Review on Ersa RDS 🌡️ 80 Electronic Temperature Control System by Dre Fishburne

Pretty great price at $99.99 (which is what I paid). Every aspect of the design (look, shape, feel, balance, functionality, etc.) feels elegant and sophisticated (for the price). And aesthetically, the look is just fantastic! Forward, Germans! The ceramic heating element/PTC temperature sensor is unique and a very compact, powerful and efficient system. The heat-up time is very quick - by the time I turn the device on and build my first joint, it's ready to go. Tips cost money! Although iron is relatively cheap, tips are expensive! The unit comes with a fairly large general purpose chisel tip, but for finer PCB work I purchased (3) additional chisel tips, each ranging from $13-$28. The tips appear to be built for heavy-duty industrial production (according to their website) and they don't seem to spare any expense in materials and manufacturing, which is a good thing because while the device shuts down automatically (which it does), they can do the final tips be that you've ever bought, for example, if you're just an electronics enthusiast like me. Hot-swapping is easily accomplished with a pair of simple needle nose pliers; Simply loosen the spring retainer, remove the hot tip, place it in the retainer, and then insert the new one. And then the heat flows quickly into the new tip, and it's ready to solder in seconds. Probably the quickest and easiest tip exchange in the shop! Another note on the tips: I'd like sharper/wider chisel tips! The ones they offer are too dull, making direct contact with the work difficult, and therefore seem a bit sluggish when applying heat to the work items. The iron itself is like a pencil and feels good in your hand; However, the power cord is a little heavy and stiff (not silicone), making maneuvering the iron a little less dexterous. Overall, the system is light years ahead of the old Weller technology. And forget about buying cheap Chinese fakes - DON'T DO THIS! I've had Ersa for about a year now and I'm very satisfied! Unfortunately, I now know that there is a new generation soldering iron design that uses built-in cartridge tips that are even lighter, more powerful, and pencil-like with higher thermal efficiency. But these soldering stations cost around $250, so Ersa is still very good bang for the buck!