Velleman Digitally Controlled Soldering Iron Unboxing

FULL DISCLOSURE :  This article is about a gift that I was sent by the Velleman Store.  I would be unboxing and reviewing similar items and I regularly buy and use Velleman items regardless of this gift.

THIS IS A SLIDE SHOW : click the photo bellow to get started

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I have recently recived a package from The Velleman Store. this package had a digitally controlled VTSSC40NU soldering iron. When i got the package i though that we were just getting an early delivery for a Velleman kit, but she my dad told me he had ordered nothing from The Velleman Store this month. Bruce, the person we met The Velleman Store booth at Maker Faire 2016, had sent us something. He sort of hinted he wanted to after reading up on the entire last year of the blog.

 When we opened the box we were amazed to see a brand new soldering iron in many well wrapped pieces. This soldering iron is amazing, it is very accurate with it’s heat, but when it does wonder off it’s temperature, you can see it. On my old soldering iron it was a dial control and i am not saying that my old iron was bad, it was just that you could not get a pinpoint temperature and you could not see when it wandered off.

When I make a soldering joint with this iron, it’s always perfect timing and temp, since I can see on the display what temperature it is currently at. This means I can tap a small amount of solder from a thin solder wire more easily. This is the technology really required for more advanced soldering kits and projects. My last self-made project was easier also, there were no missed solders or waiting for solder to melt. Better tools always means less mistakes, and this is true with a better soldering iron too.

If you are buying a first soldering iron for a kid, you should look into the pencil style 10-15w soldering irons like in my oldest blog posts. For kids who have even done a single kit before, you should consider this iron. I liked my mid-level soldering iron but I wish I had switched to the more advanced one earlier. If you are looking for a holiday gift for a builder with even a little bit of experience, this is the perfect holiday unboxing.

One suggestion i have for the next model is optional 8-bit elevator music while the iron heats up :-p (j/k). Bruce if you are reading, THANK YOU for taking the time to read my entire blog, and for sending me the soldering iron. I have had it just under 1 month and i love it. The next two kits I am reviewing are the Enclosed Vu Meter and the Enclosed Crawling Microbug, both from Velleman. I was planning to do these next and had them at home already when we got the iron from The Velleman Store, a total coincidence.  

In the last month I have used this iron so much, even for a diorama for my English class.  I got 100%!! My mother is buying another one for guests and my dad to use. He wants to get the SMD heads for it. In conclusion, WE LOVE THIS IRON!!!