I've had some expensive soldering irons, most over $60, but this soldering iron is so compact and easy to set up. This will be a portable iron for me. Very fast heating, fast for a 60 watt iron. Decent reload time; a small fan behind you or a smoke vent can further reduce recovery time. The supplied sample solder is a decent mix, a small amount of core flux. The included stand was exactly what you should expect from such a standalone soldering iron. My only suggestion at the moment; To make the power button stand out more, it is slightly recessed, making it difficult to turn the iron off quickly with a non-dominant hand. General; This soldering iron makes a great replacement, portable, practice or first iron for any experience level.