Choosing a Soldering Iron Wattage

Here is a small table of the Antex series of soldering irons to provide an idea of the wattage and bit temperatures one can expect.

The M, C, and CS range are good choice for through-hole components and general electronic engineering work. They are also good enough for soldering heat sensitive surface-mount device (SMD) components.

XS, TCS, A545 Range

These ones have a greater heat reserve, with bit temperatures reaching in excess of 400 °C, and they too are a very good choice for electronic work.

If you were a student, considering on purchasing your first soldering iron, then the Antex CS18 would be a good choice. It comes with an 1100 bit, which is ideal for those through-hole builds. It has a tip temperature of 390 °C, which will cover a wide range of build applications as well as the lead-free solders available. It also works perfectly with the pure tin solders that are currently available. You could use it with a nice solder such as Omega: Rosin and Lead Free Solder if you are an asthmatic because it uses an alternative chemical to Rosin.

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