Weller W100PG 100 watt soldering iron
 

Just picked up a new toy today from:
http://www.mouser.com/Search/Refine.aspx?Keyword=w100pg
This is a Weller 100 watt soldering iron with one big plus. Its soldering temperature is regulated. The standard tip is regulated at 700 degrees, other tip temperatures and tip sizes are available. Mouser also has a variety of soldering iron tips for this 100 watt iron. The iron appears to be very well made, including an iron plated tip.

After soldering up 24 A123 cells with an un-regulated 80 watt Weller iron, this is a big improvement.

I've owned one of these for the last 30 years, have tips for several different temperatures. You need the higher temp tips for the new lead-free solders. Yes, the bigger wattage irons are great for many jobs. I've seen more poor solder joints made by people using to small an iron for the job. You can do most any job well with the large iron but not with that wimpy 20 or 40 watt job so many try to get by with. Now there are places for the smaller iron, especially if you do lots of PC board work with conventional components.

I too can vouch for the Weller 100. Very reliable and long lasting. We own a stained glass shop and go through hundreds of pounds of solder a year. The Weller 100 is the only thing we use. If you remove the nut periodically and apply some high temp anti seize it will last longer. Replacement nuts are available from Weller. If it ever seizes fast just cut across it with a cutoff disc and replace it. About the only thing that harms these is leaving it plugged in and unused for long periods.

Cooper Tools is a great company too. If it ever fails return it and they will probably send you a new one free.

Good to hear. Problem with soldering irons that are not temperature controlled, they get extremely hot when not used for 5 or 10 minutes. Then what ever you solder gets hit pretty hard. Then the next few items are soldered with an iron whose temperature has dropped significantly.

These irons with temperature regulation removes this issue.

We also used Cooper Tools where I worked, 44 years at Cooper Power Systems. Both CPS and Cooper Tools are
subsidiary companies of Cooper Industries.

I did damage several of the Cooper Tools 40 watt temperature controlled soldering irons at work. That was by putting a very powerful samarium cobalt magnet on the workbench, and sticking the soldering iron to the magnet as a resting place. (That magnet will lift 600 pounds on a one inch thick steel plate.)

Bad news, those Cooper Tools use a magnet inside the tip, that when it gets hot, looses magnetism, turning off the power. And that high powered samarium magnet did it in.

Took a few trips to the tool department for replacements before finding out what was causing the problems. :oops: :eek: :confused:

And, figuring out that the magnet inside the soldering iron was demagnetized, just re-magnetized it with some more even more powerful magnets at work. And now, that Cooper Tools soldering iron has been moved to my workshop where it has been flawless for the past 4 years. :cool:

Do you recommend this over a solder station for most rc work. I can not get the wire hot neough with a 30 watt iron and am getting quite frustrated with soldering deans. Think of switching to anderson power poles but if I could get a good iron that is adjustable maybee I can avoid another tool. Thanks

IMHO, once you've got to the Anderson Power Poles, you'll never go back. With the proper crimping tool, you can connect a terminal to the wire in only a few seconds.

We used them by the thousands every month at work before retiring. But, could not find the same exact terminal on line that we use at work. But, did finally locate some. Note that these terminals must also use the same housing from the same company. The finished product is compatible with the Anderson Power Poles, but the individual terminals are not compatible with the Anderson Power Pole plastic housing.

http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64539

I've got the Powerex crimper, it's a very good buy at $39. Note that commercial duty crimpers prices START at about 10 times that $39.
http://www.powerwerx.com/crimping-to...-contacts.html

Also note that the Powerex terminals are about 65% as thick as the Allied terminals.

As for soldering, if you want to go for soldering #12 wire and similar, that 100 watt temperature regulated soldering iron makes it a lot easier. But, you also would need a 40 watt temperature regulated soldering iron for soldering servo wires and similar materials if you need to do that sort of thing. Be sure to pick up a 40 watt iron that has a variety of tips from very small diameter to about 3/16 inch diameter or so.

A lot of places have these regulated irons. Take a look:
http://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=15141+TL

I've ordered stuff from MPJA, they have good stuff.

None of us can come close to causeing Power Pole fork truck connectors to EVER FAIL.

I rebuilt fork truck power leads very often & my final test was to put the truck against the wall and and floor it for 1 second.
Then I ran the truck up & down a steep hill to really heat up any loose connections or blow out other bad ones.

Never failed a test.

You CAN NOT damage fork truck pins & springs in them.

For those that have never seen a electric fork lift battery connector, these things mean business. They are huge, and have very beefy contacts. Some of those we had at work used 1/0 wire or heavier for battery cables. Those cables connected with the Anderson Power Pole connectors, or similar units from other suppliers.

All my connectors are Deans. Wipe a film of mineral oil on the contacts and then sprinkle a little powdered graphite on them. They all work smooth as silk.

I got one of these last week: - what a difference over the 30 watt iron it replaces!

I do not think there is any single soldering iron/gun that will do all you may need or want. I use at least three different ones, sometimes more as the type of job dictates the one to use. Sdjessing's gun will work well on many jobs but will fall short when working with printed circuit boards or small component leads yet works very well for many of the larger jobs.

Yeah, one old trick with a soldering gun, is to wrap a piece of 314 solid copper wire around the tip as a soldering iron tip "Extension". Not near as good as a quality temperature regulated 40 watt soldering iron, but with a bit of practice, will work out well.

I Use 3 different soldering guns/irons/torches, one is my 100 Watt gun and i have a 15 watt iron for smaller stuff, and a propane torch for the big stuff :D I dont use that lead free solder, its junk and very hard to use, I use silver bearing solder from Radio shack, It works great :D

Yeah, before retiring, the company I worked for got rid of a LOT of lead containing solder. Wound up with enough solder to last me a long long time.

Also have a 1 pound roll of 0.015 inch diameter solder for the real fine stuff.