Reddit reviews Weller WESD51 Digital Soldering Station
We found 31 Reddit comments about Weller WESD51 Digital Soldering Station. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Microprocessor Controlled With Digital Led DisplayAllows User To Read Temperature Setting & Actual Tip TemperatureDesigned For Continuous Production Soldering
I have had this one for about 10 years. It has been awesome. There is an analog one that is under $100 that is just as nice.
Around $100 would be a good start. I bought this one. But there is it's non-digital brother. It holds temp very well, (dial it right in with the digital display) even when soldering large battery connectors. Changes temps very quickly. It does everything I use it for. This hobby, fixing TVs, stereos and other electronics. Not quite a production station but it would hold up well in small runs.
Do get an assortment of tips. There are many types, pin point, various width flat heads, etc. What you need will depend on what you are soldering.
Than just take care of the tips. Always clean and tin them when done.
There are many brands out there. Weller has been around for a long time. This station just works for me.
I am a fan of the Weller WESD51
The Hakko FX888D is also very popular.
Both companies have parts that are widely available.
I've heard a lot of people in /r/arduino and similar speak highly of moderately-priced soldering stations like this Weller one. While I love my JBC, on price alone I can't entirely recommend it.
What I've always found is best are skinny (and preferably interchangeable) tips with a decently powerful element behind them, giving a good mix of precision and power. You should definitely buy a "station" style soldering iron rather than the cheaper kind where the mains cable goes straight into the iron, the lighter-weight cable between the base and iron makes the whole process so much easier.
My advice for learning would be to start with an everything-included kit that produces some kind of usable item at the end. This was the first Google result for "through hole soldering 101 kit", which appears to be some kind of "Simon" game. Coincidentally, one of the first things I remember making with my own soldering iron. You can move onto surface-mount, assuming you don't get the bug and decide to go straight to reflow soldering once you've figured out which is the hot end of the iron, buying a reasonable iron rather than a bargain-basement one so you get a sufficiently precise tool will enable your first purchase to carry on working for you longer.
My only other piece of advice would be to avoid lead-free solder like the plague until you've figured out the ins and outs of the process. It's almost universally terrible stuff to hand solder with at first and takes a lot of getting used to. Just stick with the easy to use leaded solder and avoid breathing too much of it until you've got the process down.
I hate to say it, but RadShack makes my favorite budget desktop soldering iron. I have one of these and it works wonderfully. I've been through about 40 tips over the last 3 years with it, not counting one-use modified tips.
At the school lab, we were using this (in quantity at lab desk) or this (instructor's, who would loan it if we knew how to solder). I am going to miss the school lab. Transferring to the next higher level at a different university, where a friend attends, and their lab sucks.
If I bought a new one, I'd get the Weller WD1002. Until I upgrade to that, I'll keep my radshack 64-053.
If you buy a $13 soldering iron, you're buying a $13 soldering iron. Some will work better, some will work worse. Really doesn't matter where you bought it. I never had one last more than a few months.
If yours started out working ok then didn't, make sure your tip is clean. A highly oxidised tip left on overnight isn't going to work well, no matter the iron... if your tip is black, replace it. If it only came with a fine point tip, consider a different shape tip. Fine point tips (generally) only work well with higher power soldering irons.
If you want contactless-soldering, then you're not looking for an iron. You're looking for either a hot air reflow station or an iRDA station. Irons are meant to touch the solder to melt it. Hot air works with solder paste, meant for very low temp soldering (SMD safe). iRDA uses infrared light to melt solder, generally used for specialized surface soldering.
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It sounds like you may be a little new to soldering, so I also highly recommend this comic to you... Soldering is Easy - PDF. I highly recommend it to those who have been around the block a few times as well.
I'm in the process of building my first FPV drone with my 11 year old son. Tools I owned or have purchased for this are:
A set of small screw drivers. I found a set in the bargain bin at NAPA Auto that had straight, philips, a few hex, a few sockets.
