Hot take: my cheap soldering iron was burning pads off vs my T12 station

I fought with a $15 RadioShack iron for two years. Kept lifting traces on old game console repairs. Last month I grabbed a T12 station for around $60. The difference was night and day. The tips heat up in 5 seconds and stay stable. No more cooking pads while waiting for heat. Anyone else see a big jump moving to a better station?

2 comments

2 Comments

jesse_burns84d ago

Stick with the T12 and never look back. I had the exact same thing happen with a cheap iron on a Sega Genesis mod - just cooked the pad right off because the tip couldn't hold temp. The T12 station lets you crank the heat up quick without overshooting, so you're in and out before the board even knows you were there. One thing though, make sure you're using decent quality solder too. I was using old rosin core stuff and still had trouble until I switched to Kester 63/37. That combo with the T12 made my joints look way cleaner and I stopped ripping pads completely. Your mileage may vary but it sounds like you're on the right track.

nancy_miller4d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah the difference is just ridiculous honestly. I couldn't believe how much easier everything got when the iron actually held its temperature. It's like the cheap one was trying to punish me for being poor.