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PSA: The soldering iron at Harbor Freight in Phoenix is a hard pass
I stopped by the Harbor Freight off the I-10 last Tuesday to grab a cheap soldering iron for a quick fix on an old radio. The thing was $12 and I figured it'd work for one job. It took 8 minutes to even get hot and the tip oxidized like crazy after 2 uses. Has anyone else had better luck with a budget iron from somewhere else?
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hill.andrew3mo ago
Honestly I feel your pain on that Harbor Freight one. I had the exact same experience with the tip oxidizing after two uses, it was like the thing just gave up. But hearing @valw36 say they got 6 months out of theirs makes me think maybe I just got a dud or something. I did use that little sponge but it still seemed like the tip was falling apart way too fast. Maybe I should give it another shot for light stuff and just not expect much out of it.
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valw363mo ago
The $12 Harbor Freight one I got last year lasted me like 6 months before the tip fell off, and I used it almost every weekend for random stuff. You probably just got a bad one or left it on too long without cleaning it. Did you try the little sponge thing they sell for like a buck?
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tarag283mo ago
Wait, you really got 6 months out of that $12 one? I used to trash those cheap soldering irons all the time, thought they were a waste of money. But hearing @valw36 say it lasted that long with regular use kinda makes me rethink it. Maybe I was just too hard on em or expected too much for the price. Do you find the tip needs replacing sooner if you're doing heavier stuff like thick wires?
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