Solering iron element source

[Harry Bloomfield]

As a matter of principle, I do not wish to buy from Maplin - due their policy of charging for delivery to their local stores, for items they do not stock.

What I'm looking for is a source for replacement ceramic soldering iron elements to match the following.

24v 48w, 4 wire, element plus sensor, 5mm OD around 80mm long depending upon where you measure it to. It is to suit Maplin's N34FB LCD display soldering station and their replacement element part number is N78GZ.

Plenty of similar ceramic ones on Ebay, but cannot seem to find a match for the size - most seem to be 4mm x 65mm. Cannot find anything on RS or Farnell sites.

[John Williamson]

As a lot of the Maplin specials are made to order for them in China, you may have to swallow your pride, or find out which Chinese factory made that batch.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

IMHO, you're lucky Maplin actually stock spares at all. And the price including postage is little different from buying such a low value item from CPC or RS anyway.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Dave Plowman (News) used his keyboard to write :

None the less - it is unreasonable to expect their customers to pay for transporting items from their distribution depot, to their stores.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

They obviously think it is. Think of it as the shops actually being nothing to do with the head office, so it's a special order. Many shops do charge extra for this. In other words it's conceivable Maplin shops are some form of franchise and do get charged for deliveries.

The other option is to try another store - they don't all have identical stocks. But of course it could cost you to travel there.

[Part Timer]

Does their deliver to toyshop charge apply even if you happen to go in the toyshop and get the teenager to order one? (As opposed to online ordering). Of course it would involve two trips...

[John Williamson]

It didn't last week when I ordered some SDRAM in the shop.

[Harry Bloomfield]

So the difference between going in to place the order (with free delivery to the store) and ordering it via the Internet or maybe over the phone is what? I don't mind one visit to collect, but two visits, with the fuel consumed, is ridiculous.

Other than that, they are a rather good iron ;o)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Then why not just order via the net? The postal charge is less than 2 litres of petrol...

[Harry Bloomfield]

Dave Plowman (News) expressed precisely :

Because I don't mind a very occasional visit to their store. Being able to order it on line, or via the phone for free delivery to a local store would suit me fine. Making one trip to order and then a second to collect, would not suit me nor is it very cost effective.

[John Williamson]

In the case of the RAM, the store price was the same as the online price, but I only know that because I checked afterwards. It was also slightly more than the on-line prices of other sellers. Some other lines are more expensive in store, by about the delivery charge.

As my local Maplin is near other shops I have to visit on a weekly basis, I can't add the fuel cost to the cost of the goods.

A lot of their stuff is surprisingly good for the price, and I find it worth paying the extra for the shop price so I've got the convenience of being able to have a rant at the shop manager on the very rare occasions when something goes wrong, or doesn't work as advertised. My main point of dispute with my local one is their reluctance to sell me the last one in the shop, as it means they've then not got one on display. I want it, or an alternative, *now*, otherwise I would have ordered it online.

[Theo Markettos]

You could ring up the shop and ask them if they have stock and if not to get one in for you?

Theo

[dennis]

If this is still maplin we are talking about then the last time I went in to buy something they didn't have in stock they sent it to me at home free.

[Harry Bloomfield]

dennis@home formulated the question :

Which was my experience too, from a few years ago. Now they charge you for delivery to your home or to their store, if the local store lacks stock.

[Harry Bloomfield]

harry pretended :

You are willing to pay £70 every couple of years for a soldering iron which has had very limited use :-?

[geoff]

In message , Harry Bloomfield writes

Yes, but you are digging yourself a hole here and running out of options

[geoff]

In message , Harry Bloomfield writes

Last week I bought 24 litre cans of IPA from CPC. Two days later I received a flyer from them which predated my order by 4 days where they were over £1 cheaper / can

bastards wouldn't refund the difference

I also bought a scroll excel from them (if anyone remembers the in-car audio thread - cracking little toy), then found it was £10 cheaper on the manufacturers website.

Will I stop using them because of these problems?

of course not - its life in the grown up world

swallow your pride or buy another iron.. Life's too short

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'm not sure the other Harry actually knows what a low voltage temperature controlled soldering iron is...

[Frank Erskine]

Exactly. Buy an iron from a firm who _will_ supply replacement parts on your terms.

For many years I've had a Weller PU-2D driving a TCP iron and it's never let me down.

As well as an ancient Weller (125W?) soldering gun which I haven't used for decades I have a ""Union BP53" variable temperature "station" which I bought for work and inherited when the office closed down several years ago.

[Man at B&Q]

If you are willing to spend =A370 for a soldering iron that needs repairing after just two years then you are an even bigger fool than this thread makes you look.

Buy a decent one from amanufacturer that supports it's customers instead of expensive chinese tat from Maplin. It probably costs them a fiver.

MBQ