the main item of concern is the iron's power rating, which is determined by the type of work you want to do. If you are soldering / desoldering components on a circuit board, then use a 25 watt iron with a pencil point tip shape. If you are soldering wires, then a 40 watt power rating with a spade tip shape is more appropriate. If you are doing heavy work then a 60 watt iron is probably going to work better.
I usually use a Weller iron myself but there are many good choices available. I found a nice little dual-heat 25/40 watt iron (with a selector switch) that I like to carry in my field service kit (I think it was from RadioShack).
I usually use a Weller iron myself but there are many good choices available. I found a nice little dual-heat 25/40 watt iron (with a selector switch) that I like to carry in my field service kit (I think it was from RadioShack).