/diy/ - Do It Yourself

It's better than nothing.

>>1353928
'Nothing' has the virtue of not spontaneously combusting in your hand due to shoddy/nonexistent insulation. Hope for the best, expect the worst.

>>1353916
Itll be fine anon

I`ve heard good things about the 936 clones.

>>1353946
Expect the worst comes first.

>>1353916
Radioshack 40 watt big tip or gtfo

>>1354008
Only 40 watts?

Also I got no Radioshacks around here.

>>1354008
found the rebbit hipster

>>1353916
fine choice, anon

>>1353955
yeah they're just get a good tip

>>1353916
>about to buy
Wait until the Hakkolujah boys chime in..

about to buy a 30watt , for 8 euro.
how fucked am i ...

hows this one?
https://www.amazon.com/X-Tronic-3020-XTS-Digital-Display-Soldering/dp/B01DGZFSNE/ref=pd_sbs_469_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01DGZFSNE&pd_rd_r=T6TKYHGT157VAB44J69Z&pd_rd_w=ncJr8&pd_rd_wg=slTDr&psc=1&refRID=T6TKYHGT157VAB44J69Z

>>1354375
something something get a hakko? am i doin it right?

>>1354012
No one does, anon. No one does....

I have this one snd I can't complain.
I use it for wiring and it works great.

Maybe for circuit boards or whatever you'd want something more specialized.

>>1355212

Goddamned buyfags

>>1355296
Does it have temperature control?

>>1355329
yes, via switch modulation or spit on tip to cool.

>>1355296
Tier one DIY'er here folks. I dig the power supply.
>>1355330
>>Switch modulation
>>Saliva cooling
High tech shit Ivan

>>1355296
Damn son, how did you diy that PSU?
Looks factory

>>1355340
From dumpster.

>>1355340
>>1355341
True, shoulda made his own

>>1353916
Spend a tiny bit more and you can get one with digital temp control and some accessories on banggood.

>>1355213
Parkside soldering stations are shit. I had one and the tips dissolved in no time.

Ive bought the 908d(same as op pic but with temp display) a few days ago and it works amazingly.

only reason to get a "good" expensive station with all the bells an whistles over a wall cord iron is a lack of skill and comfort

>>1355533

>>1355830
Yeah, pretty much
"Real men use the Ivan Special in >>1355296"

>>1355830
Prove it wrong instead of posting a stupid bait picture

If a "good" station is far superior, im sure youll have no problem rattling off bullet points of why I should buy one over a cheap iron that just keeps on trucking.

>>1355832
>If a "good" station is far superior, im sure youll have no problem rattling off bullet points of why I should buy one over a cheap iron that just keeps on trucking.
Challenge accepted
1) tip plating that lasts
2) cords that are long enough, thin, pliable, don't tangle. (my station has four tools. Shit *never* tangles)
3) wherever plastics are used (cords, tools, etc) all stand up to teps over 800F so the tools can't damage them
4) Standy mode when cradled; prologs tip life substantially
5) Coming off standby, comes up to temp almost instatly, no overshoot
6) tools do *not* get warm (or hot). Comfortable to hold through an 8-hour shift
7) Controls that are dead simple to use, or better, controls you never have to touch
8) Maintenance accessories that actually work
9) Parts (tips, etc) made by multiple vendors, but even the name brand is cheap
10) ergonomics that men the tool is a tool you never have to think about, you just use it
11) ~ zero downtime for maintenance

and so on.

>>1355296
>non insulated heating wire on top of copper rod
lmao, i bet it heats up nicely before melting the leads

Honestly depends what you use it for. Just some occasional wire soldering and and repairs, get a knock off 936/7. Do a lot of PCBs? get an element incorporated tip type T12 with a calibratable digital temp control

>>1355838
So, slight quality of life type improvements, but nothing that is actually functionally better?
Should I sell my Toyota for a Lexus too?

>>1355853
>So, slight quality of life type improvements
Yeah, in the sense that 'not being addicted to crystal meth' is a 'slight quality of life improvement'.
> Should I sell my Toyota for a Lexus too?
Both are made by... Toyota. Hey man, your call.

>>1355855
You posted exactly 0 points that would make one soldering iron make a better joint than the other one
>but it has a bendy cord!
>but it heats up faster!

>>Both are made by... Toyota. Hey man, your call.
...

