[Test-Equipment] Weller

[Steve Harrison]

At 07:03 PM 1/12/2008 -0500, you wrote:
>At 06:04 PM 1/12/2008, Bill wrote:
>
>>Would anyone have or know where I can get the schematic +parts list to a
>>Weller soldering station Model EC 1002.
>
>Have you tried Cooper Industries? They own Weller:
>
>http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/weller/

The SODs aren't very helpful at all. I bought a base for $70 that looked
new, even had a new sponge. Got a signed and dated receipt from the
seller's wife (he was off browsing somewhere). Got the station to work and
found it wouldn't regulate the temperature, ran full hot all the time. Shut
it off as was too busy to look at it and when I turned it on the next day,
it didn't come on. Looked inside and found a big burned spot on the ceramic
circuit board, couldn't recognize what parts had gotten burned up and the
board obviously had to be replaced.

Found the Weller/Cooper web site and e-mail asking for price on a
replacement board. After two weeks, finally got an answer which boiled down
to they saying there were several versions of the board and it'd be best
for me to send in the station for repair.

Bah humbug.

While I love Weller stations, I've long been pretty POed at their customer
relations. Back in '95, the heating element burned out in one I'd had
several years that was probly 10 years old. One might hope that even 10
years later, you could still get replacement heating elements although
perhaps not the circuit board inside, eh?  First, I looked in Newark and
Allied; Newark had none in stock but Allied claimed to have three in stock
so I ordered one from Allied. Two months went by and nothing so I called
them. Couldn't find my order, at first, but then a few hours later, called
me back and told me that hearing element had been obsoleted by Weller and
Allied was fresh outta stock so they'd refund my money.

But the demand for that heating element must have gotten to them because
I've since seen that it's once again being made. Still.....

I've never used a PACE station and have seen only one or two other
manufacturer's stations so have no idea how good they are. I'm used to
Weller but next time I see somebody else's, I'll look it over pretty
closely and maybe dump Weller, which stuff I've been using for 37 years.
Before that, I used an American Beauty iron operated from a variac.

Steve, K0XP