ersaRDS 80 electronically temperature-controlled soldering station, 80 W, 115 V

Quite an excellent value for $99.99 (what I paid). Every aspect of design (looks, form, feel, balance, function, etc.) seems elegant and refined (all things considered for the price). And aesthetically, the look and feel is fantastic! Way to go Germans!The ceramic PTC heating element / temperature sensor is unique, and is a very compact, potent and efficient system. Heat up time is plenty fast - by the time I switch the unit on and setup my first joint it's ready to go.The tips will cost you! Although the iron is relatively cheap, the tips are expensive! The unit comes with a relatively large general purpose chisel tip, but for fine circuit board work I ended up buying (3) extra tips costing $13 to $28 each. Apparently the tips are made for heavy duty factory production (according to their website) and they seem to spare no expense on materials and manufacture, which is good because as long as the unit shuts it self off automatically (and it does) they may be the last tips you ever buy, i.e. if you're just an electronics hobbyist like me. Hot swapping is easy with the use of a common pair of needle nose pliers; just release the spring retainer, pull the hot tip off, drop it in the holder, and then pop in a new one. And then the heat flows rappidly into the new tip and is ready to solder in seconds. Probably the fastest-easiest tip change in the business!One more note on the tips: I would like to see sharper/wider chisel tips! The ones they sell are a bit too blunt, making it harder to make direct contact with the work, and therefore seem a bit sluggish when delivering heat to the work items.The iron itself is pencil-like and feels good in the hand; however, the power cord is somewhat heavy and stiff (not made of silicone), which makes maneuvering the iron a little less dexterous. Overall, the system is lightyears ahead of the old Weller type technology. And forget about buying cheap Chinese knock-offs - DON'T DO IT!I’ve owned the Ersa for about a year and I really love it! Unfortunately, I am now aware that there is a new generation of soldering iron design out there, which uses integrated cartridge tips that are even lighter, more powerful, and pencil-like with higher thermal efficiency. But these soldering stations start around $250, so the Ersa is still very good for the money!

Not sure I'd buy again. I've used heavily for a couple of weeks now and have formed opinions. It appears well made and has functions as designed. The pencil is light weight and comfortable in the hand. It heats up reasonably quickly. And it seems to hold temperature as set. There are 3 pre programmed heat settings: 150C, 300C and 400C. You can change these. Most of my work is on PC boards, more and more on SMDs. I have two complaints. First involves tips. It comes with a large, heavy tip that's not suited to my application. It's mass is so great that it will not heat to 450C. The cost of the tips is rather high, from $11.0- $35.00. I have already bought 2 tips for it. The gull wing tip is often used in my application, but it's unavailable. I bought the chizzle tip, but it's too broad and too heavy. My other complaint is that the pencil holder is separate from the controller so two spots on the bench are occupied. Finally, the cord for the pencil is pretty robust, and you will notice the weight after a day of using the RDS80. You can do as well or better at less expense. I have a work station that I paid $50 for that heats just as quickly, came with a wide assortment of tips and does hot air work also. Then there is Hakko which sells a soldering station similar to the RDS80 for the same money as the RDS. But you can buy an assortment of tips for under $10 and the pencil holder has storage for a brass tip cleaner. Bottom line is my el cheapo work station or the Hakko are a far better deal.

I use a soldering iron most of the day. As such, I have owned several very good soldering stations through the years. I appreciate the no-nonsense approach of the RDS 80. It is heavy for its size owing to a rather large transformer. The soldering station is simple to setup. However, if needed, the manual is comprehensive and well written. Other manufactures could learn a lot from a Kurtz Ersa manual (all of there manuals are very well put together). The memories are simple to set with an optional programmable standby temperature and timer plus a programmable auto-off timer. It includes several features not found on my other soldering stations, most costing much more than the RDS 80.Features are nice, but how does it work? Very well. It performs like a much more expensive soldering station. The iron has very good thermal recovery and a large selection of tips and geometries. The tips are very well made and surprised me how long they last. I like the way in which the tips attach to the heating element, making a solid mechanics connection. My only complaint is the PVC cable used to connect the iron to the power supply. Although the cable is generous in length, it lacks flexibility. Also, I wish the display was backlit or edge lit. Admittedly, my complaints are minor and do not constitute deal breakers.I find myself reaching for the RDS 80 over my other soldering stations. Honestly, if not for the PVC cable that connects to the iron, I would use the RDS 80 over the i-CON Nano. I would certainly put the RDS 80 at the top of my list for soldering stations under $150. The iron is light and fits well in the hand. The station heats-up quickly and exhibits very good thermal recovery. It performs very well with solid construction. The tips are reasonably priced, exceptionally well made and last much longer than I expected. This is a great soldering station for the serious hobbyist, technician or even light production use. Lastly, Kurtz Ersa customer support is excellent with prompt and professional responses, should you ever need it.

This item was broken from the vendor. The power transformer was broken free of the broken base of this soldering station. The transformer isvery heavy and the plastic base of this soldering station is very thin. Any miss treatment during shipment will break loose the transformer from the base of the unit.

Great product for everyday work or even in production environment. Solid quality.