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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
- Weller responds to the magic smoke escaping from their WE1010 soldering station, and the lack of a primary side mains fuse.
Prepare to be awestruck at their commitment to safety!
The Current Source tears down a Weller WEP51 iron: • Video
Even the world's cheapest soldering station has a primary side mains fuse: • EEVblog #596 - World's...
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6:30 Why the heck does a soldering iron need an augmented reality app?!
That's where the savings from not including a primary side fuse went.
gotta have the latest marketing wank
So you can experience a transformer meltdown in a fully immersive VR experience?
They want your contacts
So the people under 50 that eat tide pods won't insert it into their rectum between tweets.
If they make it like a video game, they reckon it might be possible to get just enough attention span to get some of the information across.
After seeing that they
a) kept selling the wha900 for $600
b) had no way to buy a heating element for the WHA900
c) replaced it with total trash of the WTHA1N that falls apart easily, costs $600+
I can't take weller seriously as a company anymore.
But they have a VR/AR app you can run on your phone!
@@EEVblog , good one but seriously, what does the app actually do?
@@nickstanley5064 Maybe its to make it look like your iron hasn't fallen apart?
@@alexatkin , but did the development cost of the app cost them their 2 digits?
@Spiritpoweredinternet I have an ancient Weller Magnestat type iron that I built from scrap units at the company where I did my apprenticeship 27 years ago. Still works perfectly and I use it most days. It also has a primary side fuse!
When I first got mine, I emailed them about the backlight which is shown on their official marketing photos:
"Hi, I just purchased a Weller WE1010, but I can't seem to activate the backlight shown in all your marketing ads. Without the backlight working, it's really hard to see the display from most angles at my bench. I cannot find how to activate the backlight in the manual. Please advise how to switch it on? or have I got a faulty unit?"
Their response:
"Sorry but the WE1010 Station has no backlight, and you cannot activated it!"
No mention of the false advertising.
LOL
Bussines and marketing wankwords...so they told you... fuck you, buy another model!
What about a mood light ? 😏
@WhiteShadow2k1 this is typical chinese overrating and shitty description ...oh weller how far down the toilet are you going to fall?
All the pictures of their models are computer generated graphics. I have not seen a single *real* photo of a single product on their page.
Oh my beloved Weller.... How far you have fallen.
I'm curious, when did fuses start appearing in US electronics if even today they're not all required to have them to pass the US regulations? I'm guessing some types of devices must have had them from the beginning, but evidently not all, not even something like this.
They haven't fallen, Dave is the one doing the falling here. He displays his ignorance when it comes to safety engineering.
Apex tool group, which contains Weller, was purchased a while ago by bain capital (remember mitt romney?) and bain capital only cares about money. Soon as they run weller into the ground they'll kill off the brand as they did with so many other American tool companies.
@@outsideworld76 It's safe for the user, just not the tool.
Brilliant rant!! As much as I hate to see once-great companies sink into smoky Oblivion by idiot managemt playing on their self inducing bullshit bingo merry-go-round...
VP of marketing? There's your problem!
Used car salesman types addressing engineering and consumer safety issues.
They probably don't have any engineers working there any more. They cost too much and only cause problems.
Probably the same guy that wrote that product page.
@@Zadster Pesky engineers ruining their bottom line by implementing safety features.
Yeah, whenever possible, you fire off complaints like this straight to the engineering department.
Please test the 240V version using a 415V supply
Exactly what would happen if you lost connection with the incoming neutral in the main switch board with more than one phase available. It dose happen!
I'm pretty sure that would be in excess of it's designed operating environment, and void the warranty. Weller and UL would not be to blame for your failure to read the voltage label.
Yes please. Would love to see this 🙂
Actually some Variacs DO go up to '11', meaning that they'll step up the input voltage to 110% :)
Why not 240VDC? The advertisement seems to be okay with that.
You’ve been “EEV”ed and “ROSSMAN”ed at the same god damn day! RIP Weller!
you forgot mikeelectricstuffed
Ronald D.
