Ollie's blog: Weller SP25NUS LED-lit Soldering Iron review [feedly]

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Weller SP25NUS LED-lit Soldering Iron review [feedly]

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Like many hobbyists, I rely on a good soldering iron. I've been soldering since the 3rd grade, and I've had quite a few soldering irons over the years. I'm currently using a Weller soldering station that I've had over 20 years (still going strong), so when I had a chance to try a new Weller soldering iron with built-in LEDs, I jumped at the opportunity. I received the 25W Standard Duty soldering iron.

Billed as a high-performance soldering iron for hobbyists, the new Weller soldering irons also received a red dot award for product design.

This is the model SP25NUS, a 25-watt soldering iron.

Three LED lights for limited application shadowing
Round Co-molded soft grip handle design for easy tip positioning
Triangular handle area for maximum tip control
Stainless steel barrel and heater
UL listed – cUL version available
Excellent quality consumer iron 8 1/4″ (210mm) long
Light duty iron, (25watts) for joining 16 AWG wire or smaller
Use on small electrical/electronic assemblies, appliance repair, etc.
IMPORTANT: Use only Weller® tips

Inside the packaging you'll find the soldering iron, a little user's guide, and an iron stand to keep the hot tip off your work surface.

Made in Mexico, if you're curious.

Here's the iron resting on the stand.

This soldering iron features a rubberized grip and a three-sided shape in the middle.

Here you can see the three white LEDs that light up your work area. Pretty neat! There's no on-off switch, which is just fine. Bonus: When the lights are on, the iron is also on! Yes, I've burned myself brushing my hand against a still-hot iron!

You'll also notice the triangular shape a little better here. This really helps prevent the iron from rolling away at the worst possible time. Fantastic!

I found the new Weller SP25NUS LED-lit soldering iron comfortable and practical. Sure, the included stand is a little light-weight, but at a price of $14.99 to $27.99 (about $16.99 as shown) for the soldering iron, you can afford to get a decent soldering iron stand. I won't be giving up my veteran Weller soldering station, but this will be my go-to second soldering iron.

You can keep up with Weller through their social media pages: Twitter (@WellerBrand) and Facebook.

Product Information

Price:	$14.99 to $27.99 ($16.99 as shown)
Manufacturer:	Weller
Pros:	Three LEDs help illuminate your work Rubberized grip and anti-roll triangular shape are very practical
Cons:	Included soldering iron stand is pretty basic

Filed in categories: Do-It-Yourself, How-To, Reviews