EEVblog

[@rossmanngroup]

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.

[@EEVblog]

But they have a VR/AR app you can run on your phone!

[@nickstanley5064]

@@EEVblog , good one but seriously, what does the app actually do?

[@alexatkin]

@@nickstanley5064 Maybe its to make it look like your iron hasn't fallen apart?

[@nickstanley5064]

@@alexatkin , but did the development cost of the app cost them their 2 digits?

[@ferrumignis]

@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!

[@Psi105]

Weller totally screwed up the handling of this. 604,000 electronics engineers now know Weller value extreme cost savings over real world safety. Their customers are engineers, and unlike normal consumers, engineers aren't stupid. I think they forgot this fact.

[@xenonram]

4k EE, 50k hobbyists who have a really good understanding of electronics, 100,000 hobbyists who know a bit about electronics, and 450k "makers" who go around saying "full bridge rectifier" and I'm subscribed to EEVblog, AvE, ToT, and other machinists to make themselves feel like they do actual work rather than just being "makers." (I'm sure you know the type.)

[@jerryblood9554]

Did you just call me stupid?

[@EEVblog]

Andrew Delashaw - Actually, more than 50% of my audience are qualified in EE

[@SuperAWaC]

>unlike normal consumers, engineers aren't stupid. you clearly don't work around engineers. it's the same intellectual dartboard you get anywhere else. but typically with way worse social skills.

[@terrygoyan]

@@SuperAWaCMost of my experience with engineers is with soils and structural professionals. They do tend to the nerdy side of things!

[@LEKProductions]

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.

[@EEVblog]

LOL

[@JanicekTrnecka]

Bussines and marketing wankwords...so they told you... fuck you, buy another model!

[@peterfitzpatrick7032]

What about a mood light ? 😏

[@JanicekTrnecka]

@WhiteShadow2k1 this is typical chinese overrating and shitty description ...oh weller how far down the toilet are you going to fall?

[@Deliriousintentionsprojects]

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.

[@RobertFeranec]

Many of the high positioned managers underestimate influence of a person followed by a large audience. Let's see if someone from the Weller team will realize what is happening ....

[@mjouwbuis]

Already at least 3 youtube tech channels talking about this...

[@RobertFeranec]

@@mjouwbuis I saw Louis Rossmann talking about it. Please, do you know what is/are the other channel(s)?

[@UpcycleElectronics]

Hey Robert. "The Current Source" is the channel mentioned that tore apart the transformer to determine that there was not a fuse buried in the winding of the primary. Dave/Louis/The Current Source should be the trifecta mentioned. In the aforementioned upload he also mentioned the loophole that was probably used for the lack of fuse was due to this being an "industrial heating element." I imagine such a loophole was intended for devices like a heat gun where there is nothing metal exposed and essentially just a resistor element present in the design. His video is worth the watch and subscription. I just subscribed to that one too ;) -Jake

[@MaxKoschuh]

I did a teardown video of an old Weller product. It received 130k views. I offered Weller to review their new soldering station, in order to boost their sales. And they were not interested. I always wondered why, but now it all becomes clear.

[@rgarito]

I remember a run-in that Sparkfun had with Fluke.... Let's just say that Fluke had a lot of 'splaining to do...

[@OverUnity7734]

Congratulations on your recent move to Australia.

[@EEVblog]

Thanks. Only been attacked by two drop bears so far.

[@MelodicMurder]

@@EEVblog Did you move from Austria?

[@OverUnity7734]

@@EEVblog lol en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_bear

[@HazeAnderson]

Has he heard of the 555 timer? It's pretty cool.

[@abeleski]

NOT AUSTRIA!

[@LiamTronix]

6:30 Why the heck does a soldering iron need an augmented reality app?!

[@2kFXSTD]

That's where the savings from not including a primary side fuse went.

[@jorno1994]

gotta have the latest marketing wank

[@bobweiss8682]

So you can experience a transformer meltdown in a fully immersive VR experience?

[@johnpossum556]

They want your contacts

[@gavincurtis]

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.

[@markh5210]

Please test the 240V version using a 415V supply

[@JonathanMcDonald]

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!

[@BlackEpyon]

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.

[@ZylonFPV]

Yes please. Would love to see this 🙂

[@dhpbear2]

Actually some Variacs DO go up to '11', meaning that they'll step up the input voltage to 110% :)

[@lesliefranklin1870]

Why not 240VDC? The advertisement seems to be okay with that.

[@fredygump5578]

VP of marketing? There's your problem!

[@amicklich6729]

Used car salesman types addressing engineering and consumer safety issues.

[@Zadster]

They probably don't have any engineers working there any more. They cost too much and only cause problems.

[@technus6187]

Probably the same guy that wrote that product page.

[@alexatkin]

@@Zadster Pesky engineers ruining their bottom line by implementing safety features.

[@Broken_Yugo]

Yeah, whenever possible, you fire off complaints like this straight to the engineering department.

[@mikeselectricstuff]

There is no such thing as CE certification or approval. Ask them which actual standards it has been approved against. (This is often stated in the declaration of conformity that comes with the product, but I don't think that's a requirement).

[@kubekzkrowa2136]

Actually there is. It might be the semantics here, but in order to legally sell products within the EU, ir the Single Market, your product needs to have the CE Mark. In order to get one, your product needs to comply with appropriate directives, for example Electro-Magnetic Compatibility - EMC (2014/30/EU) and Low Voltage Directive - LVD (2014/35/EU), which you obtain through compliance with appropriate harmonised standards, like EN61326 - EMC for test and measurement equipment. On top of that you can obtain compliance through 3rd parties (accredited test labs) or self certify and/or claim your CE Mark. So yes, in the nutshell, CE mark was suppose to mean your product complies, but there are a lot of cowboys out there who just simply claim they do. I do agree, CE Mark/DoC means NOTHING without any proof of compliance from the accredited test labs or full documentation in case they self certify. And they are OBLIGED BY LAW to present the sufficient documentation to support their CE Mark claim, to any party, including end users, demanding such evidence. I come from a different industry, but dealt with transformers. As long as they do not exceed certain temperature and/or do not burst into flames, they are deemed fine in single fault condition. As long as the insulation on the wires and between windings can handle the temperature it may still be fine. Not sure if smoke would be permitted, as one can argue this falls into liberation of gases. Still disappointed by Weller. We used to put not only thermal cutouts into the windings, but also added fuses before the transformers.

