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Anyone use this soldering station?

The Weller WLC-100 station has a wide variety of tips available for it, which is important if you want to use it for PCB's, point to point, chassis soldering, etc. The tips determine temperature and how the heat affects the area being soldered. (Bigger tip = higher temp.) Parts Express carries the tips and replacement sponges, clicking on their link at the bottom of this page and purchasing one will also benefit Audio Karma and that's what I call a win-win situation. :yes:
 
ShaneC said:
You can say that cuz you worked on planes.

As a comm guy - we got whatever hand me down someone else was throwing away! :(

Beg Borrow and Steal - the VIIDS guide to success!
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Yeppers,backshop avionics...flightline ie.MaxZ28 :yes:or supply would bring the broken " black boxes " to me-I repaired them and turned them back into supply.:D Occasionally I would get boxes in that would check out good on the test station, but fail on the bird. Then I would have to go out and T-shoot on the aircraft...Aim High..:thmbsp:
 
I got one of the cheap temp-controlled ones from MCM and don't like the tips... don't take solder well. I'm using a 30-year-old $3 Radio Shack iron most of the time... temp controlled by plugging it into my variac.
 
I got a non functioning Weller from a place where I used to work. The big transformer coil was toast so I called Weller. Got this lady with a pretty southern accent. She said "We don't make that one any more, and that transformer was $40. So if you send us the old iron and $40 we will send you a new one." I did and they did, a brand new WTCPT iron, stand, etc. - figure I did all right.
 
merrylander said:
I got a non functioning Weller from a place where I used to work. The big transformer coil was toast so I called Weller. Got this lady with a pretty southern accent. She said "We don't make that one any more, and that transformer was $40. So if you send us the old iron and $40 we will send you a new one." I did and they did, a brand new WTCPT iron, stand, etc. - figure I did all right.
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I'm going to have to try that.My WTCPT was one of three broken ones. I salvaged from the dumpster and cannabilized to make one functional one back in 1988.Yep its a "vintage solder station" and looks like it also. I just recently put a new tip on it 3 weeks ago.The previous new tip was in 1988..I got quite a few miles out of that one.
 
Well, I was able to cobble a Weller tip onto my old POS iron to finish this job. So that buys me the time to get something decent. Thanks you guys for talking me out of learning the same old lesson one more time.
 
I have this one and like it very much:
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/21-7940
I did have to replace the handle twice in three years, though, but they are only $7.00. The first time the cable broke, the second time the heater just died. I have the same model at work and never had a problem with that one, and it's on for 8 hours a day, so maybe it was just bad luck.
We also have 2 of these at work with no problems:
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/94-575
 
dr*audio said:
I have this one and like it very much:
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/21-7940
I did have to replace the handle twice in three years, though, but they are only $7.00. The first time the cable broke, the second time the heater just died. I have the same model at work and never had a problem with that one, and it's on for 8 hours a day, so maybe it was just bad luck.
We also have 2 of these at work with no problems:
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/94-575
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That is probably why my " old weller "(sounds like a movie) has lasted so long.I never leave it on any longer than necessary.Just long enough to make my solder connection(s) then switch it off until I am ready for the next solder connection. Leaving a iron on for long periods of time drastically reduces tip life.
 
Strangely enough, the one I have at home is only on when I use it, and that's the one I had problems with.
 
Total rookie myself, want to get better at soldering, so I just ordered one of these for my introductory projects:
http://www.mpja.com/productsdirect....&item2=15845+TL&item3=15140+TL&item4=15141+TL

Have to report back in a few weeks and give you my unexperienced opinion. My theory is I'm just entering the hobby and learning to solder. So, I'm buying the cheapest iron with the best features. I need something easy to learn with more than I need a robust iron. I only get around to soldering things at most once every few weeks at most. I'm still just learning, so I won't be soldering hundreds of components an hour so I'm not super concerned with having lots of wattage, superior heavy duty iron for soldering 100's of resistors an hour, all day every day. I'll be slowly picking through each solder to try and make sure it's right. If I get 6 months or a year use out of this I'll be happy. I can buy a nicer iron when/if I get into it more.

Anyhow, those with more experience can feel free to chime in whether this iron will be worth the 50 bucks or not for light use?
 
Well, I don't really know how much someone really needs for light use either. I would say, for someone just starting out, you can get just a soldering iron with no temp control for $10 or $12. I even saw a Weller at Ace yesterday and I think it was $14. I've been using a cheap-o branded only "Tiwan" for, gosh, 15 or 20 years and it's only just now getting too crappy to use.

Take care,

Ed
 
My MPJA temp controlled soldering station arrived yesterday. I've only used it 1 night and I'm just learning how to solder. So far though, I like this model Much better than the cheap Weller. The MPJA seems to heat up MUCH faster. Also, I'm really liking the temperature control, it seems like it's helping me not to burn the solder so easily. I'm now thinking I was leaving my cheapy Weller on too long and heating up to long, guess that's why it's so nice the MPJA has a temp sensor in the iron to let me know when and how hot it is...

the unit is a little heavier and more robust than it would seem from the pictures, though I'm sure this is still just a cheapy...

I'll try to comment again after more use, but so far I'd say it's easier to work with this iron than the cheapy non-temperature controlled models. :tresbon:


MusicMtnMonk said:
Total rookie myself, want to get better at soldering, so I just ordered one of these for my introductory projects:
http://www.mpja.com/productsdirect....&item2=15845+TL&item3=15140+TL&item4=15141+TL

Have to report back in a few weeks and give you my unexperienced opinion. My theory is I'm just entering the hobby and learning to solder. So, I'm buying the cheapest iron with the best features. I need something easy to learn with more than I need a robust iron. I only get around to soldering things at most once every few weeks at most. I'm still just learning, so I won't be soldering hundreds of components an hour so I'm not super concerned with having lots of wattage, superior heavy duty iron for soldering 100's of resistors an hour, all day every day. I'll be slowly picking through each solder to try and make sure it's right. If I get 6 months or a year use out of this I'll be happy. I can buy a nicer iron when/if I get into it more.

Anyhow, those with more experience can feel free to chime in whether this iron will be worth the 50 bucks or not for light use?
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