Solder Station Score!

[coolhandjjl]

I've been using cheapo solder irons for way, way, too long, decided to pop for a proper one. At my local Rad Shack, they had a Weller WESD51 marked down at $95. I was a bit dubious of the price, as it's Rad Shack, but I checked Amazon, and they have them for $150.

Guess I did pretty good. What's the deal with that dry sponge on the drip tray? Do I keep that wet and wipe the tip frequently? I'm a bit of a newbie with high quality audio kits.

[Shannon Parks]

(whistles) That's a nice one!

My dad's Weller from the 60's still has the original tip (I think). I had a hand-me-down Weller from work that was a great iron - better than the Pace I had. These days I'm using the cheapo Hakkos.

Shannon

[WA4SWJ]

I have two of those - one at home and one at work. Yes, keep the sponge damp and wipe the tip frequently while using. It can dry out of course between uses.

Nice price for a decent soldering station!

[coolhandjjl]

(whistles) That's a nice one!

My dad's Weller from the 60's still has the original tip (I think). I had a hand-me-down Weller from work that was a great iron - better than the Pace I had. These days I'm using the cheapo Hakkos.

Shannon

I have my Dad's Weller gun from the 1960's, still in the brown box with red and black ink. It's at my studio, so I can't look at the model number, but it's the black one everybody has/had. Original tip as well afaik.

I like this new station. Heats up right away, and a nice fine tip.

[pmarcin]

Like Shannon, I use a cheapo Hakkos that I bought from Fry's. The tips wear out and Fry's sells 'near' replacements. I bought a replacement handle, but it keeps on falling out. I had to tape the dial that cracked with masking tape.

The Weller has to be better. I rue the day that Ungar stopped selling stations.

[Kyle K]

I must say, most of the techs that used Weller stuff here have given up on them, switching mostly to Hakko or Metcal. Even the Weller dealers told me that quality declined since Cooper bought the company. Maybe now the new owners are making an effort at bringing quality back up to where it was. If you use lead-free solder, it will vastly shorten tip life, no matter which brand you choose.

[Kyle K]

My favorite iron isn't even a station, it's the Weller W-60P3 iron. Basically a 60 watt 3-wire plug-it-in-the-wall-outlet iron with temperature control by magnets in the tips. Needs a dedicated stand, and that brings the price up close to what a cheap soldering station would cost. I have Weller and Hakko soldering stations, but this one has been my favorite for over 25 years.