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Like most people new to the world of electronics, at one point in time, I was only aware of one type of soldering iron tips. However, after some more experience I’ve realized that there are in fact many different types all made to suit different purposes. Although, there are a plethora of different tips available for your soldering station, in this article I will focus on describing the 3 main types used in electronics.
3 Main Types of Soldering Iron Tips Used in Electronics
Our Recommendation
Conical Tip
The conical tip design is great for undertaking electronics work that requires a high degree of precision. The pointed tip helps to deliver heat into very small areas. This tip is also a fine choice for any soldering in general and is quite versatile in its applications.
The Bevel Tip
Bevel tips are used for work that requires preloading the tip with some solder. The design incorporates a large flat surface allowing it to hold more solder than most tips. This type is also useful when you need to spread the solder around or drag it across multiple connections.
Chisel Tip
Due to the reasonably broad tip, this design is ideal for soldering wires, and for desoldering.
Final Thoughts
As I already mentioned, there are tons more different types of tips that I haven’t listed here, each with its own unique benefits and drawbacks. But the 3 soldering iron tip types listed above should be sufficient for most tasks, and to be honest you could pick one tip type and stick with using that for all of your different projects. It is however more efficient to use one that’s suited to precisely what you’re working on. At the end of the day, it’s your choice, I would personally advise at least these 3 basic tips if you plan to be working mostly with circuits. On a side note, if you would prefer to go for the option of using just one soldering iron tip for all of your projects. Then the best is likely the conical tip as it can do pretty much all sorts of jobs and importantly the small/precise work.
