Edit: I already picked one out but I’m leaving the post up for anyone else looking for an iron and maybe someone else also owns one they would like to share.
Anyone have any good recommendations for a decent but cheap soldering iron? I only ever solder small wires for stuff like my printer, RC cars or other small electronics. I was recommended this Hakko iron from someone else but it’s only a 50 watt iron. Thoughts? Suggestions? I’d like to stay around the $50 range. I already have a stand and stuff, I’d just like a new iron as my current cheap $10 iron kinda sucks… A thing I liked about this iron here is that you can remove the dial and use a key to adjust the temp do you don’t accidentally bump it. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/302792379093
You need to be more concerned with the temp you need your solder vs wattage. 50 watt irons are perfectly fine for this as the solder temp is what’s important.
I have one similar to this with a dial to control temperature. I think I paid $30 for it and it’s similar to the one in the MakerShed shop. I’ve soldered the wires for connecting my dashcam to the cable that goes into the fuse box for my car. Small electronics…all the time. Per the reviews, someone’s using it for model railroad stuff. It should suit your needs fine.
Some have digital temp readouts. The larger ones are for more precision work. Where you might be soldering tiny chips under a microscope and may need just a pinhead dot of solder.
If you’re really on a budget some of the basic temp controllable iron kits on Amazon aren’t terrible. Just read the reviews first to be safe(er). I have one of the HUAHA Electric Soldering Iron Kits myself and it’s usable. Not my first choice but usable.
DANIU PX-988 90W Backlight LCD Digital Thermostat Adjustable Lead Free Electric Soldering Iron ESD Mini Soldering Station EU/US Plug 220V/110Vhttps://banggood.app.link/HSGMKKqqLOhttp://banggood.app.link/HSGMKKqqLO
@Christopher_Gaul so I looked it up and it’s pretty nice. I can even get it for cheap. The problem I have with it is that it’s really bulky… I don’t have a dedicated spot for soldering, nor do I do it that terribly often. So while it looks great and I want to buy it, I’ll probably have to pass. If I had a nice open desk I would have already ordered it…
@Ray_Sunshine yeah I know the differences with wattage vs temp but a higher wattage iron will heat up faster and it’ll be better at maintaining temp while in use. As for the one you suggested, it would work fine but I already have a stand that holds an iron along with alligator clips and LED lighting so I’m really just looking for the iron itself.
@Fra_Gee 90 watts, 4.9 stars out of 488 reviews, on sale for $14 with free 2-5 day shipping from the US warehouse… We have a winner! Thanks to everyone that responded.
I know you mentioned your budget but after a lifetime of using cheap irons (even an old Radio Shack one), I finally broke down and bought the fx-888 model a year or so ago, and FWIW, it’s been money well spent. While I’ll only touch it every few months, you never know what you’ll need to solder. It made easy work of the brushless motor wires on a short-course truck and then this week I soldered some 12Ga low voltage wire for the outdoor lights.
@Chevrolet_Diesel_Nat I only use one here and there. If I’m working on something, I may use it a few days in a row or I may not touch it for 2 months. That’s why I wanted a cheaper one as I couldn’t justify the cost for an expensive one.