Antex G/3U Soldering Iron

by Antex

Product Description

This 18 watt 115 VAC has a 3-wire grounded ultra flexible cord with a 3-prong molded plug. Tip temperature 700° to 750°F. Tip sold seperately.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 3.8 ounces
• ASIN: B000B60454
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,155 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, January 24, 2006

By 

Michael J Edelman (Huntington Woods, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Antex G/3U Soldering Iron (Misc.)

I picked up this iron at a swap around ten years ago, and since then it's been the first iron I grab for anything short of soldering tinplate. The Antex irons are better and easier to use than just about anything else you might try, and that's because they're very different from the typical iron most of us learned on in a number of significant ways.

First, they use a slide-on tip. Slips on, slips off, requires no tightening or adjustment ever. Second, because they heat the tip from the inside, not via a clamp or screw connection, they're much more efficient than the usual iron- they say an 18watt iron is the equivalent of the typical 30 watt iron, and if anything, that's an underestimate.

Third, they heat super fast- usually in 45 seconds or less. You don't need to leave you iron plugged in all afternoon and worry about it burning up while you're busy working on some other aspect of a project. I keep mine plugged into a switched power strip. When I'm ready to solder, I switch it on, and when I'm finshed I switch it off.

And last, they're incredibly light. This is truely a featherweight tool. If you're doing any sort of electronics work at all, I'd strongly recommend an Antex iron. In 40 yers of electronics work I haven't found anything better.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars outstanding soldering iron, October 18, 2006

By 

Jon Norris (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Antex G/3U Soldering Iron (Misc.)

Antex iron

I have used an 18 watt Antex iron for almost 30 years, and I have to agree that it is one of the best soldering irons ever made. It is the iron I reach for first. It is unmatched for printed circuit and small connector work. Other irons, despite nice, fancy temperature controls, often are simply too big to deal with today's small components. I have even used it to solder 12 gauge speaker wire, and it worked great.

You will need to order tips separately, as they are not included. Amazon has a good selection. If you do not know which you should get, a medium chisel tip is a safe bet to start. Depending on what kind of soldering you do, you may want several different tips.

You should also get a good stand to hold it. It is very lightweight, and the cord is actually heavier than the iron. If not in a good stand, the cord can pull it off your bench quite easily.

I am pleased to discover they are still around and am ordering a new one for work. If you solder in small spaces, use small components or connectors, you will not go wrong with this iron.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent tool, but..., June 12, 2006

By 

T. Steele "Zlandicar" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Antex G/3U Soldering Iron (Misc.)

...it doesn't come with everything pictured. You'll need at least one tip for the iron itself (as the previous reviewer mentioned, they slide on and off) and a stand and sponge. Both are easily found on the site.

That aside, it's a very fast and useful iron and very good for beginners.