I ordered a brand new Weller WLC200 (80 watts) soldering station from Amazon Warehouse Deals for $35 which is less than half of what they normally go for after my Weller WLC100 (40 watts) soldering station quit working a few days ago. However, it turns out that the problem was the iron itself which is replaceable for $22. The problem is the soldering iron on the new one is much larger and heavier than the old one and I'll need to buy a cone tip for $17 because the chisel tip it came with might be fine for stained glass work but I don't think would work too well for guitar electronics applications.
The question is has anyone used one of these bigger ones for primarily guitar related stuff and if so was its additional weight and length an issue? My choices are to keep this one and spend another $17 on a tip or return it and buy the replacement iron for what I've already got. I'm strongly leaning towards getting my old one up and running and saving $30 but if 80 watts will make my life easier and the larger size of the WLC200 is not too cumbersome for guitar work, I'll keep it and order the correct tip. TIA...
Question for those who frequently solder
Thanks for the response. There is a temperature control but it's just a numbered dial (1-5), no LED display for temperature so no way to know what the actual temp of the tip is....
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That is your answer.
No need for further discussion or debate. Mozz has spoken and he knows his stuff.
Yup and if I had just checked the continuity on the old soldering iron before ordering the new one, I wouldn't have had to burn the f*** out of a couple of fingers testing it with the iron from the new one or even ask the question in the first place...
Delightful mix of insolence, arrogance and narcissism
Republican moderate trapped in a heavy metal chassis
Growing up, only kid in the neighborhood with an Uncle Ahkbar
Republican moderate trapped in a heavy metal chassis
Growing up, only kid in the neighborhood with an Uncle Ahkbar
I am going to have to disagree a bit.
First a temp controlled station is not the same as an iron. You basically cannot have too many watts with a controlled station because it won’t over heat.
Second, more watts is actually better. The extra power means faster heat up and faster recovery. That translates into less time on the parts which means less time for heat to travel where you don’t need or want it. The extra power also means quicker easier work with larger more difficult pieces. This is why you buy a station and not an iron.
As for tips, a $17 tip is insane. You should be able to get a set of different tips for less than half that. Check Amazon and eBay. You definitely want different tips for different tasks. A bigger heavy chisel is good for soldering a ground on full size pots. A small point tip works better for soldering little components like 1/4 watt resistors to PCB’s. I do almost all my soldering with the same station (60 watts) but regularly use 4 different tip sizes and shapes.
First a temp controlled station is not the same as an iron. You basically cannot have too many watts with a controlled station because it won’t over heat.
Second, more watts is actually better. The extra power means faster heat up and faster recovery. That translates into less time on the parts which means less time for heat to travel where you don’t need or want it. The extra power also means quicker easier work with larger more difficult pieces. This is why you buy a station and not an iron.
As for tips, a $17 tip is insane. You should be able to get a set of different tips for less than half that. Check Amazon and eBay. You definitely want different tips for different tasks. A bigger heavy chisel is good for soldering a ground on full size pots. A small point tip works better for soldering little components like 1/4 watt resistors to PCB’s. I do almost all my soldering with the same station (60 watts) but regularly use 4 different tip sizes and shapes.
I get the more power thing but I never had any problems with 40 watts. As for the price of the tips, the ones for smaller units were almost exponentially less expensive the ones for my old one were a couple of bucks a piece). I looked everywhere for tips for this one and $17 with shipping was the best I could find for the correct one (Weller MTG-22), The one that it came with is a chisel tip that is 3/8" wide, great for removing gum off the bottom of your shoe, not so much for getting in tight to solder thin wires to pot lugs...Chocol8 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 4:03 pm I am going to have to disagree a bit.
First a temp controlled station is not the same as an iron. You basically cannot have too many watts with a controlled station because it won’t over heat.
Second, more watts is actually better. The extra power means faster heat up and faster recovery. That translates into less time on the parts which means less time for heat to travel where you don’t need or want it. The extra power also means quicker easier work with larger more difficult pieces. This is why you buy a station and not an iron.
As for tips, a $17 tip is insane. You should be able to get a set of different tips for less than half that. Check Amazon and eBay. You definitely want different tips for different tasks. A bigger heavy chisel is good for soldering a ground on full size pots. A small point tip works better for soldering little components like 1/4 watt resistors to PCB’s. I do almost all my soldering with the same station (60 watts) but regularly use 4 different tip sizes and shapes.
https://www.weller-tools.com/profession ... ons/WLC200
https://www.weller-tools.com/profession ... bles/MTG22
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Growing up, only kid in the neighborhood with an Uncle Ahkbar
Republican moderate trapped in a heavy metal chassis
Growing up, only kid in the neighborhood with an Uncle Ahkbar
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BatUtilityBelt
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I suppose there will be a lot of divergent answers because soldering is something of an art form. So just me, I had to look to see that my station is only 45 watts. Having checked that, I've never had any problem with it - heats up quickly and does as nice a job as I am capable of. I think the right tip shape for the job is one of the most important aspects.
