Soldering iron

[autoexec]

Ok i just purchased a 45 watt soldering iron from radio shack and the dubass didnt know what wattage i needed for my job. I was wondering if you know if 45 watts is too much for electrical boards. I have soldered bigger thing before but i am not really familiar with the wattage scale. So if i dont hold it over the board for a long period of time, will i be alright or will it break my motherboard?

 

[RealBlackStuff]

For circuit boards, you don't need more than 20-30 Watts.
Use a very fine tip if you have a more powerful iron, but it is not recommended, you very quickly overheat things.
If you can, return it for a less powerful model with exchangeable fine tip(s).

 

[ikenfixit.com]

Move faster

You can use the 45W iron but you have to move a little faster.. (Dont overheat the leads, traces, or components). I have a 45W that I use primarily for wicking off joints on bad components.. The added heat makes it a little easier for the removal process. For replacement get an iso-tip 60 and some fine point tips. These are rechargable so you can use it for field work and the seem to be a pretty good all around unit.. (Although tip life is not extremely long). Just a suggestion..
www.ikenfixit.com

 

[autoexec]

Thank you man