20 Best Soldering Stations [Beginners & Professionals 2024]
Neat and proper soldering needs a decent soldering station. Sure a beginner you can do soldering with any station but you would hardly get the required results if you don’t know how to pick the best soldering station for beginners among all the available options on the market.
If you deal with consumer electronics the voltage range is 30V for most of the cases. If you deal with industrial electronics you deal with DC voltages up to 48V or maybe 60V which are pretty dangerous voltages to work with.
So no matter which type of circuit boards or prototypes (2 layers to 7 layers PCBs, analog or digital) or whatever voltage levels you work on, every electronics lab needs a safe and reliable best soldering iron or station or in most cases both. Because if someone intentionally or unintentionally missed up on this device i.e. soldering station. It may cause him a lot of waste of time, money, and energy.
And because a reliable professional soldering station is so important that from day one there are a lot of industry-leading soldering station manufacturers out there on the market i.e Weller, Xtronic, and Hakko.
Now, getting the best soldering station or best soldering iron, to avoid any bad situations while working on valuable projects, can be a very tricky task. One may not have enough knowledge of what to see when buying a new one, what parameters are important to look for? what are the famous brands in the industry?
And perhaps a lot of many more questions.
Here in this post, I try my knowledge best to help you find out the best soldering station no matter if you are a beginner, hobbyist, or student, or professional. Please keep in mind my emphasis will be on professional soldering stations. I will start with beginners’ soldering station and irons but along the way, I will talk more about professional ones as well.
Hopefully, this post will help you and you will enjoy it.
Choosing the right best soldering station
Starting with some basic questions first i.e. what is the difference between the soldering iron and a soldering station? What is hot air rework? Because I believe everyone should know this before considering any other aspect when selecting the right soldering station/iron/hot-air rework.
Soldering station vs soldering iron
Some people are confused between soldering iron and soldering station. They are the same things. They do the same job but the soldering station gives you extra functionality and flexibility.
For example, the tips’ temperature of a solo soldering iron is fixed while you can change the mentioned temperature in the soldering station. But solo iron is cheaper than soldering stations as well. So the end story is, you can use a soldering station for various projects and solo iron may not be a good fit for every project. Sure you can go for soldering iron if you need to fix one-time things or just want to do the soldering for fun or DIY electronics.
Soldering station vs hot-air rework
Another important thing which I believe you should know at this moment of time. Most of the time, we solder through-hole components and surface mount devices (SMD). We prefer to choose a normal type of soldering station for trough hole components but we prefer hot-air rework for SMD.
Hot-air rework is similar to soldering station expect it blows hot air to melt the soldering wire to make connections. It comes very handy when we just can’t solder very small devices on the board using normal soldering tips. Now you cannot use hot air rework for through-hole components and soldering stations for SMD. So if you are working with both types of components you need both types of stations.
Technical parameters to look for in the best soldering station
There are a few parameters one can compare to judge if a station is good enough or not. There are a lot of other things involved but I suppose they are understood, like a personal budget or other requirements i.e. do you need a soldering station or hot air rework.
Soldering stations or iron are simple devices. There are not that too many complicated parameters to take care of. If you are looking for soldering iron, it means you are looking for pencil iron (the technical name for iron without a built-in power supply). This type has just only one parameter, i.e. the wattage. When buying a pencil iron, pay attention to wattage technically.
Maybe a lot of you are going to use a pencil soldering iron, which is a limited device. By pencil iron I mean the iron you can imagine right away by hearing the word soldering, a single iron with a single piece of a long wire. It can be used for specific situations, not for all kinds of projects. The reason is, it has a fixed wattage which is not suitable for every component on the board. You may end up burning some components along the way.
I see, people begin with pencil iron and then soon upgrade to a proper soldering station. Which is not a very good idea by the way. I myself did the same, burnt many components. So please be careful.
Now let’s talk about the technical parameter you should look at in the best soldering station for beginners, hobbyists, professionals, or for anyone in general.
a. Wattage
Technically, wattage is the unit of power. In terms of a soldering station, this number indicates how much power is going to be converted into heat energy. Now, it is obvious the higher the power the higher the heat and the quicker the soldering.
