How To Find The Best Soldering Iron For Electronics and Circuit Board Soldering?
|One of the most common thread of discussion among people who are undertaking soldering jobs in electronic applications is how to select a soldering iron which is ideal for electronics and circuit board applications.
The reason for their concern is, most of the solder jobs in electronics applications consist of joining small parts, and a high precision soldering job is expected.
An overheated solder action to the component can mess up the whole situation.
Electronics soldering projects are also can be hobby DIY projects that are undertaken by students and technicians. and this necessitates a good soldering kit for electronics projects. This implies that the soldering iron should be of really of high quality since it is not handled by experts.
Above factors contribute to the complexity in choosing the best soldering iron for electronics. They also raise other questions such as what kind of wattage is required and what are the features the soldering iron should have when being used in electronic jobs.
With this article, we have tried to answer most of the above queries.
Let’s begin with electronics applications themselves that involve heavy usage of soldering.
When we say electronic applications, they cover a wide range of devices such as radios, televisions, PCBs and many others.
For instance, let’s consider a real time situation of a student who is assembling a radio using the assembly chart provided to him as part of his course assignment. Now, a soldering iron is a MUST-HAVE tool for him because he needs to mount various electronic components onto the PCB and solder them using the soldering iron and lead with the help of flux.
He may need to solder diodes, resistors, ICs, capacitors and small wires.
What is important to note here is a little mistake in soldering these components can result in damage to the component being soldered as well as to the PCB track which is more serious in nature. Of course, a good soldering is achieved with skill and experience with the help of RIGHT soldering tool.
With above sensitivity involved in soldering electronic components, it becomes critical that one should consider various things before choosing a suitable soldering iron for electronic applications.
Things To Look For While Selecting a Soldering Iron For Electronics
Wattage
For electronics applications, we recommend choosing a soldering iron that has wattage between 15 Watts – 40 Watts. In fact, you can choose a 40 Watt soldering station such as Weller WLC100 and utilize its temperature control feature that allows you to switch between the range of wattage (5 Watts to 40 Watts).
Light Weight Solder Pencil
Since electronics projects often involve working with delicate components, look for a solder gun which is slim and lightweight and offers a good grip for holding.
Support For Multiple Solder Tips
The size of solder tip plays a major role in delivering the right amount of heat to the component being soldered. Hence, check out for a soldering iron that has provision for replacing the solder tips according to your need.
5 Best Soldering Irons for Electronics Projects and Circuit Board Soldering
To help you with finding the best soldering iron for your electronics work, we have handpicked 5 of such soldering irons which are ideal for undertaking soldering work related to electronic applications and circuit boards.