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Reddit mentions of Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station

Sentiment score: 60
Reddit mentions: 97

We found 97 Reddit mentions of Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station. Here are the top ones.

Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station
Buying options
View on Amazon.com
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    Features:
  • Receptacle For Easy Iron Replacement
  • Designed For Continuous Production Soldering
  • Slim, Comfortable Pencil With Eta Tip Reduces Operator Fatigue
  • Tip Temperature Offset Capability
  • Allows User To Reset Station Temperature To Match In Tip Sizes & Styles
  • Station Includes Power Unit, Soldering Pencil, Stand and Sponge
  • New Receptacle For Easier Iron Replacement
  • Designed For Continuous Production Soldering
  • Slim, Comfortable Pencil With Eta Tip Reduces Operator Fatigue
  • Tip Temperature Offset Capability
  • This is for 120v only
Specs:
Height4.25 Inches
Length11.42 Inches
Number of items1
Weight4 Pounds
Width8.82 Inches

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Found 97 comments on Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station:

u/MCClapYoHandz · 43 pointsr/DIY

I have a Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station, and I highly recommend it for just about any kind of work. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BRC2XU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1518809457&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=weller+wes51&dpPl=1&dpID=41WVs6AdNqL&ref=plSrch

The slightly more expensive digital version doesn’t solder any better, it just has buttons and a display instead of an adjustment knob.

If you’re working on tiny components, then you’ll just need to buy a few smaller tips, but there are plenty of sizes and shapes out there for Weller irons. I’ve always just bought cheaper knockoff tips, like the ones where you can get a variety pack of 10 for ~$30 on amazon. I don’t think tips are really worth spending a premium for the Weller brand, unlike the iron itself. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00VFYPKN2/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr2_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1518809384&sr=8-2-fkmr2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=weller+replacement+tip+set+wes51

I’d also recommend a good vise or workstation to hold things steady, because there’s nothing worse than trying to use crappy little helping hands or just solder on a bench top. I use a Panavise like this, just as an idea, but there are probably some decent cheaper options out there: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00011QA0M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518809613&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=panavise+350&dpPl=1&dpID=41smUr9QAlL&ref=plSrch

u/lousy_at_handles · 16 pointsr/gaming

Buy this and don't look back.

Weller makes pretty decent stuff for the most part.

u/growamustache · 13 pointsr/ECE

Yeah if you're soldering anything significant its worth your time and money. Wellers are popular where I work as a small desk station
Weller WES51

Don't bother with a $20 iron imo

u/amynoacid · 11 pointsr/DIY

You can get okay ones for $50-100. Are you looking for a soldering station or just a soldering pencil/gun?
I would recommend a wall unit, as opposed to a butane unit, because butane ones are mainly for people soldering in the field. They are nice and portable, but you have more wall outlets than butane canisters in your place, so it's easier

..





Weller and Hakko are great brands, their tips are a bit pricey too, but trust me, they last a lot longer than the cheap irons and their cheap tips.
You can't go wrong with any of these:
Weller
Hakko




Feel free to ask me other questions.

u/a1blank · 9 pointsr/MechanicalKeyboards

If you plan on using it for anything more than the ErgoDox, make sure you get one that'll last. One of the most important things is that the tip is cheap to replace. I got a Radio Shack one for $25 when I first started with electronics and I seriously regret it. Turns out that when the tip died after a couple of months, it would have been cheaper to just get a new iron rather than replacing the tip.

I replaced the Radio Shack iron with this Weller model. The tips are about $5, so replacement and getting alternative tips is quite affordable. Ebay is a good source.

I found a few threads in /r/AskElectronics and /r/Electronics. This iron is one that they recommended, and one I've seen before myself (see this thread). The OP in this thread had a much higher budget, and there were a bunch of Hakkos recommended. Weller and Hakko are generally quite good brands.



As an additional piece of information, since we'll have to solder surface mount components (the resistor, I think), you may find this video guide to be useful. Our components should be much larger, but still helpful to see the techniques. Here's a comic about more general soldering.

u/robbsc · 9 pointsr/electronics

In my experience, radio shack soldering iron tips go bad in a single use (of soldering a PCB's worth of components). No matter how much you try to tin the damn things, they oxidize.

I don't know anything about hakko, but I love my Weller.


u/edgan · 8 pointsr/Quadcopter

I got an Eachine 250 racer about a month ago. It has been a lot of fun, but there are a lot of details. My next racer will probably be a smaller/lighter 180 frame.

For FPV goggles I have three ideas. One, is get the status quo Fatshark goggles at whatever level you can afford. Two, get the HeadPlay HD goggles I got. Three, get the Avegant Glyph, which has the really nice feature of letting you pop them up and down without a band. I do really like my HeadPlay HDs, but they are big and bulky. I haven't perfected how to adjust the straps to get them to stay on my head well.

Arms, managed to break one without breaking a prop.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B016Y5U1JO/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Capacitors, they pop off very easily. I lost a capacitor at the same time I broke an arm. Or a hot glue gun, I Highly recommend putting hot glue over the caps next to each arm to help avoid the loss in the first place. You want a low temperature hot glue gun to not melt any plastic or traces. I consider the capacitor issue a design defect, but you can work around it with hot glue. The original revision seems to have lacked the capacitors, from pictures I have seen online.

Capacitors for Eachine 250 racer:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00W8YYMZA/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Youtube video exampling how to solder them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLYVZUpL0K0

Get a Taranis X9D Plus. It is a great transmitter. Also get a X4R-SB receiver, and use SBUS. The D4R won't let you control the lights too, because it can't do PPM and PWM at the same time. You can control them with the X4R-SB, SBUS+PWM. SBUS has great latency, 5-10ms. I was recently talking to a sponsored racer who told me that PPM, which is supposed to be 27ms with the D4R, is really more like 100ms. It averages the four last frames together. This link includes a case and X8R, which I think will work as well as the X4R, but you should do the research. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B014IYSXL6/ref=mp_s_a_1_5

To do SBUS+PWM, requires a special bind procedure. You want channels 1-8 as SBUS, and 9+ as PWM. The most relevant part is "jump S1&S3: SBUS, 9, 10, 11 or jump S2&S3: SBUS, 9, 10, 11 (No telemetry)" Here is a link that talks about it.

http://www.frsky-rc.com/BBS/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6793

Small tie wraps like the ones already on the arms to hold the ESCs. You break an arm, and you will need to replace the tie wrap.

