Recommendations for a good soldering iron to buy

[Neo2172]

So I am in the market for a good soldering iron. In the near future I will be using it to solder bare 18650's. From what I have read I am looking for a higher powered iron (maybe 80 watt?) with a large tip so I don't have to hold it on the cell for very long to get the job done. I am aware of the damage that can happen if the cell gets too hot. For those of you that have soldered 18650's before what do you use? Thanks!

 

[macribs]

You might wanna take a close look on the JP Spot welder. https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=68865
Seems this should be right in your alley and perfect for making 18650 packs. That thing will even handle thick strips of nickel. Seems way better then a soldering iron for the job you intend to use it for.

 

[Ykick]

I haven’t soldered can cells but I’ve reworked plenty pouch cell tabs and I think the soldering demands are very similar.

You don’t need wattage as much as you need mass to transfer large amount of heat in the least amount of time.

I use a cheap basic 60W iron but with a large Hammerhead tip.

Hobby King used to sell for $3-5 but can’t find them on the site.

They used to be $6 here but now closer to $12 and out of stock.
http://www.cheapbatterypacks.com/product/60/Hammer-Head-Solder-Tip.aspx

This seller really knows how to markup about $14.
https://www.tanicpacks.com/product_info.php?cPath=151_21&products_id=399

Here’s a good discussion and options for sources and making our own if so inclined.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98496

 

[spinningmagnets]

I have a cheap 100W I found in a arts and hobby warehouse supply, located in the stained glass supplies section. There was a soldering iron that was linked to quite a bit a while ago. I think it was 60W continuous, and it had a "turbo" button that made it 120W. Apparently it would be damaged if it was kept at 120W for too long, but if it was off it would cool down too quick. The 60W/120W "with a turbo button" seemed to work well...

I've never used this one, but here's a 100W/140W http://www.homedepot.com/p/Weller-100-Watt-140-Watt-Soldering-Gun-Kit-8200PKS/100085564

 

[Neo2172]

Thanks for the suggestions guys! What do you think of this 80 Watt Weller: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B3SG796/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687622&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00018AR3Q&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0F89NXGP4VXTQ63ZBB59

 

[izeman]

nice. and with the correct tip needed for what you want.

 

[BSATOM]

Here is what I use to build 18650 packs. I use it to solder many other heavy connections on my Ebike. This is the lowest price on Ebay for one of these right now.
The second link is the iron I use. I like my old Hexacon station. That is for all general duty bench soldering. I also have an old Portasol for remote soldering.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Weller-d-550-/291582255636?hash=item43e3a82214

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HexAcon-Therm-o-trac-Model-TOT-1002-Soldering-Station-with-Soldering-Handpiece-/131594283164?hash=item1ea3a1689c

 

[izeman]

Here is what I use to build 18650 packs. I use it to solder many other heavy connections on my Ebike. This is the lowest price on Ebay for one of these right now.
The second link is the iron I use. I like my old Hexacon station. That is for all general duty bench soldering. I also have an old Portasol for remote soldering.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Weller-d-550-/291582255636?hash=item43e3a82214
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HexAcon-Therm-o-trac-Model-TOT-1002-Soldering-Station-with-Soldering-Handpiece-/131594283164?hash=item1ea3a1689c

the soldering station looks great, but for those that are not too familiar with soldering, and look at the pictures: the TIP shown is way too small if you want to solder bigger things.
btw: i totally vote AGAINST soldering when dealing with batteries. if you want to build a 18650 pack look here: https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=68865&hilit=jp+spot
still a good soldering iron is always a good investment. whereas good not always means pricey. i have a quite expensive ERSA station ($150+) and wanted to buy a second iron so i don't have to swap tips all the time. but i didn't want to invest money, and tips for the ersa are quite pricey ($10+ per piece), so i bought something like this: http://www.ebay.de/itm/2-in1-852D-SMD-Hot-Air-Soldering-Rework-Station-Lotung-Station-Heisluft-Loten-/381434585767?hash=item58cf45e2a7. it's damn cheap, quite powerful (heats up in seconds) and has a hot blower as well (very handy for heatshrinks and of course smd de/soldering). tips are $10 for TEN and i still use the first one - and i solder a lot. i don't do smd stuff a lot, but "regular" rc and ebike stuff.