I prefer a higher watt soldering station myself. I've gotten by with 25 and 40 watt soldering irons in the past, but I struggled with them, and my work would often fail on me. Cold joints and weak adhesion were a frequent occurrence. And you could forget about re-flowing old solder, without having to add more solder to get it going.
I run my soldering station at 800° F (which is what I believe is industry standard), and it's so much easier and quicker, and all my connections are rock-solid. When I wire something up, it stays that way.
Like @Chocol8 said; you don't need to apply heat for more than a second, so there's little chance of burning anything out. I've never burnt out a pot with this station (though I've wrecked a bunch with weaker irons). I've even soldered/desoldered 40 year old computer chips at that temp, and my C64 works just fine.
I run my soldering station at 800° F (which is what I believe is industry standard), and it's so much easier and quicker, and all my connections are rock-solid. When I wire something up, it stays that way.
Like @Chocol8 said; you don't need to apply heat for more than a second, so there's little chance of burning anything out. I've never burnt out a pot with this station (though I've wrecked a bunch with weaker irons). I've even soldered/desoldered 40 year old computer chips at that temp, and my C64 works just fine.
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I get all of that that but the real problem is that the soldering iron itself is much heavier, much longer and more unwieldly. It would be tough for me to get into tight spaces without hitting something else. It was designed for working on stained glass where you don't have to worry about melting the insulation off of a wire on an adjacent lug 1/4" away. The perfect solution would be an iron the same size but with maybe 20 watts more. I probably should have looked at other brand options besides Weller but they have a great reputation and I've been satisfied so far with the model I have. I didn't realize how much larger and more cumbersome the WLC-200 was until i actually held it in my hand...Mossman wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:00 pm I prefer a higher watt soldering station myself. I've gotten by with 25 and 40 watt soldering irons in the past, but I struggled with them, and my work would often fail on me. Cold joints and weak adhesion were a frequent occurrence. And you could forget about re-flowing old solder, without having to add more solder to get it going.
I run my soldering station at 800° F (which is what I believe is industry standard), and it's so much easier and quicker, and all my connections are rock-solid. When I wire something up, it stays that way.
Like @Chocol8 said; you don't need to apply heat for more than a second, so there's little chance of burning anything out. I've never burnt out a pot with this station (though I've wrecked a bunch with weaker irons). I've even soldered/desoldered 40 year old computer chips at that temp, and my C64 works just fine.
Delightful mix of insolence, arrogance and narcissism
Republican moderate trapped in a heavy metal chassis
Growing up, only kid in the neighborhood with an Uncle Ahkbar
Republican moderate trapped in a heavy metal chassis
Growing up, only kid in the neighborhood with an Uncle Ahkbar
Oh... Yeah, I saw that model on Amazon. This is the one you should have gotten:tobijohn wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:20 pmI get all of that that but the real problem is that the soldering iron itself is much heavier, much longer and more unwieldly. It would be tough for me to get into tight spaces without hitting something else. It was designed for working on stained glass where you don't have to worry about melting the insulation off of a wire on an adjacent lug 1/4" away. The perfect solution would be an iron the same size but with maybe 20 watts more. I probably should have looked at other brand options besides Weller but they have a great reputation and I've been satisfied so far with the model I have. I didn't realize how much larger and more cumbersome the WLC-200 was until i actually held it in my hand...Mossman wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:00 pm I prefer a higher watt soldering station myself. I've gotten by with 25 and 40 watt soldering irons in the past, but I struggled with them, and my work would often fail on me. Cold joints and weak adhesion were a frequent occurrence. And you could forget about re-flowing old solder, without having to add more solder to get it going.
I run my soldering station at 800° F (which is what I believe is industry standard), and it's so much easier and quicker, and all my connections are rock-solid. When I wire something up, it stays that way.
Like @Chocol8 said; you don't need to apply heat for more than a second, so there's little chance of burning anything out. I've never burnt out a pot with this station (though I've wrecked a bunch with weaker irons). I've even soldered/desoldered 40 year old computer chips at that temp, and my C64 works just fine.
https://smile.amazon.com/Weller-WE1010N ... =hi&sr=1-3
If you want a cheaper option, this is the one that I have (except mine doesn't have the "helping hands"). It's not a name brand, but I've been using it for about 3 years now, and it works great.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01DGZFSNE/ ... UTF8&psc=1
This is also a very popular station. It's ubiquitous in all the electronics channels on YouTube, but it costs about the same as the Weller.