Soldering iron, solder, etc, because you have to desolder the ESC from the motor to replace an arm, and then resolder it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BRC2XU/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Qtips and rubbing alcohol for cleaning. Mix the alcohol 50/50 with water. The flying field was muddy after lots of rain.

Carrying case of some kind. You don't want it banged around in transport, and same with the transmitter. It is best to get the X9D with the case, because people price gouge on the case stand alone.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01ABQS7YI/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Batteries, you can burn through them very fast. But watch out for their height. I bought some of the new "Graphene" 4S batteries, and they are really too tall to fit. Some people remove the back LEDs to make battery installation easier.

Battery charging/carrying bags to help with uncontrolled fires started by batteries. I have two, one for charging, and one for carrying.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005HTH78W/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A battery charger if you want to use 4S batteries. The included charger is 2S/3S only. I have a Hi-tech X1 which will only charge one battery at a time. You can also get the X4 which will do four at once.

Battery charger for 4S batteries:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005LH3392/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

XT60 banana plug cable for charging with the above charger:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00XBSBYCG/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A V shaped antenna mount to get the receiver antennas up in the air. When over head the carbon fiber body blocks the signal well.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00WV04P62/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A voltage monitor so you know to land when your battery voltage is low. The video signal includes the battery voltage as part of the OSD, but I prefer LoS while learning to fly. It lets me keep an eye on where I am in relation to trees. On the other hand I have yet to find a good place to mount a voltage monitor. With the length of the balance cable on batteries you are likely going to need a balance cable extension for 3S and another for 4S.

Voltage monitor:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EXPPF80/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

3S balance cable extension:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00XP4IO88/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

4S balance cable extension:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JBP1RGG/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Double sided tape to mount things on the top of the body, like the antenna mount and receiver.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009NP1JQC/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Small x-acto knife to help remove the double sided tape.

Electrical tape to tape down wires for lights and receiver.

Size 2.0 hex wrench for the frame screws. It will be needed to replace arms.

Scale that can measure grams. You want to knowing and control weight.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B010HKEDPK/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Sunglasses to avoid problems seeing on sunny days. Lets say you are flying LoS, and look into the direction of the sun. You can't see the quad well enough to control it, because of glare from the sun.

ESC flashing adapters to change/upgrade the firmware. I am not sure these are the right ones for the ESCs on the Eachine. I think they are, but I haven't tried it yet.

Atmel socket flashing tool:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00V2W467I/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Atmel USB programmer:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0051SRZWC/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

USB cable to use with transmitters and simulators. It is best to learn the basics in a sim, instead of replacing lots of parts.

USB cable for simulators:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00DFDTU9G/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Old post of mine on learning in a simulator:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Multicopter/comments/3zr8o0/cheap_fpv_acro_simulator_with_real_transmitters/

Be sure to set a fail-safe, which is very easy with the Taranis. I had a fly away with my first Eachine, because of a defective Spektrum DX6 and lack of fail-safe. After that I switched to the Taranis, which doesn't cost much more and has way more capacity.

u/eclipse75 · 7 pointsr/amateurradio

My ideas:

u/kewee_ · 7 pointsr/ECE

This or that

Both are excellent entry-level products with proven track-record and replacement parts are common and cheap. They will have a hard time melting pure tin solder however, but you must be masochistic to use that crap IMO. Just stick to eutectic solder.

u/necrolop · 6 pointsr/arduino

If you want a station, there really are two which are the standard:

  1. Weller WES51
    http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU

  2. Hakko FX 888
    https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11704

    If you want just an Iron I would get a Weller Wp25, 30, or 35 depending on how hot you desire.
    http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WP25-Professional-25Watts-Soldering/dp/B000B63BTU



    The radioshack Pro Line actually looks quite nice at $30(on sale for $20 this week)
    http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=15772146

    Very good deal and nice quality, downside being they only sell one type of tip and it doesnt come in different wattages.
u/jonny360 · 6 pointsr/Multicopter

I have this Weller WES51 and its been just great for me. not sure what could be better on a more expensive setup. Maybe more accurate temps or faster warm up? This seems completely capable for what im doing with it though.

I just use a lighter for all my heat shrinking. Is a heat gun much better than a simple lighter?

u/checkitoutmyfriend · 6 pointsr/Multicopter

Around $100 would be a good start. I bought this one. But there is it's non-digital brother. It holds temp very well, (dial it right in with the digital display) even when soldering large battery connectors. Changes temps very quickly. It does everything I use it for. This hobby, fixing TVs, stereos and other electronics. Not quite a production station but it would hold up well in small runs.

Do get an assortment of tips. There are many types, pin point, various width flat heads, etc. What you need will depend on what you are soldering.

Than just take care of the tips. Always clean and tin them when done.

There are many brands out there. Weller has been around for a long time. This station just works for me.

u/brock0791 · 5 pointsr/synthesizers

I'd really recommend getting a variable temp iron. Finding that sweet spot around 670 degrees will save you a lot of grief. Not sure what weller sells in 220v models but this guy is a good deal
http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404475386&sr=8-1&keywords=weller+wes51

u/Robot_Spider · 4 pointsr/fpvracing

I'm in the process of building my first FPV drone with my 11 year old son. Tools I owned or have purchased for this are:

A set of small screw drivers. I found a set in the bargain bin at NAPA Auto that had straight, philips, a few hex, a few sockets.

A decent electronics soldering station. Not the gun. I have a digital Weller that is easy to control, but the analog is just as good for these purposes.

A third hand. There are many different kinds. I got a cheap $5 one at Harbor Freight. Not great, but does the job.

