Readly RF Feb 20

TRIED & TESTED
DRAPER 230-VOLT 100-WATT SOLDERING GUN KIT
PART NUMBER: 71420 PRICE: £45.60 DRAPER TOOLS WWW.DRAPERTOOLS.COM 023 8049 4333
Unlike Sealey’s soldering gun (see Sealey
Professional Soldering Kit), this one from Draper
doesn’t generate any heat unless its trigger is
operated. And that 100-watt trigger can only be
operated for 12 seconds every minute (i.e. leave a gap
of at least 48 seconds after a 12-second burst of heat).
This is a traditional design of soldering gun, with a
loop that can be warmed up faster than a soldering
iron, so a soldering job can get underway much
faster. We found that from cold, a 10-second burst
of heat was sufficient to melt fresh solder or remelt
existing solder. The only trouble is that after 12
seconds, you have to wait another 48 seconds before
another burst of heat.
With such rapid heat generation, Draper explains
this soldering gun is suited to vehicle electrical
work and the pistol grip design is easier to control
than a traditional soldering iron. One of their buyers
explained, “The duty cycle takes a little bit of getting
used to – but the near instant heat generated by
the soldering gun makes one-off jobs far quicker
as you don’t have to wait for the 3-4 minutes it can
take a standard soldering gun to heat up to working
temperature. This is why most workshops rely on
this type of gun for spot repair work, as it does not
cause a huge amount of downtime for the technician
while they’re waiting for the gun to heat up for what
can sometimes be a 5-second soldering job.”
This soldering gun is supplied in a robust carry
case with three tips, a tube of solder and flux. It’s a
comprehensive kit that’s a step up from a traditional
soldering iron and ideally suited to jobs that need to
be completed quickly.
DRAPER 5-40-WATT SOLDERING STATION
PART NUMBER: 61478 PRICE: £36 DRAPER TOOLS WWW.DRAPERTOOLS.COM 023 8049 4333
A professional-looking soldering station with
a stand, a variable heat setting and a sponge
for wiping off excess solder. The accompanying
instructions even recommend the tip to be tinned
using solder and a separate flux or cored solder.
Powered by mains electricity via a 1.2m lead,
there’s a separate lead between the station and
the soldering iron that’s a similar length. Ideal
for workbench soldering, the sturdy metal coil
holder clips into the station, which includes
controls for switching on and off and adjusting
the heat.
One soldering tip is included, and spares are
available from Draper (part number 78592) for
around £5 each. The soldering iron is very light
when compared with other ones we’re testing
because some of its main components are
contained inside the soldering station.
With a variable heat control, we initially
switched it on with the control set to the
halfway mark, then gradually increased the
heat to maximum to help preserve the soldering
iron. As a result, it took almost three minutes to
melt the solder.
Once warm, the soldering iron can easily melt
solder at any of the settings. The pointed tip that’s
supplied with this equipment worked well for
manipulating the solder and there was sufficient
heat to be able to remelt any solder that had
already solidified.
As a workbench accessory for wiring and
soldering jobs, this soldering station is good value
for money and practical to use. n
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