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There's been lots of discussion about this on KLOV and I've always heard 650 for PCBs (apparently that's what is recommended by Pace). That's what I've always used with no issue although I imagine you could go higher on switches and coils.
Quoted from wayout440:There are a lot of variables as far as that goes. What type of component is being soldered, type of tip and solder. You might start as low as 650F for small surface components, and bump that up to 750F to pump heat into a thru-hole joint quickly. Large heat sinks such as regulator tabs to a large plane might require 850F.
One might think the lowest possible temp is best, but you also have to consider how long you have to leave the iron on the joint. If your temp is too low and you have to leave your iron on the joint too long, that's a good way to delaminate a trace or pad.
That sounds about in line with what I've read. I actually found the post on KLOV I was referring to and here's the quote (talking about arcade PCBs mind you, not larger components)
"I also run my irons at 650F for both soldering and desoldering. This is what was drilled into my head when I was at a multi-day Pace soldering/rework training class back in the mid-90s.
If you run over 700F the tips will turn colors and their life will be drastically shortened. Also, using a wet sponge will thermally shock the tip and cause small fractures in the plating. This leads to tip failure where you eventually get pits and chunks missing out of it. It also leads to the oxidation where the tip won't wet with solder, but rather have it ball up on the surface. This prevents the heat transfer from the tip required to do proper soldering of a joint.
Get a good, temperature controlled soldering station. Run it at no more than 650F and use the brass ball to clean the gunk from the tip. Put a bit of solder on it before putting it away for the longest life from the tip."
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