I wanted to upgrade an iron that only plugged into an outlet and had no temperature control. I appreciate the fact that it comes with extra tips and an extra heating element. I've been using it for a couple of weeks now and the station itself heats up very quickly and maintains a constant temperature even after several hours of soldering. However, tips are fairly cheap and oxidize very quickly, making soldering difficult. The stand is also a bit light and flimsy, and it may take a few tries to set the iron down to keep it from tipping over, but overall it's more than value for money.