Traditionally soldering guns were quite popular among electricians. Later a lightweight option came into the market. It is soldering iron- quite efficient for small works.
If you’re looking forward to soldering works soon, you might want to purchase one of these tools. However, if you don’t have a clear idea about them, then you may not be able to decide which one you should buy.
Therefore, here will discuss everything about these tools. We’ll tell you about the uses, advantages, and disadvantages of soldering guns and iron. Lastly, we’ll compare them with each other and will assist you in making a decision.
Everything You Need to Know About a Soldering Gun
A soldering gun is powered by electricity. It looks like a pistol. Besides, a soldering gun uses tin-based solder. It allows the gun to have a solid mechanical joint with excellent electric contact. Moreover, you can easily control the tool with one hand as it has a trigger-style switch.
Some of the basic parts of a soldering gun include:
- Holder: The holder of a soldering gun is pretty similar to the holder of a pistol. It allows you to hold the gun comfortably.
- Tip: A tip is the major part of this tool. It will touch the surface where you’ll solder.
- Shaft: The end of a tip is called a shaft.
A soldering gun can produce high heat with a high voltage. Therefore, electricians use it for large electric jobs. However, you also can use it for small works. In that case, you need to be careful as the gun can damage the surface where you’re applying it.
Advantages of a Soldering Gun
There are multiple advantages of using a soldering gun. Some of them are:
- Soldering guns come with high power voltages. Usually lies between 100-240V. Therefore, they are able to provide high output.
- Because of the shape of the tool, it’s quite flexible to work with a soldering gun.
- Soldering guns heat up quickly and are pretty efficient.
Disadvantages of a Soldering Gun
With several benefits, soldering guns have some disadvantages too. Some of the problems of a soldering gun are:
- It’s quite heavy, which makes it uncomfortable to work with for small jobs.
- Soldering guns come with copper tips. And the tip slowly dissolves every time you use it. Therefore, you’ll need to replace it frequently.
So, these are basic things about soldering guns you should know. In short, a soldering gun produces high output and is mainly used for large jobs. Though it’s a little bit heavy, the user-friendly shape makes it easier to handle.
Everything You Need to Know About a Soldering Iron
A soldering iron is a tool to use in lighter soldering works. It has an insulated grip and a metal tip. Besides, the handle is made of plastic. Soldering irons are lightweight but excellent for joining two electrical workpieces.
However, soldering irons are best for use on circuit boards or other light electric works. The main point here is, you can use the iron only for work that requires a small amount of heat. A soldering iron comes in different sizes for different applications. Therefore, check the sizes and uses before you purchase.
Advantages of a Soldering Iron
Like a soldering gun, a soldering iron also has some benefits. The advantages are:
- Soldering irons are lightweight. Therefore, it’s more convenient to work with.
- The iron tip stays hot for a decent time. Therefore, you need not heat it frequently while working. It allows you to work smoothly.
- Soldering irons come in different sizes for flexible working. You can select the size best for your job.
Disadvantages of a Soldering Iron
Every tool has some disadvantages, and a soldering iron is not different. So, few problems of soldering iron are:
- It provides small output. So, it’s a little inefficient for work.
- It doesn’t have much voltage. Therefore you can not use it for heavy work.
If you’re looking for a handy tool that will assist you with light works, then a soldering iron is perfect for you. But keep in mind, it’s not made for jobs that require high voltage.
Soldering Gun vs Iron: Main differences
Both of the tools are powered by electricity. And you can use both of them for soldering works. But a soldering gun is different from a soldering iron in many ways. They have different uses and different benefits. Some of the significant differences between these two tools are:
1. Flexibility of Use
Compared to soldering guns, irons are more lightweight. Therefore, you’ll feel more comfortable working with the soldering irons. Though the design of the guns will allow you to hold them comfortably, the weight may seem heavy sometimes.
2. Affordability
Soldering irons come inexpensive. On the other hand, soldering guns will cost you higher. However, the price difference is due to their output.
3. Efficiency
This is where soldering guns outperform soldering irons. The guns have more voltage and can produce higher output. They’re perfect for heavy work. But you can not use soldering irons for larger electric works.
These were some of the common dissimilarities between these two electric tools.
Which One Should You Use?
Well, the answer depends on your usage. Therefore the question should be what’s your use and which tool fits best for that work.
If you need a tool for light soldering works, we suggest you get a soldering iron. It can easily fit your budget. Besides, most modern workers prefer this because of its lightweight design. The iron tip is also excellent. However, if you need to do some heavy electric jobs, it might not be wise to purchase a soldering iron.
In case of heavy work, you should go for a soldering gun. Though it will cost higher than the iron, it will provide you high output too. A soldering gun has high voltage options. Therefore it can produce a high level of heat. Besides, the tip gets hot very quickly. Hence, you will have high efficiency.
To conclude, both of these tools have different purposes. And they’re quite good at their own field. While one is lightweight and produces small results, the heavy one provides you higher output. Therefore, based on your requirements, you can choose any one of them.