Choosing the right Soldering Iron Tip - Sizes and Thermal Properties - Everything you need to know 

I could listen to this guy all day!

That thermal imagery is worth a million words. Tip geometry matters even more than station setting.

Hello Sir, I am French 🇫🇷 and fortunately RU-vid allows you to activate the subtitles of your videos. I understand everything thanks to you! I just started in micro welding and I'm doing well. However, I need some explanations to understand certain phenomena and that's where your explanations are valuable to me. I loved this explanation video. It expands the explanation of one of your videos on replacing a Nintendo Switch charging connector. You said that "you had to change the tip of your soldering iron to suck the tin into the fixing hole of the legs. If the tip is not the right size, the heat ratio will be unbalanced. Even when heating to 1000 degrees, tin will not melt. Therefore, it is impossible to suck it up with the braid to desolder". This allowed me to understand why I had a lot of trouble sucking tin! A big thank you to you because I also appreciate your videos for the quality and clarity of your explanations during your interventions. I would like to see other videos of this type and above all, keep making detailed videos, it's very important! A big thank you for everything! 👍👍👍👍😉😉😉 Ceddine TEL’A’DOM - From France

I find the actually metal quality makes a big difference. I have a Weller original tip that stays shiny and solder wets up against it well. Ali express tips go brown with oxide and need constant wiping and the solder does not wet well. The golden rule. Crap quality equipment gets a crap ending. Thanks. Your a godsend to society

Thank you. Explained why I can't remove big solder with small tip

Thanks, this was such an eye opener! As a beginner you are really wondering whether you're dumb or your equipment is trash. If something feels unreasonably difficult or complicated, you're missing something.

I used the information you shared in this video and my soldering improved one hundred percent. Thank you very much. I greatly appreciate your help!

I've watched many videos to try to get a good idea which tips I need. This is the most informative video I could find. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Sir, I am a beginner. Your video exactly fitted my need. Thanks a lot

NICE! Appreciate this video very much! Noob looking for exactly this kind of info and tips! This is huge! Thank you.

Good stuff... They taught us this in 2M school week one! #Hooyah #Navy

Alham duleilah.. Whatever i needed for my training... My brother helped me.. Marshallah!!!

expertise is the key to correct repair,great job Alex.

Thanks for the time and effort gone into making this video!

This has to be my favorite soldering video thus far. Thanx man for taking the time to make this video. Much love man.

most informative you tube micro soldering site. brilliant strait forward easy to follow

I’m very much an amateur and use amateur equipment but I was advised to use Hakko T18 tips on my cheap station. One tip costs as much as a dozen generic tips, £8-£11 from PiHut, but they are worth it. I found out the quality of the tip is nearly as important as the shape for heat transfer. The main one I use is the T18-D24 which they call a 'screwdriver' tip but it looks like a chisel to me. Then I use T18-K knife tip and a T18-B conical for tight places. These three do 99% of the things I solder and I still have my cheap ones for when needed. Also, instead of using all my tips in the same holder I have separate holders for each tip and change the all lot. It’s quicker, safer as you’re unscrewing plastic not metal and causes less damage trying to get a hot tip out. I tried using a bent tip but my soldering is mainly my simple boards I build for Arduino Nano, ESP32 and Raspberry Picos. As I said, I’m a total amateur and I’m in awe of what you do.

Thanks for such a thorough explanation!

Very precise and on-point explanation.

So so helpful Alex. Really appreciate it. Thank you from the UK.

I go 85% normal chisel for heat transfer properties. 5% differently bent chisels (sideways etc.) and that 10% is specialty tips like spades (very VERY wide cartridges) or some such weird contraptions... spoon is amazing for drag soldering etc. but 85% chisel and I can do almost anything as long as leads are accessible. Done even some QFN's with basic chisel from Weller WHS-40 consumer soldering station. As long as you have access to the pads and enough flux, you can move mountains... :D

One of the best soldering videos I've come across. Thank You for sharing essential knowledge.

Brilliant video! Making use of the thermal cam to show heat spread on the board really gets the point across about choosing right tip for the job in hand. Awesome, TY!

the demonstration with thermal camera is very instructive. I've found out your channel a few days ago and I was watching your last videos... but this old one that was suggested by youtube is very useful. Thankx for sharing

Thank you so much for the valuable advise and information. I have to practice using different tips and get used to them. Keep well and take care.

Great video!! Thank you!! I forgot I changed the tip and was getting nowhere recently. Watched this and realised that the slim tip wasn’t conducting enough heat and that’s why my solder wasn’t melting. I spent ages and coolant understand why, thought the slim tip was what I needed for accuracy but no. Thank you!!

I’m really enjoying watching your videos and techniques

Great close up and thermal is excellent touch.

Amazing. I’ll surely check my tips tomorrow :)

Thank you for the advice!

my eyes have been opened!!! thank youuuuuuuu

Well explained sir! Thank you so very much for sharing your knowledge with us. Many people don't know how much time it takes to learn how to properly do the job..

