What is a 100W soldering iron used for?

Question

Accepted Answer

100W and above is well beyond general electronics work — that much power is aimed at heavy-gauge wire, large metal joints, stained-glass work, or desoldering where a lot of heat needs to move into a large thermal mass quickly. Using a 100W iron on fine electronics work makes it easy to overheat components or lift PCB pads, since there's far more headroom than the joint needs. Match wattage to the job: 18–25W for fine work, 60–75W for general electronics, 100W+ only for heavy-duty joints.