The #1 killer of soldering irons is oxidized/corroded tips. If the tip of the iron is oxidized it is useless, and you will only damage your project if you try to use it. Really! Don't even think about it! Much like trying to remove a stripped screw, the more you try the worse it will get. The best thing to do is replace the tip or iron, usually getting a new tip is cheaper

There are a few things you can do to prevent this from happening:

1. Unplug the iron or turn it off when not in use. This is pretty much the biggest contributor, if you leave a cheap iron on overnight you'll destroy the tip.
2. Unplug the iron or turn it off when not in use.
3. Unplug the iron or turn it off when not in use.
4. (Part of the reason people pay for better irons is that the heat up faster, so you can turn it off when not in use and flip it on 10 seconds before you want to solder)
5. Tin the iron with solder or "tip tinner"

Pen irons are 'stand alone' tools, they basically have a heating element, a handle and then a plug that goes straight into the wall. They don't have a temperature control (for the most part) and take a few minutes to heat up. These are low cost, but easy to store and use.

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Easy to store and use

Cons:

• Take a while to heat up
• Temperature can be too high or too low and difficult to determine
• Really need a separate stand to avoid damage or fire
• Don't auto shutoff, no off switch
• Tips can be low quality and are prone to oxidation

Xytronics 258

Elexp Adafruit

About $20