Review on Stahl Tools SSVT Temperature Controlled Soldering Iron by Raffy Baer

After I turned on the Stahl Tools (Parts Express) SSVT soldering station for the first time, it really smoked . This "feature" although it wasn't permanent. The "variable temperature settings" are very "optimistic", the numeric labels on the station's "base" should correspond to temperatures in degrees Celsius (where 450*C is the "maximum temperature"). But I doubt you can get more than 650*F (about 345*C) with this station. More realistically, this is a variable wattage station, likely with a maximum output of around 40 watts (maybe less). The included conical tip was not enough for my needs, I had to buy an extra set of chisel tips which I needed. К сожалению, когда я купил эту станцию 1 год назад, я не мог купить насадки по отдельности, только в комплекте из 4 насадок (это означает, что я тратил деньги на ненужные мне насадки), после проверки на сайте Parts Express их все not yet. Tips sold separately. Better quality tips than most in this price range (which tend to corrode and degrade after a few hours of use). Tips are mostly made of ceramic material with a metal cone that melts the solder. When the bit tips started to show signs of wear I ordered what were supposed to be similar bit tips for a similar station (sold by MPJA) but unfortunately they turned out to be too large in diameter. So this indicates that you should only buy tips from Parts Express. A similar situation with spare parts, as far as I know - does not exist. The iron takes about 60+ seconds to "warm up" (on the "Temperature dial" to 450). Although the temperature does not remain stable, it seems to fluctuate. I keep it around 400, any value below will sometimes not melt the solder (especially "lead free" solder). This station works best with frequent on-off cycles. That means I use it for 5-10 minutes, then turn it off when I'm not using it, then turn it back on for a few minutes when I need to use it again. This prolongs the life of the tips and keeps the temperature at the desired level. It may deserve 3 stars but I give it 4 for the relative durability of the tips (compared to similarly priced Weller products) which lasted me for almost a year. .