Wattage and fast tip heating up timing are in direct relation. The higher the wattage the quicker your soldering station heating uptime. The rule of thumb is your station must be of at least 40W. Below 40W you will find yourself in a bad situation. Your solder may take years to heat up.
Worse, when your solder is not properly heated up you put it on components for long and try some weird things to melt the soldering wire on the joints. Guess what you end up killing those innocent devices.
No one wants to burn any device. So never ever settle for a station that is rated below 40W. Unless you are pretty sure what you are doing. Now, if you are thinking 40W is the least value then what is the maximum value. The answer is, the higher the better. Keep in mind a higher power rating also means high cost and high power usage. This may result in quicker heating up time but if your temperature is not in control, you are still in a bad situation my brother.
b. Temperature control
Some devices require little temperature while some may require a little higher. So a soldering station with varying temperatures is a must. But here are the following few things you should really keep in mind.
- There must be a digital display where you can clearly see the temperature value
- There must be a discrete button by which you can increase and decrease the temperature. If you avoid the analog wheel, then it would be great. Because when you are using an analog wheel sometimes it is very time-consuming to get to a certain fixed value.
The rule of thumb is, for a best beginner soldering station the temperature range must start from 340 – 850°F. A little variation from this range is acceptable unless it is that deviation.
c. ESD safe
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the sudden flow of electricity between two electrically charged objects caused by contact. So your station must be ESD safe else it will damage your devices on board.
d. Compatible tips
When working with electronic devices or generally speaking, products with time get damaged and need a replacement. The same is the case with soldering tips. They are frequently used and with time we need to replace them.
So your soldering station tips must be easily available in the near market. It is a good practice to have a soldering station that is compatible with a wide range of tips even if they are not from the same manufacturer.
e. Auto turn off
Automatically turning OFF increases the life of your station, especially the life of your soldering tip. It is a very safe function, it saves you the power and gives you safety. In my opinion, this is the must-have feature of any best quality station.
List of amazing best soldering stations and irons
I think I have shared all the information that I have about the topic. Now let have look at some soldering stations. I will start with very basic soldering irons then I will talk about the intermediate models and then will end with some professional soldering stations. So please keep on reading.
Also, keep in mind, I am not going to repeatedly talk about the above technical parameters of soldering stations over again and again. They are applied to all the below mentioned models. Also, I am not going to add some fancy-looking models that you will see a bunch of them online. Look man, I am an engineer and technical terms are more romantic to me than the looks.
1. LDK 60W Soldering Iron
Let start our journey with a very basic under 10 USD best soldering iron. This soldering comes from the LDK brand and is rated as 60W 110V. This is a very beginner level soldering iron.
I would recommend it for those people who are just starting with electronics or those people who just want to have soldering iron for occasional use. Here is the link to this soldering iron, LDK soldering iron (Amazon link), for your own further investigation.
2. Sremtch 80W soldering iron
This soldering iron is rated for 80W which is very good for quick heating up. But the best part is, it is a small set of all basic soldering tools a beginner would need for his projects.
There is an ON/OFF button in the connecting which is don’t make sense at first look. But when you will be busy with soldering and there is so much soldering you will be doing. Then you will realize the importance of this small feature.
Now here is the link, Sremtch soldering iron (Amazon link), if you want to have a look it at yourself.
3. Kernowo best soldering iron
If you have noticed in the above soldering irons there is a circular notch for temperature control. Well, that is not a very good idea for temperature control because it is not that accurate. But since those soldering irons are intended for complete beginners so we can make peace with that notch.
To overcome that issue Kernnowo soldering iron uses a digital approach that is more accurate. Furthermore, it is rated at 90W which is more as compared to the above one.
It is a complete basic kit as well. It comes with a little stand, soldering wax, and soldering wire. Here is the link, Kernowo soldering iron (Amazon link), for your further research.
4. Q-Ming Soldering iron
The other alternative to the above soldering iron from Kernowo is from Q-Ming. It is basically the same but different in design. It has both options for 80W and 90W.
You know, the small button to change the temperature of the soldering tip is very useful. It gives you the ability to adjust the temperature more accurately and precisely.
Here is the link to, Q-Ming soldering iron (Amazon link), to look at it yourself for more insights.
