WEP 982 III Precision Soldering Station Review: Putting the heat where you need it

Finding the best soldering iron or soldering station is subjective. I can tell you what I like, point you in the direction of a good choice, but ultimately it is how it feels in your hand that matters. I started soldering professionally with an Antex XS25. This simple soldering iron had no temperature control. but it was thermally balanced and a joy to solder with. But, it quickly burnt through tips.

Since the Antex XS25 I have used a slew of soldering iron, smart, dumb, hot air, soldering guns etc. The latest to cross my bench is the $99 WEP 982 III. A temperature controlled ESD safe soldering station with two soldering iron handles, and a selection of tips. The tips are “hot swappable” (pun intended) and the compact unit looks good, but how does it solder?

To find that out I need to put it on the bench and dig out a selection of soldering kits, including the last of my Maplin kits and a kit to prevent a Commodore 64 PSU from killing my beloved C64.

Serious note. The first unit that I received for review worked for a few hours, and I conducted 70% of the review using that unit. Unfortunately that unit had a fault on its power circuitry which resulted in deformation of the wire used as part of the power switch. The issues manifested themselves as intermittent power outages which triggered me to open it up and take a look inside. WEP has replaced this unit, and I have sent the original review unit back for inspection.

WEP 982 III Technical Specifications

WEP 982 III Look and Feel

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A mix of plastic and metal, the WEP 982 III is a solid piece of kit which sees the soldering iron placed centrally, above a color LCD screen and two buttons to increment and decrement your chosen temperature.

The soldering iron connects to the rear of the station via a DIN style connector. Right next to the DIN connector is the power switch and the mains cable. On the side of the station is a grub screw, used to secure a “bungee” to the station. This bungee keeps the silicone cable out of the way. At the front of the unit is a bright and clear color screen, with two buttons. The buttons are responsive, perhaps a bit too responsive when held down. You can easily shoot past your target temperature, yes I did, many times. Single presses will notch the temperature up/down by a degree and the button press is very clicky and annoying.

Under the buttons is a brass “sponge” to clean the soldering iron tip, there is also a pot for a damp sponge. Your choice between brass and damp sponge for tip cleaning is up to you. I prefer the brass sponge as it doesn’t cool the soldering iron tip.

Soldering with the WEP 982 III

The WEP 982 III comes in a choice of two soldering iron handles. The WEP 706A is a larger unit and takes the larger C210 series tips. The smaller WEP 106A takes C115 tips. The two are not interchangeable and in the case of the WEP106A, if you try to insert a C210 tip it will break! Only one soldering iron can be used at any one time. I received both sets of tips and handles for this review, but retail units ship with your preferred choice. For this review I used the C210-K (knife) tip which has both precision and thermal mass. I also received the full range of tips, from needle-like tips to larger tips designed for thermal mass.

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Soldering Iron Tips

Both soldering handles are plastic, with a rubber-like cable connecting to the soldering station. The handles have a dense foam grip, a bit like handlebars on a bike. At the end of the handle is where the tips are inserted. Both types are needle thin and secure using friction. Of the two, the 706A handles felt nicer in my hand, and allowed me the precision that I required. The cable from the soldering station to the soldering iron has a “bungee” which helpfully keeps the cable out of the way. It can be connected on the left or right side, and I really like it, which is a strange thing to say.

With everything setup and ready to go, I flicked the switch and the soldering iron heated up to its default sleep temperature of 200 degrees Celsius. This takes around 5 seconds, and the unit will go into a deep sleep if left for a few minutes. Heating up to 350C (it can reach a maximum of 450C), my preferred working temperature, takes 2.52 seconds! Wow! The WEP 982 III beats the Ifixit Portable Soldering Station by just half a second, and over $100! But we have to remember that the WEP 982 III is bound to your desktop, whereas the Ifixit can be taken with you.

The iron detects when it has been lifted by contacts between the metal collet of the iron and the frame of the soldering station breaking contact. I found this out because the foam grip was too low on the handle, causing it to not make contact with the frame.

Soldering the last of my Maplin kits, an Electronics starter kit consisting of multiple different circuits, was a joy. The lead solder just flowed to where it needed to be. The knife tip was the best choice for precision and thermal mass. The soldering iron (WEP 706A handle) felt comfortable and at no time did the wire get in the way, thanks to the “bungee” moving the wire away.
I also tested the WEP 982 III’s performance on large solder joints, specifically those of a 9-pin D-SUB connector from a PIC chip programmer. I had to leave the tip on the joint for around five seconds, but the solder did melt. Bumping the temperature to 400C would be a wise move for larger joints.

When I was done with the knife tip, I wanted to use the C210-SI tip. This is an angled tip for precision soldering, like SMD. Changing the tip while hot is usually a big no-no, but theWEP 982 III has a metal guide rail which is used to grip and remove the hot tips, and to push a new tip into place.

Slots and notches cut into the metal enable the removal and replacement of red hot tips. This was really easy to use, but you must always take great care when doing so. Sometimes removing the tip can be tricky, as the metal has expanded due to the heat. Using the V-slot, find the lip on the soldering iron tip and gently pull the soldering iron handle away from the station. It should drop off into the metal container. Now you can insert the new tip using a compatible notch on the metal guide. Do not directly insert the new tip with your fingers! Remember the soldering iron heats up to 250C in 2.5 seconds, and yes, it does hurt, as I found out!

Using the C210-SI tip I soldered up my C64 Saver PCB and it went together beautifully. The tip gave me the precision that I needed for a few tight solder joints. It also gave me some thermal mass to reflow joints after trimming the component legs.

Who is the WEP 982 III for?

The WEP 982 III is more for precision projects; this isn’t a soldering iron for chunky solder joints. It can do it, but you’re pushing the limits. This is a great soldering station for makers working on surface mount components, and electronic repair.

Bottom Line

I mentioned that our first unit arrived with a fault that manifested itself after a few hours soldering. I’m glad to say that this issue did not present itself on my second unit, but it does present a worry. Buying directly from WEP gives you a 12-month warranty but you will need to arrange for any returns to go back to China. In my dealings with WEP the customer service team has been extremely helpful.

So it boils down to, would I pay $99 for this soldering iron? Yes, but I would buy it from a UK reseller (or US if I were based there) so that I could return it should an issue arise. The unit also goes by the name of a Yihua 982 III on Amazon. In fact the unit is made by Yihua, a brand that I have used for well over three years now.

The WEP 982 III is a solid performer, and the tip selection and heat application are great. Swapping tips on the fly is an interesting idea, the application of which is possible if a little tricky. The soldering iron (706A) is comfortable, and the auto-sleep function keeps the iron ready for use, without burning the tip out. This is a good soldering station for precision electronics projects and I’ve enjoyed my time using it.