A decent electronics soldering station. Not the gun. I have a digital Weller that is easy to control, but the analog is just as good for these purposes.
A third hand. There are many different kinds. I got a cheap $5 one at Harbor Freight. Not great, but does the job.
Solder, de-soldering wick, flux (maybe)
Depending on where you're doing your work, might want an air-filter or fan.
A magnifying lamp is helpful but not necessary.
An assortment of board stand-offs/spacers is handy.
A good small pair of wire snips.
Wire stripper
A digital multimeter is not a bad idea.
Those are all the major tools you might need. Plus all the drone parts. batteries/charger. Radio/receiver. Camera/receiver(goggles or screen).
In short, it's a lot of stuff. The drone parts end up being the least expensive part, honestly.
Above links are just examples, not necessarily endorsements.
You mentioned you're on a budget, which I totally understand. Building is not the cheapest route, but it's been a lot of fun so far. People who've done it for a while tend to forget the cost of tools. Once you've built one, subsequent drones are relatively cheap. You can re-use batteries, the charger, most decent radios, even the receiver.
If you're not in a hurry, Bangood is a good source for cheap(er) parts. You're on your own for support, usually, but there's lots of help out there.
Huge fan of the Weller WSD51.
Hey dude, I had never soldered before I soldered together my infinity 60% from massdrop. I just bought this soldering iron and bought this learn to solder thing and all I did was just solder in all the pieces, unsolder a few of them to get the hang of that in case I messed up on my board, and that was it. I built my keyboard and it's amazing.
Yes, it's definitely worth paying for the Weller WESD51 or its analog version.
Any decent iron will get the job done, but the Weller station is dependable and well designed. It gets hot fast and keep temperature even when faced with larger solder joints like those on your XT60 connectors, and you can get small tips like the Weller ETO for tight spaces like pin headers on your FC.
I've used the Hakko soldering station as well, and though it works just fine, I was a bit annoyed that it takes several button presses to change the temperature (you have to cycle through each decimal place), but the Weller simply has a knob. To me, this was a huge design failure that interrupts my work when I need higher or lower temps.
The most important thing about having successful Deans connectors setup is the soldering iron. The discount 10W-30W 'idiot wand' soldering iron is just not going to cut it in this case. You will suffer, you will hate soldering, your joints will look bad, and they will not be strong.
Invest in a good soldering iron with at least 50W like this one. I use the digital readout version which is fancier but that's it.
It pays itself off almost right away if you plan to do any sort of random electrical work.
Female plugs always are on the battery, so that they can't short out by accident easily.
I bought a Weller for an RC car project. It has variable digital temperature control. I haven't done any keyboard soldering but I'm pretty sure it is up to the task.
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ARU9PO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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The Hako is also highly recommended.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000ARU9PO?cache=b13a50eab5e12b5fe0e7396d2b86eed1#ref=pd_aw_sbs_hi_6
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BRC2XU?cache=b13a50eab5e12b5fe0e7396d2b86eed1#ref=pd_aw_sbs_hi_2
These are both good the analog one is s bit cheaper bit I think is a solid kit, keeps consistent temp very well and heats up extremely quick... 500degrees in about 20 seconds from dead cold
For (bigger) diagonal cutters/pliers, I think the most BIFL are NWS with their "Titan finish". Knipex is a fairly close second, but I like the finish on NWS better. Both can handle hard and medium hard wire (including nails and screws) without a problem, unlike most Klein, Snap-On, etc. The biggest issue is finding NWS in the US. The NWS Fantastico Plus are the best diagonal cutters I've ever laid my hands on.
For precision cutters/pliers, Xuron. They're semi-flush (Xuron call them flush, but I'd still call them semi-flush) micro sheer cutters are great but thankfully don't seem to nick up easily like (Xcelite, Snap-On, etc.) flush cutters do. I like the ones with that are ESD safe, with extra long handles, and the lead retainer best if you're going to be populating a lot of circuit boards. Otherwise, their cheaper models are just as nice.
