Soldering is used in a variety of applications from hobby work to professional repair jobs. In the past, we have talked about the best solder to use for electronics, the best soldering station that is less than $100, and the best soldering iron for stained glass. Now we are going to talk about the best soldering irons to use for cell phone repair.
Tools to Use for Cell Phone Repair
We have already mentioned that we are going to discuss some of the best soldering irons to use for cell phone repair, but let us look at a list of other items you need to get your hands.
- Solder: Obviously, if you are going to use a soldering iron, you need solder to tack components down. There are two types of solder: lead-based and lead-free. Lead-base tends to be the preferred option because it melts at lower temperatures, but it is a health hazard. It must be used in a well-ventilated environment and safety precautions must be undertaken. If you want to avoid that risk, then lead-free solder is the better option. However, it melts at a slightly higher temperature.
- Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Holder/Stand: This little device is used to hold the cell phone circuit board in place while you make repairs. It is meant to hold the board tightly without damaging the delicate circuitry. Outside of the soldering iron, this piece is the next important. Take the time to find a quality holder/stand. Do not cheap out.
- Thinner/PCB Cleaner: This cleaner is used to clean off a PCB before repair. By removing dust or other contaminants, you ensure a good quality fix. Again, do not cheap out on PCB cleaner. Bad cleaner can actually damage the PCB further.
- Jumper Wire: Jumper wire is a thin wire used to connect one point on PCB to another. This can allow for bypassing of bad areas and enable certain cell phone repairs.
- Various Cutters: There are a variety of cutters you might need during cell phone repair work. A blade cutter can cut various wires such as jumper wire. A point cutter is used for more precise close-in cuts. A nose cutter can be used for wire stripping as well as cutting.
- Various Small Tools: Some small tools that will come in handy include screwdrivers of select sizes, tweezers, and small brushes. All of these can help you with your cell phone repair depending on what the task is.
- Various Other Supplies: Other tools will come in handy for cell phone repair work are: a multi-meter for finding faults, a battery booster for providing power to the cell phone, and an ultrasonic cleaner for small electronic components. We recommend you do a bit of research on the other tools that might come in handy outside of the ones we listed. It really just depends on how detailed you want to get with your work or if this is intended more as a hobby.
Top 6 Best Soldering Iron for Cell Phone Repair
- GOWE 2-in-1 SMD Rework Soldering Station.
- SAIKE 852D+ Digital Hot Air Rework Station and Soldering Iron.
- Sywon Electric Soldering Iron Kit.
- Tabiger Soldering Iron Kit.
- SOAIY 6-in-1 Soldering Iron Gun with Carry Case.
- Whatnot Widgets Electronic Soldering Iron Kit.
1- GOWE 2-in-1 SMD Rework Soldering Station
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
This 2-in-1 soldering station has both a hot air station as well as a soldering iron. The hot air station can be used for de-soldering bad components off a PCB, while the soldering iron is used for repairs. The GOWE has three separate knobs that control the hot air temperature, hot air volume, and soldering iron temperature.
It also has two separate LED displays to show the temperature readout for both the hot air gun and the soldering iron. In addition, the hot air gun on the GOWE is capable of outputting between 0.3 and 24L a minute.
Pros
The GOWE is a smart choice because it is a multi-use unit since it has both the hot air gun and the soldering iron. To perform cell phone repair work, you will need to de-soldering bad parts off the circuit board and then solder replacements on. This gives you the best of both worlds without having two separate pieces of equipment.
The soldering iron has a ceramic heating element that allows for rapid heating. It also has an ergonomic handle. One of the nice features of this unit is the digital readout for temperature. This keeps the user from having to play around with temperature settings as with some other units.
Cons
This unit had no negative reviews written against it.
2- SAIKE 852D+ Digital Hot Air Rework Station and Soldering Iron
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The SAIKE 852D+ has both a hot air gun and a soldering iron. It has two LED displays that indicate temperature for both units. It has adjustable wind volume from 1-120L a minute. The hot air gun can also output temperatures from 100 to 450 degrees Celsius, while the soldering iron can output from 200 to 480 degrees Celsius. This unit also has some built-in safety features such as the induction switch on the hand unit.
Pros
The 2-in-1 feature of this unit is a plus since you need both a hot air gun and soldering iron to conduct cell phone repair. The induction switch is a nice safety feature to have since as soon as the gun is set down, it turns off. There is no worry of starting a fire. The soldering iron comes with a conical tip that is good for small, detailed work. Overall, consumers really like the unit and stated it was dependable.
Cons
One negative of this unit is that it only included the small, fine tip for the soldering iron. The advertisement for the 852D+ made it seem like there were five different tips. Users had to purchase other tips to do larger repair work. Another negative for this product was the construction. The soldering iron tip is held on by a plastic pin and will melt when the heat is turned up.
