6 Best Soldering Irons [Evaluated 2023] (2024)

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A soldering iron is a great tool to have in your toolkit.

Sometimes known as a soldering pencil, a soldering iron is a tool used for melting solder and applying it to metals that are to be joined. Soldering creates strong bonds between metals.

3 Best Soldering Irons in 2023:

So, what can a soldering iron be used for?

Soldering irons have many applications in metal works, such as repairing electrical appliances, creating new circuit boards, fusing galvanized metal in roofing, filling irregular cavities in auto, fusing base metal components in jewelry, and many other uses around the house.

What Wattage Soldering Iron Is Best?

If you’re looking for good soldering iron for conducting basic home soldering projects, a power rating between 20 to 50 watts should suffice. This power rating is recommended for beginners.

But if you plan to use the soldering iron for commercial use or heavy-duty projects, aim for a 60 to 100 watts power rating. These tools usually have a fast heat-up feature that allows users to utilize higher temperatures for hard-to-melt solder wire.

Is Higher Watts Better for Soldering Iron?

Higher-wattage soldering stations have more power, which makes them ideal for hard metal works than their low-wattage counterparts. These soldering irons usually have more power on reserves, enabling them to heat for longer periods.

What Should You Look for When Buying a Soldering Iron?

Consider these essential things when buying a soldering iron for your home or commercial soldering projects.

Wattage Ratings

Different soldering irons come with different wattage ratings.

As mentioned, the higher the wattage, the more power the product can deliver. If you need a soldering iron for basic soldering operations, 40 to 60 watts should be enough. But if you’re working on heavy-duty soldering projects, aim for 70 to 100 watts.

Temperature Control Dial

Instead of using a regular soldering iron, it’s recommended to go for one with a temperature control dial. Using a tool with variable temperature control is beneficial as it helps you avoid damaging the electrical components. It also results in an excellent soldering finish.

Tip Availability

Some brands have limited availability of soldering tips, making it difficult to find a replacement tip should the need arise. Others have readily available tips in virtually all markets, so you can easily find a replacement tip in a nearby store should you ever need one.

In addition, tip replacement for some models may require screws or additional tools; in others, no additional tool is required—you can simply use your hands.

Included Accessories

Today, most of the soldering kits for electronics come with a set of accessories, including soldering iron tips. While not a critical consideration, it would be good if your choice comes with an additional pair of soldering tips—they might come in handy in the future.

In addition to soldering tips, it’d be great if your soldering kit included other accessories such as tweezers, desoldering pumps, flux paste, wick, and even solder wire. This way, you can start your work immediately and save the money you could have used buying these accessories.

Price

No buying guide would be complete without considering the price.

When buying a soldering iron, the price can be an essential consideration, especially if you’re on a tight budget. The price of a soldering iron can range anywhere between $15 and $150. The high-priced soldering iron tends to be high performers, and most come with many accessories.

If you’re on a budget, you can get an affordable soldering iron for under $50. Be sure not to err too much on the lower price bracket, as you could end up with a sub-par quality soldering iron.

The 6 Best Soldering Irons on the Market Today

We scoured the internet for the best soldering irons and settled on these six models to help you make a more informed buying decision.We analyze all the current brands and models available to see which are performing best and also ask for recommendations from our community of metallurgists.

1. YIHUA 939D+ – Best Overall Soldering Iron

Nothing gives you more confidence when buying a product than knowing you’re sourcing it from a reputable brand that doesn’t compromise on quality.

And YIHUA, a prominent Chinese manufacturer that specializes in electronics and electrical components, is one brand you can trust. Having supplied soldering iron and accessories for over two decades, the company knows a thing or two about soldering tools.

Their 939D+ Soldering Station sets the standard for what a quality soldering station should look like. Combining power performance, durability, and safety, the 939D+ makes for a great soldering product, perfect for home and industrial use.

It’s a heavy-duty soldering iron that can run continuously for 10 hours. As a heavy-duty soldering station, its iron reaches high temperatures of 896⁰ F—hot enough to liquefy lead-free solder. The company also includes a roll of lead-free solder in the kit.

The product’s design is also reliable. The 939D+ control panel is made of brushed aluminum, which ensures you don’t leave any burnt marks by accident.

The station also features intelligent features, such as smart temperature control, a clear digital display, and automatic detection to ensure intuitive usage. YIHUA also includes three replaceable tips and a soldering tip cleaner with the station.

Key Features

• Input: 75 watts
• Work voltage: 110 – 127V
• Temperature range: 392°F to 896°F
• Metallic build and heat-resistant design
• 12-months USA warranty

The YIHUA 939D+ is an excellent choice for professionals and hobbyists who want the top features in a soldering station. At $59, the item is competitively priced for the features.

2. YIHUA 862BD+

The YIHUA 862BD+ is another excellent soldering kit for professionals and DIYers. It’s a 2-in-1 soldering station that allows you to rework and solder with one tool package.

Built for power and perfection, the YIHUA 862BD+ packs everything you’d want in a premium soldering station. First, it integrates two professional-grade tools to help you improve your capabilities and increase the size of your projects.

