hakko 936

[bgf]

newbie here starting with the basics trying to buy solder kit, hakko 936 was recommended by doc but what tip size small medium or large is appropriate for bottle head projects.  thanks

[Grainger49]

Tips are a personal preference thing.  Most recently PJ pointed out that the pencil (conical) tip is best for circuit boards with leads like transistors.  That is most likely true, especially for novice solderers.  I have been using a small screwdriver (chisel) tip for the last 35 years and a lot of others like those as they get more heat into terminal strips like you wold encounter in building an Eros.  

No one I know likes a large tip as it doesn't fit around components with any accuracy.  I am not even sure that others like medium tips.

They are cheap, why not buy a small pencil and screwdriver tip and change when you are building the boards?

[Maxwell_E]

I have the 936 station with a 907 pencil and I couldn't be happier. The 907 uses medium sized tips. The two I used to build my SEX amp with the C4S boards were the 0.8mm bevel and the 1.6mm chisel. If you were getting one tip, I would highly recommend the 0.8mm as it's small enough to be agile, but large enough to transfer heat effectively.

here's a page with a chart showing dimensions and options for the 907 iron.

http://www.tequipment.net/Hakko900MSeriesTips-Page1.html

[bgf]

thanks for the help watching you tube how to solder videos.

[ironbut]

Yeah, I've had a 936 for a long time and until recently, I was very happy with it. Then I noticed that I was having to really crank it up to get the solder to flow of things like terminal strips. I kinda figured that "heck,.. I've had this thing for a decade and abused it mercilessly. Maybe I need to step up to the bar and get a new one?"
Being the cheap skate I am, I decided to take it apart and just replace what was bad. While I was disassembling it, I noticed that the tip was a little off center. I have to admit that I wasn't too awful surprised since I've used the thing to do everything but pry nails out of boards. Also, the thin sleeve that contacts the heating element was no longer attached to the inside of the tip.
Then I ended up having to use a hammer to get the tip out! When I did, I could see that the outside end of the tip and the inside was not only badly bent, but the point where the two met was cracked halfway around!
I must've stepped on it one day without noticing or something!
Well, to end this story, I ran over to Fry's and picked up a couple of replacement tips, put one in and wow! God knows how long I'd been limping along at about half the watts! (if that)
So now, my 936 is better than ever. It's a freakin' dream to use again.
Great tool! Believe me, if it can survive a decade with the likes of me, it's almost a god damn miracle!