any one uses them?

post up what you got with your experience and reviews.

im tired of my wired one, i can never find an outlet anywhere in the house. one day i will be soldering LED for my car in the garage, next time i would be in my bedroom soldering laptop or pc parts or in the kitchen doing something else. so now im thinking about getting a butane soldering iron, but after some research i found that they range from $20 to over $200... i never played with any of them so i have no clue what to look for..

 

I use one of these

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-P2KC-Pr.../dp/B000WOHSHM

Works well for simple things and smaller wire. I wouldnt use it for like 12ga wire or anything like that though. You can also change the tip and use it like a mini torch or heat gun. Works wonders when your soldering and need to heat shrink after. It has an adjustable temp setting for delicate jobs as well.

 

I don't have one, but I have used them many times and they are an excellent alternative to a wired unit - provided you have a need for it and the space since it's hard to find one as small as a wired unit. The smaller sized units typically do not have enough heat to do the job quickly, especially on larger jobs, so a unit like Hilo pointed out is about the right size for most work. That's very comparable to the Snap on unit I was using, and it was very handy.

For big jobs and extremely fine work, however, nothing beats a soldering station. Dialing in the power and having the iron ready to go at a workstation is preferable, IMO. The pens are also smaller and more manageable.

Big Mack

 

i have the matco t130k!!!! it works really well. its just going to cost you a hefty penny.

 

the stuff that i will be doing with it is circuit boards and 18 or smaller size wires. my hands shake like im a crack addict, so I would need something that i could hold as close as possible to the tip. And would like to find something that would heat up the tip in under 1min if possible.

ty for suggestions, and please keep them coming, i will be looking into this for the next couple of weeks untill i find one that would be great for me

 

I have used the expensive $100+ kits and they have all sucked. Then I went to radioshack and picked up their $20 iron. It has been working flawlessly for the past 3 years. Great for mobile soldering!

 

The weller iron is nice but I needed something quick so I went and picked up the radioshack one as the previous owner stated. Here is a link http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...odsInSession=1.
This iron has been working for me for the last 2 years trouble free, and at a fraction of the cost you cant go wrong.

 

^^ all i needed to do on mine is change the tip.

 

ty for your input, sounds great. i will def try the radioshack one first

 

but don't use them outside in the direct air the butane ones would never get hot enough unless your in a close garage , if you must use it, use it without the tip and carefully heat the wire then and add solder then reheat apply connector with some needle nose plier so you wont burn your finger

 

Maybe in sub zero weather, i used it in an unheated garage in the winter and it would heat up fine, might just take a little while, granted when its cold even an electric iron will take some time.

 

I highly recommend the Master Appliance Ultratorch: http://www.masterappliance.com/ssiu2.jpg Professional grade, very rugged. You can even get a rebuild kit for it. This is what I have been using since about 1997. The Radio Shack iron is great for occasional light soldering and gets pretty hot, but if you use it long enough, it will pretty much self destruct. I replace my Radio Shack unit roughly every 3 months. Keep in mind, I solder 5 or 6 days a week.

 

I had two of the Masters, nice but clogged up often. My friend would take it in to be tuned up for me. Had a few other brands, not as good. To be honest, just too much maintenance for this cordless units. I now have two corded units and yes the cord is a hassle, but they always light up, every time, and have more consistent heat. I still have 3 cans of butane in the garage with nothing to use them in.

 

what do you mean "clogged up often"?

 

For them to work, there are little 'screens' at the tips which need to be kept clear. Some just buy new tips $$$, others have then serviced. They work great in the beginning, then problems just set in. I spent more time adjusting/fixing these things then the actually project I needed them for.