Solder, de-soldering wick, flux (maybe)

Depending on where you're doing your work, might want an air-filter or fan.

A magnifying lamp is helpful but not necessary.

An assortment of board stand-offs/spacers is handy.

A good small pair of wire snips.

Wire stripper

A digital multimeter is not a bad idea.

Those are all the major tools you might need. Plus all the drone parts. batteries/charger. Radio/receiver. Camera/receiver(goggles or screen).

In short, it's a lot of stuff. The drone parts end up being the least expensive part, honestly.

Above links are just examples, not necessarily endorsements.

You mentioned you're on a budget, which I totally understand. Building is not the cheapest route, but it's been a lot of fun so far. People who've done it for a while tend to forget the cost of tools. Once you've built one, subsequent drones are relatively cheap. You can re-use batteries, the charger, most decent radios, even the receiver.

If you're not in a hurry, Bangood is a good source for cheap(er) parts. You're on your own for support, usually, but there's lots of help out there.

u/bagelofthefuture · 4 pointsr/MechanicalKeyboards

Typically the better iron brands are Weller and Hakko, with their hobbyist-level stations being the WES51 and the 888D

u/FizzBitch · 3 pointsr/audioengineering

My recommendations, and what I have used for a long time. Really don't go super cheep on your iron, you will regret it:

Weller WES51

Long Conical Tip Really necessary if you are going to be building things with small components.

Kester 44 Rosin Core Solder 63/37 .020 the link is to a full pound which you might not want to spend the money on right away. The price seems to have doubled in the last 3 months at amazon for some reason. But plenty of places sell Kester Solder

u/Oscillope · 3 pointsr/MechanicalKeyboards

I have the Weller WES51 and I like it a lot. I've had it for years, with no problems. Has a nice thin pencil and comes with the stand and everything. Plus an auto-shutoff mode, which is nice peace of mind.

u/lukepighetti · 3 pointsr/DIEMs

Lots of great options. This is great if you change the temp a lot or forget to turn it off. This is great if you never change the temp (like me). This is great if you're on a tight budget.

u/encaseme · 3 pointsr/Multicopter

I have an older Weller that I got used, this model: https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU/ref=sr_1_5?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1520878668&sr=1-5&keywords=weller+soldering+iron
It's a little pricey for what it is buying new, but it's really quality. I've soldered many thousands of components large and small with it. Looks like Weller has some newer models that are about the same price and probably more feature-full/powerful.

I can recommend getting a brass sponge instead of the ones you wet, it's cleaner and less hassle. I also use a solder-sucker and solder-wick-braid regularly. I also use a pair of "helping hands" with a magnifying glass, a DIY fume-extractor (PC fan with some activated charcoal filter behind it), and a small vise for holding circuit boards and such. That's just about the entirety of the things I use for general electronics mucking-with.

u/mycloakisabitofajoke · 3 pointsr/diypedals

I second this, and would like to add that you should get a halfway-decent soldering iron with adjustable heat. Using a cheap soldering iron from harbor freight or the like will just burn your hands and your heart.

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU

I have this, and I adore it. There are higher and lower quality ones available. Just look around and check reviews and Have fun!

u/AccidentalBirth · 3 pointsr/AskElectronics

For SMD and I was looking at the following: http://www.amazon.ca/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU

Just looking to see if /r/AskElectronics had other suggestions for an iron, and other materials.

u/4thdimensionalshift · 3 pointsr/arduino

I recently purchased a Weller WES51 analog soldering station on amazon for $97, well worth the price! I use it primarily for soldering wires to small PCBs so it should work for your uses!

u/thebaldgeek · 3 pointsr/Temecula

This is the one I use (and really really like).
https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU

To be honest, it would be overkill for just hobby use (I am heavy into drones and other electronics that require a lot of soldering on a very wide range of wires and parts).

This is a great little kit that will get you started;
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C9P7HDQ?psc=1

tl;dr I would not spend much more than about 20-30 bucks for your first one, if you use it a ton and get into electronics, you can always upgrade and keep the first one as a travel iron.

u/PM_ME_SEXY_CODE · 3 pointsr/raspberry_pi

Do you plan on doing plenty of soldering in the future or is this a one off job? A decent soldering iron makes a night and day difference when it comes to working on electronics. I've used the cheap $10 ones you can buy from hardware stores and they've always ended up being difficult to work with.

I'd recommend a weller WES51. They're a tad bit pricy, but you can get interchangeable tips and it's temperature controlled. I've had mine for 2 years now and it's absolutely fantastic.

You'll probably want to use some thin rosin core lead solder. You should be able to buy this at your local hardware store.

If you plan on doing any sort of reworking, copper wick is super useful for removing solder. A cheap solder sucker is also nice to have for removing larger blobs of solder.

Weller WES51 Amazon link

u/uint128_t · 3 pointsr/AskElectronics

That set up will do all right.

Helping hands are good, solder looks fine (although if you do a lot of soldering you'll burn through that quickly), and the wick is fine.

One other thing you should get is some flux (probably paste or liquid, maybe someone can recommend a specific flux?). Flux makes soldering a million times easier if the parts are dirty.

Soldering iron wise, that's an alright iron. The tip it comes with is fine for large/medium components. However, consider how much soldering you plan to do. Is it a lot, possibly on small things?

Both the Weller WES51 and the Hakko FX888D are both popular, quality soldering irons. Basically, the handles are smaller (easier to control and maneuver), and the temperature is regulated (more consistent/stable). Additionally, the range of available tips with the WLC100 is not as large.

In conclusion, that's a perfectly fine setup (with the flux), but think about how much you anticipate soldering in the future and considering a higher quality soldering iron. Hope that helps.

u/KlaudeFrog · 3 pointsr/arduino

I use a Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station for pretty much everything I do, including surface mount rework. I use different tips depending on what I'm doing, small for SMD, medium for everything else. a good vise and plenty of light will help a lot. SparkFun and Adafruit tutorials are good. LadyAda of Adafruit has a soldering tutorial.