Keep em coming..
soon Weller’s grave will be buried deeper than an oceanic trench!
Oh, and also, Hakko... be aware!!!!
And possibly soon "bigclive"d...and maybe also "julianillet"ed
yeah we use JBCs now.
I'll keep using my Hakko desktop unit thanks all the same Weller.
I didn't realize Weller was a Banggood house brand.
Even worse - On Banggood you might get a refund and the soldering station wouldnt cost 120 bucks. You wouldnt bother to get refund anyway cause it would be cheaper( invested time) and just easier to order another one.
Watch it, Banggood might sue you for slander.
Fluke and Tektronix are owned by Fortive Corporation, a Chinese conglomerate.
Honestly, I expected more from Weller. They have a reputation in the industry. Maybe it isn't deserved anymore.
I think they HAD a reputation but as most old companies seem to go they let the cost cutters have a go at it. Reputation now "tarnished".
they lost their reputation as the best at the high end to JBC ages ago
When even most pros in Germany don't use weller anymore, you know what's up
Based on the failure of my latest two WESD-51s including a replacement iron for one of them... as far as I'm concerned their reputation is not deserved at this point.
Maybe at one time, but in my 20+ experience, Weller has always been garbage.
Our company almost completely switched to JBC now. Way better irons.
I really expected better from an industry leader of decades. Well done Dave.
You meant, Weller done Dave
"Vice President" is one of those titles they give to hundreds of employees to use to make you feel more special. A company I contracted for in the past had *over one thousand* "vice presidents" of various things, so your account was always managed by, gosh, the vice president!!! Aren't you special?!
salted or unsalted?
in germany - and weller is a german company - a title like vice president does have legal implication for both company and employee.
sarowie You won't convince me this BS came from Germany.
@@sarowie Weller is not german it's owed by Apex which itself is owed by Brain Capital, a private investment firm.
@@sarowie as far as I know, they only have large parts of the design and engineering in Germany. (Mostly because they can write "Engineered in Germany" in their advertisements, i guess. A missing fuse looks quite like the opposite of typical German engineering. There should have been a unnecessary amount of safety features)
Weller turns your entire house/business into a reflow oven.
You have to prepare a shitload of boards to run ..not to waste energy and not to miss optimal thermal profiles.
And Nobody has ever accidentally left their Iron On...
VDE is usually super strict and relies on actual testing. Interesting that they got that.
6:26 "Who wrote this rubbish?!"
Presumably the VP of marketing.
copyright strike coming up :D My Weller did have a fuse on the primary, gave it away to a mate a few months ago bit crusty aged 30 years young.
but how old was the iron?
@@Steve-du6ms Boom Tish :) Iron was 32 years old my mate is a little older and nearly as Crusty ;)
Finally replaced my Weller WTCPL soldering station. Bought it in 1974 for $41. It lasted more than forty years, with many replacement tips and a few shrink tubing repairs to both the mains line cord and the soldering iron cord. It has been a great soldering station, but was finally time to upgrade to the Weller WT1010HN 150 watt soldering station. Guess what: The Weller WTCPL soldering station didn't have a mains fuse, either. Guess I am lucky I am still alive. What I would like to know is how it was possible to plug a 120 VAC soldering station into a 230 VAC socket; they are physically different socket/plugs. North America uses International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Type A (2 prong) or Type B (3 prong, with ground pin), whereas Australia uses IEC Type I, with three flat pins in a triangular shape.
Good point but maybe the "heat-resistant silicon cable" provides electrical isolation too. Cheaper meters might only use silicone and not genuine silicon. Flexible glass shows that Weller is well ahead of the competition and you should acknowledge that. Thanks for posting this video.
They sacrificed the fuse so they could include the password protection feature. It seems more important that no one can change the settings than not dyeing in a fire.
Either a fuse or a hardwired 120V US power cord... The IEC connector nowadays somehow implies wide range voltage support.
Yeah, in thsi case you have to read the label on the bottom, not the back were the socket is.
