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expired Posted by akvtest • Feb 4, 2023
expired Posted by akvtest • Feb 4, 2023

Weller 5-30 Variable Wattage Precision Grip Soldering Iron Station

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$31

$72

56% off
Amazon
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Deal Details
Amazon has Weller 5-30 Variable Wattage Precision Grip Soldering Iron Station (WLSK3012A) on sale for $30.63. Shipping is free.

Thanks to community member akvtest for finding this deal.

Features:
  • Variable wattage dial enables you to take on a wider range of applications
  • On-board secure safety rest
  • Built-in tip holder provides on-board storage
  • On-board cellulose sponge tip cleaner

Editor's Notes

Written by oceanlake | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • Our research indicates that this offer is $10.76 lower (26% savings) than the next best available price from a reputable merchant with prices starting from $41.39.
    • Refer to the forum thread for discussion of this deal.
  • About this product:
    • 1 Year Warranty
  • About this store:

Original Post

Written by akvtest
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Amazon has Weller 5-30 Variable Wattage Precision Grip Soldering Iron Station (WLSK3012A) on sale for $30.63. Shipping is free.

Thanks to community member akvtest for finding this deal.

Features:
  • Variable wattage dial enables you to take on a wider range of applications
  • On-board secure safety rest
  • Built-in tip holder provides on-board storage
  • On-board cellulose sponge tip cleaner

Editor's Notes

Written by oceanlake | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • Our research indicates that this offer is $10.76 lower (26% savings) than the next best available price from a reputable merchant with prices starting from $41.39.
    • Refer to the forum thread for discussion of this deal.
  • About this product:
    • 1 Year Warranty
  • About this store:

Original Post

Written by akvtest

Community Voting

Deal Score
+27
Good Deal
Visit Amazon

Price Intelligence

Model: Weller Corded Soldering Iron 30 W 1 pk

Deal History 

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Sort: Lowest to Highest | Last Updated 7/2/2025, 11:23 PM
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Top Comments

PeterK2406
23 Posts
38 Reputation
Ideally you should be soldiering at a certain temperature, and that temperature is controlled by the iron using a thermistor/sensor. This one doesn't have that feature.

I have several soldering irons. I do mostly small circuit board soldering. My favorite iron is the MINIWARE TS100. I also have a Pinecil, which I like but prefer the TS100.

If you're looking to do small soldering on circuit boards, there are better options then this one.
Earthwormjim
643 Posts
161 Reputation
You need specific temperatures to solder, not power levels. The idea of manually adjusting power is a bad idea, because you as a novice or even an experienced solderer have no idea how much power is actually needed for a particular joint.

The required power to solder should fluctuate constantly, to maintain the proper temperature. When you first contact what you are trying to solder, the iron needs a lot of power to heat things up. When everything is hot, the iron no longer needs as much power.

Having a power knob just means you will always have the wrong amounts of power. Either too little or too much. This is arguably worse than the non temperature regulated irons without a knob, because as a novice how are you supposed to know where the knob should go, when an expert wouldn't know either? You're paying extra for a useless knob, and paying more than irons with temperature regulation. Why buy this?!

You'll either have too low of temperatures from too low of power, or over heat what you are soldering from too high of power.

A person new to soldering needs all the help they can get, a tool like this is a hindrance to learning. At a minimum the iron any novice buys should offer temperature regulation. It doesn't need to be adjustable even, but the iron should be able to regulate to an ideal temperature, around 650-700 degrees F, and hold that temperature. The cost to get a temperature regulated iron over this piece of junk is negligible. There are plenty of temperature regulated irons on Amazon which will do an acceptable job in the sub $50 price range.

The pine64 someone posted in this thread is on par with the irons I use in my electronics lab designing power supplies with regards to temperature regulation, and it's less expensive than this useless Weller.

This iron is a waste of money unless maybe you want to use it for wood burning or other related crafts and not soldering.



That will not work except when the iron is just sitting idle. The temperatures will vary wildly while in actual use, since this doesn't have temperature regulation.

30 Comments

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Feb 4, 2023
643 Posts
Joined Feb 2009
Feb 4, 2023
Earthwormjim
Feb 4, 2023
643 Posts
Variable wattage? Wtf that's a terrible idea. Do not waste money on an iron without temperature regulation.
3
Feb 4, 2023
23 Posts
Joined Oct 2014
Feb 4, 2023
coconutstudio
Feb 4, 2023
23 Posts
Weller makes good iron. Still debating whether I should get this or Pinecil.
Feb 4, 2023
85 Posts
Joined Jul 2018
Feb 4, 2023
welchm28
Feb 4, 2023
85 Posts
Quote from Earthwormjim :
Variable wattage? Wtf that's a terrible idea. Do not waste money on an iron without temperature regulation.
Care to explain to a soldering novice?
Feb 4, 2023
23 Posts
Joined Nov 2018
Feb 4, 2023
PeterK2406
Feb 4, 2023
23 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank PeterK2406

Quote from welchm28 :
Care to explain to a soldering novice?
Ideally you should be soldiering at a certain temperature, and that temperature is controlled by the iron using a thermistor/sensor. This one doesn't have that feature.

