[Milsurplus] Soldering gear

[Mark]

I have Metcal, a super duper Hakko rework station w 2 irons and a vacuum de solderer and a tiny transformer driven ORYX micro iron. All cheap swap meet acquisitions.  The tipless ORYX was free, as tips were allegedly no longer available. Found a stash of 5 new assorted tips later and bought them. 

For very small work the ORYX is my favorite. It's a gem. Tiny. Lightweight. Easy to get into tight spaces. A joy to use. 

For general work the Hakko is my next choice due to easy and precise variable temp control. Aftermarket Chinese tips are cheap and not too bad. Hakko tips are better. 

Metcal is third. It's great but not as versatile as my Hakko. New tips cost a lot. Nearly every time I buy a cheap used swap meet Metcal tip it's defective. 

AF6IM