I was wondering what everybody considers to be the best choice for soldering irons in use today. I'm looking to find out make and model, variable temperature, wattage and why you prefer this iron over others. Mine is on the way out and need to buy a new one. It was a 20W/40W iron which I believe had many brand names and was handed down to me by my father many years ago. What temperature is a good choice for most electronic work.

 

I really like my Weller WES51. It has good temperature control and lots of heat when I need it. Also, a great selection of tips. My previous Weller, a WTCP, is 37 years old and still working fine.

 

I use a Weller WTCP with a 700 degree conical tip for most of my soldering. I've been using the iron with the same tip for almost 40 years.