New soldering iron...

[Nick]

Still got my original Antex here, only had two new handles and 5 new elements over the years.

I've still got my old Weller I had as a student, as well as some small Antex irons the kids used to use when smaller. I use them for random antique stuff like my Bush radios.

However, as I work almost entirely with high density surface mount boards, decent, as in Metcal or similar, is essential - the precision, temperature control and range of bits is exceptional - you simply can't use ordinary kit on 0603/0402 devices or fine-pitch chips - which is why the industry standard is Metcal. Read up on SmartHeat if you're interested - these RF-heated irons are very clever - they are also extremely light and precise.

Yep, they're certainly not cheap, but they are justifiably the market leader for pro kit.