I live in South Carolina where an Apex tools who make Weller products, has a facility 10 min away, you don't need primary side fusing since it has secondary protection since it's for 120v it was a forced failure mode by applying 240v, so it was a result of the end user not checking the specs, just replace 120 v transformer with a 240v counterpart, and it'll most likely work.
I have a Weller that I have used for many years. Usually functional, but unremarkable. Now that I think back, there are several times that it was left on through lunch and glowing red hot on return.
Thanks for the report. This is basic stuff.
The Weller will now be retired.
60 Hz or 61 Hz. Whatever it takes.
I think the real story here is that they got all those safety certifications despite the lack of a fuse on the primary side. Either the certifications people were negligent or paid off.
Weller, we need a response. I was literally using this very iron while watching this, and I'm dumbfounded. I need to know I can trust your products going forward.
It's pretty silly stuff really.
Weller maybe you should hire Dave to make sure your crap is safe. Fire the damn PR person. You have officialy pissed of Dave.
Your correct about the marketing person. Their lack of simple safety pissed me off. When a company has proof of a fault it should do something. Not gloss it over.
Although I like how you rip them a new one you did a tear-down of it and did not rant about the lack of primary side fuse and did not throw it in the bin then.
I have a Weller WS-51 which developed a sporadic fault soon after purchase even though I'm treating it like the gold I had to pay it with. It's that kind of disappointment that almost convince me to go for something else for my next soldering station - even though otherwise there are many positive product properties.
Is this supposed to be used on 120 and 220? If not, I’m not sure I understand this particular problem. Normally, if you have 120, you don’t have 220. That was a big screwup on your part if you somehow managed to plug a 120 model into a 220 outlet.
I wonder how many people have had the problem you had?
I like this channel, but at times you’re a bit over the top.
So... If I extract the main fuse from my $60 Velleman I get a $130 Weller ? Sweet ! Thanks for sharing !
In defense of Weller, the failure released magic smoke, but didn't seem to be on fire. If the primary windings used a fireproof "enamel", the risk would be mitigated and eventually the breaker would trip.
Would it scare the crap out of me? You bet. But, damage to Dave = zero, damage to lab = zero, and it didn't even trip the expensive fire alarm.
That said, yes, I'd like to have a primary fuse as well.
The replacement/tester they offered you will magically have the fuse dodgilly soldered in to cover their asses, and presume your 120V version was a production fault.
I remember a Fluke meter (probably 8845) with a burned out mains transformer. It was configured for 230V, and was accidentaly connected to 440V AC. No mains fuse too.
Not even so much as an excuse for the lack of fuse?
This demands a follow-up letter:
"Weller, Weller, Weller....
Oh, tell me more, tell me more. Did you put up a fight?"
How dare they not patch you directly through to the engineering department. I mean, you’re an expert who plugged a 120v device into 240v...
Double digit growth. You had 10 clients and just grow to 20. Wow, a 2 digits growth, 100% growth, amazing.
My guess is the 230V version does have the fuse as required for VDE. The 110V doesn't.
Someone posted that their 240V unit does not have a fuse either.
@@EEVblog definitely something sketchy going on then! I'm not 100% on the VDE standards, but the IEC standards definitely require it unless contained within a fire enclosure
Hey, it’s not Weller to blame, it’s the certifying body. Got an impression UL was mentioned?
Well you plugged a 120v item into a 240v supply. I'm surprised they didn't send you a info printout on how to read a voltage rating. Also don't you have a correct fuse in the mains plug anyway?
Maybe instead of just rambling on about their response, get the different certifications in text next to the soldering station and see if the units comply to these standards.
If so, they are right and the certification lacks in certain safety features.
Thanks for this. I was torn between this and the Hakko FX888D, but this pretty much was the deciding factor.
Thank you for this!
As I, as a casual user who probably belong to their main target group, would never had checked such a thing before buying. I mean, what gizmo doesn't have a fuse today? It's unthinkable.
