Damn Weller Soldering Irons!!!

1) Return the iron for a refund.

2) Hakko 456 is a pretty darn good iron depending on what you are doing. I use one for most of my lead work. I run it on a controller set at about 8.

3) Hexacon 175 watt for copper foil. Also have that set at about 8 and can solder beads all day long with no drop in temp.

Andy

YEARS (about 22+) OF USING A UNGAR 1140A..about 1,000 degrees heater,,,,,,,,,,DO NOT GET THE ONE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO ONLY REPLACE THE TIP.......way too much heat is lost!

now owned by...........(weller?)

Your wholesaler should be able to get them.

buy an extra HP heater, about 1100 degrees.

Too hot you say??????????work faster

Strongly suggest you use an auxiliary rheostat (translates as a separate one) I do not use a self regulating temp control........I want the temp I WANT WHEN I WANT IT!

h

You have been using the SAME iron for 22 years? U DA MAN!!!! I can't get

22 weeks out of one.

Enough said. I don't know which is a bigger pile of junk, the Wellers, the Inlands, or Delphi's knock-offs of the Wellers.

I don't normally do copper foil, faster isn't the issue with me.

I just want one to work...at a temp that won't fry the lead came.

Hexacon 200w with external Hexacon temp controller.... never burned out; left on overnight many times. Only time one has failed me is when I ripped it apart trying to get a frozen tip out. That was MY fault! I'm talking decades of reliable performance from mine. Can be spendy, so don't overlook ebay. I bought 5/8" chisel point tips for about half price on auction last year. The 200w is a heavy weight to use for hours on end though, but get the size YOU need for your purposes.....personally I like heat that lasts and doesn't drop, so I tolerate the weight. Pros use pro tools.

cheers, Jacques Bordeleau

I agree, pretty much. Use the Hakko, 456 .....like the ceramic heater, gets it hot NOW, and cools nicely also, light weight for long hours of soldering larger panels, lead came mostly. Use the same Iron for foil, but I don't use controllers for anything, except "new-hires", and they don't use them long. These are not chisels or hammers nor do they work well as a pry bar, soldering they do extremely well. Have been using the same iron for 4 years, have used several tips in that time, but no big deal.

Also use American Beauty, but they are very available here, made in MI, so I find them at garage sales, they are re-buildable, but about the same weight as Hexacon, solder lampshades with them, down near my waist(area). Have a box full of different temps and they all work well.

i still stand by my pair of Inland pro 100s. I keep 'em both on full hot, toss one down and grab the other if they cool, they're light enough so the weight and my constant use doesn't aggravate my neck/shoulders/back too much. i do copper foil so they stay hot all day, and they tend to last a couple years (usually) m

Get a Hexacon Iron. Bendheim in New York is where I got mine. I've been using it for over 15 years. A couple times a year I put a new tip on it.

You are a genius, my dear....;-) I'll remember your 2-gun method I'm sure, when I solder the next big panel in a day or so, and my arm starts to ache. Hexacon makes smaller watt irons too, and hatchet handles... all kinds. I may be shopping soon.

cheers, SkiDog

Couldn't agree more. I stopped selling them in my shop 15 years ago, because of the problems you mentioned. The best cheapie, hottest, lightweight, coolest name, iron ever made was the HOT ROD! Wish I could find a couple dozen of them.

I like Hexicon too, but they are heavy. The large irons, 150w, are indespensable for heavy work and rebar. for regular work I like my ungar irons. However Weller recently bought them out so they may be listed as weller irons now. Look for cat # 7760. Its red, extreamly light. It's listed as only 40W or something like that. Don't be fooled by that. It's hotter than any iron (except for hexicon) I have ever used and has excellent heat recovery time. it weighs about 6oz. They last a year or so before you have to change the heater which just screws in. (thats the expensive part) Heater and handle are sometimes sold separatly. get the #33 or#37 heater for the 7760 handle #33 is hotter but the tip is not replaceable #37 is cooler but the chisel tip, or tip of your choice can be changed.

around Liam