Any of the Metcal "SmartHeat" irons (mine is an SP-200) will do the
right thing, in my opinion. Their higher-end systems have some bells &
whistles, but when it comes right down to it, good temperature control,
tip plating, and handpiece comfort are what really matters.
And lots of light and magnifying glasses? ;-)
Lots of light is very important. I have one of those large magnifiers with a circular fluorescent tube surrounding it. I use that for wide-pitch SMT, and even for through-hole work...makes it easier on the eyes. For the really fine-pitch stuff, I work under a binocular microscope. I am working on replacing that with a video magnifier, but I haven't found one that I really like yet that's cheap enough. I'm holding out for spending $75 on a good one on eBay. ;)
-Dave
-- Dave McGuire "...it's a matter of how tightly Cape Coral, FL you pull the zip-tie." -Nadine Miller