[@ServerFarmGuy]

Advertising with "CE certification" is considered an offense in Germany (and maybe other EU countries as well?) as it misleads consumers, they could get fined for that. Unfortunately their marketing materials for the EU market do not appear (from a brief look) to have this statement.

[@kvide123]

Somewhat generalizing: You don't apply for use of the CE mark, as it can be used under self certification. (i.e you put your left nut in the vise and solemnly swear that the product complies with EU requirements). However, if the product you put on the market don't hold up to the applicable EU directives and specifically, the related EN requirements, you would be held liable in case anything happens. Some products like e.g. pressure vessels, security related products like helmets, life vests etc, require third party formal testing though in order to use of the CE mark.

[@karlomoharic3992]

Declaration of conformity does need to contain either reference to a legal standard or teh. spec for which you are claiming compliance. In some cases name of governing body and certificate number are also required.

[@tonifasth]

@@kvide123 Wrong, you apply for the CE Certification specs, and at the same time you will be listed as allowed to use the CE mark on your products. Without this permit which is also an agreement, your not even allowed to stick that logo on your products, even if your product follows the specs 100%. I know this because for the last 6 months we have been reading through the official documents and consulting the authorities who provided us with the paperwork in order to make sure we're doing everything right.

[@FranLab]

Oh my beloved Weller.... How far you have fallen.

[@sietuuba]

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.

[@outsideworld76]

They haven't fallen, Dave is the one doing the falling here. He displays his ignorance when it comes to safety engineering.

[@pescados666]

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.

[@fletcherreder6091]

@@outsideworld76 It's safe for the user, just not the tool.

[@rdflo6739]

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...

[@ec8107]

I didn't realize Weller was a Banggood house brand.

[@JanicekTrnecka]

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.

[@RFC3514]

Watch it, Banggood might sue you for slander.

[@crimsun7186]

Fluke and Tektronix are owned by Fortive Corporation, a Chinese conglomerate.

[@thetaleteller4692]

As a very special safety mechanism, Weller soldering stations release magic smoke as warning sign for detecting any problems with your mains input. As marketing leading innovator Weller does not charge extra for this exclusive and patented feature to our customers.

[@richpayton7162]

Old chinese proverb says: Don't plug 120 volt equipment into a 240 volt mains supply. Any questions?

[@EEVblog]

Even the world's cheapest soldering station has a mains input fuse: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnjHh2qOd8aYbZYm55s What's crazy is they have no less than 2 fuses and a massive polyswitch on the secondary side. Not all of those are needed, and that extra secondary fuse could have paid for the primary fuse. Wacko.

[@DadoRAM]

Normal fuse protect only against over current and not over voltage. When the wire isolation star to melt ( the resistance drop and current grows) is too late to save your transformer (but not to prevent fire). The good solution to avoid the transformer melting are thermal fuse

[@Setsuna_Kyoura]

Hahahahaha, that was a great laugh after this Weller rant... "Nothing fancy, but hey, at least it is fused... Bonus"

[@ferrumignis]

@@DadoRAM Over-voltage causes an over-current condition in this case. What provides protection in the event that the primary develops shorted turns? No thermal fuse and no over-current protection, you'd be relying on your smoke alarm.

[@marcelkanter]

Especially there are cheap-o input mains input sockets including the fuse holder. So no need for additional parts in the enclosure and extra cabeling...

[@Rob2]

That isn't correct. The iron-core mains transformer designed for 120V will saturate at 240V and thus the current will increase very much (not just 2x) and it will blow the fuse immediately, before any heating issues occur. Of course with an "ideal transformer" things would be different, you would just get 2 times the output voltage and 4 times the output power towards the iron, and a fuse would not blow that easily.

[@timkruger6354]

The IEC standard on safety of transformers, reactors, power supply units and combinations thereof (IEC 61558) states that transformers up to 1100V do not need any fuses or overcurrent protection if they are build short-circuit-proof and in case of a failure the temperature of the isolation does not exceed a particular limit. There is the symbol for short-circuit-proof safety transformers (two rings separated by a line and a square underneath in an escutcheon) on the transformer in the Weller WE1010.

[@GodzillaGoesGaga]

Is this the list of symbols you refer too ? www.noratel.com/fileadmin/content/downloads/school/Symbols_standards.pdf

[@MaxKoschuh]

Now that's a qualified reply. Thank you Tim.

[@jonwatte4293]

So why did it catch on fire? And why didn't the marketing person actually explain that? Talking to engineers in marketing-speak is like walking into a bar and saying "who wants a go? you get to take first punch!" when you weigh 50 kilos.

[@randygentry2724]

It is nice that it is on the transformer, but it is nowhere on the box packaging, online description, sales literature, downloadable information etc. So unless you are willing to tear the unit apart you will not see the IEC 61558 symbol. This still did not prevent the magic smoke. Why not a fuse so that a repair could be made in case of accidental over voltage. Why destroy the transformer? Disposable society rules. Weller products are not what a starting hobby person would consider inexpensive so that one could just go out and replace the unit instead of repairing it.. Still others wonder why starting people chose one hung low brands. Aloha

[@flatfingertuning727]

@@jonwatte4293 The device failed catastrophically and the insulation underwent thermal decomposition, but that's not the same thing as "catching fire". What UL generally requires is that a device not e capable of malfunctions that would ignite nearby flammable materials. If a malfunction totally destroys the inside of a device, but it would go open-circuit before it could ignite anything *outside itself*, that would be considered acceptable. If one had a sacrificial iron for testing, it would be interesting to place the iron in a bed of untreated (flammable) cotton, safely separated from anything else that's flammable, and see what it would do if fed 240V continuously. The fact that the device emitted lots of smoke isn't a good sign, but doesn't imply that it would pose a fire hazard.

[@OC35]

All Weller irons in the UK have a primary fuse! It's in the mains plug :)

[@mkontent]

Any product used in the UK does, you know that

[@OktoberSunset]

@@mkontent That is the joke.

[@alananderson6812]

But, what size fuse do they use? I contacted a well known Swedish battery charger manufacturer because the unit I bought had a 13 Amp fuse in the mains plug, Their response was "because we can" I duly replaced it with a more suitable 3 Amp fuse.

[@sazman2000]

its all about saving that 1 cent...

[@EEVblog]

Double digit growth!

[@ZiggyTheHamster]

Nah man, you forgot the fuse holder. 2 cents.

[@richfiles]

Good thing Dave's 2 cents is far more valuable!

[@nickstanley5064]

@@richfiles , I see what you did there.

