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"
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!
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.