EDIT: I see others have already posted some of the links I gave. Just consider mine a second endorsement.

u/potatocat · 3 pointsr/rccars

The most important thing about having successful Deans connectors setup is the soldering iron. The discount 10W-30W 'idiot wand' soldering iron is just not going to cut it in this case. You will suffer, you will hate soldering, your joints will look bad, and they will not be strong.

Invest in a good soldering iron with at least 50W like this one. I use the digital readout version which is fancier but that's it.

It pays itself off almost right away if you plan to do any sort of random electrical work.

Female plugs always are on the battery, so that they can't short out by accident easily.

u/robot_mower_guy · 3 pointsr/AskElectronics

This is what I have. It is awesome. It was my favorite one to use at work due to the size of the grip. I liked it so much I bought one for home.

As far as the sponge goes, get one with the hole in it like this one. You will be glad you did if you ever had to use the other type.

As far as tips go, throw away the one that comes with the station. It is a conical shape and they SUCK for soldering. Go with a chisel tip instead. I think this is the tip I use. Might want to look up a different buyer, however, as I think I usually pay about $4 for my tips. You will want a small one like that for most of your work (I have no problem soldering a small SMT IC with that chip) and a massive one for the really big, rare things.

u/lazd · 2 pointsr/Multicopter

You are building a flying machine. In order to build a flying machine, you need to start with good tools.

  1. Get some decent rosin-core solder. Kester 44 Rosin Core Solder 63/37 0.80mm is good and has a low melting temperature, which makes it easier to work with.
  2. Get a decent soldering iron. I recommend the Weller WES51 or Weller WESD51 and Weller ETO tips for small jobs like signal wires, and the Weller ETA tip (included with the iron) for XT60s and ESC wires. No, it isn't cheap, but yes, it will last you 20 years.
  3. Get some tweezers. I like the Hakko CHP 00D-SA.
  4. Get some wire strippers. I like the TEKTON 3794.

    Soldering is an important part of building a flying machine. You need to learn to solder:

  5. Strip your wires to the length of the pad you're going to solder them to.
  6. Your iron should be at 700°-750°, depending on the solder (63/37 has a lower melting point than 60/40).
  7. Before doing anything with your iron, Clean the tip of the iron on a wet sponge, then tin the tip of the iron by applying a small amount of solder
  8. Tin pads by applying a small amount of solder to the tip of the iron, applying the tip of the iron to the pad, then applying solder between the tip of the iron and the pad until the pad is completely covered in solder.
  9. Tin wires by applying a small amount of solder to the tip of the iron, applying the tip of the iron to the base of the exposed wire, then adding solder as you move the tip of the iron to the tip of the exposed wire.
  10. Tin the iron, grab the tinned wire with your tweezers, place it above the tinned pad, press the wire into the pad using the tip of the iron, hold for 2 seconds, remove the iron, hold for 2 seconds.

    You are building a flying machine, do it right.
u/mschock · 2 pointsr/MechanicalKeyboards

I highly recommend splurging a bit on your soldering station, saves a lot of heartache in the long run

Weller is pretty solid. This is what I have and I'd consider it to be a good entry-level model:

Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station

Also, yeah you're going to want variable and analog

Have fun and be careful!

u/aaronstj · 2 pointsr/modular

Do not buy a cheap soldering iron to start out with, you will just end up having to replace it. Buy either a Hakko or Weller soldering station, and you'll be fine.

u/HACKW0RTH · 2 pointsr/MechanicalKeyboards

Weller Digital: Best Iron I've Ever Used (money is no object, used these in my last job that required a lot of PCB soldering)

Weller Analog: Also Great (I used these in grad school... work great, reliable and consistent irons)

Hakko Digital: Come Recommended (These irons offer some of the functionality of the higher end Wellers but in a much more affordable package. Have not personally used, but come highly recommended as budget option).

u/r6raff · 2 pointsr/OpenPV

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000ARU9PO?cache=b13a50eab5e12b5fe0e7396d2b86eed1#ref=pd_aw_sbs_hi_6


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BRC2XU?cache=b13a50eab5e12b5fe0e7396d2b86eed1#ref=pd_aw_sbs_hi_2


These are both good the analog one is s bit cheaper bit I think is a solid kit, keeps consistent temp very well and heats up extremely quick... 500degrees in about 20 seconds from dead cold

u/1000kai · 2 pointsr/techsupportmacgyver

This is the soldering iron I used and the tip was the "pointy one".

u/Mr_Quagmire · 2 pointsr/electronics

I just recently bought a Weller WES51 solder station and it seems like a very nice unit, the few times I've used it so far.

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU/

u/HeadOfMax · 2 pointsr/electronic_cigarette

60/40 rosin core should be good.

Alpha Fry AT-31604 60-40 Rosin Core Solder (4 Ounces) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00030AP48/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_BhXXzbASH0FHM

Use solder wick and a wide tip to clean the old solder off

NTE Electronics SW02-10 No-Clean Solder Wick, #4 Blue, .098" Width, 10' Length https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0195UVWJ8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_9eXXzb1S3RHKS

Use lots flux. Coat the area before you use the wick and again before you solder. It helps bond the solder to the metal.

MG Chemicals No Clean Flux Paste, 10 ml Syringe https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00425FUW2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_mgXXzbTRM5G78

A good iron helps so very much. This is what I have

Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BRC2XU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RiXXzb76H6WDS

However this should do for occasional use

Vastar 60W 110V Welding Soldering Iron with Adjustable Temperature Dial, 5pcs Interchangeable Different Soldering Iron Tips and Solder Tube for Soldering Repaired Usage, Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071RCB7KB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_slXXzbQRJVVZ2

When you are done clean with 90% or above isopropyl alcohol and let dry before you use.

Watch some videos on how to use the wick. Its a great tool to have and works so much better than the crappy suckers.

u/ss2man44 · 2 pointsr/3dshacks

> You need a $120+ soldering iron

That's not necessarily true. This Weller is normally over $120, but it can be found for cheaper (like on Amazon.)