I learned to solder with Weller gear when I was a kid, and always thought of them as good value for money. Not anymore.
Weller... you need to take criticism like this seriously.
I thought the thermal fuse on the primary was a legal requirement, at least in the UK. I could be wrong of course.
The reason that UK plugs are fused is nothing to do with ring mains, it’s the UK method of preventing house fires caused by appliances taking a fault current which is less than the house breaker rating (say 15A - 32A) but greater than the appliance flex rating (eg 3-6A). This type of fault is notorious for setting fire to carpets so the purpose of the fuse is to protect your carpets (and hence your house and your family). Putting the fuse in the plug means that it can always be matched to the current rating of the flex.
The rest of the world uses a different method of carpet protection, they put an input fuse in the appliance which is rated below the rating of the flex which generally has the same effect unless the fault is in the flex. Even when the appliance has a connector instead of a flex it usually still works because the fuse rating can be made lower than the rating of the thinnest IEC type mains lead commonly available.
The use of a short-circuit free transformer, if there really is such a thing, doesn’t remove the requirement for a carpet protection fuse because it isn’t short-circuits that cause the problem it is partial shorts ie medium resistance faults which may be nothing to do with the transformer.
The naked gun is an absolute classic
It would have been interesting to see if the 230V EU model had a a fuse.
The USA made metals of the 90s had a big chunky switch on the top which only switched the secondary only found this out when T/F started buzzing. If any one can confirm if the new models do this.
The loop hole may be that it is classed as soldering iron or powered tool the direct mains stick types do not have internal fuses drilling machines do not have fuses in them but Isuspect the would have over temp thermal fuses in them.
I also detect some free market tubthumpers in the comments who don't believe in any safety regulations.
Weller tools is owned by Apex Tool Group which is owned by private equity firm Bain Capital, there's your problem.
Based upon this, I should probably consider "safety" and replace my WESD51. Weller happens to be based here in NC and were kind enough to send me a replacement temperature adjustment knob when the little prongs broke off inside the unit with just normal use. I bought it for the "rah rah" American made stuff and because my earliest memories of a radio repair shop in the 1950s where a big fat, black, Weller soldering gun was in use. How could I go wrong with that?
Weller makes irons for decades that work great. A blogger plugs one in to the wrong voltage, and suddenly there’s a scandal. I love your product teardowns and reviews, but I don’t see the big deal here.
Even if it had a fuse, it wouldn’t have blown until at least some of the windings were shorted. At that point it’s still trashed, but you might not know it.
FWIW, I have a simple rule... ALWAYS turn off and unplug the iron when stepping away from the bench, even just for a minute. This prevents all sorts of calamities, and I don’t worry about whether or not I left the iron on.
I wouldn't be surprised if that isn't a temporary response as they figure out what actually happened.
OK, your video's are usually entertaining and sometime educational but not you are just being a ninny. You blew it and now want to make your bonehead move some kind of grave flaw in the Weller irons. I hope you let this drop, it does not make look good, now get back to real electronics and stop the whining because you made a mistake.
Different design engineers on different models. Some think a primary fuse is important and include it, some don't so exclude it. I run into things like this frequently in my job where different engineers size things disagree on tolerances despite clearly both having the identical mating part.
The marketing department fobbed you off with a review iron to promote the products, he's got it all figured out -.-
If they say that they improved safety then I don't want to touch the unsave one with a long stick.
Can you please let me know how to get in touch with that PR guy, I'd like to "review" a 230V version of that particular soldering iron too.
