When it comes to soldering irons, “the tip is the tool”. The rest of the iron holds and heats the tip and controls its performance. But the tip is the critical component that must transfer heat efficiently and reliably to the connection point. Inadequate or improper tip maintenance is a leading cause of soldering problems. What’s the best way to avoid trouble? The key to good tip maintenance is to keep the tip tinned with a thin coating of solder at all times.