Hello Patricia, The top of the line SMT station is probably the Metcal MX500, now made by OKi. It runs about $450 new.
The Weller should work fine. You will need a selection of tips to handle the various pad sizes and SMT pad areas plus a couple of pairs of tweezers. I usually tin one pad and then hold the part with a pair of tweezers to the tinned pad and reflow the solder. Then I solder the other pad down and then go back and solder the pad down that I started with. Any big blobs are trouble and tinning both ends of the part or the pads mean the part can't be pushed down close to the board where it is supposed to be. If you you do much of this sort of thing a microscope with a light is almost mandatory especially if you have old weasely eyes like I do...... Rick w6nzk On Thu, May 29, 2008 at 12:13 PM, Patricia Wilson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I am looking to buy the Weller WLC-100 for working with SMT. Do you > folks have better options? > > I see it suggeested that you tin the pad and then hold the part lead down > on the pad and tack it.Why not tin the part leads as well? > > -- > Patricia Wilson > Apache Junction, AZ > Member NRA, BMWMOA, AMA, ARRL > WB8DXX > BMW '06 R1200RT "Graues Gespenst" > >
