Hello

Currently i'm using a shared soldering iron pencil from my father. He repair electronics and TVs since his formation.
The iron is very very old, i renember saw that iron in my 10 year old age, now i am 24. I can't get the reference anymore but by the look i seens to be a JBC2192052

This pencil is very good for the work. Solder melt and flow very well. It's fast to use and tip has never been replaced.

Now i want to buy a good quality soldering iron for us. Beside all work that iron made its old, tip is a bit damaged and we can't control the temperature. I work with tiny circuits this pencil is fine for that, but sometimes i fell i need less heat.
I have been searching for stations and pencils and i can't decide. I don't have many options in my country beside amazon.es and rs-components.
What do you recommend? Portability is a good thing since my father work in a tight space (his workspace is full of old electronics and stuff, hard to move inside ^^) and stations somehow doesn't look that portable.

I'm think in offer the top end JBC pencil - JBC SL2020 - http://www.jbctools.com/2020200-sl2020-230v-temp-controlled-soldering-iron-product-469.htmlHello, he will be happy because he love the JBC iron. (100€ with a extra tip (1mm + 1.5mm))
Its portable, allow temperature control, well only down side is the 100ºc steps (from 100 to 400, i wish 50ºc steps better). Also i can't find any reviews... JBC is a spanish brand i think, i hear soldering stations are one of the bests but nothing about the pencils on the internet i can find.

Or i also consider the soldering station ERSA 0RDS80. Its avaliable here (180€)

My budget is up to 200-250€. More if the buy justifies.

What do you thought or suggest?

 

Try the Hakko 936, or other models, or the Csi 2900 from Circuit specialists.eu

 

Try the Hakko 936, or other models, or the Csi 2900 from Circuit specialists.eu

Thanks, i will have a look. That models should be hard to find in my country.

 

The hakko FX-888D looks good, unfortunately is hard to find one in europe wih the EU socket. None of my known stores have it.

Still i find this ones:

BAKU 878L (85€) (Includes heat gun too and its compact)
AOYUE 2900 (100€) - looks very identical to the Csi you adviced but looks a bit big.
MLINK-H4 (130€) - includes heat gun with the vertical support (this is a good thing)

What would be better?

 

As long as the iron gets hot and has a decent plating on the tip it will work.
Price is a secondary consideration. Like asking if a baseball bat that costs $1000.00 will get you a better batting average vs. one that costs $10.00 As long as you know how to solder and have developed good technique and tip cleaning/tinning practice then the iron itself becomes secondary. It's just a tool. No better than the person who wields it.
Any decent iron is worth having, brand doesn't really matter.

 

I have been using this for 1.5 years . nice one indeed . goot tq-95

 

As long as the iron gets hot and has a decent plating on the tip it will work.
Price is a secondary consideration. Like asking if a baseball bat that costs $1000.00 will get you a better batting average vs. one that costs $10.00 As long as you know how to solder and have developed good technique and tip cleaning/tinning practice then the iron itself becomes secondary. It's just a tool. No better than the person who wields it.
Any decent iron is worth having, brand doesn't really matter.

Thats true. The iron itself doesn't need to cost a lot, i just want a good quality iron and tip (quality/price).
The pencil my father got with more than 10 years old its the prove of it and only costs 50€ 40W (today).
But sometimes little things increase the price alot. The iron alone is cheap the inside components is what make them expensive. I like to buy quality stuff only but i dont like to pay more because of a brand or useless stuff.

Giving my requirements: quality iron and tip, good portability, temperature controlled, long coord - do you have any suggestion?
I will try to pick the best to me, it must last some years, i like to keep my stuff as long as they work and do a good job.

JBC has proved do a good work, maybe i should give a try to the JBC SL2020.

Thanks

I have been using this for 1.5 years . nice one indeed . goot tq-95

I'm looking for a temperature controlled iron.

 

I have a Weller PS-3D and it's a true workhorse. Been going strong for 20 years now and showing no signs of degradation at all (changed a few tips though), good product. Unfortunately not sold new anymore unless its ex-stock but I believe the modern equivalent would be this

Weller WTCP51, Soldering Station, 230V, Euro Plug

EDIT: Just noticed you're after full temperature control sorry

 

I have a Weller PS-3D and it's a true workhorse. Been going strong for 20 years now and showing no signs of degradation at all (changed a few tips though), good product. Unfortunately not sold new anymore unless its ex-stock but I believe the modern equivalent would be this

Weller WTCP51, Soldering Station, 230V, Euro Plug

EDIT: Just noticed you're after full temperature control sorry

Strange to see a soldering station without temperature control, still looks like a solid one. Weller products are good.
Full temperature control not needed, 50ºc or 100ºc increments are good to me.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

Strange to see a soldering station without temperature control, still looks like a solid one. Weller products are good.
Full temperature control not needed, 50ºc or 100ºc increments are good to me.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Yeah I highly praise Weller soldering irons, both me and my father have used multiple ones for years with no issues at all. But I haven't used a newer one though (last 10yrs). I had a look for a variable temperature one and the WS 81 looks quite good but are a bit pricier.

WELLER WS 81 EU ESTACIÓN DE SOLDADURA, 80W, 230V, EU

Weller WS81, Soldering Station, 230V, Euro Plug

 

Yeah I highly praise Weller soldering irons, both me and my father have used multiple ones for years with no issues at all. But I haven't used a newer one though (last 10yrs). I had a look for a variable temperature one and the WS 81 looks quite good but are a bit pricier.

WELLER WS 81 EU ESTACIÓN DE SOLDADURA, 80W, 230V, EU

Weller WS81, Soldering Station, 230V, Euro Plug

Sometimes the old stuff are better than the new ones (cheap low performance components used today)
Always keep what work good

The WS81 looks good but a bit expensive.
I think i will adquire the JBC SL pencil, it is also a birthday gift to my father and like you he highly praise JBC and thier iron tips! When he opens the gift wrap i think will be the best moment for him. The true is that old JBC iron make a lot of service and repaired almost everything, i have soldered AWG 12 with it one time without problem (just a bit of patience and a good tin) and use a lot with my arduino projects and tiny chips like laptop BIOS IC.
The pencil format is a good thing for him, as his workspace is full of stuff and its impossible to work there anymore, he work now on the kitchen table with large and old CRT TVs. The pencil format allow to spare some space and make sure its portable to take it with him with no time and go other place the the iron.

If he had a clean and a spare workspace i would gone for a station for sure!
After i decide and order i will be happy to review it, since i can't find one review on the internet. Not a popular brand outside but JBC is on the iron professional market since 80s.

Thanks all