X-Tronic Model #3010 Variable Power 70 Watt Soldering Iron Station with Solder Roll Holder, Extra Heating Element, Wet Sponge & Brass Soldering Tip Cleaner with Supply of Cleaning Flux

This is the first video review I've ever done so please bare with me :D. I got this little beast because my small weller junked out on me(caught on fire) after only a year. With this said, I decided to buy a different brand and wound up with the 3010. Its light weight with a polymer construction but is very solid and even has a built in metal pan to hold wet sponge so you don't melt anything. One of the best parts about buying this unit vs going back to a weller was that it came with a brass sponge built into the unit with a surprise of rosin flux underneath of the sponge! Wasn't advertised and I was extremely happy. The unit looks real sleek and works from 390 degrees to 900 degrees. Seems that all of the x-tronics soldering stations have a solder role holder so it was nice that they designed this unit to hold one unlike the smoked up weller. I use this for general purpose all around the house from garage type "events" as the wife likes to call them, to replacing a capacitor in my old guitar amp. Couldn't be happier with this unit, it has every function and accessory you need besides your favorite brand of solder. For the price you just cant beat it! Highly recommend this guy! Update: 8/29/14 Just a quick update to say that I have been soldering everything with this unit. I solder all my bread board electronics with ease! Ill send another update soon.

If you need a low-cost but still quality soldering station, look no further. The inclusion of a solder spool holder and brass wool for tip maintenance help set it apart from the competition in this price range. Iron gets up to temperature as described and in a reasonable period of time. The spool holder is perfect for standard one pound spools, but will hold smaller ones as long as they aren't too wide in circumference as well. For higher-end users, you'll find a few minor things lacking; 1. There is no temperature increments marked around the dial, so you'll need to use it for a while to figure out the butter zone for what you're doing. 2. The sponge is also small and utilitarian, and even when wet, the edges are recessed in the station, so you'll be knocking the iron into the plastic a bit. 3. Assembly of the spool holder is a bit difficult as the outside upright blocks most screwdrivers; you'll want a long, skinny driver to be able to fit through the holds on the outside upright; this is a minor, one-time inconvenience if you're going to use it. 4. You may also need to bend the uprights inward a bit, as the rod that goes through the spool is only just long enough to sit there and isn't attached by anything beyond gravity; finger/hand strength will be enough to make the slight bend needed. And I would be remiss to not mention the customer service. Mine was missing the coil iron holder part of the station out of the box. Upon emailing X-Tronic about the problem, a service worked responded to me in less than one hour and apologized; they shipped me a replacement part the very next morning, Priority Mail, at no charge, and I got it less than 72 hours after originally opening the packaging the first time. Excellent job by X-Tronic. All in all, a great little station that has everything hobbyists will need, and can work for a number of professionals too. It has a few warts, but they're all minor and don't detract from the package too much. For under $40, you can't go wrong here.

I received this item quite quickly from the seller and in great condition. I did begin by scanning the instructions about the break in routine and the expected smoke, so that was not an issue. The iron did take awhile longer then I expected to heat up but once it did it held its heat well and was a real pleasure to use thanks to the comfortable grip and the flexibility of the cord. I later removed the tip from the soldering iron and found it be be much more massive then the tip from my prior iron, so it made sense to me that it would take a bit longer to get all that metal up to a given temp. The tip that it comes with also had a much finer point then my previous iron and that helped make things a little easier to only heat one connection at a time without any bridging. I opted not to attach the solder spool holder at this time as I just don't currently have a need for it, but it did seem to be well made from solid material. I debated between buying a few other soldering irons in this price range before the reviews for this one convinced me to choose it over the others. So far I am extremely happy with this product and if I feel a need to upgrade later I plan to purchase another X-TRONIC.

Bought it for the price, the setup, and the variable temperature. Because of the price, you lose a few things. One is a temperature reader, so generally I just let it sit for about 5-10 minutes before I need to use it, which is generally enough time for it to reach a good temperature. Additionally, there is no temperature marking on the dial, so you have to do some math in your head to determine what you need. All in all, a great product for the price. Also wanted to add that the ceramic tip often falls out after long use (say about 20+ min.) The first time this happened, I tried to tighten the screws that hold it in place, only to find they couldn't be tightened any farther. The tip has fallen out a couple of times. Fortunately a have a mat that I don't mind getting burned, but beware that it is highly recommend that you have something to protect your surfaces if you're using this iron.

This a good investment if you're getting into soldering. It has everything you need to get started other than some solder. It heats up pretty fast and holds its temperature quite well; I don't solder anything particularly big, but it never cooled off while in use. The cable that attaches the iron to the station is sufficiently long and high quality. Using the included tip I was able to easily solder through-hole connections as well as the super tiny pads for SMDs. The spool holder on the side is a bit flaky and I wouldn't recommend using it as it ended up being more trouble that it was worth. My only major complaint is that I wish the temperature controls used actual temperatures instead of 1 - 10 (output power) as it took some trial and error to figure out where the right position was for the temperature I needed.

I've not used it a ton just yet, but I've put it through the "break-in" phase (very important; do not neglect to do this with ALL new irons & tips. They provide instructions on how to do it) and soldered a few cables, so I can at least attest to the quality of the basic functions without commenting on the longevity/sturdiness of the unit. It heats up rather quickly, and it gets hot enough on the highest setting that the tip as well as half of the shaft glows an orange/red color. So yeah, it's *plenty* hot for soldering electronic products. (I do not know if jewelry makers use this kind of soldering iron or if it's a special type, but I would imagine this unit gets hot enough for that sort of work too.) I didn't use the tips that came with it, as I need more of a chisel-style tip for cable soldering, but changing the tip was easy as could be. Overall, it's a solid purchase, especially for beginners/intermediate users & DIYers. If yer a pro, you might think this unit a little chintzy and probably want something a little more solid. But for the majority of users, this unit is grand.

Unfortunately this iron did not deliver what I was expecting for $40. I had the iron for a few months and the handle started cracking due to the heat of the iron of which there really is no practical fix other that replacing the unit. It was also hard to tell if the iron was "on" due to the fact there is no indicator light on the base, only a very dim one on the iron handle which is a safety hazard IMHO. The base of the controller is too light and skids all over the place with very little grip on the workbench (I had to add weight to the base to make it usable). In the end I threw it away and purchased a "937D SMD" type closed-loop temperature controlled, LED readout soldering iron for $38 shipped and it's the very best investment I could of made for my soldering needs. Please save yourself the headache and check out the 937D. iMeshbean® 937D SMD 110V Solder Soldering Iron Station SOIC, CHIP, QFP, PLCC, BGA Welder with Extra Iron Heating Element & 6 Tips USA

I have a Weller WES51 that i've used for about 2 weeks until it died. I ordered this X-tronic as a cheap temporary replacement. After using it i decided its not a temporary set-up, it is the replacement. For $40.00 you can't go wrong! I have been very satisfied with it. One thing you want to do if you order it is to throw away the sponge it comes with as it is too small and sits recessed in the well. This is no big deal at all. I really like the fact that this unit came with a brass sponge and solder rack. I never attached the rack but i can appreciate that it comes with. Another nice feature i found is that the cord pivots where it meets the iron. This is great and help keeps the cord from getting all tangled up. Overall this is a great soldering station and you can't beat it for the price!!! Highly recommended!!!