https://smile.amazon.com/Hakko-FX888D-2 ... 028&sr=8-7
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Thanks for the recommendations, I should have done a little more homework but I was impatient and wanted to be up and running before this weekend. Plus I liked the idea of getting a $75 soldering station for less than half price...Mossman wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:38 pm Oh... Yeah, I saw that model on Amazon. This is the one you should have gotten:
https://smile.amazon.com/Weller-WE1010N ... =hi&sr=1-3
If you want a cheaper option, this is the one that I have (except mine doesn't have the "helping hands"). It's not a name brand, but I've been using it for about 3 years now, and it works great.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01DGZFSNE/ ... UTF8&psc=1
This is also a very popular station. It's ubiquitous in all the electronics channels on YouTube, but it costs about the same as the Weller.
https://smile.amazon.com/Hakko-FX888D-2 ... 028&sr=8-7
Delightful mix of insolence, arrogance and narcissism
Republican moderate trapped in a heavy metal chassis
Growing up, only kid in the neighborhood with an Uncle Ahkbar
Republican moderate trapped in a heavy metal chassis
Growing up, only kid in the neighborhood with an Uncle Ahkbar
Yeah, it's hard to pass up a deal like that... I probably would have gone for it myself. It's hard to tell from the photos that it's much bigger than a regular soldering iron.
[edit]
I didn't see the photo in your OP when I first read it (I was on mt cell phone). It is quite a bit bigger.
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80 watts is too much for the work you are doing. As you said, more bulky and harder to maneuver. You don't need the mass as the temp drop is so small 40 watts should be fine. I'm certified IPC soldering as it's part of a requirement for work and was building Heathkits before i got my drivers license back in 78'. I have 3 Weller stations, a couple guns and about 20 single irons i don't use.
As for 800 degrees, no way. I use 640-650 at work and about the same in the basement workspace or the garage work bench. Maybe crank it up to 750- 800 for a minute while soldering on the back of a pot, then it is still get-in get-out and back to my normal temp. If you need to go much higher, you have problems somewhere. As to Ebay or Amazon tips, nope. By a good iron or station, Weller or Hakko and use their brand tips only. Maybe Plato, i have some but never used them yet. All other tips suck. All clone stations suck and are garbage. They might work now but the dials are off, heaters burn out and the tips are crappy metal that just melt away.
$109 will get you a Weller digital station, rated at 70 watts but take that as a grain of salt, it's 40w-60w. Your Kia doesn't have 400hp either. It takes the tips they used in the older models and are about $5-6 each through a genuine dealer once you decide what size or sizes you need. I rarely swap tips. I have a fine pointy one for IC's, a chisel maybe the .062 size(.125?), and a larger chisel if i am soldering a amplifier chassis ground.
Weller WE1010NA Digital Soldering Station is the model they sell now and we have these all over work, right next to the $1000 Pace stations. They do fall asleep if you are not using them, which is good for tip life. On the other hand i have the Weller WESD51 (50w) which was the older model and i do prefer but they are discontinued now.
I've never changed a tip yet in my WESD51 since i bought it a few years back.
https://www.jensentools.com/weller-et-s ... d51/g/8380
As for 800 degrees, no way. I use 640-650 at work and about the same in the basement workspace or the garage work bench. Maybe crank it up to 750- 800 for a minute while soldering on the back of a pot, then it is still get-in get-out and back to my normal temp. If you need to go much higher, you have problems somewhere. As to Ebay or Amazon tips, nope. By a good iron or station, Weller or Hakko and use their brand tips only. Maybe Plato, i have some but never used them yet. All other tips suck. All clone stations suck and are garbage. They might work now but the dials are off, heaters burn out and the tips are crappy metal that just melt away.
$109 will get you a Weller digital station, rated at 70 watts but take that as a grain of salt, it's 40w-60w. Your Kia doesn't have 400hp either. It takes the tips they used in the older models and are about $5-6 each through a genuine dealer once you decide what size or sizes you need. I rarely swap tips. I have a fine pointy one for IC's, a chisel maybe the .062 size(.125?), and a larger chisel if i am soldering a amplifier chassis ground.
Weller WE1010NA Digital Soldering Station is the model they sell now and we have these all over work, right next to the $1000 Pace stations. They do fall asleep if you are not using them, which is good for tip life. On the other hand i have the Weller WESD51 (50w) which was the older model and i do prefer but they are discontinued now.
I've never changed a tip yet in my WESD51 since i bought it a few years back.
https://www.jensentools.com/weller-et-s ... d51/g/8380
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Sinster
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I have a Aoyue 937+ 45w I purchased June 14, 2012 and this thing still serves me well. I use for pickup winding, pedal building, making my own 1/4 / XLR cables and fixing other electronic parts. I find the sweat spot at 350-360 (662-680) . The only time I go higher is when I want to solder pickup cover to the base.
Some XLR cables I finished
Some XLR cables I finished