 

[BSATOM]

If you read my post, I say that I use my d550 for heavy soldering like 18650 packs, and the station for general bench soldering. I did not imply that the Hexacon is for soldering 18650 packs power connections. Nor did I imply that the Portasol is to be used for 18650 packs. I included the Hexacon because that is what I use for balance wires and connectors etc.
Let's stay on topic here.
The question was what is a good iron to use to solder 18650 packs. I shared what I have used on all my packs with a link to a nice cheap one. Very good for 18650s, even if it is a gun. And, I have never even come close to damaging a cell by soldering. That is a myth that I have busted over and over. A spot welder would be handy if making, say, 25 packs in a day......otherwise my D550 will work for another 30 years for many soldering jobs besides the battery packs.

 

[izeman]

If you read my post, I say that I use my d550 for heavy soldering like 18650 packs, and the station for general bench soldering. I did not imply that the Hexacon is for soldering 18650 packs. Nor did I imply that the Portasol is to be used for 18650 packs.
The question was what is a good iron to use to solder 18650 packs. I shared what I have used on all my packs with a link to a nice cheap one. Very good for 18650s, even if it is a gun. And, I have never even come close to damaging a cell by soldering. That is a myth that I have busted over and over. A spot welder would be handy if making, say, 25 packs in a day......otherwise my D550 will work for another 30 years for many soldering jobs besides the battery packs.

sorry. i didn't want to say that you're wrong. i was agreeing to what you said and gave a more detailed view of my thinking about TIPs in general.
i don't really agree on soldering batteries. good if it works for you, i personally just don't trust it. and even though the battery still works (and they DO) i'm unsure what has happened to the chemicals inside which can't be judged from the outside.

 

[Neo2172]

Well I just pulled the trigger on the 80 watt Weller with the big tip ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/300963555321 ). I will use it primarily for soldering batteries. At some point I will probably buy a more common 40 or 60 watt soldering pen or station for general soldering. I will have my iron in a few days, unfortunatley my batteries are coming all the way from the Netherlands lol. (I'm in the US) So I will have to wait awhile before I can put some packs together. I do have some old cells laying around to practice with. Thanks guys!

 

[BSATOM]

Well it looks like you bought a well reviewed iron. That can solder sheet metal too.

To the spot welder guy trolling a 18650 soldering thread...
Nothing happens to the chemicals in 18650 cells when soldered properly. You can suggest and imply that there is unseen internal chemical damage all you want, but now you are basically trolling someones thread with projected negativity.
You say you do not trust "it". Well replace "it" with "myself" and repeat that phrase. Now you have an accurate statement.
Like I said already very clearly, that is a myth, and I get full capacity after soldering. Sorry to break your negative myth/implication. Maybe you did not realize that is what you were doing. No worries. Although it IS posters like you that my signature is for. Still no worries....
Batteries DO get hot inside during max discharge, but that does not damage them either.
Sorry to the OP for the soldering/welding debate you got when you asked "For those of you that have soldered 18650's before what do you use"? All I did was share what I have used and will continue to use.

 

[izeman]

lol. troll ...
there was nothing negative in any of my statements. take it or leave it.
you can solder your cells, burn them, eat them. i don't give a sh*t.
if my input is called trolling then i don't know what forums are about ...

 

[John in CR]

Of course heat damages batteries, and that's whether the heat is from internal resistance during use, or soldering them, or spot welding them for that matter. It's no myth, and that's why Nissan Leaf packs suffered early capacity loss when used by desert dwellers, and Chevy has gone to such extreme lengths in their Volt packs to maintain a narrow temperature range, and why real experts like Liveforphysics look for battery connection methods that don't involve heat.

I have 18650 packs that I soldered together back in 2008 and 2009 which are still alive and well, but that doesn't prove that soldering them is risk free, nor does it prove that getting them hot causes no damage.