Best gas soldering iron

[Robert Benett]

I need to buy a gas soldering iron. The application is limited
production work on PCB's away from AC power. Accordingly, I would like
a better quality iron than would be suited only to occasional repairs.

There are now quite a few on the market. Can anyone offer any
firsthand recommendations as to the best and/or most cost effective
brands and models?

The original Weller's still look good, but seem a bit expensive
compared with the newer imports.

Robert Bennett

 

[[email protected]]

I need to buy a gas soldering iron. The application is limited
production work on PCB's away from AC power. Accordingly, I would like
a better quality iron than would be suited only to occasional repairs.

There are now quite a few on the market. Can anyone offer any
firsthand recommendations as to the best and/or most cost effective
brands and models?

The original Weller's still look good, but seem a bit expensive
compared with the newer imports.

Robert Bennett

These "gas" irons are rather poorly made in China devices. [OK, one
was made in Taiwan.] I've had two fail in the field. Granted, they
were cheap, but not being able to do the repair was the issue. I found
using an inverter and conventional soldering iron is much simpler.

 

[[email protected]]

A gas iron will likely scorch the pads off a board. There are some
battery-powered irons.

But why do "production" somewhere that there's no power?

John

Just to be clear, the gas iron the OP speaks of uses a flame that heat
a tip. That is, you don't put a flame to the board. It sounds good on
paper, but reality is quite different. The butane flow depends on the
tilt of the torch.

Harbor Freight sells a really cheap iron using that scheme:
<http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?
Itemnumber=41169>

 

[John Devereux]

Just to be clear, the gas iron the OP speaks of uses a flame that heat
a tip. That is, you don't put a flame to the board. It sounds good on
paper, but reality is quite different. The butane flow depends on the
tilt of the torch.

Yes, they are very bad for electronics work. They were almost unusable
20 years ago, when parts were much bigger, with big pads more tolerant
to high temperature.

Unless they've developed an actively temperature controlled one now?

[...]

 

[Rich Grise]

If you're open to alternatives, I'll recommend the Wahl Iso-Tip series of
rechargeable electric irons. Extremely portable, light (although perhaps
not as light as some of the "micro" gas irons I've seen), and can be
recharged in the field if you have a low-wattage inverter available.

Wahl also sells tips in a variety of sizes.

I'll second this: I've used these before, and they're awesome! ;-)
http://www.google.com/products?q=Wahl+cordless+soldering+iron

Cheers!
Rich

 

[Joerg]

Yes, but tip temps can get very high on a gas-powered iron, and as you
note control is poor.

Get a car or motorcycle battery and google "12 volt soldering iron"

But if you do this often you need a deep-cycle version, not a starter
battery since they won't last very long in this mode. Hard to find and
expensive in smaller versions. In fact I am just looking for a 12V/18Ah
lead acid because the battery in my emergency power suitcase has
croaked. Probably buying a new kit will be cheaper :-(

 

[Joerg]

Yes, they are very bad for electronics work. They were almost unusable
20 years ago, when parts were much bigger, with big pads more tolerant
to high temperature.

Unless they've developed an actively temperature controlled one now?

Hey, 30 years ago I repaired a stereo amp with an inbus wrench heated on
a stove. It can be done. And I had copious amounts of Ouzo, beer and
other stuff in my system at that moment. It was a party at a mechanical
engineering student and those guys don't have solder irons, so a dead
stereo meant a minor crisis. They were mighty impressed when Led
Zeppelin was back on. Well, turns out I didn't even have to flick the
power switch because <whoops> I had forgotten to turn it off. That gave
me a fright.

 

[[email protected]]

But if you do this often you need a deep-cycle version, not a starter
battery since they won't last very long in this mode. Hard to find and
expensive in smaller versions. In fact I am just looking for a 12V/18Ah
lead acid because the battery in my emergency power suitcase has
croaked. Probably buying a new kit will be cheaper :-(

I use gel cells pulled from datacenters. About $25 for 50AH.

Is the 209 area code near you? If so, I can email you a phone number
for a source of used datacenter batteries. I've bought 5 from the guy
(1 75AH and 4 50AH) without a problem. Now for failure is not an
option, I buy the batteries new. But for "projects", the used
batteries are fine.

 

[John Devereux]

Hey, 30 years ago I repaired a stereo amp with an inbus wrench heated
on a stove. It can be done. And I had copious amounts of Ouzo, beer
and other stuff in my system at that moment. It was a party at a
mechanical engineering student and those guys don't have solder irons,
so a dead stereo meant a minor crisis. They were mighty impressed when
Led Zeppelin was back on. Well, turns out I didn't even have to flick
the power switch because <whoops> I had forgotten to turn it off. That
gave me a fright.

I'm sure I did something similar once using some handy piece of
cutlery. Which couldn't have tinned very well. So you're right, a gas
powered iron is better than nothing in a "field repair"
situation. (But not "production", like the OP wanted!).

 

[Joerg]

I use gel cells pulled from datacenters. About $25 for 50AH.

Is the 209 area code near you? If so, I can email you a phone number
for a source of used datacenter batteries. I've bought 5 from the guy
(1 75AH and 4 50AH) without a problem. Now for failure is not an
option, I buy the batteries new. But for "projects", the used
batteries are fine.