>>1355866
And about the tip lasting longer thanks to the better materials, standby mode, temperature controlling? I daresay that will save you in the long run.

>>1355874
longer lasting tip =! better solder joint

>I daresay that will save you in the long run.

Will it save you money in the long run?
Maybe, but that doesnt make a better solder joint

>>1355866
>You posted exactly 0 points that would make one soldering iron make a better joint than the other one
...have you ever actually used a soldering iron for more than about five minutes a month?
A soldering iron that is too hot to hold after half an hour is not 'just as good' as one that doesn't. It means you can't get work done.
A soldering iron with tip plating that lasts a day instead of a year means you're fucking with it constantly and throwing cold joints left and right.
An iron with an inflexible cord is a goddamned bane to use.
>Set iron down
>Cord is stiff so it immediately straighten and slides off bench
>Bend cord to shape to keep it in bench when put down
>Cord shape now pushes it into plastic part when put down
>bend cord again, different shape
>Iron now rolls over onto its own cord, immediately melts through and bakes a bright blue BANG

"Dude, you must be using it wrong"
Yeah, I can spend a few more bucks and have a tool I use every day NOT FUCKING SUCK.

>>1355877
plating == better heat transfer. Show me some of those awesome SMT joints you're trowing off that $5 Weller with the sandpapered tip. I'm waiting.

>>1355877
>process is nothing, product is everything
>fashion is supposed to be uncomfortable
show tits

>>1353916
>soldering station
im happy with my fathers iron

>>1355877
>longer lasting tip =! better solder joint
You're projecting there. But my experience with cheap tips tells me that solder typically wets better to some spots better than others, which can make it less convenient for getting solder into difficult areas than with a better tip. But temperature controlling absolutely means better joints, since you're not baking off all that flux at 450C.

>>1355838
>1) tip plating that lasts
not a concern for occasionally diy when a 6$ tip lasts years
>2) cords that are long enough, thin, pliable, don't tangle. (my station has four tools. Shit *never* tangles)
comfort
>3) wherever plastics are used (cords, tools, etc) all stand up to teps over 800F so the tools can't damage them
pic related, i give you the silicon cord
>4) Standy mode when cradled; prologs tip life substantially
not a concern for occasionally diy
>5) Coming off standby, comes up to temp almost instatly, no overshoot
comfort
>6) tools do *not* get warm (or hot). Comfortable to hold through an 8-hour shift
pic related
>7) Controls that are dead simple to use, or better, controls you never have to touch
pic related, cant get more simple
>8) Maintenance accessories that actually work
pic related, doesn't need maintenance
>9) Parts (tips, etc) made by multiple vendors, but even the name brand is cheap
pic related
>10) ergonomics that men the tool is a tool you never have to think about, you just use it
pic related
>11) ~ zero downtime for maintenance
pic related

pic related is 25€, mine got used like >100 times during the last 7 years i have it, all from big project to joining two wires. still first tip
you see, only upside is comfort and temperature control, something that doesn't matter for big packages or through hole, at least if you have some skill

>>1355997
and what's wrong with comfort? go back to /pol/

>>1355997
>through hole
wew gramps

>>1355999
nothing, but you pay for it extra

>>1355997
>pic related is 25€, mine got used like >100 times during the last 7 years i have it,
Oh wow. It's lasted 100 times. Confirmed for quality stuff.
>not a concern for occasionally diy when a 6$ tip lasts years
So go shop at Harbor Freight on your own time, and stop trying to convince us their 'free with a water bottle' soldering irons are just as good as a decent tool.
>pic related, i give you the silicon cord
silicone, and it's the worst thing to make cords out of. Silicone cord against silicone cord tangles, I fucking hate how Apple has caused everyone to go to silicone for everything.
>pic related, cant get more simple
Yup, doesn't get much simpler than "always the wrong temperature"
>pic related, doesn't need maintenance
If it needed maintenance after only 100 joints, it would qualify for a mercy killing.
>big packages or through hole, at least if you have some skill
whooo-eeee, if you have a little skill and don't mind embarrassing failures, sometime's it's even good enough for the easiest soldering tasks on earth!

>>1356145
oh Ho we hit deep autism here

>>1355997
>>1356145
So yeah, anyway, lots of people use cheap pencils, mostly in classroom settings where a bunch get lost/broken (so there's no point spending any money on them) or for weekend warriors who need it once a year. 100 joints? That's the first five minutes of my work-day, assuming I'm distracted and doing other things too.

