Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned DIY enthusiast, choosing the right soldering gun is crucial for achieving clean and precise soldering joints.
In this post, we’ll explore the key factors to consider when selecting a soldering gun and highlight some top picks to help you make an informed decision.
- Wattage Rating: The wattage rating of a soldering gun tells you how much heat it can generate. For most regular soldering jobs, a rating between 20 and 50 watts is usually enough. But if you’re working on bigger projects or tougher materials, consider models with higher wattage, typically between 200 and 260 watts. Higher wattage means quicker heating and better stability when you’re soldering for longer periods.
- Temperature Control: Temperature control helps prevent overheating, solder splatter, and damage to delicate electronic parts. Being able to adjust the temperature is important for precise soldering on different materials and parts. Choose models with adjustable temperature settings for flexibility across various soldering tasks.
To find the best soldering gun for you, take a look at our “Buying Guide” and top picks. We’ve chosen soldering guns that are reliable, perform well, and give you good value for your money.
Best Soldering Guns List
| Soldering Guns | Highest Wattage | Warranty | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weller D550PK Soldering Gun | 260 Watts | 7 Years | Check On Amazon |
| Atd Tools Soldering Gun | 230 Watts | 1 Year | Check On Amazon |
| Dorman Soldering Gun | 100 Watts | 1 Year | Check On Amazon |
| Wall Lenk Soldering Gun | 200 Watts | 5 Years | Check On Amazon |
| Weller D550 Soldering Gun | 260 Watts | 7 Years | Check On Amazon |
Best Soldering Guns Reviews
1. Weller D550PK Soldering Gun
First on our list is the Weller D550PK, a professional heavy soldering gun that is neatly packed away in a carry case. Rated one of the best soldering guns, this box comes with a temperature-controlled machine at an affordable price point.
Top Features:
- 200-watt setting professional soldering gun with a maximum switch of 260-watt power. The power can be controlled with the trigger adjustment at the fingertip. The fingertip trigger can let you control the high output or low output.
- Heats up very fast and swiftly in just under 6 seconds. Can heat up to a massive 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit
- Tin plated heavy gauge copper tips that are durable and very quick in transferring heat
- The gun comes with 2 front-facing, highly focussed and bright LED bulbs for torches. These aid in precise soldering and control over where you solder.
- Comfortable and soft grip on the pistol’s handle that let you perform soldering, smoothing and also cutting.
Kit Includes:
- A blow moulded plastic carry case.
- A D550PL Dual heat soldering gun
- 2 Wire cord
- A single coil of lead free solder
- Flux brush
- Three Tin plated copper tips
Warranty: Weller provides a massive lifetime of limited manufacturer’s warranty for 7 years from the date of purchase.
Concerns:
- Could improve the plastic quality a little bit
2. Atd Tools Soldering Gun
Next on our list is the ATD Tools 3740, an 8 piece dual holster heating soldering gun kit. This kit comes in a blow moulded case and has a maximum of 230 wattage heat.
Top Features:
- Dual metal heating soldering gun of a maximum 230 watts heat but also has a minimum of 150 wattages.
- Comes with 3 general-purpose chrome finish copper soldering tips for soldering, cutting and smoothing too.
- Comes with about 15 grams of lead free solder wire and a flux brush
- The handle has ergonomic grooves to it that makes holding the gun easier
- Hard or medium push to the trigger will regulate the output temperature
- Quick heating in just about 30 seconds initially but has quick reheat faster than that mid soldering
Kit Includes
- Blow moulded durable plastic case
- Soldering Gun
- Comes with 3 general-purpose chrome finish soldering tips
- Includes a flux brush
- One roll of 15 grams of lead free soldering wire
Warranty: Comes with 1-year manufacturer’s warranty from the date of purchase
Concerns:
- Need to improve customer service
3. Dorman Soldering Gun
Next on our list is the Dorman 85369 is a budget friendly Soldering Gun Kit. Dorman is a 100 year old brand within the automotive industry and the 85369 is a mid level Soldering gun kit.
Top Features:
- Unlike most of the soldering guns in the list, the Dorman 85369 is a simple mid level soldering gun but has a universal fit to it.
- 100 Watts of instant heat in a few seconds of usage. The trigger can be pulled back for higher heat and low for lower heat
- Flux infused soldering gun unit.
- Has a spanner, additional tip and a single wound of soldering wire is also provided in the packaging.
- Comes with a separate cup of zinc chloride flux.
- Has a bright LED bulb that lights up the finite area of soldering but does not have a focussed beam unlike the other products in the list
- Also available in pencil tip and also gun held
Included in the kit
- 100 watts Soldering Gun Kit
- Spanner
- Zinc Chloride Flux
- Extra Soldering Tip
- Single roll of Soldering Pool
Warranty: Comes with a 1 year manufacturer’s warranty from the date of purchase.
Concerns:
- The bulb does not have a focus of light like most of the soldering guns
- Needs to improve the build quality and overall reliability
4. Wall Lenk Soldering Gun
Next on our list is a classic pistol shaped retro looking soldering gun. The Wall Lenk WG992KCS is a high end and heavy duty soldering gun. It has a very high wattage quick heat and also a substantial wattage heated tip maintaining temperature too.
Top Features:
- Dual wattage elements with 200 watts of quick heating of the tip in just a few seconds. Lower wattage of 110 watts to maintain the high temperature during reheat
- Can control the output heat with the trigger that is both instant and easy to control.