I have several soldering irons. I do mostly small circuit board soldering. My favorite iron is the MINIWARE TS100. I also have a Pinecil, which I like but prefer the TS100.

If you're looking to do small soldering on circuit boards, there are better options then this one.
5
1
Feb 4, 2023
23 Posts
Joined Nov 2018
Feb 4, 2023
PeterK2406
Feb 4, 2023
23 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank PeterK2406

Quote from coconutstudio :
Weller makes good iron. Still debating whether I should get this or Pinecil.
Go with the Pinecil (unless you're going to be soldering things that require a lot of heat, like large ground planes; the Pinecil struggles with that)
1
2
Feb 4, 2023
375 Posts
Joined Aug 2009
Feb 4, 2023
fitz1899
Feb 4, 2023
375 Posts
Quote from PeterK2406 :
Go with the Pinecil (unless you're going to be soldering things that require a lot of heat, like large ground planes; the Pinecil struggles with that)
Yup. 100%
Also, get their USB-C cable and power brick.
1
Feb 4, 2023
936 Posts
Joined Jun 2017
Feb 4, 2023
sportbikerider78
Feb 4, 2023
936 Posts
Quote from PeterK2406 :
Ideally you should be soldiering at a certain temperature, and that temperature is controlled by the iron using a thermistor/sensor. This one doesn't have that feature.

I have several soldering irons. I do mostly small circuit board soldering. My favorite iron is the MINIWARE TS100. I also have a Pinecil, which I like but prefer the TS100.

If you're looking to do small soldering on circuit boards, there are better options then this one.
Most people don't solder on PCBs. That's definitely some delicate stuff.
This would be fine for through hole or just soldering wires together.
1
2

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Feb 4, 2023
536 Posts
Joined Jul 2008
Feb 4, 2023
EcoCheap
Feb 4, 2023
536 Posts
Quote from PeterK2406 :
Go with the Pinecil (unless you're going to be soldering things that require a lot of heat, like large ground planes; the Pinecil struggles with that)
I only see one pinecil on Amazon. Is this what you're referring to? PINECIL – Smart Mini Portable Soldering Iron, Small https://a.co/d/itnVzfa
1
Feb 4, 2023
225 Posts
Joined May 2015
Feb 4, 2023
LZsoul
Feb 4, 2023
225 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank LZsoul

Quote from EcoCheap :
I only see one pinecil on Amazon. Is this what you're referring to? PINECIL – Smart Mini Portable Soldering Iron, Small https://a.co/d/itnVzfa
If you are in no rush, order from pine64 website for only $26, shipping will take about a month from China. Just got mine on Dec, very happy with it.
https://pine64.com/product/pineci...ring-iron/
2
3
Pro
Feb 4, 2023
823 Posts
Joined Apr 2018
Feb 4, 2023
Tedusmc2009
Pro
Feb 4, 2023
823 Posts
No worth the price.
Feb 4, 2023
798 Posts
Joined Feb 2004
Feb 4, 2023
frerk
Feb 4, 2023
798 Posts
Quote from LZsoul :
If you are in no rush, order from pine64 website for only $26, shipping will take about a month from China. Just got mine on Dec, very happy with it.
https://pine64.com/product/pineci...ring-iron/
Including shipping that's only $2 less than Amazon for me. Any way to reduce shipping?
2
Feb 4, 2023
261 Posts
Joined Apr 2014
Feb 4, 2023
notveryanonymous
Feb 4, 2023
261 Posts
Quote from fitz1899 :
Yup. 100%
Also, get their USB-C cable and power brick.
New to soldering also, what does the power brick do for a portable soldering iron?
Feb 4, 2023
485 Posts
Joined Nov 2015
Feb 4, 2023
diggie
Feb 4, 2023
485 Posts
Quote from Earthwormjim :
Variable wattage? Wtf that's a terrible idea. Do not waste money on an iron without temperature regulation.
Did Weller start putting fuses in all their irons or is it still a lucky dip?
https://youtu.be/XUtj-bWHeKY
1
Feb 4, 2023
514 Posts
Joined Sep 2007
Feb 4, 2023
noho
Feb 4, 2023
514 Posts
Almost all of the reviews are 40 watt.

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Feb 4, 2023
1,705 Posts
Joined Nov 2005
Feb 4, 2023
g10ny
Feb 4, 2023
1,705 Posts
Quote from Earthwormjim :
Variable wattage? Wtf that's a terrible idea. Do not waste money on an iron without temperature regulation.
I mean you could in theory calibrate the temperature using the power setting, though I doubt the crude build would allow for such fine-tuning.

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