Wiha precision screwdrivers. I've given this set as a gift before. Wera for the bigger stuff if you need it. Wiha or Wera bits (only larger sizes, I've never found precision bits I've particularly liked).
Klein to fill in gaps.
Bondhus hex keys.
Find a nice used Fluke multimeter on eBay. 89IV go for under $200 and have pretty much identical features to the 189 (believe the 189 mostly just has a bigger inductance/capacitance range). Most universities will have someone tasked with calibration/maintaining the measurement equipment. Make friends and he'll probably calibrate it for you/teach you how/just let you jump in and try. Mine was falling out of the box after UPS drop kicked it to my door, but the calibration was still super boring as nothing needed adjustment.
Hakko or Weller soldering station. Easy to find tips, especially for Weller. WESD51 dropped to $99 on Amazon a couple times in the last year, great time to scoop one up for little more than the analog version. The Stahl Tools one Amazon sells is also good for dirt cheap, but not really BIFL; good luck on finding tips. Metcal is too rich for my blood, but if you ever happen across one that is cheap.
Kester "44" solder, accept no substitute. 63/37 or 60/40, but since the spool will last you half a lifetime, I'd probably go with the 63/37.
I have a love/hate relationship with wire strippers. Something like this usually gets the job done, but sometimes you'll get wire with a strange jacket size and they'll fail. For the automatic kind, this style works ok (especially if you adjust it to what you're stripping), but I usually like this style better; again, as long as the jacket isn't too small and you wire is in the right range. Sadly, I probably most often grab for cheapies like this. The adjustment screw is great if you have to do a lot of a certain size, but I tend to free hand them. It takes quite a bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it, it's the fastest. Thermal wire strippers are just too pricey for the home user, especially if you want to do PVC, teflon, etc. jacketed wire.
I also have a love/hate relationship with crimpers. I have some crimpers I got for Anderson Powerpole connectors from West Mountain Radio (largely because I couldn't believe how cheap they are-- connector-specific crimpers are usually many times the price they charge) and they were great for the Powerpoles. I even bought some of the other die sets, but I've been less happy with those. I often end up using a similar pair to these or the die on a pair of Klein lineman's pliers for the larger crimps.
http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WESD51-Digital-Soldering-Station/dp/B000ARU9PO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1418257406&sr=8-4&keywords=weller+soldering+iron 125 - 150$ area
Not at all. While it's not impossible to use a cheap soldering iron and get a good job done, it will save you a TON of hassel by getting a good one. RadioShack irons are more trouble than 2x what they're worth. My soldering jobs have been a pleasure to do since I upgraded, and I solder often so that's important to me. I use the Weller WESD51, and it's an absolute joy to use. If your on a bit more of a budget, my friend is a professional luthier and he's never complained about the WLC100, which is also from Weller.
Do it. It's worth it.
Things like and use:
Multimeter
http://www.amazon.com/Fluke-115-Compact-True-RMS-Multimeter/dp/B000OCFFMW
Rejuvenator B&K 467
https://youtu.be/Vw7nmuGdDs0
Desoldering System
www.circuitspecialists.com/Compact_Desoldering_System.html
Piano Dolly
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008O38RRI/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1462964894&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=piano+dolly&dpPl=1&dpID=41KxMtcoCtL&ref=plSrch
Soldering Iron
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000ARU9PO/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1462964939&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=weller+soldering+iron&dpPl=1&dpID=41QcOpgh0eL&ref=plSrch
I personally use the Weller WESD51 and love it.
On the cheaper side, I'm told the Hakko FX888D is excellent, and at less than a hundred bucks, you can't go wrong.
It's not too hard to learn soldering. I recommend having a good iron. I had a cheap Radio Shack iron when I was in High School and part of College. I could not solder to save my life. The tips always oxidized quickly, it was never very hot, it sucked.
