Sometimes people ask about how much money they need to invest to start playing around with DIY tubes and audio. The answer is probably less that you think.
I have been using the puny 23W Weller pencil iron for several years. You can buy this thing at literally every hardware store on the face of the earth. The tip is replaceable. Sometimes the little iron struggles with larger buss bars or binding posts, but its never given up. It’s my little orange choo choo iron.
Why am I thinking about this now? I bought a 45W iron recently and immediately found it to be almost too hot for small sockets and parts. Little choo choo is not going to the tool box graveyard yet.
wauwatosa tube factory 