Jus started watching your channel. Good stuff u put out. I learned allot from you. Thanks

I like your work very much you do all you job professionally

Thanks. Your stuff is always down to earth and good.Really valued the thermal cam It would be great if you could use it on ts100 and other hollow tube soldering irons with changable tips to see difference heat transfer Have got confused by the fact that the hollow tube changeable irons have "large" 65w power supplies (note your Weller is 200W) and yet people say that the heat exchange to the tips is no good, and yet TS100 has 65W power supply. Is the difference really only the fact the heating element/tip are one piece so heat is efficiently transferred. I appreciate you mainly do board repairs. For no lead boards do you need to go to above 400 degrees Some irons say they goto 480 C which is above TS100 400 degrees?

very much thank you for giving us amazing tips. i really appreciate and always watching you're videos and learned a lot to you sir. thank you so much You're my inspiration

Excellent video, very helpful. Thanks

Excellent lesson, thanks👍🏽

Very useful tips. Thank you.

I was soldering yesterday & after I took a break to calm down, I figured I was using the wrong tip so I'll try soldering today with a better tip for what I'm doing

Immensely helpful! Thank you, sir.

Thanks for the video. This information is really useful. Not sure if you have mentioned it but for good heat transfer the soldering iron tip needs to have been tinned correctly. I notice that the ones that you use here are all silvery and shiny which indicates the tips have been tinned.

This is a fantastic video / thank you for sharing your knowledge

this video was very informative I learnt a lot thanks very much.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and your expirence. Just a quesyion... Any changes or improvement after a couple of years since that you recorded this video ?

Deligintly great job Sir..... Thanks v much. 🇧🇭✌️

I only use bevel and knife tips Awesome thermal cam footage btw

Thanks for important work you do 👌

Thank you so much for this video 🙏❤️.... It's really helpful for me to understand soldering 🙏❤️ concept because no one will tell this to me. 🙏🔥 Please make more videos like this 🙏. I'm student From India 🙏

Great video. Any ideas on unsoldering guitar pickup covers?

I got the one of older Weller wtcp-s that have magnstat I think it have 1mm tip can't remember the model but I know it heat to 370c. Only replaced the tip over a year ago still have the same soldering station over 15 years it never gave a single issue :)

MUCH LOVE cant stress that enough!

Very well explained 👍

Very helpful. Thanks!

Very educational! Wow I’ve never been schooled like this

I've learned to use the knife tip for everything.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge it us 👍 i was having this dilema and this vídeo clarified me. Keep up with the good work and with this fantastic channel 🤜🤛

my hero,greetings from Europe

how long have you been repairing, your knowledge is amazing .

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THESE VIDEO

wonderful, world class video

@NorthridgeFix Can you please make a video about correct way to use hot air, temps, air speeds? THANKS!

Good information! thanks!

Thanks for this video bro. Plz tell me how to clean the tip surface.when I clean the tip after letter work tip become black and then not working proper.

thank you. this a really good video. thanks.

How did u change tip so quick??? That's awesome explanation

great video thank you for sharing

I want to get a metal bed frame and want to fill in the crevices. I notice on some metal chairs that something is used to keep the crevices look gone. Any clue what I can use? Love your video ?

Think I will be re-watching this a few times to imprint it. I have a lot to learn tho I worry about if my hands are steady enough

Great video.

What tips do you recommend for soldering hdmi ports on ps4 & xbox one and also to solder nintendo switch and other charging ports? I have the hakko FX888D soldering station.

Nice tip.

Thanks for video, where can I get good tips. My tips get so brittle after few uses. My station is set at 480°

Great job

Hi great video. Can I ask what jobs knife tips are designed for. Thanks

Thanks brother 💕

Sir, very very important information. However, how to keep the iron tip Clean and tidy?

الله يعطيك العافية

good video, thanks

Thank you for Share

Good tips.

Thank you!!

excellent..thank you

What tip I should be using to solder TSSOP28 IC component ? Pitch size 0.65mm. I am looking at t12 tips.

Great vid, very well explained

Amazing. I'm just starting soldering. You are my best teacher :) Thx.

Thanks.

Boss, what brand and model of your thermal camera and the microscope? Thank you very much.

Could you please tell me which tips to order for the weller

Can you do a review of Quicko T12 - 942 soldering station ? It's getting popular among engineers.

I watched the whole advertisement and ill share this all over👌👌👌

When I do through-hole chips there practically no land at all, if I use a regular conical tip I slightly burn the trace next to it so I use the fine conical tip but I find the very tip doesn't like to heat. I keep it shiny but I have to crank up the heat so the handle gets hot. Is this normal or do I need better equipment?

Quick question, I want to desolder SMT Capacitors, with a Weller WMRT with Tip T0054465399N which is 3mm wide. What's the height from the Tip to the fatter top part of the Tip? as I'm not sure the Capacitor will be too high for the Tip to touch the Pads

Which soldering station is good to use based on your experience

thank you sir

Hello...glad i stumbled over here.......do you take questions from listeners?????....im disabled musician with lots to solder, but yes all my tips are pointed...i need a chisel tip for guitar components.....but the specs of sizes i cant find...thank you in advance.

You accent seems very familiar. Very informative video thank you! I live in Turkey btw any relations?

Question, for hdmi port like ps4 and 5 or laptop, can i have to mix low temperature soldering wire to can remove the port ? thx Ali

This is a really good video on how to use soldering iron tips. Thank you.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge ! that helped immensely Awesome video!