Antex 18W Soldering Iron CS1

The CS1 is a vintage precision soldering iron manufactured by the Antex Corporation in approximately 1980. These were available in 16 W and 18 W, depending upon the voltage. It was extremely popular and reliable, and this one has the original tip, which continues to operate without loss in performance.

The CS range of soldering irons is one of the best that I have used, and I believe Antex are still making them in this range with more improvements. I have used it for soldering on prototyping boards and it makes very shiny and clean soldering joints, and it became my main tool. I usually use it for that extra delicate work on avionics boards together with a better grade of solder. It is also very useful for renovating old computers for the museum.

Replacement Bit

It took a while to find the replacement soldering bit for this one, and even longer to find one that I could afford, but it is well worth it because they last for a long time.

Precision

The great thing about this soldering iron is that it is comfortable to hold in your hand, because it is like holding a pencil. This is of course ideal if you are going to be using it throughout the day.