Station vs. Pen-Style Soldering Irons: What the Big Box Actually Buys You
イチケン / ICHIKEN
Many electronics hobbyists want to own a desktop soldering station at least once. In this sponsored video from Taiyo Electric Industries (goot), Ichiken asks what actually separates a station-type iron from the common pen-style temperature-controlled iron. Their position is that station irons are better in most respects that affect soldering, but pen-style irons are not inadequate. Ichiken describes pen-style irons as generally meeting the necessary standard, with station irons going beyond it, and asks viewers not to read the comparison as a dismissal of pen-style tools.
The Three Irons Being Compared
Three irons from goot's Smart Iron series are tested. The RX-780AS is a full station-type iron. The PX-580 is a "mini station" type. The PX-280 is a pen-style iron that Ichiken describes as having functionality and performance comparable to a station model. All three share the same feature set: temperature control, a sleep function to extend tip life, an automatic shutdown to prevent the iron from being left on, and a wake-up function triggered by vibration.
Where the Electronics Live
The basic difference is whether the iron and the base unit are separate. In a station-type iron, the heater power circuit and the temperature control circuit sit inside the station box. The handpiece contains only the heating element. A pen-style iron packs the heater power circuit, the temperature control circuit, and the heating element into the handle itself.
Looked at this way, the pen-style design can seem neater because everything is integrated. Ichiken grants that the pen type has some genuine advantages. Still, in their assessment the station type comes out ahead on most points that matter for solderability and performance.
Handling: Grip Thickness and Cable Drag
The first practical difference is in the hand. The station iron's handpiece holds only a heater, so the grip is slim and can be held like a pencil. Ichiken then corrects themself: "pencil" may be an exaggeration, and it feels more like a thick three-color ballpoint pen. A pen-style iron holds all its circuitry in the handle, so the grip is unavoidably thicker. For precision soldering, Ichiken says, the station type often has the edge.
Cable routing also favors the station. Pen-style irons have a power cable attached to the handle. Ichiken says that with a pen-style iron they felt pulled by the cable, which made their hands shake and tired them out. The station iron uses a relatively thin cable, so there is little pull and fine work is easier. The mini station's cable is visibly thick and stiff and still produces a pulling sensation. Ichiken's conclusion is that for truly smooth handling you need the full station model. The slim grip and the easy-to-route cable are the two main reasons they give for station irons making soldering easier.
Why the Station Box Can't Shrink
A natural objection is that if a pen-style iron can fit all its circuitry into a handle, the station's box should be able to get smaller. Ichiken opens a station unit to show why it doesn't: there is a transformer inside. In this unit the transformer steps the heater voltage down to 24 V.
According to Ichiken, the transformer's main purpose is to insulate the tip and reduce leakage voltage. Most station irons route the heater supply through a transformer, which isolates the heater electrically from the mains line. Stepping 100 V down to 24 V further lowers the ground voltage and leakage voltage at the tip. Since soldering often involves static-sensitive semiconductors, you want to avoid damaging them with the iron itself.
Pen-style irons have no transformer, so their heater runs at 100 V, which Ichiken calls quite high. Some pen-style models include a ground wire, and Ichiken says those can be considered reassuring with respect to static and leakage voltage. Because the transformer is necessary, station units end up large and are usually left set up on a workbench. Ichiken recommends a pen-style iron for anyone whose work location changes often.
The Mini Station: A Middle Ground
The mini station type (the PX-580 here) takes the pen-style heater power circuit and temperature control circuit and moves them into a separate base unit. It has no transformer, so the base is quite compact. However, the heater voltage stays high. Ichiken notes that even with a ceramic heater, the lack of a transformer means leakage voltage and ESD concerns are not resolved. The mini station's power cord does include a ground wire, so Ichiken says leakage voltage itself can be considered not a problem.
Heater Construction: Integrated vs. Replaceable Tips
Ichiken then turns to tips and heater structure. Among station irons, the best performer in their view is not the currently sold RX-780AS. It is the RX-802AS, which they introduced in an earlier video. The reason is how the heater and tip are built.
The common design slips the tip over a ceramic heater. Ichiken explains that this leaves a gap between heater and tip in principle, which makes heat transfer harder. The RX-802AS integrates the heater and tip into one unit and conducts heat extremely well, which Ichiken says gives it the best heat transfer and soldering performance.
The tradeoff is cost. With an integrated design, a worn tip can't be replaced on its own; the heater unit has to be replaced with it, so running costs are higher. Ceramic-heater designs let you replace just the tip. Ichiken frames the choice as performance versus running cost. Choose the integrated RX-802AS if you want top performance despite the cost, and choose a ceramic-heater model if you want to keep costs down and accept slightly less efficient heat transfer. For high-mix, low-volume production, where the items being soldered vary widely, Ichiken likes the RX-852AS, the higher-end sibling of the RX-802AS, because it can deliver up to 150 W. All the irons used in this video have ceramic heaters.