There are reasons to own a station and reasons that make them indispensable. You apparently don't have any of those reasons. Good for you. If I needed to solder once a year, I wouldn't get a station either. Once a month for more than five minutes at a time, or any SMD work.... I'd start considering it.

>>1356149
>oh Ho we hit deep autism here
more like we've exposed a deep vein of weekend warrior butthurt.

>>1356150
>100 joints
the fucker misread on purpose, the iron has well over 300 operating hours

>>1356152
>the fucker misread on purpose
Well done! You finally figured out I'm making fun of you on purpose.

>>1356153
>implying im not shitting up the thread on purpose

>>1356154
I'm giving real advice as someone who's soldered professionally (well, as part of my job) for 40 years. I am also mocking you because you're frankly asking for it.

>>1356155
>advice as someone who's soldered professionally
>on a hobby board
your not better than the faggots reccomending hilti for a cordless drill

>>1356157
The weekend warrior dude is making the right choice for his iron. But claiming a real man should never need more is laughable.
A have a basement full of cheap Chinese soldering tools and stations (and a bunch of old Weller pencils) I'll never touch again because they made my job harder, not easier.

Only ever soldered 60/40 with a basic 25w never had a problem other than switches with big tabs took a shit ton of heating, currently use an old digital Weller for everything and its great. Don't know if I'd like to try a basic iron with lead free solder.
You shouldn't need a temp controlled station to be good at soldering, but it helps, and enough silicon components now require limits on thermals during soldering it's worth considering.

>>1356167
there's more than one lead-free FWIW. SAC is not your only choice. At a minimum, there's K100LD, Bismuth alloys and a million other variants.

>>1356167
the bigger problem with too much heat is dissolving your copper traces into the solder.

>>1356167
Good luck trying to solder anything bigger than a small capacitor with a 25w pencil.

>>1353916
Just get a Hakko already. An FX-888 will get you to the moon.

soldering irons are a meme and do not get hot. no soldering unit that isnt a big fancy industrial wave station will ever, EVER work.

>>1355853
>Should I sell my Toyota for a Lexus too?
Toyota owns Lexus. and not even like how VW owns Bugatti, Lexus has always been a subdivision of Toyota, much like Acura is just Honda's luxury/sports brand and President's Choice is the nicer version of No Name(tm)
the absolute STATE of americans

>>1356433
So what's the point of Lexus. Why does it even exist?

>>1356444
to appeal to americans vanity. dumb americants feel better when they can tell their friends they have a luxury vehicle even though its exactly the same as the parent brand with some badges changed out

>>1356447
Lexus is a major brand around the world, why single out americans?

>>1356444
capitalism

>>1356447
the only people i know who own Lexuses are poos

>>1356433
>soldering irons are a meme and do not get hot. no soldering unit that isnt a big fancy industrial wave station will ever, EVER work.
High end industrial assembly hasn't been done with wave soldering (except for the simplest boards) for decades.

>>1356512
Don't forget the UZ V8 that's somewhat popular among the JDM community for MX-5 swaps and such.

>>1353916
chinese soldering irons are surprisingly good considering the price. don't expect a long wire and the one you get is way softer than what i'm used to.

>>1355111
nicee

>>1355296
how do you not short circuit the thing? I bought high temp thermal tape which didn't last even a day

>>1357879
Fibreglass?

>>1355296
I tried this with a 170w psu i have and it didnt work

this is a meme build

>>1355878
lol you absolute fucking retard. you have been crying about this shit for years. have you considered that maybe you just have autism and retardation? moron.

>>1355880
>plating == better heat transfer.
have you never heard of tinning the tip?

>>1358056
plating == better solder wetting == better heat transfer

>>1356145
Not that poster but there is a ersa soldering iron here that lasted over 25years in telco repair and is still on the first tip and works just fine.

>>1356145
stfu you gorilla retard. you have been crying about this since /diy/ started. just admit that you are retarded and cannot use tools properly, you are literally dumber than a monkey, admit it solderingfam, i own you

>>1356444
americans are so brain poisoned by corporate labelling that they can't conceive of a brand being able to produce both cheap low end things AND expensive high end things

just look at this board and all the harbor freight and ryobi memeing, even though 79.49% of power tools are just rebadged versions of eachother and are all made in the same factory, just given different stickers and paintjobs

>>1356534
>High end industrial assembly hasn't been done with wave soldering (except for the simplest boards) for decades.
And most modern electronics all fall apart within seconds after purchase, and have been like that for decades. Funny, that.

