On 09/19/2014 08:33 PM, Tothwolf wrote:
I don't really think $10-15 for a high quality tip
is too steep at all
(and I'm /always/ looking for a bargain). I can't afford cheap tools.
With Hakko tips, there is a huge difference in the way the genuine parts
are made and the way the Shenzhen-import counterfeits are made. I
suspect the same is true with Weller tips.
The Weller TCP tips, as far as I know are only made by Weller.
Fortunately, they've been made for >50 years. Very simple
principle--the heater contains a switch that's operated by a magnet and
a slug. The tips contain a slug of magnetic metal with a specific Curie
temperature. When the slug gets to that point, it ceases to be
magnetic. No fancy electronics in the iron at all. In my own iron,
I've replaced the heater and switch at various times (parts are still
available). The base is little more than a 24V transformer.
Tips can often be found as NOS closeout. I'm still working on a
shopping bag of tips that I picked up for $0.25 each when Sunnyvale
Electronics went out of business (sometime during the 70s).
--Chuck