5. Hakko FX601-02
Let talk about some professional level soldering irons. Starting with Hakko FX601-02. I don’t know if you know this or not but let me tell you Hakko is a big brand when it comes to soldering and desoldering tools. It is considered a tough competitor next to Weller.
The Hakko FX601-02 is the next generation of variable temperature-controlled soldering irons. It is ideal for soldering applications that require mobility or a long reach, such as soldering solar panels, etc. Here is the link to, Hakko’s best soldering iron (Amazon link), for your own further research.
6. Weller W100PG Heavy-Duty Soldering Iron
Weller is the most popular brand when it comes to professional soldering. They make high-quality soldering iron and soldering stations. Products from Weller are used by thousands of people around the world, even Steve Wozniak from Apple had used it for Apple 1 computers, and are happy with it.
Talking about W100PG. It is rated for 100W and is one of the best heavy-duty soldering irons.
The standard heat-up time for the 700 degree Fahrenheit tip is a quick 110 seconds with its nichrome wound heating element allowing you to get more work done in a shorter amount of time.
Here is the link to this best soldering iron, Weller soldering iron (Amazon link), for your own further research.
Now there are many other soldering irons available for Weller for different wattage. Following are the few which I think you should definitely look at if you want to have professional soldering iron in your lab.
9. Hakko FX-901/P Cordless Soldering Iron
So up till now, we looked at some basic level soldering iron and some best professional level irons. But there is a new type of soldering iron which I also want you to look at. It is called cordless soldering iron i.e. it doesn’t have wire it is rechargeable and you can work with it anywhere.
Starting with Hakko’s best cordless soldering iron i.e. the FX-901/P. The HAKKO FX-901 is a lightweight, portable, battery-operated soldering iron. Powered by four AA alkaline or nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries, the FX-901 will operate above 600°F for up to 120 continuous minutes.
No other battery-operated soldering iron can deliver so much power for so many continuous minutes.
The FX-901 is the perfect tool for electricians, field service technicians, maintenance personnel, hobbyists, artists, and homeowners. Use it to solder electrical wiring, repair appliances, alarm systems, RC cars, and jewelry, nearly anything that needs soldering where electricity is out of easy reach or unavailable.
Here is the link to one of the best cordless soldering iron, Hakko cordless iron (Amazon link), for your own further interest.
10. Weller 12W Cordless Rechargeable Soldering Iron
The competitor to Hakko cordless soldering iron is from Weller i.e. the WLBRK12. It is rated for 12W and the best part is iron automatically shuts offs into a “locked” position when the cap is closed.
You don’t need any tool to change the tip: Save time and effort by easily swapping tips without the need of a tool. Got your interest? Then follow this link, Weller cordless soldering iron (Amazon link), to know more about it.
Alright!
So up till now, we were focusing on pencil-type best soldering irons for beginners and professionals. Now, let’s start exploring some best soldering stations, best desoldering stations, and best hot air rework for beginners and professionals.
11. Sealody Ssa60
Starting with a beginner level soldering station from the Sealody brand. It is rated for 60W and has a smart temperature control system. The noticing point about this station is that it has a built-in transformer to maintain a constant temperature setting in real-time, helping you complete welding work more efficiently.
The best part of this station is: it has a built-in fuse that can prevent the host from being burned out. When the heating element and sensor are short-circuited abnormally, the machine will auto-alarm and remind you “H-E”, “S-E”.
Here is the link you can follow, Sealody soldering station (Amazon link), to learn more about it yourself.
12. Weller WLC100
The next starter level soldering station is the Weller WLC100. It is rated for 40W and is a high performance analog soldering station that produces up to 900° F to handle many soldering projects.
This soldering station includes:
- A Weller certified ST3 iron-plated tip for long life and consistent performance
- A built-in soldering holder to safely rest your pencil
- And a cleaning sponge to remove unwanted residue from soldering for next time use.
To know more about this amazing soldering station. Here is the link, Weller WLC100 (Amazon link), for your own further investigations.
13. Weller WE1010NA – best soldering station for working with through hole components
Weller is a brand that is in business for decades now. So it can be considered a trustworthy brand and we can rely on its products. Though this brand is making a lot of different soldering stations. Those models are specific to a certain audience. And at the beginner level or a kind of student or research level or maybe as a hobbyist I think the mentioned model the WE1010NA would be a good choice.
