Libra Sep 23 − Oct 22 Alias: Alias: The Scales January 24 (24/01) daily libra horoscope: summary libra daily Star 7/10 An option you feel is best to pursue might have unappealing qualities about it. It might be standing out from others and demanding more of your attention than easier, more appealing options and you might feel you have no choice other than to accept an inferior alternative. Of course, you do have a choice about whether or not you take easy or trickier options. Summon some strength and courage to take the least appealing option. Youll soon see why that was wise. Read more... summary libra tomorrow Star 9/10 Ah, the power of hindsight. With little difficulty, we can recall episodes in our past we wish wed handled or managed differently. Of course, at the time, we be...
Susan Jordan
A Truly Hot Item
I have used Weller Soldering products for 40 years now. I first encountered a Weller Soldering Station when employed at a Naval Weapons Facility in the 1970's, and again at a Nuclear X--Ray Assembly Facility shortly afterwards. I first learned to solder using my dad's huge soldering iron that dated from the 1940's, and then as I did more delicate work with electronics (and my model railroad and slot car models), I used an Ungar 40 Watt iron for years. But it wasn't until I obtained a well used Weller Soldering Station at a Model Train Show a while back, that I truly began to appreciate it's versatility and reliability. With full temperature control, an assortment of various soldering tips, and a variety of solders, I found that I had much more control and higher quality solder joints for both electrical circuit work and brass joinery for building model railroad locomotives in 1/4" scale! While I prefer a precision torch for silver soldering and most mechanical work, the Weller Station with an appropriate tip also worked well with high temperature silver bearing and solid silver solders on the tiny assemblies of brass that would have melted under the heat of my torch. Sadly, I had some changes in my life recently, and no longer have my machine tools, model tools, and work benches. So to start again on a smaller scale to keep my mind and fingers nimble, I purchased another Weller Soldering Station, and use it for all but heavy silver soldering. I am well pleased with it, and can recommend it very highly. This is a smaller version, but just as well built as the larger units with more features, and is rated up to 300Watts. But for basic electronic work on circuit boards, jewelry making and repair, as well as most model work, this unit will do it all. Weller has a fine warranty and reputation, and you know that you will always be able to find spare parts and factory servicing. Something that is lacking in the cheap Chinese imports sold online and at retail outlets. And, the real plus is that you will be dealing with a US Company based in North Carolina!
Antoinette April Chase
Newb Soldering Electronic Components
Heats up quickly. Weller has a solid warranty on these so its nice to know that if it breaks down we can return them for another. Works as advertised. No problems whatsoever.
Domenika Kazdova
Perfect compromise of value/cost/quality; good for hobbies and DIY!!!!
Intro: This is a really good mid-price range soldering iron that would be very satisfactory for the typical electronics hobbyist, maker, tinkerer, or DIY repairs enthusiast. Please note that this is a *soldering station*, not just a soldering iron, so it is superior to if you are just purchasing a *soldering iron*, which is just the "plug in pencil" part by itself. Weller is a professional grade soldering equipment company, they make soldering equipment that is even more superior to this one, so you can expect fairly high quality out of this soldering station as well. Advantages and features: -Really nice holder for the iron, reducing the chances of knocking it over or off the table during use (safer than cheaper soldering irons). -Nice comfort grip on the iron -You can buy high quality Weller tips to fit this iron of a wide range of shapes/sizes for different soldering jobs -On/off switch so you don't have to unplug it to shut it off. Switch glows when on, to remind you that it's on (good for safety). -The iron plugs into a socket on the station, so you could replace just the iron if it breaks/burns out/gets worn out, probably even with a non-Weller iron. -A nice sponge is included -Station has a nice tray for the sponge -Station has variable heat output with continuous adjustment knob (way better than having just an iron that doesn't have temperature adjustment) -Seems to have plenty of power for doing circuit board electronics soldering. I typically use the 3 or 4 setting, unless I'm soldering big stuff, and then I crank it up to 5, which is the max. Disadvantages to keep in mind, and why they aren't a huge deal: -Though you can adjust heat output, you can't control the temperature directly, and the probe doesn't actively increase/decrease its heat output to hold at constant temperature as you are working with it. But you would have to pay significantly more money to get this feature in a high quality soldering iron like this one. -The soldering iron tip that this iron comes with is a huge chisel tip, and will not be useful to most people who plan on soldering electronics with this iron. You can easily order replacement tips though that are more dart-like, and you'll have to do this as tips wear out anyways. Pro tips: Soldering iron tips are somewhat expensive (about $10 each), because they are one metal plated with another metal. Treat them with respect. Shut the iron off when not in use to reduce high temperature corrosion. Put some solder on the tip before shutting it off to protect it. Use the sponge and/or tip cleaner to keep the tip clean. Avoid the temptation to clean a tip with sandpaper, this will ruin it, because that removes the plating. If your tip starts not working very well, slap in a new one, and tell yourself that it's worth it. Try not to solder onto dirty metals and things not intended to be soldered. Summary/Final Buying Advice: If you are a hobbyist accustomed to using stand-alone soldering irons that have no station, or a cheap station that is just a sponge and a holder, and no switch and knob, treat yourself to this station, and you'll be very pleased. Things will go a lot better for you, you'll be more productive, less frustrated, and this station might even be safer for you to use, since with the stand-alone iron, you can easily knock it over onto your table or floor, and that's not good. This is almost a professional quality station, you can handle the price that it costs, so get it for yourself!! If you are a professional electronics technician, a very ambitious hobbyist, or have a larger budget than I do, you will probably want a temperature controlled iron/station. Expect to pay over double for it if it is of good Weller or comparable quality though. Its key advantage is that it will increase/decrease its heat output to hold a constant temperature as you are doing things with it that suck more and less heat off of it.
