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Which soldering station?

Hi guys,

So my soldering iron has died.... again. I keep buying the cheap 30w stick type, but its a false economy. They are slow to heat up, the break... what I need is a proper set.

But which one? Iv found a few on Ebay that are within budget that look ok, but I was wondering if anyone had any personnal experience with any of them? Or maybe you can recommend one? I dont want to spend anything over £50... and ideally less!

Or maybe you'd like to point out what I should be looking for? I do a fair bit of soldering and am impatient, so Im thinking a 60w should be more suitable than the old 30w....

These are the ones Im looking at;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150630766352?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220874067804?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280757198381?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220882786487?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200593105091?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150573392783?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&...

Cheers :o)

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Permalink Reply by Roosterman on November 1, 2011 at 5:48pm

PS The first on the list looks a good bet - theyve sold 59 of them! Or maybe one guy has one that has broken 58 times...??

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Permalink Reply by Jason Hitesman on November 1, 2011 at 5:53pm

That second link looks similar to the one I use. In fact it looks identical to the current offering from the place I got mine:

http://www.circuitspecialists.com/soldering-stations-csi-station1a....

I got mine back around 2005 or so and have used it quite a bit for all kinds of projects: http://www.dunephotos.com/Electronics

For the price I payed I've been very happy and impressed. Heats quick, tips are easy to find...even came with a spare heating element that I haven't had to use yet. I've done everything from SMT work to some heavy cables with it and it's been able to handle anything I've thrown at it.

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Permalink Reply by Artist Formerly Known as Matt on November 1, 2011 at 6:05pm

I've owned 3 soldering irons in my lifetime.

I ( 100 watts) came from a yardsale , but it was a name brand.

The other 2 both came from Radio Shack ..... all 3 still work. the 2 from the Shack are Weller and an off brand name probably made by them.

Matt

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Permalink Reply by C. B. Gitty (Ben) on November 1, 2011 at 6:43pm

Here is is the soldering station I have, and I highly recommend it. Since I got this, my soldering has improved drastically! It is pricy compared to a cheapo from Radio Shack or wherever, but this is a pro-grade setup.

Weller WESD51 Digital Soldering Station