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.
| Included Components | Iron-Plated Copper Tip, Natural Sponge Tip Cleaning Pad, Safety Guard Iron Holder, Weller Wlc100 40-Watt Soldering Station |
|---|---|
| Upper Temperature Rating | 850 Degrees Fahrenheit |
| UPC | 037103059963 |
| Manufacturer | Weller |
| Part Number | 81014 |
| Item Weight | 1.79 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 8.8 x 3.76 x 6.3 inches |
| Item model number | WLC100 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 1 Pack |
| Color | Black |
| Style | Station w/tip cleaner |
| Finish | Matte |
| Material | Copper |
| Pattern | Station |
| Power Source | corded-electric |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number Of Pieces | 1000 |
| Head Style | Pencil |
| Coverage | 326 |
| Usage | Interior |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | 7 year warranty |
| National Stock Number | 3439-01-302-7225 |
