Right now, I'm using a cheapo Radio Shack 15w soldering iron. I want to get a better one (The one I have in mind is a Hakko FX-888D), but I'm having some issues that I believe are entirely my fault, so I'm hesitant to go get the upgrade. Tips for the Radio Shack one are a lot cheaper than the Hakko ones, so I feel less bad about burning through them.
The issue I have is that, after a bit of soldering, the soldering iron tip, well, loses the tip. And then it goes downhill from there very rapidly. I've been trying to keep the tip tinned, and trying not to let it overheat - Turning the iron off/unplugging it when I'm not actively using it.
What causes a tip to do this? I'm guessing that the coating on the tip is removed, and then the interior (Copper, I seem to remember) REALLY likes the tin solder and just wicks away with the solder. Is this caused by overheating of the tip - Such as from long-duration uses?
What methods should I employ to prevent such things? And would a good soldering iron with temperature control, such as the previously mentioned Hakko, have less of an issue with this?
Do I simply need to make sure my soldering sessions don't last too long, even if I'm still actively soldering? Or is there more to it, such as keeping a better eye on keeping the tip cleaned and tinned?
The tin/lead solder combines with the copper and thus the tip erodes away, no way around this with a copper tip. Keep the tip clean (wet sponge to wipe the tip before and after use) and well tinned. Then reshape and re-tin as needed.
OR, get a good station with temp control and coated ceramic tips (like the Hakko models).
The good irons do not have that problem.
Upgrade and your problems should go away. I never had any issue like that with my Weller iron, or the Xtronic 4000 series hot air/solder station I use now
What causes that is using low quality irons with low quality tips.
My father and I have been using Weller soldering irons for decades. We leave them on for hours, sometimes overnight. Neither of us can recall ever having to replace a tip because it had gone bad. One that we picked up from a used tool dealer last year had some signs of wear on tip of one of the irons it came with - lord only knows how long that thing had been in use for, though (tip was still very much usable).
I recommend getting one of the used Weller soldering irons on eBay (the teal blue ones - the new red/black ones aren't being made to the same standards). Some of the older, simpler ones are in the same price range as a new Hakko, and are much better. The cheaper ones you set the temperature with magnetic tips (temp control is based on the curie point of a magnetic tip, which becomes non-magnetic above a certain temperature), rather than a knob.
I used one of these for a long time - and only changed the tip when I needed a different shape, never due to wear: http://www.ebay.com/itm/321835191304
So my problems are coming from the fact that I'm using a cheapo soldering iron, with a similarly cheapo tip, and not that I'm using it terribly wrong. Good to know, and makes me that much more eager to get one as soon as I can afford it.
The tip should be iron coated, iron does not dissolve in solder.
However the coating is very thin, you cannot get away with abrasive cleaning of the tip.
Cheap irons run too hot and form an oxide film on the tip if not cleaned frequently, once the
oxide is too thick it persists and the tip becomes unwettable.
Temperature control is really important to reliable soldering, not really a luxury but a necessity
I think.
I agree with DrAzzy on Weller. I've had my Weller for years and it was years old when I got it. Every great once in a while I get a new tip, usually because I want a different shape tip. If this one bites the dust before I do, I'll be getting the oldest Weller I can find on eBay to replace it.
raschemmel:
I second that motion. I have an 'old Weller' myself and once in a while I replace the tip. No problems.
It is a bit of a stretch to say the tip "has never worn out" - they most certainly do.
But looked after, they do last a long time.
Watch out for touching the tip on PVC (or basically - any) plastic - when it burns on the tip it releases hydrochloric acid which eats away the plating.