Weller 5 to 30W Precision Grip Soldering Iron Station, 120V | WLSK3012A

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.

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.

I bought this to replace my 40W soldering iron. I wanted to upgrade the wire inside my home stereo speakers. Heats up pretty quick, I had to play with the heat control a bit, but found when I ran it hotter it kept its heat better and the job went faster. A setting of 4 to 4 1/2 worked best for me. The station is small and solid enough, no tipping when using the convenient holder. The spade tip worked well for the job, but I will be buying a fine tip for rewiring my guitars. Without a doubt this soldering station is a step up from the 40W iron I previously used. So far so good!(Hint for HiFi enthusiasts. If you’re running low to mid-fi level gear, DEFINITELY upgrade the internal wire. On two sets, Paradigms and Hecos, I found clips used to attach to the speakers, no solder connection at the speaker terminals. Also the wire is thin gauged, and on the Paradigms a low strand count w/stiff alloy, looked like aluminum or aluminum plated. Hecos had nice OFC wire but thin gauge. Upgraded to a high Quality OFC 16gauge wire. HUGE improvement. Sweeter highs, better defined lows. Better separation of instruments and deeper soundstage. Mid priced speakers often have good design but then skimp on cabinets, crossovers, and wire. Drivers are usually better than their surroundings, and just upgrading the wires can be like buying a better resolving amp or cartridge. If you have the skills and time…just do it.)

Never breaks, super reliable, good enough temperatures.Just takes a minute to heat up and the tip selection is limited but they are dirt cheap.The Toyota Corolla of soldering irons.

Probably the best soldering iron I've ever used. I hope I have more reasons to use it!