Main > Main Forum
I finally got a Metcal
MaximRecoil:
Well, I don't have it yet, but I won the auction, and for cheap too (link).
I'm not sure why it went for so cheap, except for maybe the seller's less than stellar 98.8% positive feedback and/or the beat-up/well-used appearance of the unit. Oh well, for less than $40 shipped, I'm willing to take the chance on the seller. The beat-up/well-used appearance doesn't concern me, since the Metcals I used at work for 2 years looked as bad or worse. Commercially used industrial tools are rarely babied.
Additionally, with the Metcal, due to the way it works, replacing the tip cartridge essentially = new soldering iron, given that the heat control mechanism is all contained in the tip cartridge:
--- Quote ---MX Systems reduce maintenance costs because they use no separate control circuits and minimal parts. When you change a tip cartridge, it's like getting a whole new system.
http://www.okinternational.com/product_soldering/mxRework
--- End quote ---
So basically, as long as the power supply works (the seller claims it does), then I'm all set.
The tips start to lose their normally lightning-fast recovery time after about 80 continual hours of use, something you'd probably only notice on a production line. I liked to get a new tip cartridge from my supervisor every 2 weeks (80 hours of soldering). Some people went longer, then again, they weren't the fastest solderers in the world either. In any event, a new tip cartridge would last me a long time at home. I doubt I've done 80 hours of soldering in the 7 years since I worked at EST.
This is the RFG-30 power supply, which is an older discontinued model. The closest equivalent being manufactured today is the MX-500. The PS2E-01 model came after the RFG-30, but before the MX-500. We had all three types of units at work and used them interchangeably. They all accept the same handpieces and tip cartridges (which is the important part for me), so the ones currently available new from OKI/Metcal for the MX-500 are compatible with the older RFG-30's and PS2E-01's.
The model differences are as follows:
RFG-30 -- Basic no-frills power supply. Uses the RM3E (STSS or MX) handpiece and associated tip cartridges.
PS2E-01 -- Added a 30-minute no-use shutoff circuit. That is, if the iron is on for 30 minutes without being used, it shuts off automatically to save on tip cartridge life. This feature was a minor annoyance to me on occasion, and is the main reason I'd grab an RFG-30 unit over a PS2E-01 or MX-500 at work when I could (first-shifters liked to move crap around). Cosmetically about the same as the RFG-30. Uses the RM3E (STSS or MX) handpiece and associated tip cartridges.
MX-500 -- In addition to the 30-minute circuit, the MX-500 adds a second port to plug a handpiece into (not useable simultaneously, a switch to select one or the other) and curvy new cosmetic styling. I preferred the boxy, finned heat sink look of the previous models. Uses the RM3E (STSS or MX) handpiece and associated tip cartridges.
So I'm going to keep my fingers crossed. Hopefully the power supply works like he claims. If all goes well, ~$40 shipped is a hell of a deal for a functional Metcal complete with handpiece (the handpieces sell for about $80 to $90 new), a tip cartridge (not my preferred tip geometry but whatever) and a stand.
Level42:
Wow that's a bargain !!! For that money, I'd buy one too !!!
MaximRecoil:
Yeah, I was quite pleased. I've searched eBay every now and then for one over the years and for complete (power supply, handpiece and stand) older models, they usually go for about ~$100, with power supplies alone usually selling for $50 to $75. In fact I was watching another auction for a complete one that was in better cosmetic condition that ended a day before this one and it went for $90. And forget about current MX-500's, you're lucky to find a complete working used one for under $250.
The huge difference in price between older models and MX-500's makes me wonder how many people realize that they are essentially the same thing minus a few minor features, and they accept the same accessories.
