How Long Do Soldering Iron Tips Last

In this case the tip is likely to become oxidized very quickly and may not have a very useful long.

How long do soldering iron tips last. Do you unplug or otherwise turn off your soldering iron when its not going to be used for a long time. A hollow forming in the end of the tip cleaning and re-tinning has no effect or needs frequent repeating. Couple of years for me.

As they do the solder should very quickly solidify over the course of a few seconds. Ive used WTCPs and the iron cladding does eventually wear out but new tips used to be about fifty cents and it takes about a minute to replace one. If the iron doesnt have replaceable tips get rid of it.

When the iron is fresh it is solder coated probably by first coating the tip with high temperature silver solder. Use sponge soaked in water to wipe the tip clean regularly. When the iron is not being used keep some solder on the tip.

They normally can last for years. I have bought cheap Made in China soldering irons that only last for 1 week after used for 2-3 times. During the soldering process the soldering iron tip undergoes physical changes which are a normal part of the process.

For our purposes lets say its going to. Looks like you were running it way too hot had a plating failure and the solder dissolved the copper core. You want the tip hot enough to melt the solder efficiency but excess heat can damage components as the heat travels along the leads and it will reduce the lifespan of the soldering tip.

The lowest cost soldering iron is one that simply plugs into the wall and may have no temperature control whatsoever. Common signs that the tip needs replacing are. If theres a stubborn piece of contaminant left on the tip you can use metal wool to gently scrape it off.