soldering iron

[saemskin]

Hello all,

1 more rookie question only I swear!   
I am looking to buy something decent and Circuit Specialists was recommended to me by someone I trust as a place to get a rock solid iron.  Howeve, I was scrolling through ebay, and a soldering station with a mulitmeter attached caught my eye.  The sex appeal is undeniable.

This is it:
http://cgi.ebay.com/3-In-1-Power-Supply-Multimeter-Soldering-Station_W0QQitemZ330017740263QQihZ014QQcategoryZ109556QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Garbage or no?

[QSQCaito]

Can't tell, never seen something like that, live in Argentina.

They say the more things, the less specific.. It has a good price, it(at least) doesn't seem to be BAD..

but it could be uncomfortable to be dependant on that.. PS, multimeter all there, plus iron..

well.. i really can't say.. here the cheapest solder i could get is for 10USD.. so prices differ a lot, cant really tell..


bye bye

dac

[fixr1984]

I dont know what an outfit like that would cost normaly but it sure looks like a good deal to me.
That would be everything you would need, even has a power supply. I see that the multimeter even
does transistors, thats good.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

My advice for anyone buying an oddball soldering iron (or any iron):
Be sure you can buy tips. For the rest of your life. Or at least for the rest of the iron's life.

[gez]

Wise words Paul!

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

And like most 'wise words', they are the distillation of bitter personal experience  

[gez]

Likewise Paul.  A once ubiquitous iron I bought years ago for amp maintenance doesn't seem to be so common anymore.  It doesn't help that the name plate has fallen off and I can't remember the brand. 

Dare say I'll find something to fit (haven't done a serious search yet).

[markm]

I use "disposable" soldering irons available at your friendly neighborhood Radio Shack. 

[Peter Snowberg]

My last Xytronic station lasted through over 18 years of heavy (sometimes assembly line) use and abuse. The tips last forever too.

The meter is not very good in that station. The input impedance is probably low since the largest ohms setting is 2 megs.

There are a number of soldering threads here, and lots of positive reviews of the $40 temperature controlled station from Circuit Specialists. It doesn't serve you well to use limited tools. Invest in your tools. It pays off every time you use them.

[saemskin]

good point.

Thanks for the replies.