>>1358163
>co still has lead wrap terminals
>Three soldering irons still lined up on the frame
>They have probably been on literally 24/7 for 70 years at this point.
>There is a drawer full of dead tips, and a drawer full of new tips.

>>1358169
>they can't conceive of a brand being able to produce both cheap low end things AND expensive high end things
That isn't it, but rather it's more subconscious. Toyota has a name for itself as some of the cheapest but reliable cars out there, while Lexus has a name as a more up-market, luxurious brand, at least comparatively. That brand is a status symbol that a lot of people will pay for. Same with a Rolex watch, an Apple device, or any other name-brand piece of equipment that's visible. Thus people would quite possibly buy a product with a pedigree brand that's slightly worse than another product without one, so any conglomerate has an incentive to both uphold the name its brands have made for themselves and to provide products aimed at the target markets. On one side it's optimal marketing, and on the other it's optimal showing off in a self-sustaining cycle of consumerism. Whether you think this is healthy or not is your opinion, but it's definitely something to be aware of.

Alternatively, if Snap-on made a wrench that was fairly cheap and surprisingly good value for its price but still significantly worse quality than a standard Snap-on, their brand would lose weight to their more premium target market and become less of a status symbol simply because it's more affordable. But if they released the same tool under a sub-brand instead, they'd be reaching out to two seperate markets without compromising either one, and thus be more profitable. In the extreme case we're approaching, very large companies are maintaining up to a dozen brands, each with a different target market.

While this is similar to the idea that a single brand shouldn't be making high-end and low-end products according to common folk, in reality it's not as much about what kind of quality the person wants to buy but the premium they want to be seen buying. Another issue is how you know if a new product is worth the money or not, and for most people brand is a big factor here.

>>1358050
>>1358056
>>1358167
>>1358170
How to solder from the heat of butthurt alone.

>>1355111
Is that one good for occasional/non-professional uses?

>>1358222
Most consumer shit seems to be selling purely because of recognition and prestige only. I assume professional tools and wquipment is slightly different.

>>1353916
supel fucked

>>1356145
>Confirmed for quality stuff
Ersa is quality stuff you faggot.

>>1358537
Well they have that recognition and prestige for a reason. Any prestigious brand got there because they sell quality products (unless they're somewhat of a monopoly). Now sure this prestige will spill over, say a laptop stands out by having a good battery life, but becomes popular enough that people not specifically looking for a good battery life will also buy this product due to its prestige, but that's entirely different to being undeserved prestige.

Considering that's what the Chinese use around the clock, I think you're pretty safe OP.
China's overall export quality has been pretty great in the past 2 years. Online shopping is going to be the death of me.

>>1358722
>Well they have that recognition and prestige for a reason.

This might have been true once. Most luxury cars for example seem to fall apart just when the warranty period ends.

>>1359083
I have not had such an experience, though it depends on what you mean by luxury car. A modern Audi or BMW is bound to last 20 years if not 30 (provided you keep getting them serviced at the registered shill dealer) and I can't imagine a Bentley breaking quickly. Sports cars have always been prone to unreliability though they're getting better, if that's what you mean by luxury.

>>1359380
>and I can't imagine a Bentley breaking quickly.
Oh lawd.

>>1359380
you literally dont know a fucking thing. bentleys are hand-fitted so nothing ever fits right, and sports cars are meant to be driven hard and as such use more robust parts than normal econoboxes

>>1359380
cars these days are typically designed for 150k Km until its ok to break down. Parts are worn and you go from repair to repair.
especially, living in a country with regular checks

>>1359446
So are cars from around 2000 the most reliable they'll ever be?

>>1359457
my opinion
everything pre flash memory era is build to last
thiccc zinc coated chassis, accessible engine bay, electronics kept to a minimum and relying on simple parts
for the big quantity build, spares are dirt cheap
microelectronics introduce problems. Flash chips can loose their memory after years, everything is interlinked by CAN Bus, all the crap that shits up your flatscreens can shit up your car too
Audi used to get shilled 100k miles for each ring, id be surprised if you can get spare parts in 15 years for today's cars, in acceptable price regions

>>1358553