Free soldering station - good enough for cap kits and repairs?

mchay

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Free soldering station - good enough for cap kits and repairs?

Hi everyone,

I've been looking for a soldering station for a couple of weeks now, and one of my friends came by with one I could have for free - if it is good enough.

It's a Weller Whs40:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Weller-Whs40-Temp-Controlled-Solder/dp/B0001P17EW

If I buy various tip sizes - would it be sufficient for installing cap kits and doing general repairs with, or should I look around for another soldering station?

Thanks in advance :)
 
For free, yes - but only if I'm really going to use it - therefore I'm asking if it's powerfull enough for various soldering jobs, or I should find something else.
 
For cap kits, just about any soldering iron you can get your hands on will do just fine. The standard 30 watt Radio Shack iron is perfect - and of course, anything better will work fine too.

Monitor circuit boards are very simple, single sided, and easy to work on. Heck, you could probably do a cap kit with a screwdriver heated over a torch.

-Ian
 
Well, then I'll just take it and be happy. Maybe use some money on a couple of different tips, solderwick, some 60/40 - and get soldering :)
 
I have a similar tool, that I've been using with my old cheap soldering iron. But I need to buy a helping hand/third hand holder for the various prints and connectors I will be working on.
 
But I need to buy a helping hand/third hand holder for the various prints and connectors I will be working on.

Sounds like a job for the universal wonder tool - duct tape. OK, I typically use electrical tape, but, same deal. Just tape down whatever component/connector you're trying to solder, then tack it in place in the corners. Then, remove the tape, reheat the corners and push the connector flush with the board. This is great for those weird situations when working on large boards, where you can't quite get a good grip with your fingers.

If I'm working on something where I need to reference a schematic or something a lot, I stick the page to the wall behind the workbench. Hard drive magnets are great for this - you can stick them to the screws holding the drywall in, or in my case I also use the metal shelf brackets.

-Ian
 
Hi everyone,

I've been looking for a soldering station for a couple of weeks now, and one of my friends came by with one I could have for free - if it is good enough.

It's a Weller Whs40:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Weller-Whs40-Temp-Controlled-Solder/dp/B0001P17EW

If I buy various tip sizes - would it be sufficient for installing cap kits and doing general repairs with, or should I look around for another soldering station?

Thanks in advance :)

Its a great iron...as long as your line voltage is 240 volts....
 
It is indeed 240V. Well, sounds like I should just thank my buddy and get soldering - thanks for det reply's everybody :)
 
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