Stahl Tools SSVT Temperature Controlled Soldering Iron Review

After I turned on the Stahl Tools (Parts Express) SSVT soldering station for the first time, it really smoked . This "feature" although it wasn't permanent. The "variable temperature settings" are very "optimistic", the numeric labels on the station's "base" should correspond to temperatures in degrees Celsius (where 450*C is the "maximum temperature"). But I doubt you can get more than 650*F (about 345*C) with this station. More realistically, this is a variable wattage station, likely with a…

I have very limited experience with soldering and my first attempt at a new iron failed miserably when I decided to buy it from Radio Shack. What an epic fail! It was unbalanced, too big for the project I needed it for, and smelled like a chemical plant every time I used it. So I started searching for the best on Revain and came across this little gem. Now I know not to expect high quality for only $18, but this thing just screams quality for the price. The price has since gone up to $25, but…

I bought this soldering station to use for small jobs around the house. I am EE and know and use more expensive soldering stations like Pace. I had no intention of reducing this to my $500 Pace soldering station. I just wanted something cheap that you could move around and bang around the house and wouldn't get too upset if it were dropped and broken. Before buying I read most of the reviews where many recommended buying replacement tips. I decided to put it off until I had first hand…