I used a rat shack iron for the longest time before upgrading to a yard sale adjustable Weller. Honestly I never had any issues with the Radio Shack iron but the Weller is far nicer. I will say the last time I peeked up at the irons at Radio Shack they were all some odd wattage compared to my old one. The old Radio Shack iron I have is a 30W iron and all the tips and irons they were stocking last I saw were 25W.
Lead free solder is one of the stupidest inventions ever created. Packed with horrible chemicals to replace the nice, stable, safe, controllable lead. It's just personal preference but the 60/40 Radio Shack solder has been my favorite to use for years. Some swear by 63/37, depends on the application. There was a location closing up a couple years ago and I picked up a few of the larger spools at a discount - which was pretty surprising. I was also able to pick up a handful of tips for my older model iron at a discount.
I do LOVE my Radio Shack desoldering iron however.
Reply With Quote