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Reviews For: Weller Battery Operated Soldering Iron BP645

Category: Tools & Test Equipment for the amateur radio work bench

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Review Summary For : Weller Battery Operated Soldering Iron BP645
Reviews: 5MSRP: 12.00
Description:
Weller Batter Operated Soldering Iron Model BP645
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/CF_Files/model_detail.cfm?upc=037103210821
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0050.4
SV1HEP Rating: 2012-03-23
The best battery discharge system Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Soldering iron ? No. So what is that ? It's a very clever, hi tech device, constructed by alien technology for use in the outer Space and intergalactic repairs to unknown lifeforms. Perhaps adds some electrons to DNA spiral.
Do not try it in your pet. You transform it to fluorescent lamp.
NW9T Rating: 2010-10-25
RUN don't walk to the nearest exit! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This is the second Weller item I've purchased in the last year and a half that has died after only a couple of uses. I purchased this one in May of this year, used it for maybe ten minutes. Grabbed it the other day, turned it on and pressed the button... no heat. Replaced the batteries with new set and still nothing.

I had purchased the Weller Soldering Gun Kit the previous summer and it saw maybe twenty minutes of use to solder some radials on a vertical antenna I built. Pulled that out recently and it fails to heat as well. I grew up using Weller soldering equipment, my dad swore by them. But after this I won't buy another Weller brand product.
WB4M Rating: 2009-11-28
Only good for the smallest jobs Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I saw this "soldering iron" at the local Lowe's store. I actually was looking for a corded pencil type but there were none to be found, so though I'd give this one a try.
Upon opening the package, I first noticed how cheaply constructed it is - very lightweight plastic handle, cheap on/off switch and flimsy battery compartment cover. The heating unit is external, not in the handle, and the tip is seated in the heating unit. Basically the handle is the battery compartment (3 AA's) and switch, and the batteries are the only thing that gives this unit any weight or feel at all; without them this thing cannot weight 1 full ounce.
To begin soldering, you have to slide the switch to the "on" position, and then hold down a small button. Sounds simple enough, but the cheap switch has the tendency to slide back to the off position when you try to apply pressure to the small button - it won't lock into the on position. This problem is compounded by movement of your hand as you try to position the tip to the work area.
It also comes with a plastic "protective cover" that fits over the tip end and reaches the on/off switch, and is supposed to move the switch to "off" if it has been left "on" by mistake. The cover does not move my switch to OFF and the cover will not stay on, it fits very loosely, not snapping into place, falling off if the unit is not standing on end. I'm not sure why anyone would put a plastic cover on a hot tip anyway.
BUT, I just used it to wire and 8-pin mic connector and it did a good job of that, the thin sharp tip is great for getting into those small places. I think this type of application is about all the iron is good for, thin small wires, etc.. wiring something like a PL-259 would be too much for it to handle. I do a minimal amount of soldering, so cannot comment on battery life, but I would think the life would be short, even though the instructions say it is good for 120 solder joints. It supposedly has a red LED that lights up during use, but the LED on mine does not work.
The booklet also says it is rated at 6 watts, tip temperature up to 900 degrees.
I found it interesting that the package notes ham radio as one of its uses!
Overall, this thing needs help. It needs a more sturdy on/off switch and better handle. I bet the handle will either crack or break if dropped, its that cheap. If you do a lot of small soldering, kit building, etc, this is not the unit to buy. It is good for limited occasional use on very small jobs.



SV1ENS Rating: 2009-04-02
Junk ! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I'm traveling through Canada and I needed a solder iron in order to repair the cable on my travel antenna. I visited a Canadian Tire shop to find a cheap solder iron and amongst the different solder irons I noticed the Weller BP860MP which is supposed to be 11W on 4 alkaline batteries.
I always wanted to replace an old butane solder iron I have back home, so I trusted the brand name and bought the Weller...
The solder iron will barely melt the solder on it's tip on fresh batteries. If you put it against the area you need to solder, the solder freezes up...
Shame... I had several Weller corded solder irons in the past and was very happy with them, however this Weller is not worth it's name !!!
The person who approved the manufacture and market of this piece of junk as well as the QA department of Weller should seriously consider a career change...

W4NBO Rating: 2008-10-25
Awful Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Bought several of these for Christmas gifts last December and gave them to my coworkers. Kept one for myself. I feel like i need to apologize to them.

Seeing the Weller brand (which make good ac powdered soldering irons IMHO), i hoped these would be decent. Was i wrong !

Ive used tons of soldering irons over the past 35 years or so. Many of them battery/rechargeable types.

This has got to be the worst! If you are lucky, you may get a few cold solder joints out of a set of batteries. Does not get hot enough, period. Im not trying to solder a PL259 but a simple small joint on a rockmite at the moment.

Ive kept this thing for months thinking everytime i use it, maybe it will magically get better. But this time its going in the trash. Back to my excellent Weller 25 watt pencil ac powered iron and my semi good isotip rechargeable.

And what is up with that lousy button to hold down. I cant keep that thing held in to attempt to get the iron hot enough without alot of effort. I know its a safety mechanism but geez.

Wish i could remember what off brand rechargeable i had about 20 years ago. It was great. I wore that thing out finally.