Recommendation for a good soldering iron?

[Trackr]

My gas-powered one seems to be at the end of its life (now 4 years old), and I was wondering if I should switch to electronic.

The issue with the gas-powered one is that it takes a while to get hot (3 minutes or more), so if I could get a very powerful electronic one (say 80w), would it be faster?

Though, I've really gotten used to the portability.. not sure if I can give that up.

Input is appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Zepher]

I've got a 30 year old 60 watt Weller that still works perfect, so I recommend a Weller.

 

[TeeJayHoward]

I use an electric harbor freight one, and an electric Radio Shack one. They're both cheap pieces of crap, but they get the job done with no real issues. A hot piece of metal is a hot piece of metal. Get yourself a quality tip, and you're good.

Oh, and they both take a couple minutes to warm up.

 

[CaribouNuggets]

Hakko FX888D. It looks a little weird, but I haven't used anything better besides those $800+ Pace units we have in our rework stations at my work.

The Hakko is Japanese-made, the stand is heavy and metal, the power supply unit is heavy and sturdy, it heats up in a minute or less, tips are cheap to replace, and it's around $100 plus $20 for a kit with 5 different tips. I'd recommend a set of chisel tips for the best heat transfer.

I've used Weller before, too, but they're more expensive. I've also had Weller break down on me. Read some reviews on the Hakko. I use mine quite a bit.

 

[BlueLineSwinger]

I have a Hakko FX888 (the older, analog version of the Hakko FX888D mentioned). It's been very good for my home/repair/hobbyist needs.

The Weller WES51 is supposed to be roughly equivalent.

I'd get whichever you can get replacement tips/etc. locally.