EEVblog, the author of the video linked above, even recommends (on a budget) this Hakko ripoff that even takes Hakko tips. Super cheap and is temperature controlled. You can find it cheaper than its Amazon listing too.

u/Denis63 · 2 pointsr/soldering

Total amateur here. I use a Weller WES51

https://www.amazon.ca/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU

i went from using a cheap piece of crap bought locally to this unit. i've never used a non-cheap soldering iron before and i find this thing to be awesome. heats up super fast and it's way smaller than any other iron i've ever used. the silicone cord is worth the price of admission alone, imo. i frequently solder in a canadian unheated garage. not fighting with a stiff cable is heaven. parts are easy to come by online for whenever i break it or wear it out.

i recap a few game systems every now and then, i dont have many hours on it.

u/RBPEDIIIAL · 2 pointsr/MechanicalKeyboards

I believe it is a Weller Soldering Iron. Amazon

u/--Steak · 2 pointsr/MGTOW
  <br />

Had some free time so I wrote this:

If anyone wants to do Soldering,

  • I highly suggest watching a few Youtube videos on techniques on how to hold it the right way.

  • Buy a GOOD IRON (Weller or Hakko) NOT a cheap one!

  • Buy a station to rest the Iron on if it does not already come with it (A sponge is recommended)

  • Safety glasses and roll your sleeves up, just in case!

  • Buy a smoke absorber with a carbon filter, OR! build your own with a old phone charger as a power source, a switch, a cheap car filter and a old computer case fan... your making electronic gizmos anyways... WHY?: Because breathing Tin and Lead is fucking cancerous, and blowing it away without a filter is how you get pets, kids, or bacon to inhale cancer too.

  • Have a clear space to work with no combustible materials, avoid burning down your place.

  • ESD grounding wristband, I know it's lame. But It will save you a static shock, which could potentially result in a dead component on a board.. Also you should have one of these if you build your own PC. A $2.00 part can save you HUNDREDS

  • Remember to use the right size tip for the job, and to clean your Iron's tip after using it to prolong it's life.

  • If you cant afford these basics, either don't go out this weekend, and save up for them. Or find someone who does have these things that you can borrow.

    &amp;nbsp;

    Soldering is extremely fun, rewarding, can motivate you about electronics, save you money, and convinces your friends to think you are some kind of "fire stick-wand wielding wizard of electronic black magic" (+7 to charisma!).

    But remember to solder safely!
u/burkholderia · 2 pointsr/ToobAmps

My most used meter is this cheap $15 GE box. I have some nice ones, and if you're only going to have one get one that does &gt;500V, but this one is compact and reads well enough that I tend to use it the most. I have a couple nice meters which also do caps, diodes, transistors, auto ranging, up to 1000V reads, etc. They're very handy.

Get some bias probes. The kind that plug into your meter are good and inexpensive, if you want to go spendy the eurotubes box that reads out plate voltage and current directly is a nice piece of gear. Get a soldering iron with adjustable range and replaceable tips. I had one of the cheaper weller irons, it eventually shorted the pot so it's on full all the time (something I could fix but haven't) so I used that as an excuse to get a nicer iron. If you plan to do any solid state something ESD safe if a good idea.

u/AshuraSavarra · 2 pointsr/Nerf

25W is a bit iffy, but I would focus on getting flux first as that's the greater contribution to your problem. For the sake of comparison, my personal soldering station is 60W, but it's also mostly overkill for rewiring toys.

u/AVB · 2 pointsr/Guitar

Not a bad idea - you're much less likely to electrocute yourself!

I can't stress enough the importance of good solder joints! Don't glob solder onto the iron and then apply to the piece of work. It's important to thoroughly heat the work until IT melts the solder and the solder is allowed to naturally flow into the nooks and crannies of the work.

Also, you are embarking on a way of life. This is a serious commitment of time and money. Do yourself a favor and buy a GOOD soldering station - not a cheap soldering pen!!!

u/c0mad0r · 2 pointsr/sandiego

These types of things are generally considered hobbyist level and in all honestly, you are best doing this yourself with a good Weller Soldering Iron, a 56 SMD Desk Magnafier and some helping hands.

If that is out of the question though, I'd recommend checking out Fab Lab. It is a non-profit community space that has all the equipment available to anyone who dabbles in everything from Raspberry Pi to all things electronics. You may be able to consign someone or do it yourself there.Their address is 847 14th Street, San Diego 92101

Hope this helps and good luck!

u/Anenome5 · 2 pointsr/learnelectronics

Yeah! I actually like the look of that one better.

Link for the curious: http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU

u/blueshiftlabs · 2 pointsr/electronics

How would you say that compares to the Weller WES51?

u/tacticaltaco · 2 pointsr/amateurradio

It's not too hard to learn soldering. I recommend having a good iron. I had a cheap Radio Shack iron when I was in High School and part of College. I could not solder to save my life. The tips always oxidized quickly, it was never very hot, it sucked.

Eventually I was gifted a nice Weller iron (slightly cheaper) and it makes soldering a breeze. Grab one of those irons, some thin solder, a few electronics kits and just go to town. Watch YouTube videos if you want some pointers, good ones are filmed with a microscope (or stereoscope) so you can really see what is happening.

Last, if you can really afford it, go with this pencil. I use those at work and they rock. They've got a short grip so it allows much finer control. I can do SMD all day with that and not break a sweat. It's a bit tougher with the iron I have at home but it's manageable.

u/imsinking · 2 pointsr/MechanicalKeyboards

Both Weller
and Aoyue make a good entry level soldering iron with adjustable heat.

u/jjjacer · 2 pointsr/Nerf

1st, heat the component and feed the solder into it.

2nd, If you have a cheap low wattage solding iron, objects with alot of metal will be hard to solder as it wicks the heat away too fast and doesnt get hot enough.

3rd, strip the wire a bit shorter, too much exposure especially without heat shrink allows for shorts

4th for removing solder as per above, sometimes you can just heat up the solder and tap the object against the table and the hot blob will fall off, i recommend though to either have solder wick or a solder sucker.

