I soldered a lot and my original weller just died. Prices have increased significantly in recent years, so I decided to try this device. Mine is Velleman; this is exactly the same device. If you follow the guide to "breaking in" the tip, you shouldn't have any problems in the future. The iron holds its temperature and has a large usable range and power to get the job done harder. Pros: With only 2050 watts you can solder tips and larger inductors. The tip is small enough to work with smaller pads. A much more expensive Caddy iron is durable, you won't accidentally knock it out Nozzles are easy to find and only cost about $3 An iron is much smaller than a Radio Shack iron, easier to use When current starts flowing, it weakens a little. Yes, a $150-$200 Weller will walk around this iron, but for the price, it's a great value. I've built amps and completed the project using this hardware and had absolutely no problems with it.