I ordered a new tip cartridge too, the STTC-126 style that I used at work. They look like this:
MaximRecoil:
I've come across some interesting stuff about Metcals while trying to find out what makes them work so much better than other irons. Apparently they work on a completely different technology (patented in 1986) than other irons. For example, there is no bulky ceramic heating element, which is why they can have such a slim and ergonomic handpiece with a short tip-to-grip distance. Also you can use little fine point tips and still get near instant heat transfer to pads and posts, as well or better than an ordinary iron with a big fat tip. Also, I've always wondered how the tips can heat up so fast (under 10 seconds). Anyway, here is some of the stuff I found out from newsgroup posts:
--- Quote ---The clever thing about the design is the method of heating. The
"station" consist of high power rf generator enclosed in well shielded
case. The power is delivered to the tip via a coaxial cable. The tip
is so constructed that it absorbs the energy at the working end and
heats up until it reaches a curie point temperature at which it
becomes high impedance. This transition is very sharp, meaning that
the tip is always at the correct temperature. The response is
phenomenal. It will hit operating temperature in seven seconds and
3/32" tip can solder a penny to a copper clad circuit board without
overheating anything. I had it feed through a SWR meter and could see
the needle jump moment the tip touched the workpiece. The selection
of tips is large and replacement is easy as they just pull out of the
handle.
Boris Mohar
--- End quote ---
--- Quote ---> My vote is for Metcal also - I also have their desoldering system and have
> had zero problems. You only turn them on when you need them - the tips
heat
> up almost instantly.
Yep, that's always a good way to impress people with Hakko's and Wellers.
;-) "Off" to "On" and soldering in about ~10-12 seconds. Turn power off,
yank the tip cartridge out and you can hold it from the end opposite the
soldering point in your bare hand-- the heating is local to the tip only
(some patented RF technique that keeps everyone else from doing it
apparently).
-Clay Cowgill
--- End quote ---
--- Quote ---I couldn't agree more. Metcal irons are miraculous. If you haven't
tried one, you haven't been enjoying soldering. It took me months to talk my
new employer into trying one. In less time than that, we now have them
all over the company. :) One assembler called it a 'dream iron'. Yes,
they're *that* good. Those of you who work with your soldering station switched
on most or all of the day really owe it to yourselves to try one. They're
expensive, but well worth the money if you solder a good deal. For fine
pitch work, they're not merely a luxury -- once you try one you'll be hooked.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote ---B. Vermo wrote:
> What makes Metcal tips so expensive, and why are they better to
> work with?
The win with a Metcal tip is that the heating element is
a) tiny
b) situated very close to the soldering surface
c) tightly regulated
so what you get is effectively a constant-temperature source with only a
short path for the heat to flow to the joint, with the power available
to keep the tip at your chosen temperature no matter how much heat
you're pulling out into the workpiece. This avoids the need to run the
tip hotter than you would like to, just so that soldering doesn't slow
down if you're doing many joints in quick succession. Keeping the tip
temperature down makes it a lot harder to wreck thin PCB traces...
Metcal tips are also nicely made, and keep their surfaces more or less
for ever (certainly over 2 years so far, and counting, with use of
probably 20 hours/week.
The Metcal irons are also pleasant to hold, don't get warm except at the
tip, have extremely flexible burn-resistant cable.
enough of the sales pitch, I'm not associated with Metcal, just a happy
customer.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote ---1) Metcal makes an iron that's RF driven. It can put a LOT of watts
into a small tip almost instantly to keep the temperature constant.
The tip can be just hot enough to melt the solder, small enough to get
into a tight space and supply enough power to keep the temperature
stable over a wide range of joint sizes (load thermal mass). Once
you've tried one, you'll never want to go back. For personal use,
the fatness of your wallet is a factor in obtaining one.
--- End quote ---
I just thought I'd post some of this stuff in case anyone is looking to get a nice iron. For $100 or less you can get a used Metcal that...well, here is another quote from Clay Cowgill on RGVAC that sums it up my thoughts on the matter pretty well:
--- Quote ---I'd recommend trying to get a used Metcal over anything else (even vs. a
brand new Weller/Pace/Hakko or similar, no matter how expensive you go). In
my experience they are simply so much better than everything else out there
there's not even any contest.
Link
--- End quote ---
SirPeale:
How's this one?
Link
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version