Debbra Burns
Great soldering station.
Three very important aspects about this station that spell SAFETY are: 1st..... The power buttom on the station itself is very convenient and makes you alert of it being on or off. 2nd.... Power control knob that helps you control the amount of wattage/heat on the soldering tip. 3rd..... The holder for the soldering tip is right there next to you. This is a very good setup for anyone who does quite a bit of soldering like me. Highly recommended.
Olabiyi Olugbenga Damilare
Works Great & Good Price
Just a really good soldering iron - or "Soldering Station" (-: The heat is adjustable and to have a place to put the iron while you're using it is really great!! I had a fairly large (for me!!) wiring project. I had purchased a tour-pak or luggage trunk for my motorcycle that needed running lights and a tail/brake light. I bought from Amazon 10 small LED running lights (3 each side - 4 across the back) that had 2 wires each. I purchased a wide LED tail/brake light (also from Amazon) and ended up with 23 wires inside this tour-pak that I needed to get down to 3 wires!! (ground, running lights, brake light) And I got it done - It was actually pretty easy thanks to this iron. (-: You can't go wrong here - It works great and at a good price. If you want a decent well made soldering iron - buy this one.
Cheryl Warren
Works very well, my first 'real' soldering station. Excellent introduction to soldering!
I had historically soldered with the cheap $5 irons from eBay and Radioshack. Thus, soldering remained a mystery to me because I used bad tools. The irons wouldn't get hot enough, I didn't have the option for interchangeable tips based upon my application, and the solder would stick to the tips because they were poorly constructed and not kept clean (partially my fault there). I debated between this model and the other Weller model that had analog temperature controls. I liked that this was a well known name brand with a large selection of tips available. I have already successfully completed several hobby related projects. Including, building a battery pack and also splicing into automobile wiring. While I have never had a temperature control, I don’t seem to miss it as setting this unit on "4" seems to get work well for most applications. It heats up perhaps not as quickly as other units I've read about, but within 2-3 minutes you're good to go. Soldering is no longer a mystery! It's all about having enough heat, tinning the wires properly, keeping the tips clean and tinned, using a wet sponge, etc. If you have the right tools it's pretty straightforward and no longer a mystery to me! No more than I will use it, this will probably last me a long time. However, given that I can’t now solder with some skill I probably would upgrade if given the chance. It's already paid for itself and I expect to continue using it regularly for fixing things around the house -- especially rebuilding battery packs (think drills, or handheld vacuums, or bluetooth speakers). NOTE -- this unit only comes with one tip which is a pretty narrow 'screwdriver' shape. I purchased a set of three additional tips and have adjusted the tip based upon how much heat I need for my current task.
Jessica M Bruce
My first adjustable temperature soldering iron. I like it a lot!
Works fine so far. Opened the box and used it to solder a jumper wire onto a corroded PCB. Garage door remote control is functional again. That one repair probably paid for this soldering station! I really needed a mid-range iron. My 25 watt is good for delicate circuitry. My 100/150 watt soldering gun is overkill on all but automotive applications. This 40 watt adjustable output iron gets the job done without frying the components. The variable temperature range works well and seems to maintain a reasonably constant temperature. Slowly crank it up until the solder melts readily. Very easy to use.
Conika Yates
Weller performance at a budget friendly price.