5th, for solder, use 60/40 lead - tin flux core solder, thinner the easier it is to work with.


soldering can be done cheap and easy but nothing beats having the proper tools.

Practice, practice, practice.

Although i will say when i was younger i also had joints look like that too.


If you continue to do this alot, here are the tools i recommend

Solder Wick

Solder

Iron and Solder Sucker


although if you really do alot of solder, get a good temp controller one like this

Weller Soldering station

u/SirCarrington · 2 pointsr/techsupport

Here is the one I use.

If you find it a bit pricy, here is a great compromise.

Don't skimp on a soldering iron. If you don't have enough power, you'll overheat the components while you're waiting for the solder to flow.

Get a Weller solder station.

u/jaykaizen · 1 pointr/electronic_cigarette

I'm basically in the same boat as you so I cant help you much but here's some places that can.

https://youtu.be/gDbVtbLJicA
I haven't watched that video but there are is a few on YouTube.

try doing a search here and if you still have questions do a post.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/modding-forum/

Thsee are two highly rated soldering stations on amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BRC2XU/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?qid=1427285096&amp;amp;sr=8-9&amp;amp;pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&amp;amp;keywords=soldering+iron

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ANZRT4M/ref=mp_s_a_1_19?qid=1427285346&amp;amp;sr=8-19&amp;amp;pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&amp;amp;keywords=soldering+iron&amp;amp;dpPl=1&amp;amp;dpID=41sCMxh%2BAYL&amp;amp;ref=plSrch

And you may want to get these

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000RB38X8/ref=pd_aw_fbt__hi_img_2?refRID=04241AVDK89CA7JZ7G53

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002KRAAG/ref=pd_aw_fbt__hi_img_3?refRID=05VW456WDCV7D1PTHEPE

You may want to start with an unregulated or an okr or raptor build. It'll be cheaper and its easy to find tutorials on building them online. That is probably what I will start with.

u/indirect_storyteller · 1 pointr/audioengineering

Continuing this thought process, I just got this iron and [this](
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068IJWC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;psc=1) solder in the mail the other day and they've treated me incredibly well. If that's out of our price range then I suggest getting only the solder and going for a cheaper iron.

u/madscientistEE · 1 pointr/vintageaudio

Dirt cheap, low on features but OK quality: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9141

Avoid the Wal Mart multimeter...I'm not happy to see a non category rated meter from GE of all companies. It's actually a rip off at $20....I've seen similar meters online for $5 and had the unfortunate experience of using one.

http://www.amazon.com/Extech-EX430-Autoranging-Multimeter-Capacitance/dp/B0000WU1AC

The Extech 430 is a good all rounder. It's Cat III with auto ranging and has bare bones capacitance and frequency counting. True RMS measurement allows you to measure AC things other than just 60Hz sine waves. (you need true RMS for checking amp output at 1kHz among other things) I own one and aside from the nasty yellow-green backlight and somewhat short battery life, it rocks. Comes with a temperature probe too, which you'll find useful.

If you're serious and want data logging without going all out on a $300-500 industrial meter from the likes of Fluke, give this a try. It looks cool as heck but possibly has a bit of a learning curve due to the menu instead of a dial. Cat III to 600V too. It does everything the Extech 430 does and more. https://www.circuitspecialists.com/dm620.html


Soldering Irons...

The classic pencil tip "fire starter": https://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062758&amp;amp;filterName=Type&amp;amp;filterValue=Soldering+irons

You get what you pay for there but I've fixed many things with ones just like this. Larger joints may need more heat, they make 40 and 60W irons for that. Tip life on these cheap irons is poor. Poor tips make poor joints. Replace them if they go bad. Do not sharpen one.

BUT...instead of having 3 low quality irons knocking around the shop, I recommend people go straight for an adjustable heat soldering station like this one: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10707

Buy a couple spare tips if you order a soldering station. Local availability of these is nil. The stations usually have better irons, heat control that actually works and far better tips.

This soldering station and its more expensive digital counterpart, the WESD51 are a bit pricey. On the other hand, they're totally awesome and the gold standard in many shops: http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU

Once you get a station, you'll wonder how you ever got along without one. Good tools make the best repairs.






u/tallpotusofa · 1 pointr/Luthier

My success rate with wiring guitar builds increased greatly when I bought a "nice" soldering iron and some small diameter solder. You'll get much cleaner joints with a soldering iron that lets you control the temperature. I bought this Weller soldering station, and it was the best investment I've made.

u/eat_pb · 1 pointr/arduino

If you want something that will last you and is of very good quality, I recommend Weller. They're basically an industry standard. I just purchased this one: http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1343171327&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=Weller+analog

If you want to get really fancy you can get the digital model, it's about 130$.

u/rykki · 1 pointr/raspberry_pi

I absolutely agree that a variable temp iron is better. However, OP made it sound like they were on a pretty tight budget and I couldn't in good conscious recommend &gt;&gt;SOMETHING LIKE THIS&lt;&lt; that would take up their entire budget. Especially since they are just learning and they might decide they don't like it (learning to solder well takes patience and a fair bit of dexterity...... high reliability soldering course was one of the most frustrating courses I took during my technical training).


Having said all that, though, I've done a fair bit of work in the field using one of those portable butane irons. You just have to be careful and know what you're doing. :)

Those little vises are freaking magic. I see those helping hands clip things all over and never have I preferred one over a proper articulating table vise.

u/[deleted] · 1 pointr/DIY

I used one of these for years before I bought an adjustable heat iron:

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xmx/R-100391613/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&amp;amp;storeId=10051&amp;amp;catalogId=10053

It works pretty well, just have to be careful not to get things too hot.

This is the one I bought and see around the EE dept all the time:
http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU

Either way, make sure to watch some videos on soldering, the proper technique is very important to get good joints and not overheat components.

u/CBNathanael · 1 pointr/MechanicalKeyboards

If you're just dipping your toe in the water, grab that Weller I linked. It's under $40, but is a well respected budget iron. I personally own a Weller WES51. It's a fantastic iron, but if you're not convinced that soldering things is going to become a hobby, save your money.

