triceratops Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 Back in my younger days I used to build various electronic kits (Dyna PAT-4, Heathkit TA-16 Guitar Amp, Anderton devices, etc) and do simple repairs to my cables and guitar amps. I have used a Weller soldering pencil for years and have wanted to eventually get a fancy temperature-controlled soldering station. Now that my Klipsch hobby has gotten me back into messing around with electonics (recently replaced the power supply caps in my Eico HF-81) I again started thinking about getting a better soldering rig. Yesterday I saw a new Weller WES51 Soldering station on sale at a local electronics store. This is the successor to the WES50 and normal retail is about $100. The WES51 is on sale for $80 and comes with a $20 rebate certificate to bring the price down to $60. That seems like a great deal to me, but what do the resident soldering iron experts think? I've heard that Hakko stuff is also well thought of and they have a similar unit for about $90. But the Weller is attractive because it is so inexpensive. Would a WES51 be good enough for use on tweaks or assembly of high-end audio gear? Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions. Best in horns, triceratops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 For production work Metcal is the best. They start about $300. I own four different Ungar irons, I use one 95% of the time, another 4.99999% of the time. If I did any SMT stuff I would have to buy another iron. As far as I an concerned, anything between a simple Ungar and a Metcal is a waste of time and money. I use a Metcal at work, but that is $300 (each) parts on an $800 (bare) board. I'd rather use a Metcal at home, but I don't do enough work to justify the expense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsmyforte Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 at that price, the weller is a steal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audio_kid Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 I work as an engineer for a pro audio manufacturer, and I specify soldering equipment. We have about 50 Hakko 936 soldering stations, available for under $100. The advantage is that replacement parts are readily available and EASY to install. On the other hand, Weller (owned by Cooper Group) tends to be of lower quality and part repalcement tends to be difficult. Metcal is good for SMT... it heats using RF energy rather than a resistive element. It's costly, and the tip type determines the temperature (non-adjustable). If you're working on tube and transistor (thru-hole) soldering, the variable temperature feature of the Hakko is an advantage. We use Hakko 8 hours per day, 5 days per week, with great success. For a deal, check out ebay for a used 926 or 936 station... it's all you'll need. -Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.4knee Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 I would suggest PACE equipment for soldering but its very expensive. Temperature controlled solder / de-solder stations can start around $800 and go up from there but they are excellent for production work and have been used by DOD and Mil Spec operators for decades, especially on multi-layer boards and surface and dense mount componentry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triceratops Posted January 22, 2004 Author Share Posted January 22, 2004 J.4knee, audio_kid, itsmyforte, and djk, Thank you all for your insights and suggestions. I had heard good things about the Hakko before from a local parts shop. There is also a discussion of soldering stations on a ham radio bulletin board that praises the Hakko. They also say some good things about the Weller WES51, but they seem most committed to the Hakko 936. I think the price difference would be about $30. Best regards, triceratops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkBK Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 I too have been looking at new stations - Radio Shack has one for 69.00 - variable temp - looks very similar to the Hako. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 Thanks for the thread here. I've been wondering what kind of soldering gear to acquire for amp repair and kit building. Would these recommendations still hold for a rank newbie. Any advice for the novice solder guy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEC Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 Don't know a lot about the quality of this little soldering station, but the price sure looks right. On the other hand replacement tips seem a bit high at $3.28 each. http://mcm.newark.com/NewarkWebCommerce/mcm/en_US/support/catalog/productDetail.jsp?id=21-6050 Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triceratops Posted January 23, 2004 Author Share Posted January 23, 2004 Thanks for the tip, Bob. By the way, what would be a likely reading on a VOM for a 16 ohm K-77 voice coil? Best in horns, triceratops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEC Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 Expected dc resistance of a 16 ohm K-77 (EV T-35) voice coil is around 9 to 10 ohms. The 8 ohm is around 6. That is what you read on new ones or ones manufactured since around the 70's. Some old original ones read somewhat higher, I think because aluminum was used in some of the early ones. I have measured around 12 ohms on some old original 16 ohm diapharagms. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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