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Soldering irons (once again!)

Hi Folks,

A month or two ago I received lots of helpful advice re purchasing a new soldering iron. The bottom line was that I was going to look for a temperature controlled Weller (as I like the shape of my current Weller Iron), well, I've looked, looked and looked some more and can't find one so I'm turning to Antex ...

Can anyone offer the pro's and con's between the Antex 660 TC

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which is an full blown soldering station and the temperature controlled iron TCS230/240 etc
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IOW what would everybody have given the choice ... BTW for once price isn't the issue, it's being bought for me as a present, I only have to say what I want. :-)

All the best,

Chris Wilson

That's cwilson at britwar with a dot uk and dot co on the end. (Reply address is blackholed)

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- British Wargames
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- The Dormouse Line Model Railway

Reply to
Chris Wilson
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The Solder station for sure, better temperature range and more stable temperature control, the mains irons with control in the handle are very fiddly to adjust IMHO. If you can choose go for the 690TC rather than the 660TC, the digital set up is more precise and shows you exactly what temperature you have set instead of an approximation off the dial.

Those who need to watch the pennies check out Maplins special offers, their chinese analogue versions, although more basic, do the job and are often on special at anything from 10.99 to 29.99 Keith Make friends in the hobby. Visit Garratt photos for the big steam lovers.

Reply to
Keith Norgrove

External temperature control, as Keith says. Much more accurate.

Guy

Reply to
Just zis Guy, you know?

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m) which is an full blown soldering station and the temperature

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tm)

I'd get the 660. Maplins had a good price on them recently, around £80 or £90 if I recall.

- Nigel

Reply to
NC

Nigel, Guy, Kieth,

Thanks to all three, I'll point SWHTBO towards the 660, I guessed that there may have been a leaning towards the 690 but I think that I may be pushing it just a tad to far with yet another mouth to feed on the way but I'll leave a picture of it up on the computer screen a few times and see if she takes the hint (the 660 had been pre-OKed by her). :-)

Reply to
Chris Wilson

Good choices - I've got a 660TC as my "permanent" iron by my workbench. A TCS50 sits in my toolbox (and often appears on the kitchen table when I can't be ar*ed to go out to my workshop!

Cheers, Mick

Reply to
Mick Bryan

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