13 Sep
2011
13 Sep
'11
2:54 p.m.
Since such a solderion station is a major invenstment (at least for a
hobbyist like me), how easy is it to get spares for
them (I don't just
mena replacemetn tips). One thing that attracted me to the Weller TCP was
that all parts were available.
-tony
I got all my tips on Ebay.? Really, I end up using the low-temp small chisel tip (I
believe the STTC-037) for almost everything, including surface mount.? Sometimes the
larger chisel tip for big joints, and rarely the conical tip for soldering tiny wires onto
small connectors, where there's just not much space.? I just scan the listings for
tips; usually several tips are sold in a batch.? It's reasonable to spend up to $10
per desired tip, counting the tips I wasn't searching for as bonuses.? The MX series
is still being made, and won't go away any time soon.? I believe you can get a whole
system on the order of $100 if you are patient, and aren't to squeamish about doing a
bit of cleaning up.
I've used the same tips for about 5 years (admittedly, not every day), and haven't
seen any degradation yet.
Dave