Choosing the Right Tip
Ichiken stresses that tip choice matters a lot. Their general rule is that for work with high heat capacity, a thicker tip usually makes soldering go better. All three irons in this test use the same tips, so tips can be moved between them.
The demonstration starts with the standard tip supplied with the iron. Next comes the 3BC tip, which Ichiken uses most often and which is a bit thicker than standard. Ichiken points out that this tip has a high heat capacity of its own and stays hot for longer, so soldering is easier with it. They test it on a pad connected to a wide area of copper, where heat escapes easily. Because of good thermal recovery and the tip's own heat capacity, the joint goes smoothly.
The D-type tip is shown for chip components. Ichiken's procedure is to pre-solder one pad, place the resistor while nudging it into position and tack it down, feed flux to the other side, and solder that side the same way. They then reheat the first, tacked joint and carefully add solder to finish it. The result is a secure joint.
Last is the RA type, a right-angled tip that Ichiken says has even higher heating efficiency. Its shape lets it touch the copper pad and the component lead at the same time, so it heats the joint efficiently, and the solder melts easily in the demonstration. On a pad with large copper area, heat still escapes and the solder takes a little while to melt, but the joint is completed without trouble. Ichiken says the RA tip handles high-heat-capacity components and large copper areas well, and recommends it for things like large electrolytic capacitors. The broader point is that how solder melts and how heat transfers differ completely between tips, so the tip should match the job.
Nitrogen Soldering: An Extra Option for Station Irons
Ichiken mentions a further differentiator: station irons can support soldering with nitrogen gas. They clarify that this comes less from the station itself and more from swapping in a nitrogen-capable tip. The catch is that it may need a nitrogen generator or an air compressor. Ichiken says that makes it quite a hurdle for an individual and doubts whether individuals really need it. For people who solder as part of their job, they think it is worth considering.
In the demonstration, a gas tube connects to the nitrogen tip and gas flows out through a gap at the very end of the tip. Without nitrogen, the flux smoke rises straight up. With nitrogen flowing, the smoke is pushed away from the tip.
Ichiken lists the claimed benefits: better solder spread, and less oxidation of both the joint and the tip. Because the gas passes the heater on its way out, it arrives heated, so a preheating effect on the work can also be expected. On a thermal camera, with the iron held near the board but not touching it, the board's temperature rises gradually.
With and Without Nitrogen: The Comparison
Without nitrogen, ordinary joints show no wetting or spreading problems. On a pad with wide copper, though, Ichiken observes that without the preheating effect the solder does not spread well.
With nitrogen, Ichiken reports that wetting is clearly better and soldering is easier. They acknowledge this may be hard to see on video but insist the difference is clear in use. On the copper-heavy pad, Ichiken attributes the good wetting to preheating from the heated nitrogen.
Ichiken also cites several further effects. Joint surfaces come out glossier with nitrogen. It helps prevent solder bridges and sharp spikes on joints. The way the solder draws out as the iron is pulled away, during the interval between melting and solidifying, shows the difference between with and without N₂ clearly, in their view. Finally, because of the preheating, the tip temperature can be set slightly lower, which Ichiken says reduces thermal stress on components and extends tip life.
Ichiken's Verdict
Ichiken concludes that station irons generally make soldering easier, but that pen-style irons are not bad. Their own everyday iron is in fact the pen-style PX-280. For long soldering sessions at work, they think a station iron, with its easy grip and good maneuverability, is the best choice, and that nitrogen may be worth considering depending on circumstances. Because the irons shown share a common tip standard, tips can be reused across them. Ichiken's recommendation is a pen-style iron for personal use, and a station system as a treat or as a way to take your work up a level.
This video is brought to you by Taiyo Electric Industries, makers of goot soldering irons.
Hello. Something that everyone who does electronics projects wants to try at least once is a desktop soldering station. In terms of functionality and performance, station-type soldering irons have many advantages. Today, we'll look at what exactly the difference is between a common pen-style temperature-controlled soldering iron and a station-type soldering iron. We'll take a look at various aspects, including the pros and cons. There's also a giveaway at the end of the video, so please be sure to watch until the end.
Here are the products we'll be trying out. In order from left to right, the RX-780AS is a station-type soldering iron. This PX-580 is a mini-station-type soldering iron. And while the PX-280 is a pen-style model, this soldering iron offers functionality and performance comparable to a station-type model.
All the soldering irons have temperature control, a sleep function to extend the life of the iron tip, a shutdown feature to prevent leaving the power on, and a vibration-activated wake-up function. These soldering irons are the Smart Iron series from Taiyo Electric Industries.
