PARKSIDE PLS 48B1 : The cheapest "soldering station"

[ciccio]

Last January LIDL had a promo sale on these very cheap (less than  10 Euros) soldering station, and I got one just for curiosity (I have better units at home and at work).
It's a nominal 48 W soldering iron with a base and adjustable power. They even put a spare bit and two  small rolls of  solder inside the box.
The bits and the solder rolls have a space in a small drawer under the base.

My opinion? It's a very well made absolutely crap station.
Very well made because, as you can see in the photos, they built it with, at least, a respect for safety, both electrical and mechanical, and at this price you usually get very unsafe units.

Absolutely crap because:
-tips are plated with some alloy that is not wetted by solder (they seem chrome plated) and yes,  you can make some satisfactory joints, but after two joints you'll become tired..
-tips' shape is horrendous: look at the " screwdriver" tip : you could really turn a screw with it..
-soldering iron's handle is too big for a comfortable grip, and all the iron is too big.
-iron's cable is too stiff.

Even my first soldering iron, at school in 1966, had a better tip: it was pure copper, and we had to file it regularly, but at least it got wetted and you (and the teacher) could be satisfied with the joints you could make.
I've never seen soldering tips whit this type of fixing. Maybe I can get or build some better replacement.

Best regards

I attach some photos: as you can see, power is adjusted by a simple Triac dimmer, with proper EMI filter.
There is no indication of where the unit is made.

[Zbig]

The tip looks like a screwdriver because it most probably is (or rather was) one That would also explain why it doesn't behave like a soldering tip The first soldering iron I used as a kid (unregulated, mains-powered) used an actual nail for a tip. It even came with a spare nail. I kid you not.

[Hydrawerk]

Is there any thermal sensor in the soldering tip?

[Hydrawerk]

This might be a similar, transformer-less soldering station Zhongdi ZD-99.
It is easy to buy.

[Tac Eht Xilef]

Is there any thermal sensor in the soldering tip?

  It's a firestick with a light dimmer in a stand. "Feedback" is for pussies...

Hang on - that 4th pic. Is that the iron's coil stand inside the case? Open to the inside? So solder drips & all manner of conductive shit can drop into the case, rattle around, & end up touching the board? Which has mains power on it? So that, say, a wire offcut could short the mains on the board to the metal coil stand?

I think "safety" can be scratched off the list of pros. Although I do respect them for putting heatshielding between the stand and at least some of the mains wiring, and the barrel appears to be earthed...

[ciccio]

Hang on - that 4th pic. Is that the iron's coil stand inside the case? Open to the inside? So solder drips & all manner of conductive shit can drop into the case, rattle around, & end up touching the board? Which has mains power on it? So that, say, a wire offcut could short the mains on the board to the metal coil stand?

I checked again: the board is (partially) protected by the plastic stamping. Wires pass through holes in the PCB that fixes them. If one of them is cut it will remain locked under the plastic guard. If a soldering joint fails the wire will not move.
There are cooling slots in the bottom that will let any debris fall out..
I've seen lower safety in more expensive units.
It's less than 10 Euros, 11 US$ at today's change.
The Zhongdi ZD-99 cost about 16 to 20 Euros (more if labeled Weller). I had one, the iron lasted 10 days, but the tip was better.
I surely will not use this station, but I'll donate it to a friend, who needs to solder every other year..

Best regards.

[electr_peter]

Crappy iron, but still better variant than same nail soldering tip () with straight plug to the wall (that is temp control is done via plugging it in and out). At least there is provision to control power.

Still, buy something with temperature control. Dave made a review of very cheap soldering iron with temp control. It is much better that this.

[ciccio]

Still, buy something with temperature control. Dave made a review of very cheap soldering iron with temp control. It is much better that this.

Well, I bought it just to satisfy my curiosity: how could they sell it for such a low price: I bought it at LIDL, who mostly sells groceries..
I absolutely had no need for it:
at work I have two Weller 80W stations , one JBC rework station (old model) , one Chinese hot air unit, in the toolbox I keep a Weller propane iron and a mains powered Weller TCP stick,  and at home a Zhongdi    digital controlled station (that is not so bad)...
Best regards

[electr_peter]

If you have proper irons and understand issues with cheap stuff, that is fine then. Sometimes you need to melt some nasty plastic - you would not use Weller for this task, would you?

This brings interesting point - creative destruction of cheapest and poorest quality DMMs is quite fun and entertaining. Question is, can such fun be had with cheap soldering irons?

[Jackster]

Any idea on what replacement tips I can get for this station?

I actually quite like it even though the original pointed tip melted.
Only left with the screwdriver (which didn't melt) but need a fine point...

[ralphrmartin]

Did you read the instructions? Maybe its meant for melting holes in the bottom of LIDL yoghurt pots so they can be repurposed as plant pots...

[Hydrawerk]

Another soldering station from Lidl. PLSD 48 A1
https://www.lidl.de/de/parkside-digitale-loetstation/p255329?searchTrackingQuery=lotstation&searchTrackingId=Product.255329&searchTrackingPos=2&searchTrackingOrigPos=2&searchTrackingRelevancy=98.86&searchTrackingPage=1&searchTrackingPageSize=36&searchTrackingOrigPageSize=36
I think that at least the soldering tips are shit and hard to buy. I recommend you not to buy this station.
I wonder if the heater is powered with 230V.

[ciccio]

I sold mine some days ago at an Ham Market for 5 Euros. Never used after posting here. The gentleman who bought it  wanted to use it as a a pyrograph.
The new model is nice looking, and if I see one at LIDL for max 10 Euros I'll  buy it (maybe).
What do I plan to do with it? Disassembly and take apart...

[amyk]

At that price point, the 936 clone that Dave reviewed would be far better for just a little more $$.

[Hydrawerk]

I saw the PLSD 48 A1 at a Lidl supermarket. This soldering station looks like shit. I am almost sure that there is no transformer inside. The soldering iron is fixed to the station and very probably powered by 230V. No connector here. Soldering tips are crap, too. Do not buy PLSD 48 A1.