Upon investigating further, the tips I had tried were all 500 degree. I
tried another hoof tip that I have and I believe its 600 degree, and it
seemed to do much better. With that tip it took 8 seconds from the time I
flipped the switch to the point at which I could melt solder with it. I'm
now thinking that the combination of using a 500 degree tip with solder
possibly having a melting point in the same ballpark could be the culprit
behind my recent poor soldering experiences. I'm going to purchase another
handpiece, having a spare is probably good insurance.

Which tips do you guys prefer to use? I think the 600 deg. hoof tip (part #
which I don't have handy right now...sttc or smtc-something) seems to be th=
e
overall best tip I have. I use a 700 degree flat tip with desoldering braid
for desoldering, if I could find one of the air-operated desoldering
handpieces on ebay for cheap I would get one. But it seems that bargain
hunting on ebay is a thing of the past!

Regards,
Bob
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