Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Hey folks, it's Mark again with yet another straight-shootin' product review. I have been soldering for 25 years, have taken formal classes on it, and have even taught formal classes on the subject. What we have here, in my humble opinion, is a great basic, portable, lightweight kit. The construction, fit and finish is pretty remarkable at this price point. Frankly I wasn't expecting much, but boy, what a nice surprise. The iron voltage is adjustable (which is a must in my book). It heats up rather quickly and, on first burn, I didn't smell any weird fumes or see any chemical residue on the iron from manufacturing. In fact, I was able to use the included low-temp solder and tin the installed tip quickly, cleanly, and satisfactorily. I then went to work on a cheapo set of headphones that my daughter keeps in the car for local trips. One of the wires had popped off of a weak solder joint (from the manufacturer). I was able to quickly fix the offending wire in mere seconds. No sweat. A few niggles on the iron: 1. The power light is nice but would be even better if it turned green when it reached the operating temp. 2. The temp numbers printed on the dial are SUPER SMALL. I just need younger eyes, I guess. 3. An on/off switch would be cool, especially when working on jobs that are taking a while to complete. I like all the extra goodies that come with the iron. The solder sucker is nicely made with an aluminum tube. It would be nice to have some replacement plastic tips for it as those often melt a bit over time when it's doing it's duties. The stand, while convenient, may suffer a break at some point since you have to bend it back and forth to fit it into the carrying case. Note to manufacturer - a hinged stand would be a nicer touch. The solder is easy to use and seems the proper type for most applications. Lack of solder flux in the kit was a small bummer, but many folks don't seem to use it. I do and swear by it. The tweezers are sharp and accurate. They will probably come in handy one day. Lastly, here's a small list of recommended items to purchase to make this a more complete kit: 1. Paste solder flux (liquid is fine, but I prefer paste) 2. Little jar of rubbing alcohol (to clean surfaces before and after the solder job) 3. Acid brush, or any little paint brush to apply the alcohol 4. Wire brush - you never know when you may need a wire brush 5. Maybe a thicker sponge Disclaimer: I have received this product with a discount in return for an honest review. An honest review is what I always give whether positive, neutral or negative.[...] I welcome all comments too!