Electronics > Repair
Refurbishing old soldering stations
xwiggen:
So here's the thing.
At my workplace there are some expensive but older Ersa and Weller soldering stations laying around that seem functional but are replaced some time ago and ready to be shipped out to the junkyard. The matching irons and tips are obviously worn-out.
I'd really like to repurpose those stations for home use/hobby but not really prepared to shell out 100$ replacement irons as I can get a station with iron for that kind of money with cheap replacable tips which will do just fine.
Is there any way to hook up cheaply available irons (think AliExpress) or do I have to salvage the stations for parts?
inse:
I‘d say if they are free, take as much as you can and cannibalize until you have a working station.
In my work they are throwing away the broken Weller analog stations and irons and I pick them up.
Over time a usable combination can be put together, sometimes affordable heating elements are sourced from AE.
I donated some combos to our local Repair Cafe.
Shock:
Take all said electronics found being sent to recycling or found in bin. Sell as working/non working parts and buy new station with funds/part funds from results.
wilfred:
--- Quote from: xwiggen on January 23, 2025, 07:58:02 pm --- The matching irons and tips are obviously worn-out.
--- End quote ---
What does this actually mean? Your question leads to more questions. Can you solder with them now? Are they higher power for use where cheaper low power ones would not be suitable? Is it just the tip that is worn? What do tips cost? Are they readily available? Are the handles worn with cords in poor condition?
I guess the first question to answer is will they suit the hobby use you want to put them to?
I really get the desire to not see them go to landfill but without knowing more I'll second Shock's advice. But only if you're likely to get around to selling them otherwise you'll be stuck with storing them. I'm in the middle of yet another phase of reducing my accumulated clutter. So I am biased at the moment to not want to encourage you to add to yours.
calibrationfixture:
Hi xwiggen,
Be more specific about Models/Brands. Maybe interested, because (Repair Cafe) I am a "local".
Calibrationfixture
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