_Tools
 
 
 
     
  Choosing a Soldering Iron  
 
 
 
A powerful soldering iron is the most important tool for replacement of capacitors. Whilst the desoldering of capacitors from a PSU or a piece of networking equipment is quite easy and can be done with a soldering iron of minimum power, working on a motherboard is much more difficult.
 
     
  Motherboards of Pentium 3 class era or older are easier to work with but the difficulty increases greatly with motherboard of Pentium 4 and newer. The reason is that they have large ground planes which can draw the heat away from the component that you are desoldering. They also may have lead-free solder or other types of production grade solder which does not liquify quickly with hand soldering.  
     
  Wattage  
     
  The way to desolder capacitors is to go in fast at high heat. If the soldering iron is not of sufficient wattage then this will lead to long heating which is when the thru-hole gets damaged or traces get lifted from the motherboard. The soldering iron is able to maintain the correct tip temperature in heavy jobs by having enough wattage.  
     
  The absolute minimum required for working on motherboards is a 40w soldering iron, 60w is preferred and 80w is very good. However that is not everything, the quality of the soldering iron design and the design of the tip will decide whether the soldering iron performs well in relation to the watts or is a poor performer. This is why it is important to get a soldering iron from a quality manufacturer.  
     
  Temperature  
     
  It is important that the soldering iron can reach 450oC because that will be the temperature you will desolder capacitors from motherboard at.  
     
  Corded Iron  
     
  You may ask whether a corded soldering iron is sufficient for working on motherboards. If it is powerful enough then it will be fine. There is no necessity to get a soldering station.  
     
  Digital or Analog Soldering Station  
     
  Soldering Stations are very nice products and there are affordable ones out there. If the unit is well built then it is likely to last years. If you plan on doing quite a bit of soldering then it is recommended to get a soldering station. It is not necessary to get a Digital one however unless you plan on soldering temperature sensitive components at an exact temperature. An analog station is fine and for capacitor replacement it really will only be on a high setting for the desoldering which should be reduced to a lower setting for soldering the new capacitors in. Although not everyone reduces the temperature for that.  
     
  Antistatic  
     
  The more expensive soldering stations are antistatic to a military standard. This is not a necessity for working on computer equipment and it is really to stop static from your handling of the iron reaching the component. You can instead wear an antistatic wrist strap.  
     
  There is a second source of electric fields however and that is from the temperature control system of the soldering iron which either switches the iron on and off or uses a high frequency effect. It is for this reason that you must use a grounded soldering iron in order not to damage ESD sensitive components.  
     
  Quality Soldering Iron Manufacturers  
     
  Quality manufacturers are Hakko, Goot, Weller, Pace, Metcal/OK International  
     
  Cold Heat Type Soldering Irons  
     
  These are not recommended for electronics because they make a high amperage current at the tip during soldering. They also make sparks. Even the manufacturer does not recommend them for soldering of electronics.  
     
 
 
 
     
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