[@punker4Real]

after 2 million units that is $20,000$ extra profit

[@matthewgaines10]

Honestly, I expected more from Weller. They have a reputation in the industry. Maybe it isn't deserved anymore.

[@herbertsusmann986]

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".

[@tommihommi1]

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

[@DarronBlack]

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.

[@GreenAppelPie]

Maybe at one time, but in my 20+ experience, Weller has always been garbage.

[@billigerfusel]

Our company almost completely switched to JBC now. Way better irons.

[@cuteswan]

I think you nailed it: if they say, "Oh yeah, we should probably put one in," then they'd be open to risk if anyone else has an issue. If you accept their --bribe-- replacement unit just say you'll wait until they add the fuse... and see if they actually (if quietly) add one to future models. But if you just can't trust them anymore, especially as the kids get into electronics, I perfectly understand why you'd just dump it for good. Thanks for the follow-up.

[@sarowie]

some weller stations do have a fuse.

[@cuteswan]

Yep, I think Dave mentioned that. It's too bad because if this model was otherwise superior I'd be tempted to add a mains fuse myself (... _if_ I knew what I was doing and checked with a few experts first to make sure I wasn't creating a new and bigger problem. Believe me, I have been "too smart by half" plenty of times.)

[@pfeerick]

I vote accept the 230V model (230V, not 240V... interesting that)... with the caveat that it must have a primary side fuse, or they know exactly what sort of video review that unit will receive! :-P

[@BlackEpyon]

I use a Nexxtech 60W Soldering Iron with Variable Wattage that I got at Source (I miss Radio Shack). Works more than well enough for what I do. Sadly, it's not available any more.

[@GadgetBoy]

Affordable? Don't make me laugh. Weller soldering stations are overpriced drek.

[@wire7]

You’ve been “EEV”ed and “ROSSMAN”ed at the same god damn day! RIP Weller!

[@oldevil]

you forgot mikeelectricstuffed

[@wire7]

Ronald D. Keep em coming.. soon Weller’s grave will be buried deeper than an oceanic trench! Oh, and also, Hakko... be aware!!!!

[@JanicekTrnecka]

And possibly soon "bigclive"d...and maybe also "julianillet"ed

[@ianmontgomery7534]

yeah we use JBCs now.

[@jeffhuyler9531]

I'll keep using my Hakko desktop unit thanks all the same Weller.

[@jebsaekam]

11 days to come up with "We haven't actually looked at any of your videos" and don't get it...

[@ender4555]

Like they didn't even bother to look at the subscriber count. Treated him some kid giving bad reviews to try and get free product. Oops!

[@KingNast]

No kidding.. It wasn't even a review video

[@666Tomato666]

the best marketing wanketeer can do: damage control

[@pfeerick]

Make that 11 days to not even do a google search for the 'customer' who sent the query, and then draft a generic meaningless reply, which probably had to go through several re-drafts via legal because they wouldn't want to admit liability for *anything* whatsoever.

[@Echin0idea]

I suspect that most of that 11 days was the time it took for the internal legal team to double and triple check that doing jack doesn't open up any legal risk for the company.

[@harindugamlath]

Exact same type of answer aliexpress sellers give you.

[@Basement-Science]

True. And they never fix the problem either.

[@rasz]

"Dear Sir" is straight ebay/aliexpress/409 boiler plate

[@djdjukic]

Ｈｅｌｌｏ ｄｅａｒ, we are sorry for item unexpected issue, we will send you another one, but leave 5* first, thank you! 😘

[@feldon27]

Imagine if AliExpress charged $120 for a basic digital solder station/convenient portable ignition source. They wouldn't sell one.

[@kubaaseph]

But on Aliexpress you can get a refund

[@UpcycleElectronics]

Send a message to UL and CE and see if it's legitimate! If some have it and others don't I bet they are gambling on not getting caught.

[@davidjereb]

CE is a self-certification. It means you have done due dilligence in designing and checking your product for safety. You don't actually have a centralized register of all certified products.

[@UpcycleElectronics]

@@davidjereb Thanks for the info and sorry for my ignorance. What's the verification and regulation process in a nutshell? Would it only come into play in the event of a catastrophic failure that results in an investigation or is it totally useless marketing garbage?

[@davidjereb]

@@UpcycleElectronics You have various standards that define what may and may not occur should something go wrong with a certain type of device. By putting a CE sign on your device, you guarantee that the device adheres to those standards and is therefore fit for sale in Europe. If your device gets inspected and they find that it doesn't meet the regulation's requirements, you get shafted big time. Lawsuits, product recalls,... Enough to make a company go under and possibly put the people responsible in prison (if the fault resulted in someone's death, for example).

[@tonifasth]

@@davidjereb Exactly!

[@danielmantione]

"CE" basically means, "I, designer of this device, certify that it is safe for humans and animals". A CE mark on a device means that there exists a "statement of conformity". Any official EU language can be used to write the SOC. Inside the SOC, the designer has to explain on what basis the safety of the device is based. The best way to do this is to state that the device has been tested against European harmonized safety standards. An SOC written like this will cause the device to be trusted: No authority will question the safety of the device unless serious problems are found. Harmonized EU standards are very strict, there are generally an intersection of all national standards of EU member countries. It is allowed to base the SOC on tests against national standards. In such case the device can still be sold in the entire EU, member countries trust each other, but the device itself is only trusted in the country whos national standards have been used. In other countries, authorities don't need to trust the device and can take preventive actions before serious problems occur. Lastly, you can write a SOC without testing against any standards. You, me, are allowed to design a device and sell it. No expensive testing procedures needed. In the SOC you describe then exactly what you did as a professional engineer in order to guarantee safety for humans and animals, and that to the best of your knowledge the device is safe to use. Your device will not be trusted by any authority, and if they don't like your SOC, they may still forbid you to sell it. You can also be held liable for what you write in your SOC, so don't write nonsense. Nevertheless, it is perfectly legal, and many small volume products are being sold this way.

[@Tom5TomEntertainment]

If Weller says no fuse is ok, I'm taking the fuse box out of my house and saving money!

[@jlsagely6892]

Yeah, good idea, Einstein.

[@cptcrogge]

Ye take it out and let us know what happens when you have a short afterwards :D

[@steve24822]

The replies to your comment yet again prove no one on KZbin has a sense of humour.

[@iprot00]

His theory is valid, it's the same principle; there's a transformer that's gonna burn and act like a fuse, just like the Weller station.

