Modern soldering stations.

[Lloyd 1985]

Oops! I missed that! Thing I really like about the irons is that they are quite thin and light, and the tip isn't half a mile away from the handle. They have some really tiny tips for soldering SMD's too.

Regards,
Lloyd

[Oldcodger]

I mentioned this to gauge opinion on the Maplin "Weller" version. I've got a Maplin station, and it needs a lot more heat than my old Weller. But unfortunately the old Weller needs a new stat at the cost of a new Maplin station. I do keep the old Weller for quick jobs, as it's far more reliable than even the new Maplin one.

[Lloyd 1985]

Looking at the Maplin one, the iron itself looks very similar to a Maplin one I have, which is a good few years old now. It was about £30, but the temperature controller had a row of LED's to show it was up to temperature. It took a good 5 minutes before it was useable, I notice this one says 10 minutes! I've always got on with mine quite well, the warm up time is a bit of a bugbear after having used the JBC. I always found the tips didn't last very long too, but then they are cheap enough to replace so it's not a problem.

To be honest, I've tried a few Wellers at work before, but never got on with them! Always found them a bit clunky and unreliable.

Looking at the Maplin one again, the base station looks quite small, does it contain a transformer, or is it a switched mode thing?

Regards,
Lloyd

[ex seismic]

I also have a Maplin one with the row of LEDs. Labelled Union Brothers BP53. I've had it for years and it is still going strong. Useful range of bit shapes available, as are spare irons to plug into the power unit, saves changing tips. I find it as good as my TCP which runs off a common or garden 24v transformer. Had it twice as long as the Maplin jobbie and also still going strong. I don't know how the Maplin one does the temperature control but I can say that it doesn't interfere with nearby HF receivers.

Gordon

[amornummi]

I have done a couple of mods to my weller.

To extend heating element life , I have put some extra turns on the primary - about 40 feet of wire , for a bit nearer 24 volts out.

To save the thermostat contacts , use the blue core for a temp sense , and work a relay (ex microwave cooker) in the transformer box + a small bulb to show when heating.

[Andrewausfa]

I have the previous version of that Maplin one, it's OK but from my experience using it on valve radios the joint to the handle is particularly weak when the temptation is to use the iron as a lever when desoldering wrapped joints. That's not entirely a fault of the design as it's clearly not intended to do that. However, it would have a bit more longevity if that joint was a little stronger.

Lloyd, it's switched mode. I took mine apart with a hammer and there's actually very little in the base station, just the small circuit board and a lump of metal to add weight. The iron itself is an excellent signal source to test your valve radio with anyway.

Andrew

[greg_simons]

Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler

A Metcal is what I use most of all... well two of them actually, often one in each hand for component removal or if I really need a lot of heat (300W @ 1GHz transistors are quite beefy)

Some warnings:

1) Metcal bits are gone in a month if you keep leaving the irons on through a working day. You turn the iron on and it's ready within a few seconds. Solder some joints and when you need to do anything else, turn the iron OFF. It's so fast heating this is no hardship.

2) It isn't just the bits, the base units burn out if you leave them on. They seem good only for intermittent duty. The bases feed about 70 watts at 13.5MHz to the inductive heater. Someone killed one of my own ones at work and there are now two more dead ones there as well.

3) at the end of the day, unplug it. The on/off switch comes after the transformer and the transformer idles quite warm.

Honestly, the bases could have been better designed and been more reliable. but the irons work so well and fast bit changes are so easy even including warm-up time.

We've just bought a surplus JBC solder/desolder station at work and it'll be interesting to try something different and reputable for comparison.

David

Used a metcal sp200 system for years, the bits last for ages but do need looking after and are not to be dropped or subject to impact, so good I bought my own off ebay, for those interested conro electronics stock all the bits and spares, never had a base station burn out or die on me.

[Sinewave]

I've had all sorts of irons, have a few Wellers which I don't use anymore since discovering those OKI iron stations - ok not cheap, but so superior and the heating element is in the interchangeable tip.

[Bazz4CQJ]

As I've mentioned previously on the forum, I bought a Aoyue 937 for ~£35 about 7 years ago and I've been really pleased with it. I think it has been a very good buy, considering the price. I'd been using a Weller station at work and just wanted to move on from my old fixed temp Antex at home.