First, what are the differences between station-type and pen-style soldering irons? As you can see, it depends on whether the iron and the station are separate. The station-type model has the heater power circuit and temperature control circuit inside the station, and the iron itself contains only the heating element. On the other hand, pen-style soldering irons have the heater power circuit, temperature control circuit, and heating element all arranged inside as shown here.
Looking at this alone, the pen-style one looks better, with everything together. Actually, in some respects, the pen-style version does have advantages. But in terms of solderability and performance, the station-type model is better in most respects. What I'm going to explain is that pen-style devices generally meet the required standards, and the station type is even better. It's not that pen-style ones are out of the question, so please don't misunderstand that point.
First, let's take a look at usability. Since the iron portion of the station type only has a heater, the grip is slimmer, and you can hold it just like a pencil. It might be a bit of an exaggeration to say it feels like a pencil, but it feels about like a thick three-color ballpoint pen. Since everything is contained in the handle of a pen-style soldering iron, the part you hold inevitably ends up thicker. Therefore, when it comes to soldering that requires greater precision, the station type often has the advantage.
The station-type model is also superior in cable handling. Since pen-style soldering irons have a power cable attached, it feels like you're being pulled by the cable, making your hands shake and causing fatigue. Since the station type uses a relatively thin cable, there's little sensation of being pulled, allowing precise work.
As for the cable thickness on the mini-station type, as you can see, it's pretty thick and sturdy. It feels stiff, and there's a pulling sensation. If you're looking for truly smooth handling, you'll need to buy this station-type model. The slim grip and ease of cable handling make soldering easier with the station-type model.
I understand that a thinner grip is easier to use, but if pen-style devices can be made this small, some people might wonder whether the box-shaped part of a station-type model could be made a little smaller. Actually, there's a reason why the station section gets bigger.
When I opened one of the station-type models, as you can see, there was a transformer inside. In this case, the transformer steps down the voltage to the soldering tip's heater to 24 V. The reason for using a transformer is to isolate the tip and reduce leakage voltage. Most station-type soldering irons route the power supply to the heater circuit through a transformer, electrically isolating it from the power line. Furthermore, stepping down the voltage from 100 V to 24 V further lowers the tip's voltage relative to ground and its leakage voltage. Since we sometimes solder semiconductors that are sensitive to static electricity, we want to avoid damaging them with the soldering iron.
Pen-style soldering irons have no transformer, so the heater voltage is 100 V. It's quite high. There are models that come with a ground wire, which is reassuring regarding static electricity and leakage voltage.
There are reasons why the station type can't be made smaller, so it ends up being large. It's generally set up on a workbench for use. If your work location changes frequently, we recommend using a pen-style soldering iron.
What about the mini-station type? This is a version in which the pen-style iron's heater power circuit and temperature control circuit have been relocated to the station unit. Since there is no transformer, it's quite compact. However, the heater voltage remains high. Even though it's a ceramic heater, it doesn't have a transformer, so leakage voltage and ESD issues remain unresolved. However, since the mini-station type has a ground wire in its power cord, I suppose you could say there's no problem as far as leakage voltage is concerned.
Next, let's take a look at differences in soldering tips. Among station-type models, it's actually the RX-802AS, which I introduced previously, rather than the RX-780AS here, that has the best performance. This is due to differences in the heater structure at the tip of the iron.
A common design has the tip slipped over a ceramic heater. With this method, a gap forms between the heater and the tip, making heat transfer more difficult. As shown here, the RX-802AS has the heater and tip integrated into a single unit, designed to conduct heat extremely well. In terms of heat transfer and soldering performance, this one has the best performance.
However, if the heater and tip are integrated into a single unit, you cannot replace just the tip when it starts to wear out. Since the heater unit also needs to be replaced, this results in higher running costs. If you want to keep your running costs down, it's better to use a ceramic heater model with a separately replaceable tip. It depends on which you prioritize in the trade-off between running costs and performance.
If you want top-notch performance despite the higher running costs, choose the RX-802AS, featuring an integrated heater and tip. Heat transfer is slightly less efficient with a ceramic heater model, but choose one if you want to keep your running costs low. For small-volume, high-variety production, where there are many different items to solder, I like the RX-852AS, the higher-end model of the RX-802AS, because it can go up to 150 W.
All the soldering irons I'm using this time have ceramic heaters. Choosing the right tip is also quite important, so I'll demonstrate it. Basically, soldering usually goes well with a thicker tip that has a high heat capacity. Here are the tips that Ichiken uses most often. They're a little thick compared to the standard tip, aren't they? Since all the soldering irons in this set use the same tips, you can use them interchangeably. I've also compiled purchase links and other information in the description, so please use that as a reference.
First, here is the standard tip that comes with the tool.
Next up is the 3BC soldering tip. This is the one I use the most.
