Weller GmbH & Co. Betriebs-KG

We own a soldering iron that's at least 50 years old and it still works.👍

The kink protection on my Weller soldering station broke after many years. After I had an uncomplicated contact with service support, a complete replacement soldering iron was sent to me free of charge as a gesture of goodwill. Very customer friendly and accommodating.

"Lasts a lifetime" was once a given. The WHA 3000V stopped working after 10 months. The heating element was defective. No warranty or guarantee. We had to order and replace the heating element ourselves. One of our desoldering stations also failed within a year. Again, no warranty. That's not acceptable for these prices.

"Made in Mexico" is the motto. Instead of solid German craftsmanship, you get the PU 81 with a housing reminiscent of early Chinese imitations and exhibiting absolutely substandard mold making. I've known Weller for over 30 years, and the quality is definitely not what it used to be. Instead of reliable workstations, they now offer "innovative" products that seem to prioritize image over practical experience. Like so many others, this company, under the influence of extensive business administration and a complete lack of practical training, is eroding its core range of good, useful products. This is as symptomatic as the state of German industry in general. They should return to "Made in Germany" production, maintaining that good old-fashioned, high-quality equipment manufacturing, with screwed-together housings so that a technician can actually repair it themselves. Circuit diagrams should also be included, as befits reputable manufacturers who want to be fair to their professional customers.

Today I discovered my grandfather's soldering iron in the basement