Looking to get a soldering iron kit/station whatever, something that should be good for occasional rare uses ?
Never really ever done soldering before, so looking for one now
Which one is good ?
Is there even a point of buying station instead of cheap $16 ish plain iron?
EDIT **
Here's some links which sort of one is probably the best ?
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/382550080432
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/265723033939
The basic Ozito 80W ones at Bunnings is sufficient for light electronic work as well as autoelectrical wiring.
Reviews are horrible though:
The tip would not tin, and hense would not transfer its heat to the work. The tip showed significant deterioration after just 30 minutes of use.
[…] after about 20-30 minutes of being plugged in, the tip is disintegrating and forming deep diverts.
First one I bought lasted half an hour before going open circuit.
I recommend https://www.bunnings.com.au/weller-240v-70w-soldering-statio…
Buy once, cry once. Very good value and a quality unit.
no chance, for that price you better go with Hakko, Weller is probably just a dinosaur just like Energizer compared to Eneloop
This is a far better station than a Hakko 888D.
I have something like this (soldering station):
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001564982988.html?spm=a2…
The hot air gun is great for desoldering things. It is also great for heavy duty soldering, for example anderson plug lugs.
What are the "rare uses" for? If it's once a year get one from Jaycar.
A soldering station is IMHO a waste if you are not working on PCB's or not using the soldering iron at least once a month. I have a Dick Smith soldering iron from before it was sold to WW.
i have one of those cheapy 240 mains direct type kits in my ute at all times for emergency fixes. Has been fine the 4-5 times I've used it to repair strip light joins.
If you're doing electronics or other fine work I would recommend investing in a good unit, I personally have had good experience with JBC solder units, but they're like $500.
i like the chinese t12 clones quecoo t12-955 or ksger 2.1 with multiple tips around US$50
I solder all over the house doing home automation stuff, so i find a cordless one super handy.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/ryobi-18v-one-soldering-station-…
Handy little unit, and a lot easier than a butane unit. I have one.
I've got a Yihua soldering/rework station, which is OK, but honestly I would much prefer something more portable as it's a pain to cart the soldering station from my desk for any jobs elsewhere.
I'm thinking a USB-C iron would be ideal but some generic ones apparently aren't actually USB-PD compatible…
I built and repair my 5" drone with a crappy $8 soldering iron from Aliexpress and a damp sponge lol.
I have a 60W temperature adjustable one from aliexpress. about $10. Title like: Mini Soldering Iron Adjustable Temperature Electric Solder Iron Rework Station Mini Handle Heat Pencil Welding Repair Tools 60W. The blue one with the little knob.
Going strong years after purchase. variety of tips readily available.
Perfect for fine electronics. Pushing it once you get to about mains thickness wire.
Get the steel wool style tip cleaner. Looking after the tip is half the battle when soldering.
I've got two old soldering irons I bought 25+ years ago. Only cost about $20 each. Nothing fancy: plug it in and the tip heats up. Last job was to repair an E14 error on the Bosch dishwasher about 2 weeks ago. Reed switch sensor for water stopped working after 5 years. Replaced it before under warranty 5 years ago. Call out fee for repairer would have cost $150 plus $100 per hour. Family member used the soldering iron to heat up the solder and remove the old reed switch. Replaced it with a $3 reed switch from JayCar. Didn't even both using new solder - just reheated the old solder and stuck it back on. Saved at least $150. P.S. As mentioned above, use lead free solder.
That depends on what you are soldering and what powered version you want.
The basic Ozito 80W ones at Bunnings is sufficient for light electronic work as well as autoelectrical wiring.
Invest in appropriate good quality solder.