Had to choose between a cheap knockoff soldering station and a proper Weller

A customer brought in a vintage Marantz receiver with a bad power supply, and my old iron died mid-job. I could have grabbed a $30 no-name station from the parts store, but I spent $180 on a Weller WE1010 instead. That was six months ago, and I've fixed over 50 boards with it since. The temperature control is rock solid and the tips last forever. Anyone else think saving a few bucks on your main tool is just asking for trouble?

3 comments

3 Comments

drewsullivan1mo ago

Honestly, I used to be that guy buying the cheap stuff to save money. After ruining a good board with a bad iron, I finally got a decent station and it's a total game changer. You just can't put a price on that kind of reliability.

felix1471mo ago

Remember that old saying about the poor man paying twice? Ever had that happen with tools?

blake_bell2927d ago

My buddy Mike bought a $20 drill from a garage sale to fix his deck. On the third screw the chuck just fell off. He spent the next 2 hours trying to get the screw out with pliers cause the bit was stuck in the wood. Ended up borrowing my Milwaukee and having the whole thing done in 20 minutes. He went out and bought a proper drill that same afternoon.