As you can see, the heat capacity of the tip itself is very high, and its temperature stays high for a long time. So soldering is easier with a thicker tip. I'll try working on the areas where the copper foil covers the entire surface as well.
Since the copper foil spreads out, heat escapes very easily. But it does have good thermal recovery, and since the tip itself also has a high heat capacity, soldering goes smoothly and without any problems.
Next, this is a D-type soldering tip used for soldering chip components and such. First, apply some preliminary solder, then tack the resistor in place while shifting it slightly. Next, feed flux here and solder in the same way. The first joint was just a temporary solder joint, so heat it again and carefully feed in solder. As you can see, it's been soldered securely.
There is also an RA-type tip that offers even higher heating efficiency. This one has a right-angled tip. Since it can contact the copper foil and the component simultaneously, it efficiently applies heat to the item being soldered.
Here's what it looks like when you actually try soldering. Apply the soldering iron and feed in solder. It melts easily. This one is the same: apply the soldering iron to heat the joint and feed in solder.
I'll also try it on the areas where the copper foil covers a larger surface area. Apply the soldering iron to heat the area and feed in solder. As you'd expect, since the copper foil covers such a large area, heat escapes, and it takes a little while for the solder to melt. This one is the same: apply the iron to heat the area, then feed in solder.
Soldering works just fine even with components that have a high heat capacity or areas with copper foil. I recommend the right-angle RA type when you want to solder large electrolytic capacitors. The way the solder melts and the way heat transfers are completely different, so it's important to choose a soldering tip that suits your application.
We understand that station-type soldering irons are generally high-performance products. As an additional differentiating factor, they also support soldering using nitrogen gas. This is less about the station itself; it can be achieved by replacing the tip with one designed for nitrogen gas. However, a nitrogen generator and an air compressor may be required, so it's quite a challenge for an individual to implement. If you ask whether an individual even needs it in the first place, I have a feeling they might not. However, when soldering is part of your job, it's worth considering.
I'd like to give it a try. Here is the tip designed for use with nitrogen gas. A gas tube is connected, and nitrogen gas comes out of the soldering iron's tip. First, this is what it looks like without nitrogen gas. The smoke rises upward. Next is the condition with nitrogen gas present. The smoke drifts away because nitrogen gas comes out of this gap at the very tip of the iron.
The benefits of using nitrogen gas are improved solder spreading and reduced oxidation of the soldered area and the iron tip. In addition, since nitrogen gas passes through the heater at the soldering tip, the heated gas can also preheat the area to be soldered. When you look at it using thermal imaging, you can see the circuit board's temperature gradually rising even though I'm not pressing the soldering iron against it.
We'll also see how much soldering changes with and without nitrogen. First, here's what it looks like without nitrogen gas. It's just regular soldering. There are no issues with the solder's wetting and spreading either. Let's also try soldering where this copper foil spreads out. Without nitrogen gas, there's no preheating effect, and the solder isn't spreading very well.
Next, let's look at the case with nitrogen gas. When I actually try soldering, the solder wetting is clearly excellent. Soldering itself is also easier. It might be hard to tell from the video, but it's clearly easier to solder with nitrogen gas. I'll also solder to the copper foil side, where heat dissipates easily, with nitrogen gas present.
The preheating effect of the heated nitrogen gas blowing onto the area makes the solder wet the surface quite well. Also, using nitrogen gas improves the surface gloss compared to soldering without it. In addition, it helps eliminate solder bridges and sharp points in the solder. If you look at how the solder trails off between melting and solidifying, I think you'll clearly understand the difference with and without N2.
In addition, with nitrogen gas, you can lower the iron tip temperature a little because of its preheating effect. This helps reduce thermal stress on components and can extend the life of the iron tip.
So, what do you think of station-style soldering irons? We've checked out a variety of things. The station-type model generally makes soldering easier, but that doesn't mean pen-style ones are no good. Actually, what I use is a pen-style soldering iron, the PX-280. When you need to solder for long periods as part of your work, I think it's best to use a station-type soldering iron that's easy to grip and maneuver. Depending on the situation, it might also be worth considering nitrogen gas.
The soldering irons featured here all have tips that conform to a common standard, so they're interchangeable. For personal use, go with the pen-style version. To treat yourself a little or take things to the next level, it might be a good idea to introduce a station-type system.
If you found this video helpful, please give it a positive rating. If you have any questions or concerns, I'd appreciate it if you could leave a comment. Thank you for watching the video all the way to the end.
At the end of the video, there's an announcement about a gift from Taiyo Electric Industries. To celebrate the launch of the new Smart Iron series, we'll be giving away the RX-780AS used in this video to five people selected by lottery. For more details on how to apply, please visit Taiyo Electric Industries' official X page. Be sure to check it out.
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