which is supplied with the 888 is far too small for most slot car use.
 
They do have wider chisel tips available.