Two separate things decide which soldering iron tip you need: its shape, which decides what job it is good at, and its mounting standard, which decides whether it physically fits your iron. Confusing the two is why "C210 tips" searches and "conical vs chisel tips" searches often land on the same page without answering either question properly. This guide covers both, and where the soldering stations in our range fit in.
Quick answer: C210 and C245 are JBC-style cartridge tips, the heating element sits inside the tip itself, used on the YIHUA 982 (£68) and FNIRSI DWS-200 (£109). 900M is a conventional tip, the element sits in the handle, used on most YIHUA hobby stations and costs £1.45 a tip against £5.90 for a cartridge. Shape (conical, chisel, bevel) is a separate choice on top of that.
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Tip Shapes: What Each One Is Good At
Shape decides contact area and control, independent of which iron you own. Most stations, cartridge or conventional, are sold with a general-purpose conical or chisel tip and let you swap to the others as the job changes.
| Shape | Profile | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Conical | Fine point, smallest contact area | SMD, fine-pitch ICs, precision joints where you need to avoid touching neighbouring pads |
| Chisel | Flat cut edge, wider contact face | General-purpose through-hole work, larger joints, drag soldering along a row of pins |
| Bevel | Angled flat face | Similar role to chisel, holds more solder on the angled face, good for wire tinning and drag soldering |
| Hoof / knife | Curved or blade-like edge | SMD rework, chip removal, drag soldering across closely spaced pads |
If you only own one tip, a chisel or conical in a mid-size profile covers most hobby work. Add a fine conical when you start doing SMD, and a hoof or knife tip when you start doing rework.
Cartridge Tips vs Conventional Tips
This is the part that actually determines what you can buy for your iron. There are two different ways a soldering iron heats its tip, and the tips are not interchangeable between them.
Cartridge tips (C210, C245)
On a cartridge system, the heating element and the temperature sensor sit inside the tip itself, not in the handle. That is why cartridge irons reach working temperature in 2 to 7 seconds and hold it under load, the sensor is measuring right at the point of contact. C210 and C245 are the two cartridge formats we stock, and both are part of the same open standard JBC popularised, meaning tips from multiple manufacturers fit the same handle. The YIHUA 982 takes both, in two separate handles you swap between. The YIHUA 982-V takes C245 only, in a smaller single-handle unit. The FNIRSI DWS-200 is a third cartridge-tip station in the range, part of our wider FNIRSI range.
Conventional tips (900M, 902-series)
On a conventional system, the heating element lives permanently in the handle, and the tip is a passive shaped piece of plated copper that slides onto it. The handle has to bring the whole assembly up to temperature, not just the tip, so heat-up takes longer than a cartridge iron. What you gain is cost: a 900M-T tip is £1.45 against £5.90 for a cartridge, because you are only replacing the shaped metal, not a tip with a heating element and sensor built in. Most of our YIHUA hobby stations run 900M-family tips, including the 939D+, 878D, 995D, 853D, 862BD+, 899D+ and 8786D. The YIHUA 917D replacement handle is the 900M-compatible spare handle for that family. A separate conventional format, the 902-series, fits a different subset of YIHUA irons, check your station's spec sheet before ordering either.
The two are not interchangeable. A 900M tip will not go into a cartridge handle and a C210 or C245 cartridge will not go into a conventional handle. If you are buying replacement tips for a station you already own, match the mounting standard first, the shape second.
C210 vs C245 vs 900M, Side by Side
| C210 | C245 | 900M | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mounting type | Cartridge, element in tip | Cartridge, element in tip | Conventional, element in handle |
| Power | 40W | 60 to 120W | Depends on station, typically 60 to 90W |
| Heat-up time | 2 to 7 seconds | 2 to 7 seconds | Slower, whole handle must reach temperature |
| Best for | Fine SMD, 0402 and smaller, IC legs, flex cable | Through-hole, connectors, ground planes, battery tabs | General hobby through-hole soldering |
| Tip cost | £5.90 | £5.90 | £1.45 |
| Stations that use it | YIHUA 982 | YIHUA 982, YIHUA 982-V | YIHUA 939D+, 878D, 995D, 853D, 862BD+, 899D+, 8786D |
Which One You Actually Need
If you already own a soldering station, the mounting standard is fixed, buy tips that match it. Check the station's spec sheet or the handle connector rather than guessing from the model name.
If you are buying new equipment: a cartridge station like the YIHUA 982 or 982-V earns its price if you move between fine SMD work and heavier joints in the same session and want the iron ready in seconds. A conventional 900M-family station like the 937D or 939D does the same core job of through-hole soldering for less money, and the tips cost a fraction of what cartridges cost to replace over time. Neither is the wrong choice, they suit different work.
Shop Tips and Cartridge Stations
C210 Cartridges Micro Soldering Tips (I, K, SI)
40W · cartridge, element in tip · fits YIHUA 982
Slim, low thermal mass cartridge tips for the C210 handle on the YIHUA 982. Reaches working temperature in seconds and suits fine SMD, 0402 parts and IC legs where a larger C245 tip cannot get in.
Best for: fine SMD, precision rework, flex cable
C245 Cartridges Precision Soldering Tips
60 to 120W · cartridge, element in tip · fits YIHUA 982 and 982-V
Larger, higher thermal mass cartridge tips for general-purpose work. If you are only buying one cartridge set to start with, this is the one, it handles through-hole, connectors and ground planes, plus a fair amount of SMD.
Best for: through-hole, connectors, battery tabs, general repair
900M-T Series Soldering Iron Tips
Conventional, element in handle · fits YIHUA 939D+, 878D, 995D, 853D, 862BD+, 899D+, 8786D
The standard replacement tip for most YIHUA hobby stations. Cheaper to replace than a cartridge because you are only buying the shaped tip, not a heating element and sensor.
Best for: general hobby through-hole soldering, budget stations
Frequently Asked Questions
What are different soldering iron tips for?
Shape controls what job a tip is good at, conical for fine precision work, chisel and bevel for general through-hole and drag soldering, hoof and knife for SMD rework. Mounting standard controls whether the tip fits your iron at all.
How do I know which soldering tip to use?
Start with a mid-size chisel or conical tip for general work, and add a fine conical for SMD or a hoof/knife tip once you start doing rework. Match the mounting standard, C210, C245, 900M or 902-series, to your specific iron first.
What are the different types of soldering iron tips?
By shape: conical, chisel, bevel, and hoof or knife. By mounting standard: cartridge tips (C210, C245) with the heating element built into the tip, and conventional tips (900M, 902-series) that slide onto a heating element in the handle.
Do all soldering irons use the same tips?
No. Tips only fit the mounting standard they were made for. A cartridge tip will not fit a conventional handle and vice versa, and conventional families like 900M and 902-series are not interchangeable with each other either.
What is the difference between cartridge and standard soldering tips?
On a cartridge tip, the heating element and sensor sit inside the tip, giving a 2 to 7 second heat-up. On a standard (conventional) tip, the element stays in the handle and the tip is a passive shaped piece, cheaper to replace but slower to bring up to temperature.
Browse the full tip range to find the exact fit for your station.