I've got quite a collection of different tips for the 937; they seem to last quite well, (and a spare element, just in case) - all at a very fair price. The 937 psu has a pot on the front to adjust temp, which is read off from the display. Some other models from the same maker had push buttons to raise or decrease temperature, and those models were reported to have problems with the durability of those buttons, so best avoided.

B

[ndg-2000]

I rescued a weller 9217x from a bin years ago the temp slider was broken and the plug had been cut after bodging a screw to slide the temp and fitting a plug it has given me years of service since.

[Damo666]

I use an Antex CS18 here and have used the same Iron with same element for a good 10 years now, but it's time to get something better. The mains lead isn't Silicon so isn't flexible enough and can be a nuisance in some situations - that's its only flaw in my opinion.

Back in the mid 90s when I was a PCB assembler, we used to use the Weller PS3D - or the station I used certainly looked the same. It was a long time ago and I've slept since then.

Are these still any good or is there a modern Weller equivalent that's decent for around £100 mark new or 2nd hand?

I've had my eyes on the Antex TCS 50 Watt Temperature Controlled iron that has all the temperature control and digital display inbuilt into the handle (T482J70), but there's barely any reviews on it to convince me to part with my money right now.

[MrBungle]

I can’t speak for the Antex TCS unfortunately. I did consider it myself when buying a new iron but had the same thoughts. I’ve got to be honest though and say that the complexity of it does worry me a little. Irons get bashed around and abused. I always prefer simpler more robust tools. Prior to considering this I had an XS25. While a good iron it’s not temperature controlled so you tend to destroy things with it I find.

The Weller PS2/PS3 stations seem to go for around £60-80 on eBay in good condition. You can still get all the spares for them. I bought a new WTCP51 kit about 9 months ago and it’s pretty much identical to the PS2+TCP combo I had years ago. I’m slightly gutted that I didn’t just buy an older one! Orders of magnitude better than the XS25.

[Brased]

Some years ago when I was collecting an Ebay win I was asked if I would also like to take away a large bag of 'bits and pieces' free of charge. This turned out to include some very scruffy Weller parts which were enough to produce two Weller TCP irons with their 24 volt power supplies. I needed to buy a couple of Bulgin plugs, some silicon rubber flex and a couple of new bits but after cleaning things up I had two complete soldering stations. I became concerned about the possible life of the expensive thermostat switches so I have since modified them to switch the power via a relay as mentioned by amornummi. This cost nothing as I had a supply of suitable 24 volt relays looking for a home.

For me the TCPs were a bargain and have proved thoroughly reliable. I also like the heavy power supply base which doesn't slide around or fall over. I had been using various Antex irons including an old X25 but the temperature control and quick heating of my Wellers is a great improvement and I don't feel the need for anything more complicated for the type of work I carry out.

Edward

[G0HZU_JMR]

I must say I'm a bit surprised to see so many happy TCP users. I never liked these irons and had to use them for several years at my first job and for a few more at my current workplace. But luckily some rule at work meant they had to be discarded in favour of newer/better irons. I can't remember what the rule was but it was across the whole company and it was a long time ago.

For me, the TCP handle is way too bulky, the temperature control is very basic, they make an annoying click noise when regulating and the bits don't last very long. Also, it's easy to forget what bit range is fitted and bit swapping is very cumbersome with these old irons. Also, the bits have a habit of seizing up in the bit holder section. Sometimes they get so stuck they can't be released.

There must be better alternatives available today for maybe £50 new/used? I know that on Eevblog there are various modern irons that get good reviews. eg Hakko ?

Here at home I use the Weller WSD81 base with the pencil iron and it is much better than the TCP iron. With patience these WSD irons can be bought cheaply. I bought my first one new from a Farnell clearout many years ago and I think it was just £140. I think they sold off all their stock cheaply to make way for a revised version with a better stand for the pencil iron. But I've bought another WSD81 + iron on an online auction site for something like £50 for a used but tidy example. The other one was a (damaged) freebie that I repaired.

The WSD81 isn't the best iron by a long way but I would consider it to be the Ford Focus of soldering irons. The bits seem to last a very long time if the bit saving option is enabled on the front panel and the temperature can be easily adjusted over a wide range. I think I still have one of my old TCP irons in the garage but I'm unlikely to ever use it again. I'm amazed so many people still favour the old TCP irons and I'm surprised I'm the only one (so far?) who doesn't like them...

