Soldering Iron Temperature Settings In order to raise the temperature of solder above it’s melting point, soldering tip temperatures are usually set between 7000F and 8000F. Why such a high temperature when the most commonly used solders have a melting point under 400ºF?

Turn on the soldering iron and set temperature above the melting point of your solder. 600°- 650°F (316°- 343°C) is a good place to start for lead-based solder and 650°- 700°F (343°- 371°C) for lead-free solder. Hold the tip against both the lead and contact point/pad for a few seconds.

The melting point of most solder is in the region of 188°C (370°F) and the iron tip temperature is typically 330°C to 350°C (626°F to 662°F).

860°F

40 watts is enough for most small electronic circuits on a standard PC board. You will need more power if you want to solder large (> 18 gauge) wires onto larger connectors (the connectors will conduct away the heat of the iron).

If it has active feedback, with a sensor in the iron tip go for 80W. Otherwise 40W is sufficient. 80W will let you work with unleaded solders that most modern stuff is made with because of environmental laws. You need a sensitive heat control to keep from lifting the traces on RoHS circuit boards.

It takes approximately 30 to 90 seconds for a soldering iron to heat up. Since there are many variations of soldering irons, the wattage will determine how long it takes for each different iron to warm up. The higher the wattage is, the quicker the iron heats up and stays heated.

Despite being an entry level soldering iron, it offers a wattage output of 80 watts. This results in a pretty high maximum temperature of 900 degrees Fahrenheit.

This iron is an adjustable 50W iron with a temperature range from 200-500°C, For most lead free soldering, try 400°C. For lead-based solder, 350°C will do. Adjust as necessary! It’s not as powerful or easy-to-use as the full stand-up Hakko but it is a lot more portable.

On average, a 100-Watt soldering gun may heat up to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Well I would like to know how many watts my soldering iron is. Get one of those devices that tell you how much power something uses and plug in the soldering iron. Alternatively, you can measure the resistance and use V^2/R calculate the power used.

Soldering irons that have 60 watts of power can reach 470°C to 520°C.

25W is appropriate for most PCB soldering. Any higher and you’ll melt the traces off the circuit board if you hold the iron on longer than a second. For really small-scale stuff (like SMT) you’d probably want a 15W iron. Unless you’re soldering something to a large piece of metal 25W is more than sufficient.

600-640ºF.

The wattage rating should be between 20 and 50 watts. A higher-wattage soldering iron can maintain a stable temperature longer while you’re soldering a connection and can reheat itself faster in between.

Plug in the iron and try to tin it before the tip is even hot and keep trying to tin it as the soldering iron begins to reach temperature. At some point the solder will begin to melt, that is when you try and go at it with a much haste as possible. You need to drown the tip in flux and melting solder.

Soldering Safety

1. Never touch the element of the soldering iron…. 400°C!
2. Hold wires to be heated with tweezers or clamps.
3. Keep the cleaning sponge wet during use.
4. Always return the soldering iron to its stand when not in use. Never put it down on the workbench.
5. Turn unit off and unplug when not in use.

Soldering with lead (or other metals used in soldering) can produce dust and fumes that are hazardous. In addition, using flux containing rosin produces solder fumes that, if inhaled, can result in occupational asthma or worsen existing asthmatic conditions; as well as cause eye and upper respiratory tract irritation.

Do not turn on your soldering station until you are ready to use it. Turn off your solder station when you leave to take a break, eat a meal, and when you quit for the day. It only takes about 20-30 seconds to several minutes (depending on the model/brand) to get up to temperature when you first turn it on.