Do lead free irons work well with standard solder?

[A.Gillies]

I apologize if this has already been covered, I did some searching on the forum and on google and could't find an answer.

My question is whether lead free irons work properly with standard solder. Would a Xytronic LF-369D work well with normal solder? Thanks.

[R.G.]

Yes, given that they're temperature or power adjustable. Lead free irons run hot and produce a lot of oxides on the tip, which makes tinning, cleaning, and fluxing a problem, but they do melt the good stuff OK.

[A.Gillies]

Yes, given that they're temperature or power adjustable. Lead free irons run hot and produce a lot of oxides on the tip, which makes tinning, cleaning, and fluxing a problem, but they do melt the good stuff OK.

So I gather that though a lead free iron will work with normal solder it would be best to get a standard iron. Thank you!

[R.G.]

Actually, the only difference between a lead-free iron and an iron not advertised as "lead free" is that the "lead-free" version can go to a higher temperature, necessary for melting the substitute lead free stuff.

I do both with the same iron, and just twist the temperature adjust knob to make the soldering work well. I can always tell when I've been doing lead-free because the tip oxides up and I have to dunk it in flux and scrub the brown layer off. Minor PITA. IMHO not enough to buy a second iron for special cases.

[A.Gillies]

Actually, the only difference between a lead-free iron and an iron not advertised as "lead free" is that the "lead-free" version can go to a higher temperature, necessary for melting the substitute lead free stuff.

I do both with the same iron, and just twist the temperature adjust knob to make the soldering work well. I can always tell when I've been doing lead-free because the tip oxides up and I have to dunk it in flux and scrub the brown layer off. Minor PITA. IMHO not enough to buy a second iron for special cases.

That's good to know. Thank you for clarifying!

[Jdansti]

I use lead-free tips and generally don't have any problems.  I normally use a damp sponge or paper towel on an old saucer to clean the tip between soldering each component, but lately I've gotten extravagant and have gotten myself one of these:



Also, to help prevent longterm oxidation and extend the life of the tip, when I shut the iron off, I do a final cleaning and then coat the tip with solder.

BTW, I once left my iron on overnight and after about 24-hrs, the tip so oxidized that most of the end was missing.  Not a good idea for several reasons. Now I'm OCD about checking to make sure it's off when I finish using it.

[Perrow]

BTW, I once left my iron on overnight and after about 24-hrs, the tip so oxidized that most of the end was missing.  Not a good idea for several reasons. Now I'm OCD about checking to make sure it's off when I finish using it.

Left mine on for a few days, t'was the most beautiful tip I ever saw when I got back to it. Thankfully the station survived. After that I installed a one hour timer and only get slightly annoyed each time I try to solder with a cold iron

Lost no more tips though.

[Tacoboy]

A decent solder station shuts down automatically after a certain time when not in use.
And when you're done soldering, leave a blob around your solder tip. It prevents the tip from oxidizing.
Another issue: I don't mix lead-free an ordinary solder. It causes stress in the joints because both have different temp. coeff.
I even use different iron tips for lead-free or ordinary solder.
These were recommendations in the factories where I use to work...

[Cliff Schecht]

Actually, the only difference between a lead-free iron and an iron not advertised as "lead free" is that the "lead-free" version can go to a higher temperature, necessary for melting the substitute lead free stuff.

I do both with the same iron, and just twist the temperature adjust knob to make the soldering work well. I can always tell when I've been doing lead-free because the tip oxides up and I have to dunk it in flux and scrub the brown layer off. Minor PITA. IMHO not enough to buy a second iron for special cases.

Don't let the RoHS Nazis know you're double dipping with the irons! We used to laugh about that as we used leaded solder to fix RoHS friendly EVM's. Isn't the "law" that the entire board has to contain less than 2% lead? I probably broke that rule a few times just by having to resolder QFN-type packages.

[R.G.]

Don't let the RoHS Nazis know you're double dipping with the irons! We used to laugh about that as we used leaded solder to fix RoHS friendly EVM's.

Fortunately, any work I do that goes to someone else is a repair for the USA. The USA doesn't - yet, at least - have anything to say legally about lead in solder.

Wasn't it Robert Heinlein that said that in a mature bureaucracy, everything not forbidden is mandatory? And that in a mature bureaucracy, "civil servant" is semantically equivalent to "civil master"?