[MrBungle]

I've never had those problems myself. In fact I used the same bit for about 10 years!

This is probably the closest competitor for under £50: https://www.pcb-soldering.co.uk/aoyu...g-station.html - the handle likes to rapidly disassemble itself when you're soldering and the bit lifetime is measured in days, not weeks. They do work though and are basically Hakko rip offs.

[G0HZU_JMR]

If I close my eyes and concentrate a bit I can think back to the days when the TCP irons were everywhere at work... I can still hear the sound of the temperature control device clicking, I can still hear the sound of people banging the iron on a hard surface to unstick the temperature control switch (after the iron fails to heat up) and I can still hear the metallic ringing sound they make when someone puts the iron back in the springy/wobbly coiled holder every minute or so. Horrible things!

[G0HZU_JMR]

This is probably the closest competitor for under £50:

A couple of years ago I bought one of the Aoyue hot air rework stations. Mine is the heavy duty 857A model with the 'real' motor pump in it rather than the diaphragm type. However, I don't trust it enough to even leave it in my workroom and I only bring it into the workroom when needed and I never leave it unattended even when just plugged in and switched off. I unplug it and remove it from the workroom every time I finish using it. It does work very well but I don't trust it from a safety/fire hazard point of view.

I'm not sure I'd want to buy one of their irons if it meant leaving it plugged into the wall all the time. I think it would be better to buy the Hakko version for a bit more cash although I'm basing this on other people's reviews as I've never used a Hakko iron.

[MrBungle]

I wouldn't leave anything like that plugged in to be honest regardless of the vendor!

Originally Posted by G0HZU_JMR

If I close my eyes and concentrate a bit I can think back to the days when the TCP irons were everywhere at work... I can still hear the sound of the temperature control device clicking, I can still hear the sound of people banging the iron on a hard surface to unstick the temperature control switch (after the iron fails to heat up) and I can still hear the metallic ringing sound they make when someone puts the iron back in the springy/wobbly coiled holder every minute or so. Horrible things!

That's music to my ears. To be honest the clicking is important for me. Having used lots of crap irons over the years, it's an audible indication that it's doing some work and hasn't given up. You tend to fall back a bit after a few seconds if you're desoldering something big after the click as you know you're overheating the joint.

[Bazz4CQJ]

Originally Posted by MrBungle

This is probably the closest competitor for under £50: https://www.pcb-soldering.co.uk/aoyu...g-station.html - the handle likes to rapidly disassemble itself when you're soldering and the bit lifetime is measured in days, not weeks. They do work though and are basically Hakko rip offs.

Will have to totally disagree with you on this; as per my post above, my ~7 year old Aoyue has been a great buy; well under £50. Fuctionally, I did not sense that it was less good than the Weller I used everyday at work. I doubt if they could have stayed on the market for so long as they have if your experience was fully representitive. Hakko generally have a good name; these are just a slightly cheaper version . For sure, they are budget products, but if mine failed tomorrow, I'd certainly buy another. I have two Antex25's in the drawer, but they are history now. Propsective buyers can search Google for comments; I think you'll be the only person reporting that the bits last days. Even the plain copper bits in the Henley Solons last longer than days (I have a HS 15W)! It is distinctly possible that the Hakko bits come from the same production line, certainly, they are interchangeable. Are you sure your technique is good?

B

[MrBungle]

I understand you get good ones and bad ones. I had a bad one where the temperature regulation was all over the place. The provided bits are laminated so if they go too hot which this one was then it destroys them pretty quickly. The cable was faulty on it and the element was badly made as well. I had to replace both of them before it was usable. The main shaft on the iron wouldn’t stay fixed either hence the spontaneous disassembly.

The key problem really is that the cheap ones have the temperature control loop’s sensor way too far away from the top which means the iron is slow to react to decreasing temperature. This actually varies from element to element.

Also to note, if the element goes or the cable breaks (another problem!) you need another soldering iron to fix it. Keep the antex ones around

All issues surmountable but for more money you get something that doesn’t require so much fiddling to make it work properly.