Review on Aven 17100 150 Lead Free Solder by Herthoel Yanda

First impression: works as advertised; I'll update the info if that fails, but I'll use it very simply. It took just over 1.2lbs to fill the pot the first time (just above where the crucible starts flashing) - so where it says 500g capacity, it took me 630g to fill my desired level reach. On the highest setting it took less than 10 minutes to melt as much 63/37 bar. (I just held the rod in a vise while it melted.) If you want to dip parts, you don't need to add as much solder. I like that there is a tray around the crucible to catch overflow. It smokes and stinks on the first run and they point that out in the 1 page documentation (so using it outside for the first time). Speaking of documentation, this is some of the worst Chinglish I've read in a while - they have to shell out $100 for a translation service. Given the mixed reviews for other identical models, I'd love to see the SquareTrade Guarantee offered on it. . I'll try to add one later just to be on the safe side. A solder pot is of great value if complaints about failures can be mitigated. Although sold as lead-free solder, it only matters because the pot is coated with titanium so the LF solder will not eat the pot, making this pot suitable for both leaded and lead-free solders. Of course, you'll need separate solder pots for each one, since the pot is tied to one type after it's filled. Unfortunately, the crucible is not removable, so it cannot be replaced. It's a lot larger than I need (depth and diameter) as I'll be using it for tinning wire most of the time and not for dipping or swimming. PCBs for soldering/desoldering - I probably should have gone for the 100W model with a smaller potentiometer. Much of my solder consumption will likely come from wasted solder scraped off the surface as scale oxidizes. There are pots that are much smaller in both sizes, but they cost about 8 times as much, so I can handle that. I like that this solder pot is short and wide which makes it much harder to tip over compared to the narrow/tall models. in just a few days instead of the estimated 1-3 weeks: ULTRAPURE 63/37 1.6# Solder 1.66 LB EACH. After initially filling the crucible, I had about 2 inches of stick left. I hope this also works well for tinning magnet wire which is very thin/brittle with colored insulation. Success depends on what type of insulating coating I end up with and whether the highest temperature in that solder bath is high enough - some coatings seem to require up to 600°C, and this bath claims a ceiling of 480°C.