Review on 🔥 Weller Medium Size Soldering Iron - WLACCWSM2 02 by Jeremy Meza

I've been making custom LED strips for use around the home over the past few years and have acquired more and more equipment over time so that whenever I'm working on a project my workspace is littered with tools, solder, Pins, wires, etc. I bought this heat resistant mat to reduce clutter. Unfortunately, this mat didn't help much. The rug is a little smaller than I expected and hoped. I know the product listing mentions this as a 'medium sized' rug so I'm not sure if Weller sells a larger sized rug, but this particular red rug could take up another square foot of workspace. I was already cramped when working with LED strips, cables, soldering iron and a helping hand. I like a little more "elbow room" when working on soldering projects. Maybe it's the result of my fire starting paranoia and I want to try to keep flammable objects away from the iron etc. But apart from the size of this rug, it really does what it says on the tin. It's heat resistant as I processed my strips directly on the pad when soldering and didn't allow any burn marks or holes in the silicone. The mat is flexible as expected and easy to roll up to put back in the box. However, the downside to this is that you can't store your small items (pins, diodes, etc.) in the storage area with flip-top lids, as these lids open once you fold the mat. The only downside to silicone is that when I'm soldering I sometimes like to work with LED strips taped to my workbench, but the tape I usually use doesn't stick well to silicone. This is not a specific problem with this mat, but rather the properties of the silicone. Magnets are a nice touch when working with small items/tools that are magnetic so they don't disappear on you. However, one of the magnets on the top of the mat looks like it will soon rip through the silicone after rolling it up a few times in the future (see attached image). The best part of this mat's design is the "chute" in the center of the mat which does a great job of collecting all those solder balls you end up with. In the past they have stuck to the surface I am working on and have always attached themselves to the LED strips or strips I am working with and constantly got in the way. The trough certainly eliminated that hassle. One last thing to mention is that this rug is the BACK of what is shown in the product images on this listing. I think I'll mention this in case anyone prefers the bowl and lid arrangement. If I could I would give this rug a 3.5 for the size and the fact that some of the magnets look like they are already done. break through the silicone. But other than that, it does what it's supposed to.