WTB: Decent soldering station

[awol [AT] i-hacked [D0T] com]

I'm sick of using $10 Radio Shack irons! Who's can recommend a good
inexpensive temp-controlled soldering station? Or better yet, who's got one
for sale/trade?

Awol
awol [AT] i-hacked [D0T] com

[Ry...@rnrpinball.com]

How about the Weller WLC100 for $50. Seems decent for the home user.
Personally I would spend the extra $50 but that seems decent at a reasonable
price.

Ryan
RnRpinball, Inc.

Visit us on the web www.RnRpinball.com
"awol [AT] i-hacked [D0T] com" <awol[AT]i-hacked[D0T]c...@THE.INTER.NET>
wrote in message news:_1bgc.640$pg.93@okepread05...

[Shoot 'M Again]

Take any controlled Weller station
They are available in several flavors and one will fit to your budget.
Maybe ths stuff costs a bit more but you will absolutely get addicted be
them.

--
With Regards
Hans Balk
The Shoot 'M Again Team

www.shootmagain.nl
www.flipperwinkel.nl
<Ry...@RnRpinball.com> schreef in bericht
news:1082kla...@corp.supernews.com...

[nanners]

<Ry...@RnRpinball.com> wrote in message news:<1082kla...@corp.supernews.com>...

Just picked up a weller WESD51 digital soldering station from HMC
Electronics. I've seen them go for anywhere between $140 and $170,
they had them on sale for $126, and weller is giving a $20 rebate
until August 31. I'm happy with it. It's and esd station, and the
tips are cheap, too. (pricewise, that is(

[awol [AT] i-hacked [D0T] com]

That's exactly what I was looking for - a good, inexpesive unit that is
temperature controller (not just variable wattage) At $126.40, with free
shipping & a $20 rebate? My order has been placed!

Now, I just need to find a good used de-soldering station. Cheap.

Thanks to all for the good info,
Awol

"nanners" <nann...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:7e5d28e0.04041...@posting.google.com...

[Martin White (UK)]

>> Just picked up a weller WESD51 digital soldering station from HMC
>> Electronics. I've seen them go for anywhere between $140 and $170,
>> they had them on sale for $126, and weller is giving a $20 rebate
>> until August 31. I'm happy with it. It's and esd station, and the
>> tips are cheap, too. (pricewise, that is(

Don't we all!! :O)

If anyone in the UK has one up for grabs please LMK!

Martin.

[GPE]

"nanners" <nann...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:7e5d28e0.04041...@posting.google.com...

That's where I bought my WESD51 last December... I just got an email from
them today and my extra tips have finally shipped. Can't say these guys are
exactly speedy.
--
Ed Krzycki
Great Plains Electronics
www.GreatPlainsElectronics.com

[Pat D.]

I was shopping around to make sure that is the best deal going and I ran
across this page with descriptions of the different tips for the iron:

http://tinyurl.com/2kozp

What in your opinion would be a good selection of tips to have? Which tips
do you use the most for your board and monitor chassis work?

I'd like to order it all at once and have the right tip for the right job
without having to wait for a new order.

Thanks

Pat

> That's where I bought my WESD51 last December... I just got an email from
> them today and my extra tips have finally shipped. Can't say these guys
are
> exactly speedy.
> --
> Ed Krzycki
> Great Plains Electronics
> www.GreatPlainsElectronics.com
>
>
>

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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[GPE]

Never used Lashen before... Nice to see specs on tips like that.

I think it's all a matter of luck about how long it takes. When I ordered,
they said they were out of tips and more would be in stock "in a couple
weeks". Soldering Iron showed up promptly after ordering - within just a
few days. Regarding delay, might not be the seller's fault... I guess I'll
never know.

Nice thing about HMC - they had free shipping along with the $126 station
and the $20 rebate (nice to see Weller restarted that rebate again).

I love the WESD51 solder station... been using other Wellers for years and
always trouble free.

--
Ed Krzycki
Great Plains Electronics
www.GreatPlainsElectronics.com

"Pat D." <patd...@comcast.netNOSPAM> wrote in message
news:jvmgc.158327$w54.1081434@attbi_s01...

[NMCFARLING]

I also have a Weller SD51 I bought off ebay for $70. It will not heat up
properly, only goes to about 175 or so and then cools off. Guess I will have
to get the old $10 Radio Shack out to see if I can fix it. My ebay luck
lately, seem to find the junk.

[James Sweet]

"Pat D." <patd...@comcast.netNOSPAM> wrote in message
news:jvmgc.158327$w54.1081434@attbi_s01...

> I was shopping around to make sure that is the best deal going and I ran
> across this page with descriptions of the different tips for the iron:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/2kozp
>
> What in your opinion would be a good selection of tips to have? Which
tips
> do you use the most for your board and monitor chassis work?
>
> I'd like to order it all at once and have the right tip for the right job
> without having to wait for a new order.
>

I use a tip similar to the screwdriver tips they offer for nearly
everything. I have a fine tip too, but it only works for very light stuff,
it can't transfer enough heat for heavier things.

[Clay Cowgill]

"awol [AT] i-hacked [D0T] com" <awol[AT]i-hacked[D0T]c...@THE.INTER.NET>
wrote in message news:_1bgc.640$pg.93@okepread05...

> I'm sick of using $10 Radio Shack irons! Who's can recommend a good
> inexpensive temp-controlled soldering station? Or better yet, who's got
one
> for sale/trade?

I'd recommend trying to get a used Metcal over anything else (even vs. a
brand new Weller/Pace/Hakko or similar, no matter how expensive you go). In
my experience they are simply so much better than everything else out there
there's not even any contest. A used STSS-002 or an MX-500P-11 unit can
probably be had (complete with power supply, wand, and tip) for ~$150 or so
on eBay. Tips on eBay are maybe ~$10-20/ea, but they'll last a LONG time
for hobbyist use.

(Priced new, the better Metcals will easily run $700+ and tips can cost more
than most entire 'hobbyist' irons -- but with eBay they're plentiful and
inexpensive.)

The Metcals use RF to heat the tips
(http://www.metcal.com/products/1.2.1.htm), so temperature changes are near
instantaneous and very well regulated. You can go from a cold iron to
soldering in about ten seconds with most tips, power off, change tips to a
different style and be up and running again in another ten seconds. Heating
of the tip is very localized, so your hand doesn't get roasted over long
sessions, and the Metcal wands are the lightest/smallest ones out there that
I've ever used. Temperature is regulated by the type of tip and there are
hundreds or different styles available if you need fine-pitch SMT rework or
whatever...

Some of the MX-500's have multiple ports so you can run an SMT tweezer or
multiple wands from one power supply if you like.

http://www.metcal.com/products/images/mx500sbig.gif

http://www.metcal.com/products/images/mx500dsbig.gif

(And if you need to rework 0201 SMT packages, here you go. ;-)

http://www.metcal.com/products/1.2.2.1.10.htm

I haven't had occasion to try the new PS-800 series, but they look like a
lower-cost model as an alternative to the MX500 line with some good ideas if
you're a production line, but for hobbyist use the economies of scale for
the tip/heater separation won't ever kick-in. There's the SP-200 as well,
but for my money I'd still go with the MX500 or an STSS...

-Clay