Maintain a plated soldering tip
Use the cleaner recommended for your iron. After cleaning, Hakko recommends covering the working face with fresh solder to reduce its exposure to air. On a face-tinned bevel, identify the working face before judging whether solder is wetting it.
Inspect the working face for pitting or a changed profile. Hakko identifies these signs as reasons to replace a worn tip. When choosing a replacement, use the current tip's markings and the manufacturer's drawing because wear can change the dimensions you see.
If your station has sleep mode, consult its manual to enable it. Hakko explains that lowering temperature during idle periods slows oxidation and plating wear. When the tip is hard to wet, consult the station and tip instructions before increasing the set temperature.
Compare these tips
- Hakko T18-CF15 · 1.5 mm bevel
- Weller ETS · long conical, 0.4 mm nominal
- JBC C115222 · 1.6 by 0.3 mm HT nano chisel