"Best" soldering tools and supplies for a newbie?

[Soulfistication]

Hi, first post - very green here.  I tried to find recent posts with these questions addressed, and follow the posting guidelines, so I offer my apologies if I missed something in the forum that someone could easily link to, and which is recent rather than outdated in terms of modern equipment options.

I am an experienced musician (mostly guitar) and I would like to get a bit more involved in building things, doing some basic repairs on my guitars and effects pedals, and maybe going deeper down the building rabbithole in the future if I develop more skills and knowledge (likely will happen, over time).    I understand electronics a bit in principle, but I have never soldered or desoldered things before. 

I would like to learn how to solder and desolder, build my experience on some projects, etc. and become comfortable doing more complex soldering over time.   I am not in a hurry, but I am interested in buying the "best" tools for the job because I would like the flexibility to learn and grow rather than wasting money on cheap tools at the outset that I will just outgrow eventually, or will cause frustration due to poor design.   I don't expect to get to "pro" level, but a good tool for me is important and I can envision going deeper in the future on complex builds.

So, can folks please make some suggestions by brand, type of tool, type of workstation, etc. ?   Just to be clear, when I say "best" I realize this can be subjective - but I don't mind paying more for quality, and might even prefer it.  I am a firm believer in having the right tools, ideally more high-end or even a bit on the expensive side if the tool is long-term and solid quality (better value, even if more more expensive).   I've seen some videos online, but I want to make sure I have a full toolkit with the right kind of solder (again, primarily for effects and guitar parts), the right and most modern tools for different typical soldering and desoldering tasks, the most solid high quality and respected brands available under consideration, the correct soldering tip(s), and various key features covered (e.g., temp setting, safety features, ease of use, lights, modern amenities, etc).   What are the essentials I should have in my kit, and what are the additional items I might also want to buy or pay for with a larger kit or station (optional, but if it is included already well then ok, great)?   Am I better off buying each item one at a time, or just getting a kit/workstation at the outset?   Are there any newer features that have been developed recently which are great, or that are oversold but actually suck? What amount should I budget for solid, fully functional, or even basic top of the line stuff, without going off the deep end . . . $100 bones or so?  I suppose I don't want to pay $10 nor several hundred for a semi-pro work set-up.

Ok, that's all, and thanks for considering some input folks.  I'm not trying to overcomplicate things or ask dumb questions, I can live with the "shut up and solder your guitar" answer with a basic iron . . .  but figured I would look for insight in the search of a good investment based on 2022 tools that are available.    Thanks kindly.

PS - bonus points for some info on best parts or tools website or dealer.

Thanks sincerely.

[stallik]

The best soldering work will come not from the most expensive workstation but from the most practice. No matter what iron you settle on, grab some vero board, pots and little switches etc which you can practice on.

My biggest improvement happened when I started using a fine pointed tip. Trouble is, I have to have a bigger iron handy when I need to solder the backs of pots etc.

[antonis]

I need to solder the backs of pots

[andy-h-h]

You might find the soldering iron is not a complicated decision at all - you soon realise that there's a bunch of other things needed.   

My two cents on the topic.  https://vero-p2p.blogspot.com/2021/04/getting-started.html

[cspar]

+1 to what Stallik and Andy said.

I'd like to suggest getting and using one of these to clean your tip instead of using the wet sponge technique.

Also there is a NASA video about soldering that was posted not long ago that is worth watching and should be easily searchable.

[mozz]

 I solder the backs of pots, with the same iron i use for pcb's. Turn up the temp, when done turn it back down. I would suggest a Weller WESD51, a little over $100. As for the springy little metal things, I've never used them in over 40 years of soldering, why take the chance of taking the plating off the tip to shorten it's life? The wet sponge works great, no need for anything else. Use a good 63/37 solder for leaded use. I also would practice on old circuit boards unsoldering. Get in get out is the rule when soldering.

[cspar]

There might be something in the quality of the tip itself.

The cheap chinese tips that I've been using seem to not like the quenching from the sponge but are fine with the brass in my experience.

[cspar]

Both techniques can and will work but are not compatible.

Perhaps i should better explanation my experience.

I've had a torch in my hand more than an iron when it comes to soldering and have a fair knowledge of metallurgy as it would pertain to working with precious metals.

I also have first hand experience with iron tips getting brittle from constant quenching with a sponge.

This is especially apparent if you also use a brass cleaner.

Without any quenching the tip wears differently and has no problem with the brass.

I have a big box of cheap Chinese ones that have proven more durable the way I do it than quenching them. Durable as in I can't remember the last time I changed the tip.

Besides the physics I might be a little biased because I live in Arizona and keeping water in a sponge on my bench pretty much requires a drip system.

Quite obviously both techniques work and tips are cheap.

Bottom line is a clean tip is a clean tip.

Keep your tip clean.

[Ripthorn]

Lots of people like the T12 soldering irons. If you need boards to practice on, I have lots of non functional PCB's you can have for shipping.

[bluebunny]

The best soldering work will come not from the most expensive workstation but from the most practice. No matter what iron you settle on, grab some vero board, pots and little switches etc which you can practice on.

