What soldering Iron?

[roddyama]

I had this Unger iron for a dozen years and it still works fine. It has a 33W heater that is the original although I did pickup a 45W heater when I had to do some outside work back when I was in the field. When I really need the heat , I break out the Weller 100W gun, but that’s not too often.

Rodd Yamas***a

[JoeKnect]

I too have had problems with the Weller irons in terms of reliability.

Dice 45:

I don't know what your quarrel with Mr. Lewton is, but this hardly seems like the tone of discussion one would expect from a moderator. I hope I will not receive simular treatment for not being fond of the Weller soldering irons. I see you have a plane dropping a bomb under your user name. How many members of this forum do you drop bombs on?

Joe

[Michael Rothacher]

I've tried lots of irons and stations. The most versatile tool I've found is made by a lesser-known company, Edsyn. My Iron of choice is the CL1080 with temp control right in the handle. Its great for PCB work as well as the heavier stuff.

[peranders]

My Weller gear is WSP80 pen and WS80 transformer. Expensive but works. My other Weller irons have last >10 years but finally they get worn out. I think 10 years in daily use is quite OK.

And you, Val, didn't you have any warranty? And also, why did you get this junk when it's so bad...?

[jcarr]

We use both Hakkos and Wellers in production (although I wish I can afford some Metcals), and I find that the iron preference depends on what the soldering task is, and who is doing the work.

The Hakkos have a slimmer grip which is good if you have small hands, and is well-suited for delicate soldering tasks. The Wellers have a fatter grip which is more comfortable for workers with bigger hands, and is preferred for soldering speaker crossovers, power connections, or making tube amps.

My experience is that the temperature control dial-equipped Weller control stations tend to be less reliable than comparable units from Hakko, but OTOH, Weller's temperature-controlled tip system works well and the reliability is no worse than the Hakkos.

regards, jonathan carr

[peranders]

Originally posted by jcarr
The Hakkos have a slimmer grip which is good if you have small hands, and is well-suited for delicate soldering tasks. The Wellers have a fatter grip which is more comfortable for workers with bigger hands, and is preferred for soldering speaker crossovers, power connections, or making tube amps.

Have you checked the WSP80? It's a little bit fatter than a pen. Works real nice for my big hands (size 10, 11).

[jcarr]

Per: If the WSP80 is a black pen-like device with a blue ring around the grip, I think that we have one as part of a non-LED temperature-controlled station (WS80?). So far, I haven't heard either of our assemblers make any comments about it, either for or against.

jonathan

[FrankDIY]

Originally posted by Possum
Francois,

What is the model of that 35W Weller iron in the picture? I am prone to getting irons that either don't perform well or have tips that corrode too quickly (e.g. the one sold at PartsExpress.com for $15 with ceramic heating element - they don't even carry the replacement tip for it anymore!).

WP25, sorry it is a 25W. Cheap and still working. I prefer spending more money on my woodworking tool

[peranders]

Originally posted by jcarr
Per: If the WSP80 is a black pen-like device with a blue ring around the grip, I think that we have one as part of a non-LED temperature-controlled station (WS80?). So far, I haven't heard either of our assemblers make any comments about it, either for or against.

Yes, that's the one. The temperature controller is quite OK without the digits. I have checked with a good thermometer. Most of the time it's not very important to have exact temperature (or be able to adjust one). It's a shame though that Weller can take so high prices. The "technique content" inside this blue box is just abobe zero. If soldering irons have been a mass market they have cost 20 dollars tops.

[jh6you]

I bought Weller WS80 and WSP80 in Norway (Elfa shop). The price was sky high.
Nevertheless, I am satisfied with it. When I concerned about the
temperature of the soldering tip, it is very useful. And, yes, it is
always impressive on its quick readiness for soldering.

I am just one of users.