I cannot tell you the difference buying a "knock-off" digitally temp
controlled iron made for me over a hobbyist iron.

Next purchase is a "knock-off" hot air rework station...which I'm sure will
make the whole affair even easier.

-marc

On 1/9/06, John Nall <jwnall@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Jesse Lackey wrote:
> > > Also I suggest:
> > 1. getting a temperature-controlled iron
> >
> I've been reading  this  thread with interest, but with nothing to
> contribute (since I have no experience with SMT).  But I am getting
> ready to buy a new soldering iron, because mine dates to about
> 1980-something.  Most of the stuff that I do these days with it is very
> small (primarily because that is the name of the game these days, I
> guess).  Does anyone have any recommendation?  (I have a heavy duty
> Weller for the big stuff, such as new SO-239 connectors, so am only
> talking about a new iron for the small stuff).  There seems to be quite
> a few different irons available.  What would you get if you were getting
> a new one?  (While I would not go so far as to say that price is no
> object, I usually figure that you get what you pay for, so try to get
> good stuff even if it costs more, since it costs less in the long run.
> IMHO.).
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