Electronics guru's....Is this solder station OK ?

[Mojoman]

So I am getting quite into my arduino and parts etc....however I do need to buy a semi decent soldering iron...Saw this one and wondered if anyone has any experience with this?

https://www.adendorff.co.za/product/mac-afric-2-in-1-soldering-station-with-digital-display/
 

[Mojoman]

Well, if anyone is interested I bought this today, unit works very well, quick to heat up (and cool back down, has sleep function as well). Hot air gun gets proper hot too! Kit came with a set of tweezer/little plier things as well as 6 or 7 different tips and various heads for the heat gun. Been soldering and mucking about all afternoon....what a pleasure to solder with something that does the job right....not like the crappy thing I have! (and I discovered the wonderful thing called a Solder Wick, great for those stuff ups!)

This on the other hand is a complete and utter piece of crap....literally lasted 5 minutes before the tiny wires for the LEDS snapped in the head assembly when I moved the head to try and get a better position....l The head is not far enough over and above the work piece for it to be of any use....will take it to work next week and try and modify it a bit...its also ultra light so it has the habit of wanting to fall over....another quality Chinese product! 

https://www.adendorff.co.za/product/mac-afric-soldering-iron-stand-led-light/
 

[Rocket-Boy]

Strange I have never seen soldering stations at Adendorff before.

That looks pretty cool though.

I was in the same situation a few months back and opted for the Hakko knock off from Banggood, works pretty well and has direct tip heating.

[eccc whippet]

I have been using weller products for years... my gas unit packed up... sent it in for repairs... was told they cant fix them.

 

shopped around to replace it ...bought a major tech gas unit... it broke the second time i tried to refill it...a real piece of junk... so i shopped around again for a new weller gas unit... just not prepared to pay R2000 for something they cant repair ...i ended up buying a dremel gas soldering iron kit for R400... i thought for that price it would be a piece of junk... I use it literally everyday for both soldering and heat shrink...money well spent.

 

I also decided to get a soldering station for the workshop... bought a magnum model 2002 ... also money well spent. 

[LBKloppers]

Gas - go for Portasol

Magnum 2002 for the rest

[Mojoman]

I liked that Magnum 2002 but it was a bit out of my price...the MacAfric one was out of my price really as well in reality. We have a couple of Macafric compressors and tools at work and they get abused but seem to solder on....

As a side note the Macafric has a switch that stops the heater gun from blowing when its in its cradle....

I was about ready to box it up and take it back...

RTFM!

[Cois]

Have a Magnum 2002 station somewhere. Bought it because I needed to solder quite a few Raspberry Pi systems and had to solder quite a few wires for the systems we build and the CEO I worked for would not spend money on a solder iron.

We used a Magnum station at the company I worked for contracting to a university in Pretoria, and they have a Magnum that is about 20 years old and it is still working. I repaired PSUnits and would do it for 8 to 10 hours a day 4-5 days a week, and never had problems with the station... only a few burnt fingers and a few shocks