Good value for DIY types really all you need, but you may want to practice to learn the temperature settings. I bought a Weller WP25 and that has performed like a champ on small jobs like soldering resistors and capacitors on PC boards. It struggled with larger jobs and things with a heat sink, however. Just not enough wattage for bigger jobs. I finally broke down and bought this WLC100 40-watt station and it does a fine job on bigger projects. Not as nice as the Weller Professional series, but it has a much lower price. I bought a slightly used model from Amazon and it was in excellent condition when it arrived (better than advertised).
Meli Tuiavi'i
you definitely need to have a temperature setting so that you can fine tune it to your application
This is my second soldering iron and the first soldering station. The first time I tried to save money and bought a $10 soldering gun without temperature settings or a holding station. How wrong I was about trying to save money on a soldering iron. First, you definitely need to have a temperature setting so that you can fine tune it to your application. e.g. Thicker wires require a hotter iron. Also, a big plug is the iron holder. I tried to use the one that came with the $10 iron, which was basically just a metal place with a cut out for a stand. Those things don't stay in place and caused me to burn my fingers more than several times. Before I purchased this guy I also found another one for about $10 less than this one with similar features, however, after looking into it and having used this iron now for a few weeks I say this is definitely worth the month. I also got a Solder Tip cleaning with a brass wool and a tip tinner to complete my setup. So if you're looking to get into soldering and want something that will last more than one use get this!
Crystal Jae Rains
excellent iron for small scale work
excellent iron for small scale work, should last a long time (used to work at a computer store that had several similar irons from weller that were over 20 years old and this iron seems to maintain the production quality of the past). nice and solid, fits in a petty small toolbox along with the gear that goes with it (i grabbed a 16 inch stanley plastic box for about ten bucks). the tip comes pre tinned (someone else mention an issue of a bump on the tip, that is solder, i burned it off almost immediately screwing around with the iron when i got it). if this is your first soldering iron you will need three things to go with it, solder (duh, up to you what you use because that is based on what you are doing with it), flux (also depends on what you are doing with it, but even if you are using rosin core solder you will want to have some flux, it is very needed for proper tinning, most consumer electronics work can be done by coating a surface with flux, loading the tip of the iron with a little solder, and letting the flux do it's job when the solder touches it, if the surface is larger leave the tip of the iron in contact to heat but the flux will still draw the solder out to cover itself pretty much immediately which just leaves heating to make sure of a solid contact), the third thing you will want is some way to remove the solder. braided copper solder wick is great (braided copper covered in flux, it eats solder for lunch but gets fat really fast, so you go through it fast when you use it and it isn't cheap) or just a cheap solder sucker (nowhere near as thourough, and you can get into messes that a cheap plunger solder sucker won't be able to help much with). depends on what you expect to be doing with your "solder sponge". if you are just going to be salvaging components the sucker is the way to go (i am guessing that you don't want to buy a dedicated sucker soldering iron, which is overall the best solution over either other solution, but a plunger sucker, who's only advantage is not costing more money every time you use it). if you are cleaning up small mistakes the wire wick is going to give you the cleanest results. there are also soldering iron style solder suckers that are the best but at least for a one time cost the most expensive, this soldering station can run most iron based suckers with all the same temperature regulation as the iron that comes with the station (it really isn't much temp regulation so much as wattage, but it is worlds beyond what you get out of just a soldering iron, plugging a cheap old school radio shack soldering iron into the base station that comes in this kit would improve that soldering iron's performance all by itself). anyway as stated, excellent iron for a hobbyist. could be used for (and frequently has been over the years) professional work, compatible with a large variety of excellent solder tips. i prefer not to include this in my reviews, but it is backed with the industry standard name in electronics and hobbyist standard soldering equipment (weller is extremely old and well respected concerning soldering irons, there are tons of professionals who won't even consider using another brand for small scale electronics, although lots of others are just fine). in general i would have a hard time not recommending this to someone who is either serious about learning soldering or just needs a new kit on the cheap to get some stuff done. the example i received was exactly as expected and functioned great. i received it on the earliest expected day. it has worked excellent for doing some really simple and basic wire to wire and wire to contact solder joints. currently my usage is no more than hobbyist, but my experience is semi-professional (i'm a pc repair technician by trade, a soldering iron isn't that big a part of it, but it is an important thing to know and do well), i state that to say that based on my experience with the iron i wouldn't be afraid to use it every day for hours on end, might need a hair of maintenence but i think it would survive that task for 6 months without much issue other than a tip replacement or three, and likely the handle pad would need replacement. good investment for a pro in a bind, excellent investment for a hobbyist.