[@antoineroquentin2297]

They could have replied "The primary winding *IS* the fuse" as well. Looks like a job for JW to see at which current it trips.

[@victornpb]

There's always that fusible 10A cord

[@LogiForce86]

"Double digit growth"... I think they will see the other side of that sine wave soon.

[@CDReimer]

I had an interview at 3Dfx (remember Voodoo cards?) in 1997. After being interviewed by the engineers, I was interviewed by the head of marketing. I buggered out in a hurry. No surprise they went out of business a few years later. Never work at a hardware company being run by the marketing department.

[@peshozmiata]

3dfx was founded in 1994 wasn't it? How long was that interview?

[@simontay4851]

nVIDIA bought 3Dfx.

[@RaenYrtham]

Well, Nvidia took advantage of some of 3Dfx's technology in their SLI tech. 3Dfx was the first company to ever implement dual similar graphics cards with the Voodoo 2.

[@CDReimer]

It was 1997. The 3Dfx interview was two hours with three managers for a QA position. An interview with Nvidia for a similar QA position lasted four hours with a dozen people.

[@fyfoh]

@@simontay4851 Not exactly. I held 3dfx stock when it went down the tubes. Whatever nvidia got was during liquidation.

[@aurthorthing7403]

My Yahua 936 is fuzed and only cost 22 yankee bucks. Going strong after I rebuilt the iron and re-flowed all the solder joints and painted it blue. :)

[@SuperCloneRanger]

Hakko blue or weller blue?

[@ZiggyTheHamster]

I also have a 936, though mine is a SparkFun 936, and I spent $30 on it. Still have the original heating element; did buy new tips though ($12 for a full set shipped from eBay). Mine is also fused.

[@radius.indrawan]

@@SuperCloneRanger i bet he would go for hakko blue, because weller blue doesn't have the fuse.

[@peterfitzpatrick7032]

@@radius.indrawan the fuse blue... 😏

[@hunakosdem]

"Everything is a smoke machine, if you use it wrong enough." AvE

[@JS-vk7ek]

Well that made my upcoming purchase decision a lot easier. Thank you. Blue and yellow for me.

[@Pops180]

Hey Dave, it looks as though Weller gets a pass so long as the unit complies with electrical code present in the region of sale. I'm pretty certain fireball was a north American unit, hence the NA designation in the part number. In NA we have certain rules regarding AC fusing. There are mentions in the UL and NEC code about cord length and power switch type as it pertains to fuse vs. No fuse. Other primary side fused units may be for international sale. I dont know what makes NA residential wiring and fusing special when compared the the rest of the world, but it seems like certain risks are covered in the wiring/fusing in NA where a primary fuse would be redundant. For example, our 110V outlets are considerably different than our 220V outlets.

[@EEVblog]

A 120V circuit can still deliver almost the same power as a 240V circuit. Too bad if that power is delivered into a tiny unprotected transformer that failed.

[@Pops180]

@@EEVblog you are experiencing my daily struggles with automotive design. Bare legal minimum vs. What will let you sleep at night.

[@Pops180]

I guess in the end your buildings wiring is still intact and you proved that the NA unit cant survive international use. I'm stretching a bit I know. (I have a crap load of Weller gear in my lab that I just unplugged lol)

[@ZiggyTheHamster]

My vacuum cleaner has a fuse. It's about the same power load as a soldering station like this. It's nuts they don't have one, especially since we're talking about something that a bunch of idiot kids are likely to try to burn each other with. Dave should get another 120V model and see at what point he can get the station to let out the smoke when operated on the right voltage. Think idiot kids - what happens if you take a hot air station, crank it up to max airflow on the default temperature and point it at the back of the station from arm's length away while the iron is on its highest setting. I'd bet you could overheat the transformer and cause a cascading failure pretty easily - and that cascading failure would start a fire because there's no primary side fuse.

[@Pops180]

@@ZiggyTheHamster well you vacuum has a much longer cord than a soldering station. but aside from that, the fusing is only meant/required to protect the exposed wiring. No regulations exist to protect the device. Anyone can misuse a device and cause it to fail like what happened here (plugging something rated for 110V into 220V). This doesnt really mean that the Weller isn't safe or is poorly designed. It was just used in a manner in which it was never intended.

[@KarmaElectronics.]

wow shame on you Weller!

[@daishi5571]

I guess it's the car manufacturers fault if you put diesel in a petrol (gas for the US) tank. It is labeled correctly and actually required a different cable other than what was packaged with it originally. It should have a fuse, but putting on this much theater is ridiculous (9 min video for a 10 second letter!!!)

[@sumilidero]

@@daishi5571 yes but what in case of overload? even on 120V supply you rely on 15A breaker, while the unit rated current is 0,5A it'd cook as hell even tho its not 240

[@daishi5571]

@@sumilidero What I was getting at, was that this wouldn't even be a thing at all except under this exceptional circumstance. How many ppl order devices not usable in their country??? if he had the correct voltage he be oblivious to this issue, but because of his own mistake it became a problem. But what I was mostly getting at is the amount of theater in use here it's almost worthy of a off Broadway production that get cancelled for bad acting. As I said it should have a fuse.

[@tikabass]

It's dangerous. I expect better safety from that UL sticker.

[@rasz]

why? Batterizer had UL certificate too :)

[@bizzzzzzle]

UL isn’t to protect you from being stupid like he was.

[@wyokaiju992]

UL has been BS from the start. Live chassis "curtain burner" radios have UL listings FFS.

[@punker4Real]

buy a 15$ outlet receptacle that is primary fused

[@wildbill4476]

There is nothing "dangerous" about it at all, as he clearly proved in his video, even if an idiot plugs it into a mains supply 2 what it is clearly rated for all that happens is that the magic smoke comes out an a breaker pops.

[@evo-labs]

"So your products safe right?" "Well....er...."

[@GiddeonFox]

"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?!

[@chaos.corner]

salted or unsalted?

[@sarowie]

in germany - and weller is a german company - a title like vice president does have legal implication for both company and employee.

[@EJP286CRSKW]

sarowie You won't convince me this BS came from Germany.

[@stephanesonneville]

@@sarowie Weller is not german it's owed by Apex which itself is owed by Brain Capital, a private investment firm.

[@SchwachsinnProduzent]

@@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)

[@MkmeOrg]

I really expected better from an industry leader of decades. Well done Dave.