3- Sywon Electric Soldering Iron Kit
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The Sywon kit has a soldering iron that has adjustable temperatures from 200 to 450 degrees Celsius. It comes with a digital LED readout so there is no need for the user to play around with the temperature settings. The iron has a ceramic core that heats the unit up quickly and four ventilation holes to help cool the unit faster.
The Sywon kit includes two different tip tweezers, six different double-sided tools such as brushes and picks, a portable soldering iron holder, various soldering iron heads, lead-based solder, a cleaning sponge, and a carrying case.
Pros
This is the ideal portable kit for on-the-go repairs. It includes a variety of tools for almost any job. The handy carrying case keeps everything in one place as well. The different soldering iron tips are perfect for various jobs. Consumers found this to be the perfect, inexpensive option that can allow mobility. Users also noted it heated fast as the description stated and cooled down quickly as advertised.
Cons
The biggest complaint about this unit is the quality. Consumers noted it broke after a few uses in some cases or stopped heating up all together. However, this is a less expensive model so you get what you pay for.
4- Tabiger Soldering Iron Kit
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
This kit is a 16-in-1 kit that has many helpful tools for making small, electronic repairs such as with cell phones. It includes a soldering iron that has a ceramic core to heat up quickly and maintain temperature. It also includes ventilation holes to help the unit cool faster.
Besides the iron, the kit includes a portable stand and sponge, a de-soldering pump, five different soldering tips, tweezers, wire stripper/cutter, and two different electrical wires options. This all comes inside a nice soft-sided carrying case.
Pros
The pro of this set is that it is portable and includes many of the necessary tools needed to do small, electronic repair. The soldering iron can heat to a variety of temperatures and is capable of heating and cooling quickly.
Another nice feature is that the solder handle has the adjustable temperature control on the handle. In addition, the soldering iron tips are swappable for various jobs.
Cons
This was a highly rated kit, but did have a few noteworthy complaints. Most related to the quality of the unit as some users found it to be cheap. However, it is another less expensive model and not a high-end purchase.
5- SOAIY 6-in-1 Soldering Iron Gun with Carry Case
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The SOAIY is another all-in-one kit that includes many useful tools for cell phone repair. The soldering iron has adjustable temperatures and includes five separate tips. It heats up quickly in less than two minutes and can go from 200 to 450 degrees Celsius.
The SOAIY kit includes the soldering iron, a portable stand, solder wire, a de-soldering pump, and the five different tips. This all comes in a hard-sided case.
Pros
The portability of the SOAIY kit makes it an ideal option for cell phone repair as with other similar models. While it does not include as many tools as other models, it is still a nice kit to have. The soldering iron is reliable and heats quickly due to its ceramic core.
The hard-sided case is also an upgrade compared to other models and protects the unit better than soft-sided cases. Consumers noted a few nice features such as the power light and an on/off switch, which some other units do not have.
Cons
This was another top selling model. However, we noted a few consumer complaints. Buyers noted the portable stand was flimsy and many just stopped using it. In addition, there were some quality control issues with this unit.
6- Whatnot Widgets Electronic Soldering Iron Kit
The Widgets kit is a 12-piece set that has an adjustable temperature soldering iron. It includes three separate tips for the iron, a portable stand, alligator clips, a magnifier unit, a de-soldering pump, rosin solder, tip cleaner, and a hard plastic case. This is an ideal kit for cell phone repair because it includes almost all of the necessary tools.
Pros
This is probably the most rounded cell phone repair kit that we have mentioned so far. The included magnifier glass is perfect for up-close, detailed circuit board repair. None of the other units included a magnifier glass. It also has a tip cleaner, which none of the other units had. It is an all-around versatile kit for on-the-go repairs.
The hard-sided case is a bonus and protects the soldering iron from damage. In addition, the iron is capable of outputting temperatures from 200 to 500 degrees Celsius, which is higher than other models. This unit is also RoHS certified, meaning it complies with safety and environmental requirements worldwide.
Cons
This was another popular model that consumers seemed to find fit their needs quite well. It was perfect for small, detailed work, but not necessarily professional jobs. Complaints that we noted related to the quality of the unit. Some consumers had issues with the unit not heating up after several uses.
Conclusion
Various tools are needed to conduct cell phone repair jobs including a decent soldering iron. It is good to have a heat gun for de-soldering bad components off a circuit board and small tools for working with tiny, electronic components.
If you are looking for a unit that is for professional repairs, then the 2-in-1 units that include both a heat gun and a soldering unit might be the best for you. They can be utilized to remove damaged components and replace with new components using the soldering iron. They also have high quality displays that indicate the temperature so there is no guesswork with the heat settings.
If you are looking for a more portable set, then one of the all-in-one kits might be better suited. They include small tools perfect for cell phone repair as well as de-soldering pumps and soldering irons. They provided almost everything you need for cell phone repair in one place and all of them come with a handy carrying case.
