What style of tip to get for surface mount soldering?

[Michael Noone]

Hi - I have a Hakko 936-12 soldering iron - and I think it has come time
for me to get a tip better suited for surface mount soldering, as it seems
that about half of the soldering I do nowadays is surface mount. But what
kind of tip should I look for? I found this website:
http://www.tequipment.net/HakkoTipsProducts.asp?series=900&page=1 which has
many different tips listed - but I don't have the slightest clue what kind
to get. Any pointers?

Also - does anybody have any good ideas as to where to purchase Hakko tips
in the USA? (that place has too large of a minimum order for me). Thanks!

-Michael Noone

 

[Leon Heller]

"Michael Noone" <mnoone.uiuc.edu@127.0.0.1> wrote in message
news:Xns95D2D50FA8A1mnooneuiucedu127001@216.196.97.136...

Hi - I have a Hakko 936-12 soldering iron - and I think it has come time
for me to get a tip better suited for surface mount soldering, as it seems
that about half of the soldering I do nowadays is surface mount. But what
kind of tip should I look for? I found this website:
http://www.tequipment.net/HakkoTipsProducts.asp?series=900&page=1 which
has
many different tips listed - but I don't have the slightest clue what kind
to get. Any pointers?

I use a mini-hoof tip for drag-soldering fine-pitch QFP packages with my
Metcal system, it makes it very easy:

http://www.metcal.com/tips/minhoof2.html#fine

Perhaps Hakko makes something similar.

Leon

 

The problem with the very very pointy tips is that they also tend to be
LONG and gently tapered down to that fine point. It's very difficult
for the iron to keep the end of that tip hot. I've had better luck
taking a chisel tip and filing it down to a sharply conical point.