Published: Oct 7, 2023 by chani
A question that I’ve either been asked personally, or seen asked in public forums several times now is: what should I get to begin soldering?
The succinct, accurate answer is: it really depends on what you want to do!
That answer, however, isn’t really helpful for anyone, so I thought it might be nice to provide a list of the equipment I have available, why I chose it, and what might work instead. What works for me may not work for someone else, but at least this list and rationale should give anyone else a starting point to curating their own home lab, or whatever type of kit they want!
I started writing this post with the intention of providing sections on each category of equipment and offering thoughts and opinions on each, why I use what I use, and recommendations for new users. That quickly ballooned, giving birth to this new summary - a quick and dirty overview of some of the things in my equipment cart so that folks can take a look and pick and choose. In later days I intend to post individual articles on different categories (i.e. soldering irons, solder/flux, desoldering equipment, safety equipment) to give them the attention they deserve. Stay Tuned!
The Summary
| Iron | Description | features/specifications | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinecil | Small, portable soldering iron with an LCD Screen. Powered by a Risc-V processor | Temperature Control, USB-C Power Delivery, Customizable Firmware, breakout board, Tip Compatibility* | Pine64, Amazon |
| T12/FX-951 Clone | Inexpensive, relatively powerful soldering iron. Unexceptional, but not bad. | Temperature Control, T12/T15 Tip Compatibility | Amazon(No longer available) |
| FX-600 Clone | Cheap | Temperature Control, 900M Tip Compatibility | Amazon(No longer available) |
| Fume Extractor | Variable speed fume extractor with filter | Variable Speed, Activated Charcoal Filter, Stand | Amazon |
| Solder | Kester 24-6040-0027 | 60/40 tin/lead, rosin core, 0.031” diameter, 1LB | Amazon |
| Rosin Flux | Kester 186 liquid rosin flux | Amazon | |
| Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) | Solvent for cleaning flux from boards and surfaces | 99% | Amazon(belle chemical), Eyeglass Supply, MG Chemical |
| Desoldering Braid | Copper braid, uncoated | Amazon | |
| Desoldering Pump | An unremarkable desoldering pump | Amazon | |
| Syringe | Syringes for dispensing flux and 99% IPA | 1mL, luer-slip | Amazon |
| Dispensing Needle | blunt tip needles for dispensing flux and 99% IPA via syringe | 18ga, luer-lock | Amazon |
| Cotton Swabs | Precision cosmetic cotton swabs for board cleanup | Flat End, Pointed Tip, Plastic Stick | Amazon |
| Nitrile Gloves | Nitrile gloves to keep stuff off your hands | Latex-Free | Amazon |
| Tip Tinner | For easy after-cleaning tip-tinning | Colloidal solvent/solder paste | Amazon |
| Multimeter | For general measurements | Voltage, Current, Resistance, Capacitance, Transistor testing | Amazon |
| Soldering Mat | insulated mat for electronics work | tool spaces, magnetized sections | Amazon(no longer available) |
| Microscope | A microscope to see your work, and small SMD pieces better | 4.3” TFT LCD, 1800 mAh battery, built-in light (dimmable), hieght adjustable | Amazon(no Longer Available) |
| Bodge Wire | Fine wire for making point-to-point connections | Enameled Copper, 34AWG | Amazon |
Some Quick Closing Thoughts
The things that made this list are some of the things that I’ve collected over the years. My needs are my own and may not reflect yours, the only way to really figure out what works for you is to try things until you find what works!
In this list, I prefer to use my Pinecil, with a fume extractor and soldering mat. I wear gloves because I don’t like the feeling of my hands when they get electronics residues on them. The syringes with blunt-tip needles help me to apply flux and IPA accurately. I like the tip-tinner because it’s easy to apply with one hand. The cotton swabs listed have plastic handles so I don’t have to worry about the pressure I apply - the flat end is good for large area cleanup, and the pointed end is good for detailed cleanup work such as removing flux residue from small components and pads. I don’t need the microscope for most of the work that I do, but it definitely does make it easier to closely inspect solder joints when I suspect an issue.