Readly RF Feb 20

SOLDERING IRONS
TRIED & TESTED
WORDS & PICS: ROB HAWKINS
TRIED & TESTED
GET CONNECTED
Unless you’re making your own
wiring loom, a soldering iron or
soldering gun is usually one of
those tools that you buy once in
your lifetime and rarely use, but
it’s ideal for creating a professional finish
when fixing broken electrical connections or
joining wires together.
We’ve tested a wide range of soldering tools,
including the traditional mains-powered stickstyle
irons, butane-powered irons and guns, and
mobile and rechargeable equipment. There’s lots
to consider, such as warm-up times, portability
and heat cycles (and boost options).
Soldering can be dangerous. There’s not
only the risk of being burnt, but also the risk
of setting fire to your car. And soldering can
produce harmful gases. Solder wire used to
contain tin and lead, so the fumes emitted when
melting the wire are toxic and should not be
EVERYONE NEEDS A
SOLDERING IRON OR GUN,
RIGHT? WE’VE TESTED 14
OF THEM TO HELP YOU
CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE.
inhaled. Lead-free solder wire is more commonly
used nowadays, but a breathing mask and
goggles should be worn to protect your lungs
and eyes from any gases that are produced.
Plus, it’s essential to work in a well-ventilated
area, especially when using a butane-powered
soldering iron that produces carbon monoxide
and dioxide.
SEALEY RECHARGEABLE 3.7-VOLT
SOLDERING IRON
PART NUMBER: SDL6 PRICE: £44 SEALEY WWW.SEALEY.CO.UK 01284 757500
We’ve tested two battery-operated, rechargeable
soldering irons. This one is powered by a 3.7-volt
6-watt lithium-ion rechargeable battery, which
can be fully charged in 3-4 hours and should last
for around 75 minutes. The main body fits into a
protective casing with two locating pins, which form
part of the recharge unit. (there’s a separate threepin
plug and 1.8m-long lead).
There’s a safety switch on the body of the
soldering iron to switch it on, whereby it needs
to remain pressed to warm it up. A red LED light
glows to let you know it’s working, plus there’s a
white LED that helps to illuminate the end of the
tip, although this is mounted on the underside of
the body, so its illumination doesn’t reach around
to the top area of whatever is being soldered.
After a mere 15 seconds from switching on from
cold, the tip was warm enough to melt fresh solder.
The pointed tip that’s supplied with this
soldering iron is suited to fine soldering of circuit
boards, so it was quite awkward to solder two
wires together and create a neat finish. We
found it difficult to manipulate the melted solder
because it seemed to cool down and solidify once
it made contact with the wires. Also, we struggled
to warm up old solder.
The portability and lightness of this soldering
iron is appealing, but it’s difficult to create a neat
finish when soldering two wires together. For
portability, a gas-powered soldering iron is better.
Dl BATTERY-POWERE
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