Hakko is also a popular brand, but I'm not as familiar with their lower-end gear. If you get an adjustable temp iron from Hakko or Weller, you'll be set for a while.

Some other handy items are:

  • Desoldering Wick - Just a copper braid that will suck up solder. Great for removing parts from the board.
  • Solder Sucker - A cheap little vacuum that is supposed to suck the liquid solder off of a joint. I personally prefer the wick with a dab of flux. Others swear by the solder sucker. Both are cheap enough, so grab both and see what you prefer :)
  • Rosin Flux - a chemical that helps strip corrosion from your contacts, allowing the solder to flow smoothly and create solid joints. There are a lot of versions, but I've preferred using a pen like this one. It can (and will) make a sticky mess, so only use tiny, tiny amounts. (If you use the pen, keep a giant wad of paper towels nearby for when you need to get the flow going. I tried doing it with my hand...it makes a MASSIVE mess. The paper towels help immediately soak up the unexpected flow of rosin.
  • Helping Hands - Cannot recommend this enough. Typically, you'll see things like this one. But after a while, the joints weaken, and it won't hold anything in place. I bought a SparkFun Third Hand which is amazingly stiff and has held up quite well. Great purchase.

    Other things to consider are goggles, a small fan to pull the fumes away from you (DON'T BLOW ON THE JOINTS), and something to solder on top of. If you don't care about your work surface, it's no big deal. But I use my desk, and sometimes the kitchen table, so I have an old 1 foot ceramic tile that I solder on top of -- the soldering iron base doesn't get hot, but you can drip/splatter solder if you're being careless, and it gives you a hard surface to use that you don't have to worry about getting hot/burned.
u/Bleedthebeat · 1 pointr/mildlyinfuriating

You could go with this one and it would be better than anything you could get for $20.

But it’s definitely worth the extra money to go with

This one

or this one

I have the Hakko and a buddy has the Weller so I’ve used them both and they’re both great stations.

u/fissionforatoms · 1 pointr/diyelectronics

Thanks for the reply! For reference I live in Canada so sadly, the prices are more by default. The WES51 looks good, I found it on amazon.ca for CAD$140. I'll either get that or something like a Hakko, it seems like they sell high quality soldering stations.

u/z2amiller · 1 pointr/AskElectronics

I have the hot air only version of the first one, the 858D. It's okay, gets the job done. I got it on the recommendation of a friend who uses it all the time and is really happy with it.

For a soldering iron though, IMO you'd be better served by something name brand like the Hakko FX888D or the Weller WES51. I have the WESD51 and it has served me well. For J Random Soldering Iron, the temperature control might not be very good, and it might be tough getting different tips.

A decent budget option might be a hakko 936 knockoff, which should have pretty good availability of replacement tips.

u/ttreit · 1 pointr/livesound

My business partner and I just started making our own cables in December. We use Switchcraft connectors (personal preference) and Canare Star Quad cable. It hasn't been too hard to learn on star quad. We use a Weller WES51 which is around $85.

Also recommend a brass sponge and this helping hands tool if you have the budget for it.

EDIT: Neither one of us had really soldered much before, but we did have someone showing us how to do it. So Quad-Core might be tough if you're totally trying to teach yourself.

u/YumYumCookieChips · 1 pointr/cableporn

Gotta get the right iron and solder for sure, if you have anything from RadioShack it will never work.

Weller WES51

Kester Solder

u/jsprada · 1 pointr/MechanicalKeyboards

First of all you want a soldering iron, not gun. I use a Weller WES51, it's on sale at Amazon for $92, and is the as good as the best I've ever used.

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU

Note, I had a Stahl Tools copy of the Weller WES51, and it is a hunk of junk.

I grew up using Wellers, and they've worked flawlessly for my entire life.

I can also recommend the Hakko FX-888 - I don't see a need for a digital readout.

I also recommend Kester 44 rosin core solder (.031"), it's excellent.

u/littlebiggtoe · 1 pointr/Gameboy

If you plan on doing more hobby work that involves soldering, I would highly recommend getting a better iron, prefererably one with a variable temperature range. There are plenty of good options from Hako and Wells that don't break the bank and are much easier to use than the cheap irons.

I have this station

Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BRC2XU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_oeAYCbQNC90JB

And this pack of tips
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ARYBXLI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_SfAYCbG6XDDXE


Voultar (a great modder to follow, check out his soldering videos for inspiration) posted a good video on a decent iron station he found

https://youtu.be/cGdHJ3BTh_c

Good solder goes a long way to helping make soldering a lot better.

And yes, the clip on loupe is amazing! It magnifies tiny smd stuff really well. I can't recommend it enough.

u/DerpeyBloke · 1 pointr/RetroPie

https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU/

I have the digital version of this and couldn't be happier. I got it as a gift so I probably would have gone for something cheaper myself but Weller has a bunch of alternatively priced ones for less with good reviews as well.

u/nevereven · 1 pointr/hardwareswap

From my pile to be sold on eBay:

Weller WES51 soldering station

Panavise 301 (new)

Ideal 61-635 Multimeter

Toshiba Pocket PC

NetGear WN311B WiFi PCI card and antenna

NetGear Rangemax N150

Chelsea 6" Mechanical Brass ships clock It's beautiful and think how much fun you will have winding it every few days.

u/pwade3 · 1 pointr/MechanicalKeyboards

I just got this as my first soldering iron. I figured if I was going to do it, I shouldn't get something cheap and shitty. Seemed to work great, but I'm a beginner so it's hard to say for certain.

u/EnigmaticElectronics · 1 pointr/computers

We actually have a video on this very topic Here - Getting Started in Electronics - Episode 3 - Soldering Equipment

