I bought an Aldi iron a week or so ago, and remain very impressed. The
build is indeed plastic, but it seems robust and well made. The downside
for me is the bulky iron itself - I've become very used to slender Amtex
ones. The tips on the Aldi have male M4 threads, so copper ones can be
made easily. They heat up very quickly, and the display is very clear. A
good buy...



In message 
          Theo  wrote:

> spuorgelgoog@gowanhill.com wrote:
>> On Tuesday, 26 June 2018 19:27:04 UTC+1, Peter Percival  wrote:
>>>> Aldi had a temp-controlled soldering iron with conical tip for under
>>>> twenty quid, a couple of weeks ago, if you're in the UK.  Still some
>>>> in stock last time I looked.
>>> This:
>>> https://www.aldi.co.uk/workzone-digital-soldering-station/p/083184201878400
>>> ?
>>
>> Almost certainly; Aldi website and my browser don't play nicely.
>>
>> The only downside is the iron stand is a separate unit to the power box. I
>> suppose it minimises the risk of dropping solder on the LCD.

> I had a look at that.  The build quality seems very plasticy.  Obviously I
> couldn't power it up in the shop to check operation.

> What also worried me is the tips semm to have their own long screw thread to
> attach to the iron.  I've not seen that arrangement before and I'd be
> concerned about availability of replacement tips.  I see there are tips like
> the Weller MT2 that have roughly the same shape, but I don't know if the
> threads are compatible.

> If it were me I'd look for a secondhand Weller or Metcal on ebay for serious
> work.  The above might be fine to keep in the car/boat/caravan for a handful
> of joints a year, but I think it might not be so great to use on a regular
> basis.

> Theo


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Mark J
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