It is your failure too Dave .... Why the heck you plug a 120V device into 240V? Read the label/instructions. I am not saying Weller is correct but you did the wrong thing .. don't you?
he admitted in previous video it was his fault... so?
the weller irons I have used don't have a transformer they plugged directly into the mains so if something went wrong the fuse in the plug would blow & if you removed the soldering tip the iron wouldn't work as the tip was magnetised & was needed to close the thermostat switch
Please let them send you the iron, so you can check if you can use it with 120V OR 60hz (maybe a speaker powered by a 60hz sine wave signal is enough to run this thing:) )
I guess Weller isnt the company it used to be any more. Like a lot of companies that get very successful, they get lazy, do not innovate anymore, and try to do cost cutting everywhere just to increase their profit margins. A company based on pure profit and no longer on passion and providing proper equipment. Other companies that sort of come to mind are Canon going down hill after 2012, and HTC taking a dive in the deep end by overpricing all their phones after doing great in the 'good value for money segment'.
my old weller WTCP-N has a mains fuse (inside, was too much trouble to put a hole in the back I guess) CSA approved...
My ERSA RDS80 has a fuse+holder in the base, the only things I don't like is the connector (sloppy), cable between base and iron (way to stiff), you need the push hard on the buttons. Didn't have money for a JBC
Have... have they ever seen what soldering irons look like in high schools? They're held together by tape and paint. If its unsafe NIB, how well will it hold up in ten years when it's been tossed around?
And the liability claim is utter horse shit. It's better to recall now than it is to recall them after some kid gets killed or someone's house/workshop burns to the ground.
I guess UL never thought to plug a 120 iron into 220? It really should have a fuse as with all test gear and tools.
He gave his Weller the boot and they're sending him another one.
It's clear the VP doesn't know about your channel, which probably smarts a little. It's pretty reasonable to assume that someone in Australia, with a 120v version of a product, moved from North America. Yes, the email was a bit of a blow-off, but I think it's nice that they offered you a replacement. If you view it from the lens of them not knowing anything about you or your channel, it was a kind gesture to get you back on your feet, not something to shut you up.
You didn't share with us the email you sent them. Sounds like you said something about approvals and they responded by letting you know they have those approvals.
Tempest in a teapot.
Get it and do a full teardown of it.
At no point did Weller certify the product as fuckwit proof.
My $20 clone Hakko ripoff is fuckwit proof.
In the UK as you know we have a fused plug system,so a 3 amp fuse could save a major short circuit without the magic smoke emission,there is no logic to this product design,it is not safe and the best thing we can do is to vote with our wallet to protect others!Regards Colin.
Weller, please just cut the crap (It's a safety concern)
Other than that I'm pleased with their products in general
I agree to "ease of use". No fiddling around with fuses..lol
Switched from Weller to Ersa a few years ago. Glad I saw this video. Can't trust Weller anymore, especially after that BS responds.
I still can't believe this response from Weller, if someone told me this story I wouldn't believe him.
In some cases EU regulation allows for a device to be only fused on the secondary side. Weller certainly isn't the only one to do this. It might surprise you, but indeed there is nothing to see here.
In the case of the Weller there are some (safety) rules that apply, it has to confirm to the insulation class that it is sold as. It should not interfere with other electronic devices. It should stay save if it fails due to electronic or static interference. And well,.. that is it.
The whole CE thing is a kind of a red haring and a source of a lot of misunderstanding and myth. While initially very strict, up to a point where it was unworkable for small manufactures, the whole CE compliance thing was relaxed soon after its introduction. I take the liberty to simplify quite a bit here.
A product has to confirm to CE regulation but the manufacturer does not have to test this. However when challenged the manufacturer is liable for the CE conformation.
For most electronic products however its enough if the product does not cause interference and stays safe when it fails. Very often this is obvious and there is no need for testing, just slap on the CE mark and you're done.
CE testing is mostly done for liability and insurance reasons. Some examples where you DO want to test:
1) Products that are likely to violate CE rules as part of how they function, for example you can't have wireless transmission without causing interference.
2) Products that have to keep functioning correctly when they receive electronic or static interference. Think medical equipment or automotive applications.
And ever wondered why so much stuff for the EU market uses an external power supply? Even 19" rack stuff where there is plenty of room for a build in PSU? Well there is a much relaxed set of rules regarding electronics that is not connected to the mains. According to EU regulation the external PSU is connected to the mains, the device it powers is not. Basically its quite hard to fail CE if you move your power-transformer to an external box.
