Best JBC tip for drag soldering IC pins

[mr_jj]

I saw a great video on you tube by a guy called John Gammel, who uses a Halo 3mm bevel tip to drag solder ICs. JBC also offer a 3mm bevel tip, or is there something better suited from JBC for drag soldering IC pins?

[Brage]

What do you want to solder? SMT / THT? Small pitch / large pitch? Low quantity and high variety, or low variety and high quantity?

I have not done any extraordinary amount of soldering using the drag solder technique. Typically only a few SMT ICs per board. The tips I typically use while drag soldering are chisel tips, primarily because I have a soldering station without the quick change tips. It takes me more time to switch to a different tip for drag soldering than just going for it with the chisel tip that is already on the iron. A wider chisel usually makes bigger pitches easier and vice versa, but I find that flux is the component doing most of the work. A liberal application of gel based flux tend to work best for me.

There are also different options than a beveled tip that can be used for drag soldering. Spoon is a great one for SMT work. Another tip to consider is the one called "Drag"; intended for trough hole components like .1" headers. I haven not tried the latter one.
Eleshop has a nice overview over the tips that JBC supplies: https://eleshop.eu/catalog/product/view/id/698/s/jbc-c245-series-tips/

[mr_jj]

I primarily want to solder SMD ICs, quad flat pack style.

[Shock]

Most people would use a bevel or spoon (aka hoof and miniwave) from that last link provided. If you look at the videos you were watching it gives an idea of the size.

The spoon (hoof/miniwave) tip works much the same way as the bevel but has larger surface area in the middle so holds a bit more solder and more solder tension near the edges which helps with flow. The surface tinned bevel also adds a bit more solder tension near the edge of the tip but it's not totally essential to have surface tinned only.

Solder tends to flow where the tip is tinned, the problem is too much on a bevel on it's side or face down and it can form a blob and when dragging will bridge pins. So to avoid this you control the size and amount of solder on the tip and don't have the blob near the edge.

He is some alternate methods (not drag soldering) you can use any tip and fine solder wire. If you notice his tip in the second video it's immaculately clean. That is very important as the cleaner it is you can very finely control solder on the actual tip. When you do that you control how much will be transferred to the pin. But the idea of drag soldering is you partially or fully load enough solder to drag a row and nothing more.

[tooki]

I primarily want to solder SMD ICs, quad flat pack style.

I really like the C245067, the 2.3mm spoon. I find the 1.9mm to be too small, and the 2.7mm to be too big, the 2.3mm is just right! I use it for 1.27, 0.65, and 0.5mm pitch ICs.