Secondly, you get 3 LED displays in this soldering station to help with temperature control. There’s also a manual and automatic air gun mode that ensures the heat is automatically cut off when the gun is in the holder.

This 75w soldering station also comes with a suite of intelligent features, such as temperature calibration, soldering iron sleep mode, hot air protection mode, and temperature stabilization, to improve work quality and efficiency.

Key Features

• Wattage ratings: 75 watts
• Work voltage: 110 – 127V
• Temperature range: 392°F to 896°F
• Included air gun
• PID temperature control technology

YIHUA also includes 5 soldering tips, a stand, 1 soldering iron, solder wire, tweezers, IC copper, and iron tips cleaner with the product. For $119, the product is in the upper price bracket, which is expected for its features.

3. YIHUA 926 III

The YIHUA 926 111 is a powerful yet reliable soldering iron station that offers great features at a competitive price. This 60w soldering station heats up super-fast and has a high-temperature range of 194-896℉.

Many customers on Amazon love the digital temperature control, which according to one user, “is accurate and very useful for repairs.”

Unlike other YIHUA products that are considerably big, the YIHUA 926 111 is small and compact. There’s also an integrated soldering iron holder that provides greater space saving.

Features-wise, this item has a useful digital display, sleep mode, and an easy °C to °F conversion. When no user is detected for a specified period, the item enters into sleep mode to reduce unnecessary wear for the heating components.

In addition to the soldering iron, the YIHUA 926 111 station includes 6 soldering tips, tweezers, a cleaning sponge, a solder wire dispenser, a solder sucker, and a roll of lead-free solder wire.

Key Features

• Wattage ratings: 60 watts
• Work voltage: 110 – 127V
• Temperature range: 194°F to 896°F
• Digital temperature calibration
• 12-in-1 soldering iron kit

The YIHUA 926 111 is an excellent soldering iron station for professionals and hobbyists. For $49, you get the best bang for your buck.

4. Weller WE1010NA Digital Soldering Station

If you’re looking for a high-quality, powerful, and stylish soldering iron station, then you’ll love the Weller WE1010NA. Unlike many soldering stations out there that are big and bulky, this one is compact and stylish yet powerful enough to work on heavy-duty projects.

The high-performance 70w soldering iron has an ergonomic handle that’s easy to hold and grip. The high-power rating allows the iron to heat up faster and provides a faster recovery time.

Furthermore, it has a maximum temperature of 850⁰ F, ideal for the lead-free solder commonly used on electronic devices. Weller claims its power is 40% higher than standard pieces. This helps to get the job done faster and with more efficiency and precision.

The Weller WE1010NA also boasts cutting-edge features, such as intuitive navigation, standby mode, and password protection, which put it ahead of the competition.

Key Features

• Wattage rating: 70 watts
• Temperature range: 200°F to 850°F
• Large digital display
• Password protection

In addition to the soldering iron, the WE1010NA kit includes one digital soldering power unit, one safety rest sponge, one tip retainer, and a 1.6mm screwdriver. For $104, the product is priced higher than others in its class.

5. YIHUA 853D

The YIHUA 853D is a 3-in-1 soldering station that combines a soldering iron station, a hot air rework station, and a power testing station all in one package.

With just one station, you can conduct soldering work and a complete rework procedure on your work device. The soldering section pushes 60w of power to the soldering iron, providing a temperature range of 392℉-896℉.

This unit is a true powerhouse designed for professionals who want the baddest, most potent soldering station on the market. Performance-wise, this soldering station doesn’t disappoint. According to YIHUA, the 853D converts 830w of electrical energy into sheer performance on its soldering iron and air gun.

Key Features

• Wattage ratings: 60 watts
• Work voltage: 110 – 127V
• Temperature range: 194°F to 896°F
• Output mode and voltmeter mode
• 3-in-1 soldering station

The YIHUA 853 is the ultimate package for power users who conduct soldering projects regularly. For $154, this unit is expensive, which is expected for its features.

6. Hakko FX888D-23BY Soldering Station

Hakko is another reputable brand in the soldering iron domain. The company is renowned for its high-performance soldering iron and stations. Their FX888D Digital Soldering Station is a compact, stylish soldering kit perfect for professionals and DIYers.

The FX888D offers excellent thermal performance, with an iron that can reach 480⁰C. The soldering station offers a temperature range of 120 °F – 900 °F with a power consumption of up to 70 watts. It also sports a clear digital display that allows you to control the temperature.

The beauty of the FX888D is in its heating speed. This soldering station spots a ceramic heating element that heats up quickly and ensures consistent temperatures. There’s also a 5-preset temperature memory that allows you to set your desired temperature.

Key Features

• Wattage ratings: 70 watts
• Temperature range: 120°F to 899°F
• 5 temperature presets
• Super-fast heating

The Hakko FX888D has won the hearts of many consumers, with over 3,000 positive reviews from satisfied customers. And for $104, the item is competitively priced for its features.

Wrapping Up

Whether you’re a professional or a DIYer looking to do some electrical repair work, you can benefit greatly by using a quality soldering iron station.

Our guide provides the best models out there that check all the boxes for quality, performance, and features. We hope this guide will help you make a smart buying decision. Feel free to comment and share!