I use it for soldering jewelry and it seems to work well. It's not as good as the radio store, but it does the job. I would recommend it to anyone looking for something compact with a focal heat source. I think Flintstone sucks. I didn't like the one on the radio shop model either. It's quicker and easier to just use a lighter. I had it not long ago but it seems solid and doesn't seem to have any memories.