[@duminicad]

You meant, Weller done Dave

[@blar2112]

"Hello, we have seen the video where you showed that our product it's actually a bomb. Please provide your direction so we can send more"

[@Yes-ng6rf]

Welcome to Australia Dave, I see you have already picked up our accent, great use of "no worries", 120V DC should get the smoke flowing.

[@HebaruSan]

Dear Dave, on behalf of One Hung Low Electronics Ltd., thank you for your endorsement of our product safety features.

[@RandyLott]

"The low voltage 120V..." That doesn't bode well.

[@Newberntrains]

Even 5 volts can get nasty if Mishandled any electic no matter the voltage or amps gets the same respect I give the mains outlet

[@chaos.corner]

@@Newberntrains If you haven't put your tongue on a 9V battery, you haven't lived.

[@cekpi7]

@@chaos.corner Yep, thats how i test my cars battery

[@DrakkarCalethiel]

Chaos Corner That aftertaste. 😂😂😂

[@Gameboygenius]

Everything is relative. 120 V is a low voltage just like 1 million is a small loan as Trump said.

[@Michael-w8v]

For really? Weller is offer you their solder station to retest? That is why I'm happy with Hakko Solder station.

[@Tylonfoxx]

This could be a marvellous opportunity to blow the cover on any bullshit... i'm quite sure Dave will check the new station and compare the guts of both sometime in the near future.

[@gblargg]

Weller turns your entire house/business into a reflow oven.

[@JanicekTrnecka]

You have to prepare a shitload of boards to run ..not to waste energy and not to miss optimal thermal profiles.

[@anthonyloper9292]

I was just about to order 10,000 of these Weller WE1010 soldering stations, (yes, ten thousand), for our new factory that we are opening up here in Ireland. Thank you so much for this video because now we are getting what I originally wanted, Hakkos! My first preference had always been for Hakko but had initially been overruled. But thanks to this video, that is no longer the case. Woohoo! Thanks mate! .

[@HHHarry09]

The EU Version does have a mains fuse

[@swp466]

I dumped Weller many years ago when their quality and reliability began to slip. Currently, I prefer Pace for soldering/desoldering, and Quick 861DW for hot air.

[@leonkernan]

6:40 Why do i need an Augmented Reality soldering iron app?

[@regmigrant]

its a safety feature :)

[@EEVblog]

Totally missed that! LOL

[@KuraIthys]

Never mind NEED, just hearing that I struggle to think of what it even DOES. I mean, really, what?

[@pfeerick]

So you can visualise your soldering iron working when the magic smoke has been released! Isn't that what everyone does now? :P

[@EndOfLineTech]

Why would one need a primary side fuse? Its just nonsense!

[@proluxelectronics7419]

And Nobody has ever accidentally left their Iron On...

[@king4aday4aday]

It's interesting that no engineers at Weller caught on to the video. When we saw at our *test equipment company* that Dave reviewed one of our products, our entire internal forum lit up with discussion about it. Damn marketing wank! Talk about shooting yourselves in the foot.

[@SuperHandyMan]

I'm retired now but when I worked in engineering the vast majority of my ideas were met with indifference and glazed eyes. I finally learnt to just take initiative and do what I thought was in the best long term interest of the company. I never got reprimanded, not once. Upper management and especially marketing never want to do anything that may cost money in the short term. You have to understand their motivation. This quarter has to show improved sales from last quarter and next years sales/profits have to be better than this years. That's all they care about. No vision, that's up to the engineers and their success in inversely proportional to the micro-management of superiors.

[@jnicoulakos]

Thank you for calling it as you see it! Please continue the good work!

[@musicsoundelectronics5590]

My top of the line Weller died years ago. When I looked inside I knew why and didn't bother trying to resuscitate. So after 25 years of using Weller I went to the $99 Hakko and haven't regretted it one bit.

[@dinushkam2444]

they might be regretting for responding the mail now....

[@zaraak323i]

When I moved to Australia, I opened up my Weller station to swap the voltage to 240V and was amazed that there is absolutely no provision to do so. Weller's answer to this is to buy a _new_ transformer, at almost the same cost of the station, to convert to 240V. WTF? In this day and age of globalism and you don't even give me the option to switch between the two? Yeah, thanks Weller.

[@CyberlightFG]

Was there a fuse in there?

[@zaraak323i]

It was so long ago that I don't remember.

[@EEVblog]

To be fair, not uncommon for irons like this across brands, makes the transformer design easier and more optimum.

[@ge48421]

EEVblog it’s not that complicated. Use two primary windings, put them in parallel for 120V, in series for 240V. And add a fuse 😂

[@xjet]

To be fair... my Hakko is the same.

[@juststeve5542]

Well he is from marketing, he's not qualified or authorised to make any technical comment, just try to keep customers happy, and get some good press, so he sends you a freebie, which is pretty much the limit of what he can do. I'm curious to know how it can pass those approvals without a basic fuse. BTW, please find a 120V DC source to test the claim... Can anyone send Dave some car batteries?

[@EEVblog]

When you are the director of marketing and you have to respond to a serious safety issue in a public industry specific video with 75,000 views, your job is to make sure you have the correct technical answer.

[@CyberlightFG]

Call someone who knows the answer. That's his job. Call the service Hotline, they won't know the answer, too.

[@juststeve5542]

@@EEVblog he could very well have passed on the info to the tech department for an official comment, and just tried to sweeten you (by sending you another dangerous device) whilst waiting for their response. I imagine you'll get a proper response, especially after this video! But yeah, it is rather badly handled, he probably doesn't understand the issue enough to know why we're all so concerned about it.

[@ZiggyTheHamster]

It says 120V or 60Hz, so 240V/60Hz should be fine, right? Someone in the US want to go butcher a dryer cable?

[@chaos.corner]

This design looks like something from the 70s. Whoever did it is probably retired by now.

[@redtails]

so.. if this things lets your house/company burn down, you can sue for damages?

[@EEVblog]

Anyone can sue for anything. Having a fuse is extra arse covering that even the cheapest clones have.

[@countzero1136]

As a European, I'm not sure what kinds of sloppy standards are considered acceptable in the US and other third world crapholes but over here, a primary side mains fuse (or at the very least a thermal fuse in the transformer) is absolutely mandatory. As Dave correctly points out, even the el-cheapo counterfeit Chinesium crap on ebay comes with primary side fuses. Weller presents itself as a quality manufacturer, yet they are shipping out non-compliant death traps like these. I would advise anyone who owns one of these to either fit a suitable fuse themselves or just chuck it in the bin...

