Wasted $80 on a 'professional' solder station from a no-name brand

Bought this cheap station on Amazon and it melted down on my third joint - smoke everywhere and the tip fell apart. Anyone else had luck with a specific brand under $150 or should I just save up for a Hakko?

3 comments

3 Comments

emery_lopez7d ago

Ngl, did you check the wattage rating before you plugged it in? Some of those no-name stations claim 60W but can't actually handle sustained draw. What kind of work were you trying to do with it?

the_joel7d ago

Wattage was the last thing on my mind honestly, but yeah that makes sense now.

evan_wilson187d ago

5V 3A is the real limit on those cheap 60W bricks, not the 20V 3A they advertise. I stress tested one with a multimeter after it died on me mid-session. It dropped to 9V within 30 seconds of pulling a steady 4A load.