I used to own a Weller WTCPT, which is a 42 watt iron. It just didn’t heat enough for me and that made it just harder to use. The Weller WES51 is 50 watt, which is just a little bit better. If that’s what you have, then use it if it works for you.
I moved on to a Hakko FX-951, at 70 watts. It heats the tip really fast (generally within 10 seconds) and it’s very effective in keeping the tip hot. I can get in and out really fast when soldering connections, unless they are larger pins/metal. It’s digital readout/controlled and it’s really great if you serious about DIY, but it is expensive at $236+.
If you want a good quality inexpensive iron, look at the Hakko FX-888D. It’s discontinued, but you can still get it new at multiple sources for about $100. It’s a little bit less power at 65 watt. Main differences are:
- sleep mode on FX951 only
- tips shape selection which is higher for the FX951
- tips technology:
• FX951 use cartrige so the heating element is into the tip, every time you change tip you have a new heating elemnt
• FX888D use standard tip, less selection, the heating system is into the handle sold as spare part in case of need ($20)
- tips price, FX951’s tip are much more expensive the FX888D’s tip like 15euro Vs 5 euro
The Weller irons are very nice, but they are a lot more expensive for what you are getting.
If you want a cheaper iron, one of the best Chinese imports is the Quick 3103 analog station ($65) or the Quick 3104 digital ($85). Both of these are 70 watts as well. I use the Quick 861dw hot air workstation after a lot of research. The Quick products are extremely well made and high quality for Chinese stuff.
Then you could always go for the bargain basement Chinese import stuff on ebay for $50 or less (like the yihua or generic or whatever). They may look like they come with more stuff, but they are basically slapped together with a ton of low quality components. Be careful because these can actually become fire hazards, since the internal wiring is not always done properly. I would avoid, unless you were able to pull it apart and verify all electrical wiring is done properly and fix their mistakes.
