Which soldering station?

Hi guys,

So my soldering iron has died.... again. I keep buying the cheap 30w stick type, but its a false economy. They are slow to heat up, the break... what I need is a proper set.

But which one? Iv found a few on Ebay that are within budget that look ok, but I was wondering if anyone had any personnal experience with any of them? Or maybe you can recommend one? I dont want to spend anything over £50... and ideally less!

Or maybe you'd like to point out what I should be looking for? I do a fair bit of soldering and am impatient, so Im thinking a 60w should be more suitable than the old 30w....

These are the ones Im looking at;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150630766352?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220874067804?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280757198381?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220882786487?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200593105091?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150573392783?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Cheers :o)

Replies

Roosterman November 2, 2011 at 5:00am

Nah.... Impatience is a virtue! :o)

Yup - all screws tightened regularly, tips changed... but they dont seem to last long.

Thanks for the pointers. Keep em coming

B
HOGS GRUNT November 2, 2011 at 4:54am

Blimey Ben you must be heavy on them. I have had mine for over 20 years and it cost me nothing.

Patience is a virtue!!

Hogs.
jim November 2, 2011 at 4:48am

Did you all try tightning the screews on your iron?
Tony Davies November 1, 2011 at 7:48pm

I have had 2 of the first one , both died and now just use a maplin weller iron
Ben "Gitty" Baker November 1, 2011 at 6:43pm

Here is is the soldering station I have, and I highly recommend it. Since I got this, my soldering has improved drastically! It is pricy compared to a cheapo from Radio Shack or wherever, but this is a pro-grade setup.

Weller WESD51 Digital Soldering Station
Outhouse Instruments November 1, 2011 at 6:05pm

I've owned 3 soldering irons in my lifetime.

I ( 100 watts) came from a yardsale , but it was a name brand.

The other 2 both came from Radio Shack ..... all 3 still work. the 2 from the Shack are Weller and an off brand name probably made by them.

Matt
Jason Hitesman November 1, 2011 at 5:53pm

That second link looks similar to the one I use. In fact it looks identical to the current offering from the place I got mine:

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/soldering-stations-csi-station1a....

I got mine back around 2005 or so and have used it quite a bit for all kinds of projects: http://www.dunephotos.com/Electronics

For the price I payed I've been very happy and impressed. Heats quick, tips are easy to find...even came with a spare heating element that I haven't had to use yet. I've done everything from SMT work to some heavy cables with it and it's been able to handle anything I've thrown at it.
Roosterman November 1, 2011 at 5:48pm

PS The first on the list looks a good bet - theyve sold 59 of them! Or maybe one guy has one that has broken 58 times...??

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