[@johnstone7697]

You do know that this iron also has CE approval, right?

[@erhanzeynel]

@@johnstone7697 So it can relase magic smoke but mustn't catch fire. Another thing to test.

[@tubical71]

@@johnstone7697 yea but the CE doesn´t need any test.....just some paperwork to get it posted onto your whatever product.

[@outsideworld76]

Dude.... there is nothing wrong with the product. Dave just doesn't understand safety engineering. The problem with this is that he is able to mislead all the lemmings watching this video.

[@ElmerFuddGun]

This reminds me of *_FTDIgate!_* Lots of us have avoided FTDI products since then and after this I think Weller will be in the same boat.

[@JanicekTrnecka]

I still strictly avoid ftdi chips...and I am proud of it.

[@crimsun7186]

I'm pretty sure many people avoid Weller already before the fact, as they offer less features than the competition at the same price. If you want the same features as competing products, you have to pay more.

[@02585975]

You should get a 120v version of the Hakko FX888D and plug it into 230v for comparison

[@williamsquires3070]

Yeah, I second that motion; just be sure you’ve got at least two cameras recording - that way at least one will catch any magic smoke being released! Oh, and be sure to channel some shango066 and stuff the unit with fireworks before the EOL video! 😁🎆🎇

[@MrTomasssh]

@@williamsquires3070 That sounds like something bigclivedotcom would do!

[@MisterTalkingMachine]

@@williamsquires3070 Very cool to find another Shango fan in the wild.

[@kiwisteve54]

I (inadvertently) did that experiment already... ordered a batch of them for our lab and some were 110V by accident (but with 230V NZ mains plugs fitted and 230V stickers! Thats another story)... they simply blew the internal fuse. No smoke, no fire, no bang.

[@crimsun7186]

They are fused, but the transformer is wired for 120v, not 240v.

[@Damien.D]

Less fuses = more profit. Should be a basic engineering law. So cheaply made they offer some kind of lifetime warranty. Iron toasted? New one sent by the vice president of marketing himself. If you ain't burned to death in the process of course.

[@xenonram]

The cost of adding a fuse, all things considered, is pennies. They could easily charge $131 instead of $130. Plus the money they saved from just one or two units being warrantied from the lack of a fuse, would have covered the cost of all the fuses for all the units.

[@EEVblog]

They could have just specced in a thermal fuse in the transformer design, or a fused IEC connector.

[@Llirik13]

@@EEVblog Personally I(but who I am) can understand lack of main fuse, but not the thermal one. They must put one of this. In such class of devices(transformers heaters motors) it is actually not a big deal to not have a mains fuse, because device is pretty "strong" to survive any short accidents in mains. But also this devices have tendency do catch fire, and, with really significant thermal mass, so the thermal fuse is mandatory. But they really should put both. It is not the heater or vacuum, soldering iron have controlled and relative small power consumption.

[@Damien.D]

"They could", "they should", "they must", but the in real world of scumbags economics : "they have not". Note for self : disassemble every brand new gear to check for basic safety features. Also buy a big bag o' fuse holders...

[@peterfitzpatrick7032]

Sooo why not leave out the transformer too & use a H.V. element ? That should save some money... & copper... 😏

[@Bob_Burton]

This, of course, would not be a problem if it were normal to fit a fuse in the mains plug

[@sumilidero]

Yes thats the best option, cuz even if they put fuse in the soldering station, it still doesnt protect the flimsy power cord that is rated 2A or so.

[@MostlyInteresting]

I used to maintain a bunch Weller stations right out of school in the 80s. They were 70s and newer. NONE of them had mains fuses.

[@ableite]

I was monitor for EE students in my university. One of them did a stupid prank setting the mains voltage of a PSU to 110V while it was connected to 220v and called me to check the device. I turned on and it poped. But it had a mains fuse protection which after changing, it was fine. I wonder how that would go on 4:27

[@ericgauthier1599]

You should have accepted the iron from Weller, and tear it apart once received to prove or disprove they improved their product

[@xenonram]

They didn't alter a product because of this video, and esp not in 11 days.

[@EEVblog]

Nope, it's not my job to prove that they have fixed or improved anything, they could have simply said so in their response.

[@stevencarlson5422]

@@EEVblog right ! You tell em Dave

[@DarronBlack]

They offered a 240V version, which probably has the fuse. (?)

[@sietuuba]

It would take some time to change a product design, and if it passes US regulations as-is, what are the odds they would even be inclined to do it if that's how everyone builds their transformer-using products for the US market? Voluntary improvements would be laudable but highly unlikely if it doesn't give them an immediate return and DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH you know. :p

[@KeanM]

I realy like my Weller WD2M and WD1 stations, and I can confirm they have mains fuses. I won't be buying another Weller though unless I know it is also fused, no matter what the marketing wonks say.

[@mjouwbuis]

No concerns besides the fuse?

[@KeanM]

@@mjouwbuis Not really. They're certainly not the cheapest, but also not the most expensive. I use them professionally, and have had the WD2M as my main iron for 10 years and it still performs great. A bit pricey to replace the tips on the micro iron as they incorporate the heater.

[@PureAudioTones]

I wonder if the VP marketing has ever done soldering in his/her life. Usually they don't care anything but the bonus at the end of the year and never misses any opportunity increase the profit for example by eliminating 50 cent fuse.

[@avi8r66]

Gotta love it when a valid issue is raised and the response is 'it's certified'... A successful brand like Weller should be able to go above and beyond with a very basic thing like a fuse, or for bonus points a breaker.

[@ASKAI1962]

im predicting a DMCA strike soon

[@Tylonfoxx]

There aren't any violations.. Dave would be free to sue. Though it's not unheard of, but then Dave would make a vid whining about their takedown. Then their reputation would be tarnished for silencing the community. Whether or not Weller are willing to shoot themselves in the foot with a bazooka, only time will tell.

[@ASKAI1962]

@@Tylonfoxx I'm saying the company troll will make a fraudulent DMCA and try to take this Down

[@Tylonfoxx]

@@ASKAI1962 I know others tried before, on this channel as well... then again, Dave is a rather powerful figure inthe EE community... Surely it can only hurt sales if they do so. Then again, never underestimate the stupidity of human beings.... much less PR people.

[@ASKAI1962]

@@Tylonfoxx yeah I believe so

[@EndOfLineTech]

Tylonfoxx you realize the system is one sided, KZbin doesn’t take part in it, when you file a disputed it goes to the person who claimed it, get a dispute denied 3 times (all by the person who reported) and get a KZbin strike.