Thanks, but we are in the 530 area code (the one east of the 916 area
code, 530 is split into two regions). Walmart, Costco and Sam's used to
have large 12V trolling batteries for fishermen, somewhere between $50
and $100. I am going to Costco today for some year-end purchases so I'll
look. Problem with those emergency power packs is that the battery must
be an exact size-fit or you'll have to leave it external and then might
as well buy a big marine deep-cycle.

 

[[email protected]]

Thanks, but we are in the 530 area code (the one east of the 916 area
code, 530 is split into two regions). Walmart, Costco and Sam's used to
have large 12V trolling batteries for fishermen, somewhere between $50
and $100. I am going to Costco today for some year-end purchases so I'll
look. Problem with those emergency power packs is that the battery must
be an exact size-fit or you'll have to leave it external and then might
as well buy a big marine deep-cycle.

Last time I looked, those big box stores have deep cycle batteries,
but not gel cells. The vapors from deep discharge batteries will
corrode electronics.

 

[Joerg]

Last time I looked, those big box stores have deep cycle batteries,
but not gel cells. The vapors from deep discharge batteries will
corrode electronics.

Yeah, I am going to place one externally. The prices for matching gel
cells are ridiculously high.

 

[Greegor]

I need to buy a gas soldering iron. The application is limited
production work on PCB's away from AC power. Accordingly, I would like
a better quality iron than would be suited only to occasional repairs.

There are now quite a few on the market. Can anyone offer any
firsthand recommendations as to the best and/or most cost effective
brands and models?

The original Weller's still look good, but seem a bit expensive
compared with the newer imports.

Robert Bennett

I'll ad mine to the chorus asking the question
"Why would you do production away from AC power?".

 

[[email protected]]

Yeah, I am going to place one externally. The prices for matching gel
cells are ridiculously high.

I'd track down a source of used datacenter batteries. These are pulled
like clockwork because nobody wants to take the blame if the
datacenter fails because they were being cheap. There is always some
person that gets the batteries for cheap, then sorts out the best
ones. If you can track down a local ham club, there is probably
somebody who knows where to get the used gel cells.

I wouldn't want to charge the deep discharge battery in any indoor
environment.

 

[JosephKK]

Just to be clear, the gas iron the OP speaks of uses a flame that heat
a tip. That is, you don't put a flame to the board. It sounds good on
paper, but reality is quite different. The butane flow depends on the
tilt of the torch.

Yes, they are very bad for electronics work. They were almost unusable
20 years ago, when parts were much bigger, with big pads more tolerant
to high temperature.

Unless they've developed an actively temperature controlled one now?

[...]

I have no idea what you have worked with. I currently have a couple
of very nice throttleable ones that have been very useful for about a
decade now. I like my port-a-sol pretty well. I also have a variety
of corded irons, mostly temperature controlled.

 

[John Devereux]

On Dec 29, 10:38 pm, John Larkin
On Tue, 30 Dec 2008 06:09:27 GMT, [email protected] (Robert

Benett) wrote:
I need to buy a gas soldering iron. The application is limited
production work on PCB's away from AC power. Accordingly, I would like
a better quality iron than would be suited only to occasional repairs.

There are now quite a few on the market. Can anyone offer any
firsthand recommendations as to the best and/or most cost effective
brands and models?

The original Weller's still look good, but seem a bit expensive
compared with the newer imports.

Robert Bennett

A gas iron will likely scorch the pads off a board. There are some
battery-powered irons.

But why do "production" somewhere that there's no power?

John

Just to be clear, the gas iron the OP speaks of uses a flame that heat
a tip. That is, you don't put a flame to the board. It sounds good on
paper, but reality is quite different. The butane flow depends on the
tilt of the torch.

Yes, they are very bad for electronics work. They were almost unusable
20 years ago, when parts were much bigger, with big pads more tolerant
to high temperature.

Unless they've developed an actively temperature controlled one now?

[...]

I have no idea what you have worked with. I currently have a couple
of very nice throttleable ones that have been very useful for about a
decade now. I like my port-a-sol pretty well. I also have a variety
of corded irons, mostly temperature controlled.

I've used several types, but not for ~20 years. The (Weller?)
port-a-sol type was probably the best one. They are OK for field
service work, where you don't have ready access to a mains supply.

 

[Joerg]

[email protected] wrote:

[...]

I'd track down a source of used datacenter batteries. These are pulled
like clockwork because nobody wants to take the blame if the
datacenter fails because they were being cheap. There is always some
person that gets the batteries for cheap, then sorts out the best
ones. If you can track down a local ham club, there is probably
somebody who knows where to get the used gel cells.

I wouldn't want to charge the deep discharge battery in any indoor
environment.

It'll be charged outdoors but used indoors for slight loads if the power
goes.

 

[[email protected]]

[email protected] wrote:

[...]

I'd track down a source of used datacenter batteries. These are pulled
like clockwork because nobody wants to take the blame if the
datacenter fails because they were being cheap. There is always some
person that gets the batteries for cheap, then sorts out the best
ones. If you can track down a local ham club, there is probably
somebody who knows where to get the used gel cells.

I wouldn't want to charge the deep discharge battery in any indoor
environment.

It'll be charged outdoors but used indoors for slight loads if the power
goes.

Outdoors is hard on the battery, so you may have a false economy by
using the deep discharge battery over the indoor gel cell. For outdoor
use, you put rubber feet on the battery to form a thermal break. I'm
sure you heard that old rumor about putting a battery on the garage
floor ruins it. That isn't exactly true, but the garage floor provides
a thermal path to the battery, and does shorten the storage time.