As a side note if you care to save a little money this soldering station will get the job done http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AS28UC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have this fairly cheap Weller 40-Watt Soldering Station. It's done everything i've needed up to this point.
I know Weller is a good brand so I spent a bit more and got this WLC100. I'm still an amateur and I've only done a few projects but it's served me well so far.
I have had this one for almost 2 years now. Does the job and does it well.
http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC
I started with a cheap iron from Radioshack and gave up on soldering for years because I sucked at it.
Then I upgraded to this Weller station and suddenly I was soldering like a pro. Temperature adjustment is amazing.
I don't know about any of the super-cheap ones on Amazon, but there's definitely value in spending more to get a great iron.
I agree on the soldering part, it is one of the most valuable skills I have picked up, I'm sure you've found value in it, too!
I don't think people should be intimidated by soldering. It can be daunting at first because electronics can be complicated.
Soldering doesn't require electronics expertise. It requires a steady hand, a solder kit that costs about 40-50 bucks -- wait what a Weller WLC100 is down to 33 USD? What the hell? That is a super nice kit. Uh, anyway, cheap cost of entry. I do suggest you get what's called a "helping hand", or a "third arm". This will hold wires and bits in place while you solder them together, very useful. Brass cleaner is a good idea too, and don't forget the solder. Don't get hung up on what type of solder you use. Don't get stained glass solder, and get solder that's thin enough or thick enough for your application.
If you're worried about screwing something up, they sell solder practice boards that are really cheap, too. Just punch "Soldering practice" into Amazon or Ebay. If you're new, avoid things with like 0805 SMDs. The 0805 refers to the size of the thing you're soldering to a PCB, and the SMD means "Surface Mount Device". 0805 is pretty small, but it is nothing compared to soldering an 0402, which is much smaller!
This piano kit looks pretty lit, I might buy one myself just for funsies.
See how everything's labeled? It's Lego with an extra step. You're just following directions, putting stuff together, then soldering it in place. If you're fixing a controller pot, or a capacitor, or whatever, there are likely tutorials on the internet to guide you through it, step by step. It's Lego but instead of being held together with friction, it's held together with hot metal glue. Dear reader, you can do it.
forget that one, spend 5 more dollars and get this if you are looking at a cheap station Weller WLC100 40-Watt
It really depends on whether you want a nice soldering iron or just something that will allow you to try it for a few hours. There is a huge price difference. Of course there is also a huge difference in quality. You could get a very nice iron like this for around $250. Or you could get something much less expensive, like this for around $40.
The first one I listed is very similar to one of the best irons I've ever used. The second one is still head and shoulders above the piece of crap I used for the first several years I was soldering. It was like this, at around $5, and as long as I kept the tip sharpened with a file it worked pretty well.
This is nothing more than a 40 watt iron with a triac. There is no temp control or even a way to gauge how hot the iron is. I own one and would not recommend it.
Sure.. but if it does work search for this on amazon this is the link and it should be $39.97
Weller WLC100 40-Watt Soldering Station
I am not familiar with the weller tips but it comes with a st3 tip. if it seems too large for your circuit board you may want to get a st1 tip.. it is still a screwdriver tip but smaller. maybe someone on here can let you know if the st3 will be good or not.
Sweet. I was thinking of something a bit cheaper, might get this. Seems like the one you linked has a much better temperature control system.
For basic soldering are different tip types really that necessary?
Look into the Weller WES51 on eBay. It's $100 new, but there are a few on there going for $20-40. Also, the WLC100 is a 40 watt adjustable station which goes for around $30 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC?psc=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-ffab-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B000AS28UC