Agreed.  I bought a Weller WES50 about 5 years ago and it has been  
one of the best investments I've made.  I've been through an extra  
handle (broke it due to careless handling while travelling) and  
countless tips, and the iron continues to be a real joy to work  
with.  I recommend it to everyone.  I think it's been replaced by the  
WES51, which is essentially the same hardware with a slightly updated  
control system I believe.

Invest in your tools.  Do it.  You won't regret it.  If you buy  
properly, it's something you'll have forever (at least relatively  
speaking).  If you don't you'll have spent your money and in a year  
or two (if you're lucky) you'll realize that you still don't have  
what you need and you'll be back here asking for more recommendations.

-n.



On Apr 8, 2007, at 12:38 PM, David VanHorn wrote:

> Hmm..
>
> "cheapest" is frequently not the best answer.
> I took that route for a lot of years, and looking back I really wish
> I'd just bit the bullet and got something nice to start with.
>
> Wellers aren't "cheap" but they are good.
> I love my Metcal, and you can get them on Ebay fairly reasonably.
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