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How to change a soldering iron tip

Updated: 21 October 2026

The nut is stuck, the old tip is black, and the new one is still in the packet. How to change a soldering iron tip is a cold job: power off, let the metal cool, seat the new tip fully, then tin it on the first heat. Doing it while the iron is hot, or grinding the nut tighter each time, strips threads and tears plating. This sequence is for the screw and sleeve tips on the [soldering tips comparison](/hub/soldering-and-welding/soldering-tips), mainly Hakko T18 and 900M-style 936 barrels. We did not film a change on these ASINs. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The nut is stuck, the old tip is black, and the new one is still in the packet. How to change a soldering iron tip is a cold job: power off, let the metal cool, seat the new tip fully, then tin it on the first heat.

Our top picks

Hakko Hakko T18-D32 chisel 3.2 mm

Best overall

Hakko Hakko T18-D32 chisel 3.2 mm
9.2/10about £6.08
View offer
Saipor Saipor 10-piece 900M-T-B

Alternative

Saipor Saipor 10-piece 900M-T-B
7.6/10about £6.99
View offer
KTPCN KTPCN 14-piece 900M tip set

Best value

KTPCN KTPCN 14-piece 900M tip set
8.0/10about £7.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Before you start
  2. 2.Change the tip cold
  3. 3.First heat and tinning
  4. 4.When to replace a tip instead of cleaning it
  5. 5.Burns, fume and the stand

Before you start

An FX-8801 class Hakko takes a T18 such as the D32, listed for FX-888 series irons and the FX-600. A 936-style barrel takes a 900M sleeve. Saipor states 6.5 mm outside. HANZMQIYJJ states 6.0 mm outside. A cartridge with pins is a different change, and none of these listings is that cartridge. Confirm the series on the soldering tip buying guide. Do not file the old point. If the nut will not move once the iron is cold, stop.

Change the tip cold

Switch the station off. A hot chisel will burn you after the light goes out. When the barrel is cool, loosen the nut. On a 900M iron the sleeve slides off the heater. On a T18 handle the tip comes out of its receptacle. Grip the nut, not the plated face. Finger-tight, then a small nip. One Saipor reviewer found a 4 mm drill snug inside a bore sold as 4 mm. A loose sleeve needs the right tip, not a tighter nut.
Hakko Hakko T18-D32 chisel 3.2 mm

Testsieger

Hakko Hakko T18-D32 chisel 3.2 mm
9.2/10about £6.08
View offer

First heat and tinning

Plug in only after the nut is snug and the iron is in the stand. Set the temperature you solder at, not the maximum, and feed a little solder onto the face as soon as it will melt. That coat protects the plate. The Hanglife file includes a buyer who saw the tin coating erode quickly at 400°C. Do not park these tips at 400°C between joints. If the solder balls up, clean once with brass wool, retin, and try again. A knife or steel wool cuts the plate. One Saipor needle review describes tips that blackened almost immediately, which is what a failed first tin looks like.

When to replace a tip instead of cleaning it

Clean a tip that still takes solder after a retin. Replace one that stays bare, pitted, or holed. The Saipor claim of at least 50,000 joints is seller copy. A January 2025 review of the Hakko T18-D32 reports corrosion after dry storage, so tin the tip before you put the iron away. If the new tip stays cold and the old one did not, suspect seating or the wrong series. If the station smells of burnt insulation, stop.

Burns, fume and the stand

Park the iron every time. A tip that has just taken solder can scar a flex. For a short home repair, keep your face out of the flux plume and air the room. HSE’s SR20 note on rosin-cored solder is written for workplaces: lowest practicable temperature, and extraction where exposure is repeated. A hobby desk with the window shut is not that control. If soldering is your job and people are coughing at the bench, that is an employer question. When the thread is already damaged, or the station trips the supply, a repair shop is the next step.

Common questions

Should the iron be on when I change the tip?
No. Switch it off and let the barrel cool before you undo the nut. A hot change burns fingers and can gall the thread. Switch on only after the new tip is seated, so you can tin the face as soon as solder melts. These listings are not cartridge irons. If the nut will not move once cold, do not heat it to free it.
How tight should the nut be?
Tight enough that the tip cannot twist, and no tighter. Start with fingers, then a small nip. A bore already larger than the heater, as one Saipor reviewer found against a stated 4 mm, will not be cured by force. If the tip still wobbles, the sleeve diameter is wrong.
How do I tin a brand-new tip?
Heat it in the stand and feed solder onto the working face as soon as the solder melts. Coat the flat of a T18-D32 or the point of a 900M-T-B. Do not leave it bare at temperature. If the first coat balls up, use brass wool once and retin. A second failure matches the blackening note on the Saipor needle pack.
Why is my new tip not wetting?
The tip is oxidised, not fully seated, or the wrong series for the heater. Retin once at a normal set point. Check that a 900M sleeve is home on the element and that a T18 is fully inserted. A 6.0 mm tip on a 6.5 mm heater will not behave. Turning the station to 400°C to force it is how the Hanglife coating complaint starts.
How often should tips be replaced?
When they no longer take solder after a proper retin, or when the face is pitted or holed. The 50,000-joint line on the Saipor conical pack is not a test. A generic 900M point left hot between joints will go before a tinned Hakko chisel. Keep a spare of the face you use.
Can I put a 900M tip on a T18 handpiece?
Do not plan on it. T18 is the series for FX-8801 class handles, and the D32 listing names FX-888 series irons and the FX-600. 900M is the 936 and 907 sleeve. A reported physical fit across those series is how threads get damaged. If the handle is T18, fit a T18 tip.

Related pages

Soldering tips for electronics

Best soldering iron tips

Soldering tips

900M vs T18 soldering tips: Hakko iron or a 936 pack

Soldering tip buying guide: series, shape and pack

Sources

Sources taken from the research digest. Listings were checked on 20 October 2026.

  1. Hakko UK — T18 series tip shapes (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  2. Hakko UK — T18 soldering iron tips (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  3. Hakko UK — 900 series soldering iron tips (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  4. HSE — Solderers and asthma (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  5. HSE — SR20 Rosin-cored solder (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  6. Electronics Stack Exchange — Hakko tip compatibility (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  7. amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison (retrieved 20.10.2026)