A customer told me I was "burning through" capacitors with my iron because I was using a 60W instead of 25W and now I only use the low wattage on old boards.

Since I swapped to a 25W Weller for vintage gear, I haven't lifted a single trace or killed a cap in the last 40 repairs, has anyone else seen a difference swapping wattages for delicate stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

emery8792mo ago

Does the lower heat really stop pad damage or is it just slower soldering?

angela432mo ago

Oh man, lower heat is the way to go if you ask me... I learned that the hard way after lifting a pad on a pretty nice board and just sat there staring at it like an idiot. It's not just slower soldering, lower heat gives you more time to react before you cook something. When you crank the iron up too high, you're basically tap dancing on the pad with a tiny blowtorch and hoping nothing melts off. I've definitely been there with my shaky trucker hands thinking faster would be better and nope, just ended up with a mess. Take it from someone who's messed up plenty, slow and low beats fast and sorry every time.

zara_hill4621d ago

Honestly I feel your pain on this one, I've lifted pads before and it's that sick feeling you don't forget. Lower heat lets you melt the solder without shocking the board, it's not just about going slow it's about not forcing heat into the pad and stressing the glue underneath. Ngl I keep my iron around 315C for most through hole work and it's saved me a lot of headache.