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Sorry, comment in Russian
Не самый лучший вариант, тиристорный регулятор дает жуткие наводки, слышно даже как трещит нагревательный элемент (не керамический)

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The difference between a cheap crappy iron and a regulated station with a proper plated copper tip is immense. You can not do a proper soldering job with a cheap iron.

To put that effort into building a nice stand for a piece of crap iron is just stupid.

Why not set up booths at make faire or something to let people test-drive a proper iron? Make makes the problem worse by selling that starter kit and that horrible iron.

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Posted by: Collin Cunningham on April 25, 2008 at 10:43 AM

Understood - you prefer an iron of a higher caliber. But the effort someone chooses to put into building a nice stand is not stupid. If anything the process will help people learn more about this subject.

I also disagree with your statement regarding cheap irons as I have performed a lot of delicate work with them in the past. I've enjoyed my weller wlc100 station but recently started using a xytronic 200gx and have been quite impressed with the results.

have you used the iron included in the starter kit - xytronic258?

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@Collin: are replacement tips readily available for this xytronic258? How many different profiles? Are they economical?

A soldering iron tip is not designed to last forever, and having the ability to "renew" your iron for a couple bucks every year (or more often for some of us) is a big deal.

Also there is a BIG difference between the cheapest weller product and the common import irons sold by Radio Shack and "discount" or surplus dealers. Wellers are fine tools and overall an excellent investment, with excellent parts availability. The rest, eh, not so much.

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Posted by: Collin Cunningham on April 26, 2008 at 11:09 AM

@meh - yup, 258 tips are replaceable, quite economical. check out xytronics site -
http://www.xytronic-usa.com/258-200gx-200phg_index.htm

I always keep an extra tip around.

I agree - when I switched from my old shack iron to the weller I was amazed at the difference. But with some patience I was able to complete some intricate work with the old radioshack iron. I do enjoy soldering, perhaps my extra patience gave me an advantage.
I would like to see radioshack offer better tips at the very least

My point being - My weller heating element died - so I was in a jam and needed a new iron that day. I went down to canal electronics and the owner suggested a xytronic. I rebuffed saying they were too cheap. He showed me that he uses one for all his work. I recalled seeing one used over @ ladyada.net and decided to try it - and am quite pleased.
EOM

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