Up until this video, I used to hold Weller in high regard. To me they were the undisputed go to brand for anything soldering related. My mind is changed now, I will never buy another Weller product, and so I ask you who do you recommend? I am looking for a high end brand with a good reputation for long lasting products and above all safety.
Why wouldn't you put a fuse, on the primary side of the mains, in any device?
I still have my long since passed away grandads Heathkit soldering iron(GH-17A). Wouldn't trade it for a Weller at all!
Why did they make the Current Source video private?
I wonder what is the loophole in the UL approval process. Fitted plugs in the U.K. are fused perhaps it was designed with that in mind and then they goofed for other countries with none fused plugs.
There is no loophole. Also a fuse most probably would not have blown in this case.
Actually a fuse is very likely to have blown in a gross overload situation like this. It’s likely the transformer would still be damaged but a fuse is not design for the protection of equipment.
I'm not surprised... not in the least. Who knows, though, they might start making fused power-in a part of every kit and we'll probably see it called out in the hype sheet.
Thanks a lot. That "low voltage 120V for improved safety" line made my day. I never used a Weller but I always thought they where the industries standard, but this is bs
Interesting point: The EU Version does have a mains fuse
WTH, are you kidding me!? And this is a high buck product! I think what they're not telling us is the UL listing they had was from Undertakers Laboratory, when your shop burns down!
What a typical marketing response. "We haven't read your comment, and no one here understands these word things you're using, but here take a free item and go the fuck away"
The real question is, how did it get UL from corrupt UL.
Did you expect much more from Marketing?
Maybe they're taking some cues from the Onehunglo brands with - may heat differently under certain light conditions?
They'll probably tell you it will solder under water as well.
I'm surprised they're still using transformers instead of switch-mode supplies these days.
The blame really Accidentally? first in reality professionalism, safety and experience, ? who would plug a 110 volt powered device into a 230 volt power supply, the response from Weller about the problem at hand and what was found to be a possible solution?,
Weller could have at least offered a smoking jacket with their product. Tut tut !!!
I don’t think weller understands how powerful RUclips is. This could kill their company for real. Most people who are into this are not stupid and the reputation will be scared badly across the board. They didn’t see 700k subs..
At Weller, safety is job 12. 👍
Weller will be so pissed haha
One reason: Guys in UK have their fuse inside the mains plug.
What was the correct voltage supposed to be?
There’s no mains fuse. There should be. They tried to buy you off. You rage. We don’t buy Weller.
For $600 they could afford an auto-switching (120V/240V) front end.
VP of Marketing, what did you expect?
But really, there is a bit too much fuzz about it. Tons of my stuff at home has no fuse and we all trust the mains fuses to do their job. My toaster is much more dangerous since it has places where you stick in combustable material near red hot glowing power lines
Thanks!
It is a bit of downer, although I am using Weller's equipment all my professional career. Even my old and simple magnastat WCP50 had mains side fuse and is very sturdy and reliable station. Even when after years and years of everyday heavy use silicone cable shorted on secondary side, actually primary side fuse blew, so safe it is. This one looks like cheaper model which is no excuse for leaving out primary fuse. I also checked my WX2020 and it has primary circuit fuse. But, of course it is 700€ behemoth and it completely justifies it's price. I must admit, at first I did not check at all if there is primary fuse (I was expecting it at this price range) but of course this is one integrated into mains input connector, real beauty.
Same thing happens in Telstra . PR creating cheap attitudes to what was a quality service . Replace the ones who know better with those who compromise something they don't understand to make quick profits
Who in they're right mind is buying a Weller POS when you can have a Metcal ?
Well done Dave, I always said you are paying for the name.
WOW using a different Weller myself, looked up the model u r talking about online, the pic of the back it has a computer male input for Mains, BUT NO LABEL REGARDING Power Requirements so ANYTHING could end up going in there and its ALL THEIR FAULT, as well as NO Fuse. : ( TOTAL FIRE HAZARD