[@Llirik13]

Personally I(but who I am) can understand lack of main fuse, but not the thermal one. They must put one of this. In such class of devices(transformers heaters motors) it is actually not a big deal to not have a mains fuse, because device is pretty "strong" to survive any short accidents in mains. But also this devices have tendency do catch fire, and, with really significant thermal mass, so the thermal fuse is mandatory. But they really should put both. It is not the heater or vacuum, soldering iron have controlled and relative small power consumption. I also can imagine, that transformer manufacturer (or they internal transformer division) was warning them about need of thermal fuse, but they like - "Pha! No extra money for you!"

[@Llirik13]

And this is big deal for my region, for example, where real risk exist, that some building, or even few buildings, power accident can occur, which gives you 380V in mains. And all electronics that have no protection will die and catch fire. I think the is many people out there who live in regions with extreme weather conditions, hurricanes, snow storms, etc. Such conditions have tendency to cause weird and wonderful power accidents in yours mains.

[@Llirik13]

It is also EXTREMELY strange that they fused secondary side, but not the mains.

[@LinkDuino]

Even my favorite Yihua rework station has primary fusing and isolated MOV protection. I have abused that station and it has lasted longer than my more expensive irons.

[@paparoysworkshop]

I have the same soldering iron as shown at 0:29 which I purchased many years ago. It has never let me down and works perfectly to this day. But now that I know it may not have a primary fuse, I will install one. It only takes one failure to cause a major accident. Thank you Dave.

[@rodgerdodger280]

I had a weller iron in the 70's worked ok, I was at a place that bought a weller solder sucker in the 80's - it couldn't even attempt to suck up a fart, never been interested in weller ever since - I recommend that you save your $$% and buy depending on your situation, metcal, thermaltronics, JBC or PACE

[@user-vn7ce5ig1z]

I guess it makes corporate sense to bribe reviewers rather than acknowledge fault. What's disappointing (aside from the grammar) is that Weller is a major brand name in this field and has been for a very long time. (Personally, I'd have used a Simpsons clip instead of the Naked Gun clip: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqvCeGRrnJ2mmNE )

[@wildbill4476]

They did not bribe him, they figured he was not smart enough to buy the right iron for the country he lived in and found it easier to just send him a freebie than listen to him whine after he fries some more.

[@mjouwbuis]

The writing was already on the wall some twenty years ago. Their entry level budget line wasn't as well designed as you would expect from normally priced items from a reputable brand. Even if that brand considers normal prices to be budget.

[@Pops180]

There was nothing wrong with the unit. It complies with north American regulations as it is only meant for the NA market. Primary fuses aren't required with power cords of a certain length (which this has). A primary fuse wouldnt have saved the primary coil from damage before blowing anyway

[@sietuuba]

@@wildbill4476 Ooh, so that's what they meant when they wrote "we see you're based in Australia now". Did the marketdroid get the impression that this unit was brought along on a move from the US and subsequentially liberated of its magic smoke? Then it would sort of make sense to offer a replacement unit to keep a customer happy, but they sure did misread or misjudge the situation and it's not exactly helping them. The product itself would be legal in the states, even if barely, but legal whether one likes it or not.

[@arminkeller]

A lot of the things I plug into the wall don't have a fuse. Lamps, power tools, Christmas lights, aquarium filter and bubbler. But then again I only plug it in to the voltage it was designed for 😂

[@Basement-Science]

Actually a lot of these things have fuses built in that are just less obvious. Power tools usually have a thermal fuse in the motor, incandescent bulbs have a small, thin wire below the filament that acts as a fuse for when the filament fails, and then lots of things have PCB mounted fuses of course, some of which may not look like a fuse.

[@0x8badf00d]

@@Basement-Science And an incandescent bulb IS a (crap) fuse. :)

[@Basement-Science]

@@0x8badf00d Well, not sure you can call the filament of an incandescent a "fuse". Incandescents without a built-in fuse will actually trip your 16A breaker almost everytime when it burns out.

[@flecom5309]

All my christmas lights have a tiny fuse in the mains connector? (USA 120v)... even the chinesium lights I've gotten off amazon have a fuse in the connector

[@SeersantLoom]

@@Basement-Science It is kind of a fuse, much like PTC thermistor. Select appropriate wattage and you are mostly good.

[@Gameboygenius]

Sniff sniff... that burn I'm smelling is not from the transformer!

[@gorillaau]

It smells bovine to me.

[@jaycee1980]

For the price of the Weller kit, I would expect a thermal fuse in the primary. It's unacceptable that this is not the case.

[@markusofficial9016]

My Weller WSD 81i does have a fuse in it's mains socket, and it's maybe 3 or 4 years old. Not sure if it's more of a "premium" model, it was rather expensive for such a simple soldering station though.

[@frollard]

Take the 240 volt version and plug it into 408v.

[@CyberlightFG]

Don't turn it on. Take it apart.

[@FrozenHaxor]

@@CyberlightFG *BLOW* it apart!

[@peterfitzpatrick7032]

@@CyberlightFG it will self disassemble before your very eyes... pro tip... wear goggles 😎

[@metrologic5000]

Weller maybe you should hire Dave to make sure your crap is safe. Fire the damn PR person. You have officialy pissed of Dave.

[@metrologic5000]

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.

[@cowasakiElectronics]

Dave. Don't sit on the wall. Tell us how you really feel about it :-) Seriously it might have been worth finding out if the 240v version has a primary side fuse or it they just miss it out for the low voltage lot....... For the cost of a fuse it seems ridiculous.

[@EEVblog]

It's their job to tell us, not my job to investigate.

[@cowasakiElectronics]

EEVblog You’re right but it would have been interesting to see if they sent out a fuseless one to replace the original. It does seem rather odd for a company of that size. It sort of puts the approval system in a bad light as well!

[@chaos.corner]

There's a 240V version on the UK version of Amazon which has the back visible. I see no fuse but fuses are supposed to be in the plugs in the UK. (Edit: Just checked the au site and that doesn't show a fuse either).

[@bizzzzzzle]

EEVblog I’m trying to understand why you bought the 110v version in the first place, living in AU.

[@DrakkarCalethiel]

Mike IIRC it was sent to him in a mailbag.