The new Weller in that video is mine. I splurged a little and bought that when I first got started and I love it. I bought it from Amazon: Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station

u/TheN00bBuilder · 1 pointr/rccars

Machined hex drivers; I've had a set of Dynamite Machined ones for 4 years now and only have had to replace the tip once when I dropped the 1.5MM one onto concrete. Do NOT buy the anodized ones, those use soft metals that will wear down easily. Also, a good soldering iron isn't required, but it sure as heck makes everything a whole lot easier. I'd also suggest some basic nut drivers like 4-7MM almost like these. A magnetic parts tray will also make your life easier.

https://www.amainhobbies.com/dynamite-machined-hex-driver-us-set-red-dyn2909/p38304
https://www.amainhobbies.com/dynamite-machined-hex-driver-metric-set-red-dyn2904/p38303
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-5-5-mm-Metric-Nut-Driver-with-3-in-Hollow-Shaft-70255/203310642
https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU

u/wdouglass · 1 pointr/PS4

A good soldering iron should be $80-$100 http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1415792954&amp;amp;sr=8-5&amp;amp;keywords=weller+soldering+iron+100+watt

That's probably more then you need though. just get a small butane iron
http://www.amazon.com/Weller-ML500MP-Mini-Butane-Soldering/dp/B000TDFT9U/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1415793030&amp;amp;sr=8-7&amp;amp;keywords=butane+soldering+iron

and you'll need solder and flux, and probably some solder wick in case you screw anything up. there's plenty of youtube videos to show you how it all works.

u/ab3ju · 1 pointr/DIY

All of this. Coating the tip with a glob of solder when you're done with it is a good idea -- flick the solder off when you next use it and all of the oxidation goes with it.

I've got one of these and it's well worth it.

u/ConvolutedUtility · 1 pointr/DIY

I've got one of these

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU/ref=pd_cp_hi_1

Love it. Definitely look for something with adjustable temps and replaceable tips.

u/schuylercat · 1 pointr/vintageaudio

Hehehehe...

What you said: "First guesses? Input differential pair transistors have drifted in gain with respect to each other or you have a leaky coupling cap."

What I heard: : "Blah freaking blah blah la di da blah loo de loo blah transistors yadda yadda whatever gain la de doo blah blah blah coupling cap."

I have far to go.

Also - this is what I was going to get: http://www.amazon.ca/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1404330430&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=weller

$125 CDN. I can do that. I don't wanna, though. My Radio Shack 40 watt station gets terrible reviews, and I think I might upgrade.

I'll look into the little Weller. Thanks!

Oh, then I will ask "what's a coupling cap?" Those the big ones between the PS and the main boards?

u/gamma_ray_burst · 1 pointr/DIY

I was shopping around for a kit. Is this the one you own?

I have an amazon gift certificate, so I was thinking of picking up one of these Weller units. Any opinions? It seems like overkill, so I wondered how good you find the temp control on yours and whether the features on the other model would be worth it in the long run for occasional projects.

u/bscottprice · 1 pointr/Gameboy

If you plan on doing a lot of modding and soldering, don't go cheap. I recommend a Weller (I use a Weller WES51 for 90% of what I do. http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU). They are built very well, and I honestly can't think of anyone with any experience with soldering electronics that would tell you otherwise. I have access to a full rework station from Pace that retails for around $14,000 and I generally prefer the Weller. Hakko is another good brand and I would recommend them as well.

u/sleepybrett · 1 pointr/multicopterbuilds

It's always worth buying the best tool you can afford unless it's single use. I have a decent weller that I've since replaced with a very decent Hakko.

This is a very nice iron that will serve you well: https://www.adafruit.com/products/1204

This is my older iron, served me well, the only reason I switched to the hakko is because I bought one for work and ended up liking it: http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Analog-Soldering-Station/dp/B000BRC2XU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1462577050&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=weller

u/Ataripezman · 1 pointr/engineering

Thanks for you advice everyone. Ultimately I decided to go with the Weller WES51 upon a recommendation from an EE friend. I really liked that Ebay one dammitd recommended but I don't have an ebay account.

Thanks /R/engineering!

u/slick8086 · 1 pointr/AskElectronics

That wax like block may have been flux.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049774

you can clean your tip with a brass sponge or a wet regular sponge (that's what I use) I've had my iron for years. I clean the tip frequently while using it. It will last for years to come. If you get soldering station like a Weller (this is the one I have) or a Hakko You will be able to change the tips. This is good for replacing damaged ones or getting different shaped/sized tips. To me having a "nice" soldering iron makes it more enjoyable to solder. Also get or make a fume extractor.

u/VashTStamp · 1 pointr/AskElectronics

I have the Weller WES51 and I really love it. I can definitely recommenced it.

Also, I recommend getting some solder tip wire cleaner, such as this one. If you plan on doing a fair amount of soldering.

u/crashmaxed · 1 pointr/AnimeFigures

I've got nothing but good things to say about my Weller WES51 which comes in just under $100. Heats up from cold to temp in about 30-40 seconds or so. Can also hot-change tips if you've got something like a good silicone mat to unscrew the threaded holder. I really can't say anything about other temp controlled stations like Hakkos or [insert your favorite brand here] since I've had my Weller for several years without issue. I pair it with a cheap desoldering pump and a dedicated old cheap desoldering iron.

u/cookie_steez · 1 pointr/MechanicalKeyboards

What model would you recommend? I want to get started on this and was looking at this iron. Thoughts?

u/ahalekelly · 1 pointr/Nerf

Yep, I've used several of them at school and they're pretty bad, I can't believe they have so many good reviews. This $100 Weller is temperature controlled and quite good, the $40 one is not. I'd probably go for the 936 and a brass sponge, my 936+ is on par with the $100 Wellers and Hakkos.

u/ZeroMercuri · 1 pointr/Nerf

This is complete overkill for NERF needs but Weller is known for high quality soldering irons

This is the one I use but it's over your budget (I do more than NERF stuff)

This is what I would recommend for starting out. It's good but totally not stupid expensive.

I would avoid soldering irons that don't have the cradle/base (although you can buy a cradle separately)