Buying a soldering iron on ebay... tips to keep in mind?

Question

ive been doing a few projects lately and ive decided to buy a soldering iron.

ill be using it sparsely, and i just need to solder basic components (like resistors and stuff)

im looking on ebay and i see irons for 2 dollars, and some for 70 dollars.... what are some things to keep in mind when buying (what do i need)?

Answer 1

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Answer 2

does it come with accesory tips?

is there a stand to keep it off the table when not in use?

probably not, but is there a variable power control?  

is it a 40 watt? 140 watt? 40 watt is good for what you want. anything higher than 100 might burn your projects.

Answer 3

Honey... Just go to home depot and get one for around $10.00.

No shipping and handling and if something goes wrong, you can take it back to a reputable dealer and return it or get a new one.

A basic soldering iron will last you years for very little money... A $10.00 one is usually just as good as a $40.00 one... It all depends on what you want to do with it.

If you won't be using it, say, for hours every day, then a $10.00 home deopt one is just fine.  

Answer 4

A soldering iron for printed circuits is easily obtained in a store like Radio Shack, they are reasonable and there are ones that heat immediately, and cool down immediately.( transformer type )

Answer 5

You need to know the rage of use that you would like for this tool.  When buying tools you must know what you are buying them for, what the difference between them is, and how good of a company is the one you are looking at.

Soldering irons...well do you want one that you can change the temperature of the tip on???  Do you solder enough that you would like a vacuum system included in the soldering gun to vent the extremely toxic fumes from the solder and flux???  I would also recommend getting a stand that will hold things you will be soldering on.

If you just need to make solder connections that will hold things any old heat source will work, soldering gun, torch.  If you will be soldering electronic components it is crucial that you know how to do this for the optimal conductivity.  The color of the solder is something you should know how to judge (the way light gleams of the joint after you are done, you know).  Well, you might want to research this some more, or first ask yourself, "How much am I going to be soldering?"