TR2/3/3A re- solder my dash lights

I need to repair and re- solder my dash lights( they are out of the car ) and was looking to maybe get a new soldering gun. I was kinda surprised at the price, and I noticed they some that had a finer pencil like tip. Has anyone used one of those with the small tip for something like that?

FWIW, I picked up a Weller W51 soldering starion a decade ago on eBay, in nice condition for around $50.

I don’t Think they go for much more now. Reliable unit with adjustable temp. Tons of support and accessories.

Think Hakko brand for new, but watch out for counterfeits!

Guns and irons... two different things.

Guns are usually used to put a lot of heat into an area quickly. Irons can be big (for plumbing and such) but are often smaller, pencil-like tools for electronics. For automotive wiring you can use either as long as they are rated for 100 Watts or such. You can use a smaller iron if you want to but I generally like to use a larger Watt gun to get the heat in quickly before the vinyl insulation has a chance to melt.

With old wiring, do your best to clean the stripped copper wire strands before you get started. They often build up a patina that can slow the process down or prevent the solder from flowing.

Anyone ever try one of those mini turbo lighters they usually sell at the gas station store counters.I got a real small one for a camping kit and used it to solder some eye terminals
Hot and precise but you need room,not for tight areas,I think it was 4 bucks.
Tom

I use a 25 watt soldering iron like the one below. It’s certainly adequate for most jobs. Amazon has them for $13.

TFB said:

Anyone ever try one of those mini turbo lighters ...

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Oddly enough, I used one about a week ago after it sat in my tool box for years. I didn't buy mine, I found it. Mine uses a regular disposable butane lighter for the fuel source. It worked remarkably well. I was soldering a hinge to sheet metal that already had paint. I needed to get a lot of heat in quickly and get out. The butane lighter torch worked great for me in that application.

Thanks you guys. Elliot that is one I was curious about. Thought it might work on one wirer deals, but was not sure. I am used to gun models and did not have any experience with this newer stuff.