As with any equipment, a little bit of common sense when using a soldering station like the WES51 will go a very long way towards properly maintaining your tools and ensuring you get many years of use out of them. I have compiled a quick list of suggestions collected from my experiences over the years – learn from my mistakes and don’t risk damaging your own equipment!
1. Never drop the soldering iron while it is hot. It may sound obvious but due to the way soldering irons work dropping them can damage the thermal components.
2. If your soldering iron is going to be left on for some time while you are not actively using it, set the temperature to the lowest possible setting. This is especially easy on units like the Weller WES51 and WLC100, just turn the temperature dial all the way down.
3. Never, ever disconnect your soldering iron from the station while it is switched on, it could short out and ruin your soldering station.
4. In the same vein – never take the soldering tip out of the iron while the power is on. This can completely destroy the thermal equipment or severely shorten its lifespan.
5. Don’t use a sponge that is soaking wet to clean the tip – make sure it is just damp. If you use a sponge that is really wet for your tip you will a) lower its temperature quickly and b) damage it.
6. If you have a soldering iron that is broken or faulty, do not plug it into a working base station.
7. To extend the life of your tip always keep a good layer of solder on the end of the tip – this will stop it from oxidizing and help extend its life.
That’s it, just keep a few points like this in mind while soldering and you will find your equipment keeps on going strong for years.
Here’s a handy video I found about tip maintenance:
