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what do people do for soldering irons for larger gauge automotive wires?
the ones I have seem to be ok with smaller wires, but when I look at 16 gauge or larger, they dont really seem to work
(might be the result of them being cheap (unsurprisingly))
I haven't found a good one for 12ga or larger yet. End up stripping more than I need to and use a torch, small butane one. If you find a good high wattage soldering iron, make sure to post it here.
For below 12ga I have a Wagner pistol style one. Works pretty good.
Soldering automotive wires, not on a PCB, isn't recommended due to the vibration present during operation. That, and the fact that's it's much quicker in a production environment, is why automotive connections are typically crimped.
Speed is the primary reason. Vibration will kill any wire, solder or not, if not properly retained. You're right, it's not always best to solder, but it's not something to avoid either, especially for permanent connections/splices/repairs.
Point is, wire management is key. Retaining wiring harness properly makes everything last longer.
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