I used this to solder on mechanical keyboards. It is really good for the price and the heat-up time is not too long. The sponge that comes with it is really convenient.

I use this soldering station for building quadcopters. I really like the adjustable heat setting since I am working with small parts that can be damaged if you use to much heat. The only thing I have found to be a problem is finding single replacement tips. I have purchased a pack of 4 different sized tips on amazon but I only use 2 of the sizes so when they are toast I will have to purchase another 4 pack. That is really the only thing I can find wrong and it doesn't have anything to do with the performance of the soldering iron.

I do a lot of soldering as I repair guitars and amplifiers on the side. This allows you to set the temperature of your iron but in most cases I use all the way up, especially to generate enough heat for large ground planes. Seems to work fairly well for this purpose also. Pretty decent price too, so I have been pretty happy with my purchase.

I really like this unit. Just as described. I used to have a nice Weller where I worked and took most of my stuff to work for soldering. So I got spoiled there. At home I have been struggling with a Radio Shack unit for a few yeas and was a nightmare to use. I am disabled now and am home all the time so I have been getting back into some projects. I decided to try this unit because it had mostly good reviews. I was not disappointed. It heats fast and is very consistent. Th stock tip looked like cheap chrome so I did not even try it. I got the tip pack same time I got this. I put a pen tip in and you could tell they are very good quality. I have to say I really like this unit. Feels real good in the hand and solders well. What more can you ask for for this kind of price. I highly recommend this unit. On a side note, Unit was Red, Light Blue Wand and Bright Yellow Rubber Sleeve. Some have complained about colors, but I kinda like them, at least the combinations I got. Oh Sponge is nice, and wand cradle is really nice.

Update May 31 '16, 2 months later:
I've found that the screw-on tip loosens periodically, maybe after several hours of on-time. Keep a pair of pliers within reach!

I bought this soldering station to replace an 18 watt mini-iron. My choice was between this one and a similar one from a "Well" known American maker. Since I don't use one very heavily, I went for the less expensive iron.

- Mine did not have the smoking-handle issue that a few reviewers reported.
- Based on another review I was prepared to glue the iron holder into the base if necessary but so far mine is secure.
- My previous experience with iron holders was those with simple coiled wires. This one also has a "can" within the coil which probably keeps the coil cooler but it rattles like an old pickup truck when you put the iron in. OK, that's really minor but it just doesn't "ring" like every other soldering station everywhere has always done.
-The setting I find best on this iron is rather higher (eyeball) than I would have expected from a 40-watt iron replacing an 18-watt one but it works well, it isn't maxed out (maybe ~70%), and the control probably isn't linear anyway.
- Mine was supplied with a 1 mm conical tip, not the 1.5 mm one described. That's a plus, as the flat tip on the mini-iron was one big (heh) reason for replacing it.
- The other reason was that I've snagged the mini-iron's cord with my knee and pulled it off the bench. o-:) This iron is wired into the station's base, not to the plug, and the whole station assembly isn't quite so light and easy to pull down.
- The handle has been comfortably warm but is rather larger and longer than the mini-iron so at first it felt kind of awkward, like trying to sew with a screwdriver.
- A second advantage of the station over the mini-iron is that I can both turn the temperature down and switch off the station giving me two visible clues that it's off. Before, I had to reach under the desk to unplug the iron and bring the plug out where I could see it.

I was prepared to exchange this station for the better known brand if it didn't work out but I'm happy with it.