I have a couple of reasons why I prefer this specific model and why you should take it seriously:
- First, it is of high quality. I believe in quality and this guy gets it. It feels premium and you get the feeling that this station is going to be a very long-lasting machine for your lab or career.
- It gets you one year warranty.
- It has safe rest which doesn’t get heated when you work on it for a long time. And also it has a sponge around it making it more comfortable to handle.
- It has a 70W power range. Which means it heats up very quickly.
- You can change the tip easily and replace it with the new one or other types in a few minutes. Though this station has an auto power function, still if you are not using your soldering station like even for a few minutes, turn it off. This way you can extend the life span of your solder tips.
In the nutshell, the Weller WE1010NA (Amazon link) is a beautiful best beginner soldering station. If you are serious and want a neat soldering output and want your end results to be satisfactory and beautiful then you should definitely go for this guy.
14. Hakko FX888D-23BY
As I previously shared Weller and Hakko are top brands when it comes to soldering tools and devices. This specific model the FX888D-23BY is one of my favorites.
You know, FX888D-23BY delivers excellent thermal recovery by using T18 series tips for their terrific heat conductivity. This allows soldering at a lower set temperature and reduces the thermal impact on components as well as tip oxidation that can shorten tip life.
Here is the link to follow, FX888D-23BY (Amazon Link), for your own further research. The other two alternatives to this one are the below. I am not going into detail because soldering station is a much saturated and mature market. Every company is making a decent and high-quality product. It is totally up to which one you choose.
Alright!
So the above ones are the soldering stations best for through whole components. But what if someone wants to work with SMD components. Then in this said case. A better option is to go for the best hot air rework station.
17. Yihua 995D – best hot air rework for SMD components
Most of the electronics circuit board has both SMD and through-hole components. So, I think it would be better if you are working with SMD and through hole components, to buy a station that can do both the job. This guy the Yihua 995D (Amazon link) has got this functionality. It can be your normal soldering station and your hot air rework all in one package.
This guy has the features I already discussed above so I am not going to repeat myself. Let me share what else new it has for us:
- It is 75W, which means it will heat up very quickly.
- Temperature Range 392°F ~ 896°F/200°C ~ 480°C
- Hot Air Gun: 500 Watts – Temperature Range 212° F ~ 896°F/100°C ~ 480°C with auto cool down safety feature
- It has a few extra nozzles and tips for different sets of soldering which gives it an edge over other market competitors.
Now the best alternatives to the above hot air rework are the following. You can also check them out.
20. YIHUA 948-II
Opposite to soldering, we do desolder as well. If you are a kind of repair guy then you need a complete package that you can use to solder both SMD and through hole components and also use the same station to desolder them as well. If that is the case then Yihva 948-II is going to save you a lot of money and would be the best suited for you.
This station integrates a 75-Watt De-soldering Station, a powerful 650-Watt Hot Air Rework Station, a 60-Watt Soldering Station, and a Suction Pen into one unit for more choices.
If this is the station that got your attention then this is the link, YIHUA 948-II (Amazon link), you can follow to learn more about this one of the best soldering stations.
Summary
Well guys, in this article I talk about the best soldering station for beginners and professionals. The soldering station is the basic tool for repairing. A bad station can lead you to ugly results so care must be taken when it comes to choosing a soldering station.
The following are the key things you can follow to get yourself a decent station.
- First look for a famous brand that has a proven track record.
- Write down your requirements, like what type of board you will repair? What key components you will solder the most.
- Manage your budget, never settle for a low price station you will regret it very soon.
- There are some key feature a station must-have in any case that is below
- Temperature control with a good PID control system
- ESD safe and have tips interchangeable compatibility
Now, other useful words I want to share are the following.
- Play safe with these tools as they may harm you, never touch the soldering iron tip with fingers to check whether it is getting hot or not. I have done it that’s why I am telling you, my finger burnt so badly I can’t put it here in words.
- The other thing, never leave the solder station plugged into the power cord when you are not working with it even if it has an auto turn off or going into sleep mode.
I hope this article has helped you a little and you enjoyed it. Thank you very much for your time, have a good life ahead.
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