amyb54•1mo ago

The $15 soldering iron from a pawn shop that outlasted my Weller

I picked up this random old Ungar soldering iron at a pawn shop in Dayton for $15 last year, thinking I'd use it for rough jobs. Two months later my Weller died mid-repair on a vintage receiver and this beat up thing fixed it perfectly. The tips are still available online too. Anyone else ever get lucky with a junk find like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

clark.joel1mo ago

I used to be one of those guys who thought you had to spend big money on a Weller or nothing. Then my buddy handed me a beat up Hakko from a garage sale and it's been my daily driver for three years now. This Ungar story totally backs up what I learned the hard way.

seth4421mo ago

Snag a used Hakko 888 off eBay for like forty bucks and see if it dies on you. I've got one that's been kicking around for five years (dropped it on concrete twice) and it still heats up faster than my buddy's brand new Weller. The secret is buying a couple extra tips and keeping them tinned. Most people give up on irons because they let the tip oxidize, not because the tool is bad.