How to Choose a Soldering Station

If you have a genuine interest in electronics, you’ve probably heard of soldering. Soldering is the process of low temperature, slow, flameless form of combustion, sustained by the heat evolved when it’s directly being attacked by oxygen on the surface of a condensed-phase fuel. If you want to take on the hobby of soldering, you will certainly need some tools – the primary used one being the soldering station.

Depending on whether you solder for a hobby, or are a professional, you will need a different amount of features that a soldering station can offer. Temperature control and variations, fast reheating and electrostatic grounding are just few of the many features that a professional is looking for when shopping for this tool. A hobbyist will be more than satisfied with fewer features. Here are some characteristics that a good soldering station offers that you should consider when looking to buy one.

• Temperature Control and Wattage – A well controlled temperature on the soldering tip is key. A station with 40+ watt power is what you’re aiming at. You want the station to be able to reach different levels of temperature.
• Cost – Before buying, think about how frequently you are going to use the station and what you hope to accomplish with it. The soldering iron will most likely have to be replaced more often if you use the soldering machine on regular basis. Look for a station with cheaper soldering tips.
• Heat up rate – Faster is usually better. If soldering frequently, you don’t want to wait for extended periods of time for your tip to heat up. To a certain point, this co-relates with the heat recovery capabilities of the station.

Additionally, let’s review two high quality soldering stations:

ATTEN 60W SOLDERING STATION

A digital soldering station that is capable of temperature controling and can adjust the tip temperature. It can be used for soldering all fields of electronics with different soft solders. The tip is exchangeable and has a display that shows nominal and current temperature. It has three buttons that can freely be assigned to display desired values. The power supply capacity is 210-240V and the maximum output power is 60W. The temperature range is between 150°C – 450°C.

DOSS ZD929C SOLDERING STATION

Possesses a sophisticated electronic circuit that enables the change of tip temperature from 160°C to 480°C without having to change the heating element or the tip thanks to it’s temperature sensor near the tip. Some of the features that this station has are: opwer output 48W, voltage supply 230V – 110V AC, digital temperature display and a set/read temperature switch.