Just following on from the thread of a few weeks ago, where we were discussing how Weller tips don't seem to last like they used, and then the reference to lead-free solder 'leaching' iron from the tip plating, that I found on the Cooper website.
A few weeks back - no more than 4 - I fitted a new 700 degree pointed tip to my TCP series Magnastat bench workhorse iron. It's on for about 12 hours a day, and the Magnastat works correctly. About a week ago, I noticed that the tip was already 'waisting' about 2mm up from the point, and today, the pointy bit just fell off, leaving a ragged eaten-away stump. During the three weeks that it seemed to survive unscathed, the soldering done with it was predominantly normal 60/40 leaded, using the same solder that I always have for more years than I care to remember. In amongst that work period, I guess I used it for lead-free soldering perhaps four or five times - maybe
20 - 30 joints total.So what is going on here ? Have Weller changed the plating of their tips in some way ? Are we actually seeing this iron plating 'leaching' effect that they mention on the website, in play ? Or is it that the fluxes in lead-fee solder are so aggressive to try to make the useless stuff stick to other metals, that the iron plating doesn't stand a chance ? If it is the leaching effect, or even flux attack, then it's pretty drastic, if it can wreck a tip with that few joints ...
Whatever it is, three to four weeks for a tip, instead of the previous three to four months, at least, seems pretty poor performance for what has always been accepted as a good quality 'professional' general bench iron.
Arfa