Breadboards are all well and good for prototyping, but there comes a time in every electronics hobbyist’s life when it’s time to melt some metal and start soldering something together. Whether it’s fixing something that’s broken or building something new, soldering is an important skill, and one which can be made easier or harder depending on the tools you choose.
This review can be read in The MagPi 40
The Tenma 60W Digital Soldering Station is designed to bridge the gap between ultra-cheap fixed-temperature irons which are the mainstay of hobbyist solders, and the high-end, finely tuned tools you’d find at a professional engineer’s workstation. Selling for sub-£50/$70, the feature list is nevertheless impressive: the hefty base unit provides control of the iron temperature between a minimum of 150°C and a maximum of 450°C, either by flipping between three preset temperature levels or by setting your own, and it boasts a stability of ±1°C with 60W of power to back it up.
To get something out of the way early on in this review: no, you almost certainly don’t need a highly accurate, temperature-controlled soldering station. It can, however, make life easier. If you’ve ever tried soldering and found that sometimes the solder just doesn’t want to flow - in particular when making large connections - then you’ve experienced the frustration of using an underpowered iron that couldn’t supply the heat fast enough. If you’ve watched an LED or other heat-sensitive component go up in smoke during soldering, then you’ve experienced the flip side: an iron which delivered too much heat.
Temperature-controlled
A temperature-controlled iron solves all that. You can set the temperature just right for the solder you’re using, and it will be tracked and adjusted by the on-board controller. If a large joint is drawing heat away from the tip too quickly, the output is increased; if the tip gets too hot, the output is decreased. The aim is temperature stability of a single degree. It’s a powerful feature, and a definite step up from cheaper variable-temperature irons which don't adjust their output automatically.
As an entry-level example, though, you’d expect to see some corners cut in Tenma’s build. Looking at the base unit, they’re not obvious: the unit is solidly built and includes a physical power switch, while the large backlit LCD display at the front is clear and easy to see while soldering. A multi-pole connector provides power to and feedback from the iron, which is a small and lightweight unit thanks to the bulk of the electronics being located in the base unit. The only real negative here is that the unit is fixed to the power network of the country of purchase – either 220V or 110V – and its power lead is integrated rather than removable.
Saving pennies
It’s not until you look to the bundled stand that you begin to see where Tenma has been saving its pennies. While the stand itself is a sturdy metal housing, it fails to grip the iron adequately, largely thanks to the lack of weight in the iron and the relatively heavy lead which connects it to the base unit. It’s functional, but care is needed to make sure the iron doesn’t drop out. The bundled cleaning sponge, meanwhile, is barely adequate, and should be replaced with something thicker – or an alternative tip-cleaning system – as soon as possible.
These points aside, though, the Tenma soldering station is a joy to use. Its 60W output and dual heating coils mean the iron’s tip – which is easily replaceable through a quick twist of a retaining nut, with various shapes and sizes available – comes up to temperature rapidly. Plus, the live temperature readout on the base unit means there’s no guesswork when it comes to seeing whether it’s ready for use or not.
Another feature is Tenma's claim to electrostatic discharge (ESD) safety. This is the promise that – unlike extremely cheap irons often found in starter kits and from bargain-basement shops – there’s no risk that a blast of static electricity will fry any sensitive components as you touch the metal tip of the iron to one of their contacts. It’s a problem unlikely to have affected most hobbyists, but the reassurance it won’t bother you in the future is undeniably nice.
Last word
4/5
With such a small cost premium over a quality fixed-temperature iron and a fair list of advantages, if you fancy treating yourself to an iron upgrade, you could do a lot worse than the Tenma.
