Magnifier Station with LED Light, SoMarkt 3X 4.5X Magnifying Glass with 10 LED Light Multifunctional Helping Hand Magnifier Station For Soldering Assembly Repair Modeling and Hobby, White

This is a pretty nice station. The lighting is fantastic and provides enough light to use this station in a pitch black dark room. Lights can be powered via the included USB cable or by 3 AAA batteries. Everything else about the station is about what you would expect for a "helping hand" station. I would have given this station 5 stars, but the unit I receieved had 2 issues.The first was not too bad. The little vise that was included would not open with the adjustment screw. I was able to resolve this issue by setting the locking pin with a small punch.The second issue, and the reason for the 3-star rating, is the base is not level. The base rocks back and forth which i think is the biggest downfall of this otherwise great station. Right now a penny under one of the foot pads will just about level it up, but I will likely look for some replacement foot pads that I can trim to level out the base.

Much lighter and more flimsy than I expected. It wobbled once I set it up and was much too easy to tip over, there is no weight in the base so it’s top-heavy. The attachments fit loosely and the joints have too much play in them to hold the lens and arms in-place well. The plastic on the product is fairly thin and it feels cheap.I’ve used similar devices, both pro- and amateur-quality, and to be useful this would need to be heavier, sturdier, more robust, and have better attachments. If this means you have to spend a bit more money then do so rather than throw it away on this product.Overall it doesn’t seem like a professional device, more like a toy. Unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend this product for any serious use, it seems more suited to getting a youth started with their first few projects to see if they’re ready for decent equipment.Edit:The seller has contacted me about this review and automatically refunded the money I spent without me requesting a refund. They also allowed me to keep the product. I will say that the service from the seller is excellent and this product would not deter me from buying from the seller again. All-in-all, the product does work as intended but it shouldn’t be confused for something that a professional would use long-term.

This unit gives good light and parts swivel reasonably well. But the alligator clips attach to the unit with clamps that are horribly inadequate. After trying to attach them for a few minutes, I just threw them away. There is a small built-in vise that works. For larger boards I will use a board holder in combination with this piece.Update: The seller/manufacturer contacted me, offering another unit or a refund. While I consider this quite gracious, especially considering the way some sellers act, I see no need for either. The clamps are simply way too much hassle to deal with. Using a separate board holder will work far better anyway. If you enjoy assembling two small items that have to held in a precise position while gradually tightening a screw, this might not be a problem for you. Personally I have neither the time nor the patience for these poorly engineered clamps.

The light is the best feature. I can actually see what I'm doing. No shadows. The clips/arms are good. All it takes is one alligator clip to hold a typical arduino size board.The product picture is a good representation of the quality of the magnifying lens, but for soldering .1" pitch it's overkill and I don't need it. Wouldn't mind if it had a deeper dish for a brass sponge, or a solder spool holder. Guess I can add those myself.As others have stated, it's not super heavy, but come on. If you are soldering, you know how to use a glue gun. Get some neodymium magnets or glue this thing to a little base if you are that clumsy and prone to knocking things over.

***2nd UPDATE: Have used the replacement the company sent me and so far it is working perfectly. Customer service for this company is very pleasant to work with. ***UPDATE: I am changing this based strictly on the fact that the customer service has been GREAT! They very generously replaced this. Hoping and assuming the new one will work properly longer, I'll be back to change the star rating again*** I don't really dislike it but extremely disappointed. The lighting has stopped working; I used it maybe three times and I went to use it yesterday and the lights aren't working. Unfortunately I put some gripper pads on the bottom so I cannot return it

Does what I need to work on my quad copter. Not an industrial grade unit, but perfect for the hobbyist. Some have complained about it not being heavy enough, and I'll agree you have to position the soldering iron holder well to keep things more table. The holding clips, once positioned, seemed very solid and did not move. LED lights are very helpful.

No problem with the quality. It's just not useful. There is no weight in the base. It wobbles when trying to solder. I can't seem to tighten the arms enough to keep them from sagging. The alligator clips are too aggressive when trying to use to hold a circuit board. The light is adequate if looking down on work piece. It would maybe make a good magnifying light source if the neck would extend a little bit. I am afraid this one is going to collect dust in the corner.

It's too light weight and putting a soldering iron makes it unbalanced. It's not bad otherwise. If they had just put a lead weight in the base it would be OK. The magnifier has a pretty limited range of motion