How Long Should A Soldering Iron Tip Last

But as long as the heating elements dont get broken and the tips stay shinny.

How long should a soldering iron tip last. Wipe clean before using. The lowest cost soldering iron is one that simply plugs into the wall and may have no temperature control whatsoever. Mine last several months with daily use being on for 8 hours at a go.

Hold the soldering iron in one hand and solder in the other. If however the soldering iron is still generating some heat the issue is probably the soldering iron tip. This step will coat the iron in a mixture of flux and solder.

Wipe the iron on a damp sponge to remove the excess. The majority of soldering irons have three basic temperature designs. Wipe the tip of the soldering iron on a damp wet sponge to clean it.

During the soldering process the soldering iron tip undergoes physical changes which are a normal part of the process. HAKKO soldering iron tips do not have any type of shelf life. As such proper storage and maintenance of the iron are not complete without caring for the tip adequately.

The only time they wear or degrade is when they are heated and in contact with solder. Although a good iron allows you to adjust the temperature its job is to pass on heat to pads transistor leads and wires on printed circuit boards. When the iron is hot wipe both sides of the soldering tip on the sponge.

There are various factors that make every soldering iron tip wear out. Hold the tip against both the lead and contact pointpad for a few seconds. Even the expensive soldering stations like Weller and Hakko get darken after long usage.