- Tip temperature range of a maximum 1,130 degrees in fahrenheit that is heavy duty
- Features a one inch large fully illuminating light for focussed working
- TE Assemblies that can be changed with new tips
- Real pistol fashioned holding with a trigger by its side
Kit Includes:
- Soldering gun
- 1 TE additional assembly elements
Warranty: 5 years of warranty from any manufacturer’s defects from the date of purchase
Concerns:
- Could have had an ergonomic handle for easier usage
5. Weller D550 Soldering Gun
Finally on our list, the Apex D550 is a dual heating professional soldering gun that is German built and bears with it an international grade.
Top Features:
- Imported quality Soldering Gun built in Germany
- Built to last with a highly sturdy body for professional and high profile DIY jobs.
- Maximum heat wattage 260 watts for startup heat heating and a low of 200 watts for normal instant heating
- Heats up ready to use in just 6 seconds of time
- The trigger can be pressed high or low for heavy duty or low duty works
Kit Includes:
- Dual heat Soldering Gun
Warranty: The company provides you with a 7 year lifetime warranty from the date of purchase
Concerns:
- Could improve the plastic used for less odour
Buying Guide: How To Choose The Best Soldering Gun?
In this buying guide, we are going to discuss, list down and review all the factors that are you need to consider before purchasing a soldering gun.
Soldering Gun Vs Soldering Iron
One of the major problems with the beginners in DIY electronics communities is that they do not know the difference between a soldering iron and a soldering gun. They end up either buying one which will not be helpful to their projects.
A soldering iron is a simple wand/pencil-like instrument to braze two elements together using melted solder metal. The want tends to heat up when it receives electric energy through an outlet. These are simple to use and are very economically priced as well but they do not have any settings.
A soldering gun, as the name says, is a gun-shaped power tool that lets you heat up the solder and braze up two different joints using the melting of metal. Soldering guns have a higher heating capacity, greater control of temperature, quick to reheat and come with a lot of additional features such as LED torches for a defined soldering line and much more. But they may be a little more expensive compared to the soldering iron pencil wand.
Factors To consider While Buying a Soldering Gun
The following are some of the important factors to consider while buying a Soldering Gun
1. Wattage Rating
One of the most important things to consider is the wattage rating of the soldering gun. Here, wattage rating differs between a soldering gun and a soldering iron.
A soldering iron wand would be coming with a wattage rating between the range of 20 watts and 50 watts. This is enough wattage that lets you hold and use a soldering iron.
A soldering gun, on the other hand, has a massive wattage rating between 200 watts and 260 watts. Larger the wattage, higher is the ability to maintain high temperatures while soldering. Also, high wattage soldering guns tend to reheat very fast and efficiently.
2. Temperature Control
As we have mentioned how greater wattage gives you higher temperature ratings, it is important to know how controllable this temperature is.
Please note that only soldering guns come with temperature control features but not soldering irons. Soldering irons are basically for small-time DIY projects whereas Soldering Guns are more professional and a bit expensive too for that matter.
The temperature control in a soldering gun lets you control the temperature at which you are heating up the solder on the tips. This can be through the trigger or through some other knob set up. This brings us to the next important thing.
3. Replaceable Soldering Tips
The constant heating of a soldering gun would blacken out or sometimes cause the tip of the soldering gun or even the soldering wand become brittle and ineffective. Often, they tend to lose their heat conduction capacity and in such cases, they would need a replacement of the soldering tips.
Every soldering gun and soldering wand can have its tips be replaced. But sometimes, you might have an issue of the correct fit. Thus to avoid such debacles, it is wise that you pick a Soldering kit that comes with a free set of replaceable soldering tips.
4. The Kit
Soldering guns tend to come in sets of kits that are basically boxes which can place all the equipment related to soldering. While most of the boxes come with all the setup, (the soldering gun, holsters for the tips, extra set of tips, some solder, small clean up cloth etc.,
It also comes with other inclusions such as a flux brush tool that lets you clean the soldering spot off from any residues.
A few of these kits may not come with all the armada of tools, but these boxes do come with empty spaces as slots to store these things. They may not have the tools but they sure come at a little bit convenient price tags.
5. Torchlight
Another touch that these soldering guns have is a torchlight. These are more bright and focused LED bulbs that are placed right below.
Most of the time, your hand or the gun itself might cast a shadow on the point of soldering. As soldering points are small and precise, your inability to see them due to the casted shadows might cost you a lot. These bulbs act as a torchlight and focussed beams allow you to work under dark conditions as well. Highly useful and nifty
6. Warranty
Though they seem like small pieces of plastic blended into metal, Soldering guns come with a really good warranty window. While top tier products can also offer you warranty windows ranging from 5 or 7 years too, a minimum of 1-year warranty does not go out of place for most mid-level brands.
Soldering Guns – FAQs
Ans: Soldering guns use an electrically heated copper tip to melt solder, creating a bond between the components being joined.
Ans: Soldering guns heat up quickly, making them ideal for quick soldering tasks, and they often have built-in triggers for easy operation.
Ans: While soldering guns can be used for electronics, they may be less suitable for very delicate components due to their larger size and higher heat output.
Ans: Yes, soldering guns are often recommended for beginners due to their simplicity and ease of use compared to more complex soldering irons.
Ans: Yes, it’s essential to keep the soldering gun clean and free of excess solder to maintain its performance and extend its lifespan.
Ans: Key features to consider include wattage, temperature control, interchangeable tips, and ergonomic design for comfortable handling.
Conclusion
When it comes to selecting the best soldering gun for your projects, quality, reliability, and efficiency are paramount. After thorough evaluation and analysis, three standout options emerge as top recommendations:
- Weller D550PK Soldering Gun offers a balance of power and precision, making it ideal for a wide range of soldering tasks. Its ergonomic design and adjustable temperature control ensure ease of use and consistent results.
- Dorman Soldering Gun impresses with its affordability without compromising on performance. It’s a reliable choice for both beginners and experienced users alike, offering consistent heat and durability.