^^ This.  For the same reason that buying a $500,000 guitar doesn't make you Clapton or Gilmore.

I used a "cheap" Antex iron for 30 years and produced perfectly good results (after plenty of practice, like Kevin says).  I "upgraded" to an equivalent "workstation" version of the same iron a few years ago, for no other reason than I could.

[Invertiguy]

As others have said, technique is far more important to consistently producing good solder joints than the type of iron you use and the only way to develop it is through practice. That being said, a decent iron will go a long way towards improving your soldering experience. I for one am really happy with my Hakko FX-888D and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a decent soldering station. It heats up quickly, has more than enough power for pretty much all guitar-related jobs I've needed it for, and has a wide variety of tips available for it that are both quick and easy to change (provided the iron is cool, of course) and last an impressively long time, even with the dreaded "wet sponge" method of tip cleaning (which I've done for years now with no issues and prefer to the brass sponge as I feel it does a better job, still not sure why everyone seems to hate it so much). It'll set you back a little over $100 but it's more than worth it if you're looking for a good workhorse bench iron.

[amptramp]

+1 to what Stallik and Andy said.

I'd like to suggest getting and using one of these to clean your tip instead of using the wet sponge technique.

Also there is a NASA video about soldering that was posted not long ago that is worth watching and should be easily searchable.

I am familiar with the NASA NHB5300.4 soldering spec but one thing you should consider is this spec was designed to use the minimum amount of solder to save weight.  The attitude control electronics assembly on the Hermes spacecraft we built at SPAR Aerospace was budgeted as weighing 12.000 pounds and 0.700 pounds was budgeted for solder.  When the unit finally came in at 12.019 pounds, we registered a complaint from our company president to the president of RCA in Montreal, the company that did the design and manufacturing.  For obvious reasons, NASA has weight as a primary concern whereas we tend to use a bit more solder on the ground.  Being sure you don't have a dry joint is more important then weight.

[vigilante397]

I agree that the best quality soldering will come with practice and not with expensive gear, but it's also hard to sound like Clapton with a trashed first act with sharp frets and a warped neck. If you're using a $5 harbor freight iron that plugs directly into the wall (no temperature control) then you're not going to have a great time. There are plenty of budget (~$50) irons that will do a great job, like the T12. I'm personally a fan of Weller stations mentioned earlier like the WESD51 which are a little more but have always been reliable and comfortable for me.

[duck_arse]

soldering. get a 30W mains powered un-temp controlled iron with a plain copper tip - file to shape/clean. then you'll learn to solder.

and manners, none shown yet. welcome to the forum.

on to cutters ......

[bluebunny]

and manners, none shown yet. welcome to the forum.

Oh, the shame.   

Yes, welcome.

[mozz]

Cutters
Not saying to spend big bucks, yet, but buy some small nippers. If possible to view before purchasing, check the 2 blades are ground evenly and no light visible between them.  Do not cut guitar strings or anything harder than copper.

[printer2]

I have been soldering with anything from a soldering gun to a iron with a heat controlled workstation. As long as I can get in and not hit other parts then the tool does not matter top me (I don't do surface mount yet). It is practice. Extra rosin flux does not hurt, especially with new parts. Speaking of, make sure they are clean, would not hurt to give a quick clean with alcohol to remove any oils. A good solder sucker will be handy also. I like the big blue ones that have a teflon nozzle.

[Soulfistication]

Wow, I didn't expect so much info so quickly when I posted my newbie question - seems I have joined an extremely helpful, generous and knowledgeable group here, thanks all !   Much to digest here as I try to handle the day job in the interim.  I will definitely look at the Wellers among other items.

Unlike the broad initial questions I asked, I have one follow-up which is hopefully very easy - regarding tips, are they all pretty interchangeable among manufacturers in terms of how they attach?  Meaning, can you buy a few and reasonably expect that they would work on different irons, or do the manufacturers tend to force you to buy their own type of tip protocol (the Gillette razor approach).   My gut tells me it is the former, but just hoping to confirm.  I sort of get the feeling that tips are a bit like guitar strings, with different qualities and considerations, though apologies if that is a bad analogy.

And yeah, practice - definitely got that memo.  Ripthorn, I may take you up on that very generous offer, more than happy to pay beyond shipping for some target practice.

Thanks again all sincerely.     PS - love the NASA story.

[PRR]

You can NOT put one tip on another brand's iron.

UNLESS one copied the other, or they both copied something else. (Like when Gillette's "King C" blade dominated the market; you could buy RiteAid blades to fit the Gillette handle and scrape your face.)

They don't try to make it easy for you.

My grandfather sold new airplanes. He didn't care if he sold at a loss, because over its life an airplane will need about 3 times its original price in replacement parts.

[andy-h-h]

When I started I thought I would be fine as I already had decent soldering technique from making mic leads, soldering stage boxes etc (or so I thought).   

What became apparent really quickly was that I was terrible at unsoldering things and fixing mistakes - and I was making plenty of mistakes....   

Get that solder sucker / braid out and practice a bit of removal and resoldering too.

Don't stress on tips too much.  Once you get going it's a bit like driving a car - it kind of happens subconsciously and vey little thought goes into it.