Re: Soldering irons [was Re: gEDA-user: Free Dog meetings at MITstarting this September!]

[John <jdozsa@carr.org>]

I bought the Xytronic 379, auto temp soldering station with some
additional soldering tips B04 and B05.  List price for the 379 is
USD$59.95.  I paid less as part of a group purchase with others in the
Do It Yourself (DIY) automotive fuel injection project.  It's called
"Megasquirt".  See <http://www.megasquirt.info/index.html> for more
info.  I would suggest calling Howard Electronic Instruments at
1-800-394-1984 and request a printed catalog.  Tell them you are part of
the "Megasquirt DIY" group and ask what is the special pricing on the
Xytronic 379.  When I bought mine in March the price was USD$ 37.95.  A
real bargain.  Also check their web site:
<http://www.howardelectronics.com/>

John

"M. P. Dickens" wrote:
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> DJ Delorie wrote:
> | Ah, but which soldering iron?  I'm in need of an upgrade at the
> | moment...  Nothing fancy, but able to safely handle surface mount
> | parts.
> 
> Hello DJ,
> 
> Both Metcal and Pace make the best equipment. In addition, Pace and
> Metcal equipment heat accurately, come to temperature *very* quickly and
> have digital readouts that are dependable. The price points of both
> manufacturers are similar. With that said, my company has units made by
> both manufacturers and we have found the units manufactured by Pace to
> be more reliable than those made by metcal.
> 
> The trade off is that Metcal equipment has a better ergonomic design
> regarding the hand piece than what Pace sells, but the Pace equipment is
> sturdier. So, I suppose you can say Metcal is easier to use, but pace
> equipment lasts longer (Much longer, in our experience...). Some weeks,
> our stations run 12 to 15 hours a day. So, in our case reliability is
> more important than ergonomics.
> 
> Best regards
> 
> Marvin Dickens
Snip