[TowerTalk] TowerTalk Digest, Vol 151, Issue 65

[Shlomo]

On 29/07/2015 13:11, towertalk-request at contesting.com wrote:
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:15:38 -0700
> From: Michael OBrien <k0myw at sbcglobal.net>
> To: "<towertalk at contesting.com>" <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Slobering Irons
> Message-ID:
> 	<1438118138.98871.YahooMailBasic at web181706.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> I'm sure that some of the alternate brands of soldering irons that have been mentioned are fine products. But to describe Weller products as "crap" is contradictory to my experience.
>
> When I was getting into ham radio as a kid back in the late 1950s, my "Elmer" gave me a new Weller 100-watt gun as a gift when I passed my Novice exam. It continues to serve me well almost 60 years later after thousands of hours of use. I confess it has not always been treated kindly -- for instance, a chunk of the plastic housing was broken off when the gun took a tumble off my workbench onto the garage's concrete floor about 20 years ago. The built-in light burned out about 10 years ago. Yet the old girl continued to heat promptly and perform as designed, with only a few tip replacements required over the decades.
>
> I recently noticed that Weller sells replacement housings for this gun, as well as replacement bulbs. For about $15 I now have a refurbished gun ready for another 60 years of service -- in the hands of my grandson....
>
> de k0myw
>
>
My first soldering iron, bought over 60 years ago,  was an Esico 63, 100 
Watts with a 3/8 inch tip.  I used to build radios with it, but for many 
years now I only use it to solder PL-259 connectors.  I now use a Weller 
WTCP-S soldering station for construction.

I note that Esico is still in business, although they have changed the 
colour of their soldering iron handles from red to blue.

73 de Shlomo, 4X4LF