[@STBRetired1]

Why has NO ONE asked HOW the 120V Weller could be plugged into a 240V outlet? Don't they make different shaped plugs FOR SAFETY to prevent just such an occurrence from happening? And just how "dangerous" are all those 120V Wellers if they are plugged into the correct 120V outlet? Any record of fires from the proper use of the Weller soldering iron? And shouldn't all electronic technician's work benches have their equipment plugged into a circuit breaker power strip - FOR SAFETY?

[@loughkb]

There is no excuse for no fuse on the AC in. It's a case of some guy in a suit working toward his bonus by reducing costs. We get potential smoke, he gets his third house.

[@snuggles1406]

I can't believe Weller sent such a rubbish email, the nerve!! But just be careful, I hope you don't get a copyright strike, or some other bull against you by Weller!! Keep up the great videos Dave.

[@xenonram]

That could cause huge damage to a company like Weller. With a large portion of their market watching Dave's channel, they'd be stupid to do that. Dave would find out who filed the claim, and it would spread like wild fire. The Speight claim would be reversed, and purple would still hear about it. Or Dave would make a new video.

[@EEVblog]

The Streisand effect is always self inflicted.

[@TommyCrosby]

They prefer putting budget into some AR welding app for smartphones.

[@EEVblog]

I totally missed that on the product page!

[@nickkracht7520]

"Innovation" - when companies remove features because they know better than the user

[@sanches2]

I started to hate this word a lot because of similar corporate bs i hear/read everyday.

[@ewaldikemann4142]

Either a fuse or a hardwired 120V US power cord... The IEC connector nowadays somehow implies wide range voltage support.

[@EEVblog]

Yeah, in thsi case you have to read the label on the bottom, not the back were the socket is.

[@louziffer]

Weller would have done better not to respond at all when compared with this. Deliberately ignoring the problem in their response adds more fuel to the (in this case very real) fire. They once had a fairly decent reputation. This was an opportunity that could have been used as a turning point for them. Yes, they'd be sinking some short term earnings, but they'd be buying back their long term name/rep. Sorry, Weller. You've now demonstrated AGAIN that the bean counters and marketers are running the show! Smoke and mirrors don't fool us.

[@merseyviking]

6:26 "Who wrote this rubbish?!" Presumably the VP of marketing.

[@dell177]

Do you expect them to put a 10 cent fuse in there/ That would cut into their profit margin!

[@karlomoharic3992]

Now if this ain't a good reason to go on ebay and buy yourselfe one of those ZD soldering station for a fraction of a price that you would pay for Hakko or Weller , then I don't know what is. Bought one myselfe , about 5 years ago (Hakko 936 clone). Still to this day works like a charm :)

same here, and it even have a replaceable fuse :)

[@otm646]

Which model do you have?

@@otm646 simple one 48w, zd-919. Yesterday i ordered some T12 based soldering station from e-bay for test, i like the heater&tip unibody idea. Been working with wellers for years on previous job, electrical and propane, don't really see any real difference except in price.

[@QoraxAudio]

...Or go for JBC instead. Has surpassed Weller about a decade ago.

[@jimmiller9330]

So the weird 240 volt outlets that are not supposed to allow a 120 plug to be inserted? Pin spacing, orientation, size? Those are safety features. How and why did you force fit a 120 plug into a 240 outlet?

[@zvpunry1971]

The transformer is the fuse. Releasing the magic smoke is one of its security features, it makes it independent of external fuses.

[@DLTX1007]

when chinese hakko clones have better primary side protection than wellers... ahh...

[@Detroit8V92tta]

I think Wellers response was fair. It was plugged into the wrong voltage. So should bug zappers, clocks, plug in lamps, humidifiers, fans etc have a inline fuse too? Sponsored by Hakko now Dave??

[@Detroit8V92tta]

Rather watch Big Clive or Fran. Thought Dave was better than this. Unsubscribed but who cares.

[@rossmanngroup]

good to see that trash comments are not unique to my channel...

[@Detroit8V92tta]

@@rossmanngroup what a shame. Nothing wrong with Wellers soldering irons. I smell a rat.

[@crimsun7186]

The difference is that Hakko has inline fuses even on their cheapest stations. If you plug a 120v 888D on 240v, the only thing that will blow is the fuse, not the transformer.

[@johnnodge4327]

I'm sure Weller irons in the UK used to have a user replaceable fuse right next to the mains switch. If they've done away with them on the newer or US spec units, then that can only be to save money. It's a safety back-step IMO. I used to love my work supplied Weller, it was used for at least 40 hours a week for 8 years without issue, except for tips and the odd element. Having said that, I never connected it to twice it's rated voltage. But having the mains fuse might have made all the difference in this case. Not having a fuse has got to be worse than having one fitted.

[@sdfsdf2205]

Electronics and technology today: instead of improving lets make the cheapest build which may be unsafe to better our profit margins.

[@outsideworld76]

It's not unsafe but you are right about the cheap part. These days we no longer build computers with solenoid relays.

[@k4qdex]

dude its your fault you broke the unit. no magic smoke whatsoever. you obviously plugged a 230v unit into a 120v plug

[@davidhoekje7842]

I wonder if the primary wire size innately acts as a fuse.

[@rogerw9840]

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.

[@melgross]

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.

[@Metalloys]

@EEVblog Hey Dave, you're over-doing it. As per NEC, given the wattage and cord length there is no requirement for the fuse, not for code compliance at least. Internal protection of the device itself (transformer etc.) is not required by code, which addresses Safety only. Germans are extra careful about such design issues. Primary burnout by the way would not pose a hazardous voltage on the iron's body / operator. I agree that their response was BS#. But the Weller irons, in real production environments are super reliable, and have a reputation for being rock solid reliable and SAFE.

[@sumilidero]

thats sounds like cheapest unit's "go to"; and given the wattage and thin cord i'd expect that be the mandatory case for fuse... That might be okay if device runs 12A on 15A mains breaker but not like 0,2A item and paying serious money for such iron all you get is 'it barely meets requirements and common sense and will blow in controlled manner xD And glass fuse is like few cents..

[@MaxKoschuh]

My review / teardown of an old Weller product surprisingly received 130k views. Willing to boost their sales, I asked them to send me a soldering station to review. And they said: "No, we are not interested." I always wondered why. Now all becomes clear.

[@HVM_fi]

It's same problem as with many "big firms" with long successful track record (in the past), instead of engineers and/or creative people in charge, the business is now run by PR/marketing.

[@Brutaltronics]

How much you wanna bet the Weller augmented reality app needs permissions to access your contacts, phone calls, messages, files, wireless connections, location, microphone, etc.