this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2025
23 points (100.0% liked)

Ask Electronics

3905 readers
1 users here now

For questions about component-level electronic circuits, tools and equipment.

Rules

1: Be nice.

2: Be on-topic (eg: Electronic, not electrical).

3: No commercial stuff, buying, selling or valuations.

4: Be safe.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
DavideAndrea@discuss.tchncs.de
linker3000@discuss.tchncs.de
23
What's a good high wattage soldering iron? (lemmy.world)
submitted 4 days ago by PriorityMotif@lemmy.world to c/askelectronics@discuss.tchncs.de
6 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I'm always struggling to desolder high heat circuit boards like pc motherboards because they used high heat solder. Sometimes I can get it hot enough that I can mix in some lower temp solder but it's always a pain. I've also used my rework hot air at 500* plus the soldering iron at 500* and gotten it, but that's a pain as I only have two hands. Right now I'm replacing the Nec/Tonkin caps on a ps3. Fortunately removal is simple with a chisel, but getting the pads ready for soldering is a huge pita.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] qupada@fedia.io 2 points 4 days ago

Performance wise, you'd struggle to beat a JBC station.

I have an older version of this one, has been fantastic: https://www.jbctools.com/cdb-soldering-station-product-1605.html

Price-wise, well that's a whole different story. That station is about $600 USD and change, and individual tips start at about $40.

What it does have though is damn near instant heating (it takes longer for the controller in mine to boot than it does to heat), hot-swappable tips (the metal comb-looking thing is to aid pulling the tip from the handle), and nearly 150 shapes of tips to choose from (see https://www.jbctools.com/c245-cartridge-range-long-life-tip-product-19-design-iron.html).

Their other innovation (now somewhat commonplace) is building the element into the tip, letting them put significantly larger power output into comparatively low thermal mass tips. Does wonders for temperature control.

Here's a reasonable comparison of the older-style (Hakko, Weller) separate element/tip design against the JBC's integrated: https://youtu.be/scvS2yeUH00