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Old 1st Dec 2022, 8:47 am   #7
Phil G4SPZ
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,736
Default Re: Soldering iron bit temperature

Thank you all, some wonderful reminiscences there and some very pertinent comments.

I agree that ‘thermally balanced’ irons cause bits to burn away. This was more of a problem to me back in my youth when I was doing a lot of construction and leaving the Solon powered up for hours at a time. Now I do mainly repairs and restoration, so the iron gets switched on and off again relatively quickly. I confess I tend to choose the largest iron/bit that will do the job. The heat flow into the joint seems to come mainly from the heat stored in the bit, rather than the element.

I also do metalwork soldering copper, brass and tinplate (repairing old oil lamps) and still regularly use old-fashioned irons with large copper bits, heated by a paraffin blowlamp.

I did use temperature-controlled irons at college decades ago, and still have them available to me at the Repair Cafe, and find them easy to use. I’ve nothing against them, but haven’t yet found the need to invest in one!
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