Eventually I was gifted a nice Weller iron (slightly cheaper) and it makes soldering a breeze. Grab one of those irons, some thin solder, a few electronics kits and just go to town. Watch YouTube videos if you want some pointers, good ones are filmed with a microscope (or stereoscope) so you can really see what is happening.
Last, if you can really afford it, go with this pencil. I use those at work and they rock. They've got a short grip so it allows much finer control. I can do SMD all day with that and not break a sweat. It's a bit tougher with the iron I have at home but it's manageable.
http://www.amazon.com/home-improvement/dp/B000ARU9PO
I have two, both work great.
Alright, so you basically have 3 options depending on how much soldering you plan to do. If you're just gonna build one or two keyboards and and will never try to do SMD, I recommend this:
If you think you're gonna do this a lot, OR you've already had the cheap iron and want something better, you have two choices:
The Hakko is recommended by basically everyone here, and is widely used in the hobbyist world. I've used the Hakko a few times at TechShop, and it's a good station. However, I've never seen anything but a weller used commercially. I picked up a weller for my own station, I couldn't be happier with it.
No matter which of these 3 you end up you'll be happy.
LOL @ $42 being pricy...
I have a Weller soldering station that is a little more expensive than that. Of course, I use it on a regular basis, for sometimes hours at a time, so it's worth spending the money for good tools.
I have the hot air only version of the first one, the 858D. It's okay, gets the job done. I got it on the recommendation of a friend who uses it all the time and is really happy with it.
For a soldering iron though, IMO you'd be better served by something name brand like the Hakko FX888D or the Weller WES51. I have the WESD51 and it has served me well. For J Random Soldering Iron, the temperature control might not be very good, and it might be tough getting different tips.
A decent budget option might be a hakko 936 knockoff, which should have pretty good availability of replacement tips.
Maybe I got lucky? Not really sure, but my experience went quite smoothly with it. Took several hours, and I forgot to solder the end key at first, but other than that no problems. You certainly want to use a heat controlled soldering iron though.
If you're interested I used a soldering station like this one(didn't actually buy it, borrowed from work), some Kester 44 solder, and a cheap desoldering gun that I got with the purchase of some speakers from parts express.
I like my Weller WESD51. With that said, if I were buying something now I'd look at the Haako 888D -- though I've never used it. It has excellent reviews, is $30 cheaper than the Weller, has more power, and is otherwise spec'ed similarly.
Resale value wouldn't even be on my list of criteria for purchasing a soldering iron. I'd be looking at
That will work perfectly fine. I got this as a grad gift a little while back.
Anything Weller
http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WESD51-Digital-Soldering-Station/dp/B000ARU9PO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1323148923&sr=8-3
You won't find a battery powered iron worth using. The reason you always feel the cord is in the way is just because you have a crappy iron. Good irons have cords that are very flexible and easy to deal with.
I have the Weller WESD51 and I like it a lot. I use it mostly for SMD down to around 0402 passives or 0.5mm pitch leaded or leadless packages. It has enough power to do bigger projects as well, but of course you wouldn't want to use it to solder copper pipe or something.
There are many other good irons out there, it just depends on what your price range is and what features you want.
I honestly think you would regret buying a cordless iron.
WESD51 has an analog dial and a digital display
http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WESD51-Digital-Soldering-Station/dp/B000ARU9PO
This is complete overkill for NERF needs but Weller is known for high quality soldering irons
This is the one I use but it's over your budget (I do more than NERF stuff)
This is what I would recommend for starting out. It's good but totally not stupid expensive.
I would avoid soldering irons that don't have the cradle/base (although you can buy a cradle separately)
If your budget allows for it, this is what I have:
http://www.amazon.com/Weller-WESD51-Digital-Soldering-Station/dp/B000ARU9PO
I haven't done professional hardware development in 20 years, but back then this station was everywhere. With this one, you cannot go wrong.
Today there might be cheaper solutions that are usable. If you go through the episodes in this video blog http://www.eevblog.com/episodes/ you'll find many reviews of soldering stations and somewhere even recommendations for good starting tools.